eased relatives waiting and calling to them. How do different people of different backgrounds from all over the world believe we experience death in this manner?.
The substances of the collective unconscious are called archetypes. An archetype is defined as "universal, symbolic images that appear in myths, art, stories, and dreams which represent the collective unconscious." An archetype is an unlearned tendency to experience things in a certain way. The archetype has no specific form of its own, but it acts as a coordinating source on the things we see or do. An archetype is in itself is not representable, but has effects which make visualizations of it possible.
I have chosen the classic movie Wizard of Oz to represent some of the different categories of archetypes.
The mother archetype in Wizard of Oz I believe was Auntie Em. The mother archetype is a mother or mother-substitute, without which we would never have survived. Our connection with this nurturing person during our times as helpless infants, children, and adults are automatic. The mother archetype represents caring, nurturing, forgiveness, safety, and love. Even though Auntie Em was not Dorothy's biological mother I think she represented mothering in her life.
The mana archetype in Wizard of Oz I believe was the Wizard. The mana archetype is a personified image of a supernatural force. The Wizard was so named because of the belief that he could perform magical duties, and had special power. The inhabitants of the Land of Oz treated Godlike. The people believed the Wizard knew everything and had a solution for everything, which was illustrated well in the scene of the Witch skywriting over the City and the townspeople stampeding to the Wizards door exclaiming, "the Wizard will know what to do!" .
The shadow archetype in Wizard of Oz I believe was the Wicked Witch. The shadow is representative of the "dark side" of the ego, and the evil that we are capable of is often stored there.
