Jung and his followers developed approaches to dream interpretation, creative expression, and the use of imagination to assist in the integration of unconscious contents, and thereby to restore harmony and wholeness to the psyche. From a Jungian perspective, symptom relief is most meaningful when it is part of this larger process of transformation, wherein we discover who we really are, as opposed to what we seem to be or others expect us to be. A painful looking into our self and upon our own shadow; a lonely separation from collective identity and the acceptance of a higher power within our self to which we must submit, it is not an easy task, and one that never ends. It could however be a fascinating journey with rich rewards.
Structural Elements of the Personality.
When we say "I" we are speaking from the ego complex. That means we are identifying with certain structures associated with the ego including the body-image and the usual sense of character structure (such as, "I am a reliable person."). The ego represents our identity, our image of who we think we are in the world. During the first half of life, our ego tends to be in charge of orchestrating the many ways in which we connect with the world around us. Persona (Latin, "actor's mask") is one's social role. It is the face we show to the outside world everyday. Persona protects our inner life. A strong ego relates to the outside world through a flexible persona. Identification with the specific persona (doctor, scholar, and politician) inhibits psychological development. Shadow is an unconscious part of the personality characterized by traits and attitudes which the conscious ego tends to reject or ignore. It is usually personified in dreams by persons of the same sex as the dreamer. Consciously assimilating one's shadow usually results in an increase of psychic energy. Shadow embodies all life which has not been allowed expression.
