Exploring the Depths of our Connectedness: A Comparison of Jung’s Collective Unconscious and Sheldrake’s Morphic Fields
Over the past week I have had a truly interesting experience that has caused me to wonder a lot about what the collective unconscious is, how it relates to morphic fields, and how both of them become observable in daily life.
During a session with a client, I found myself compelled to combine two techniques that I am specialized in – Family Constellations and Inner Child/Inner Family work. It was an intuition I had in the moment, where it seemed that the best way to help my client really feel what was going on in the issue they had presented was to help them see, contemporaneously, both the larger picture of the situation with the help of Family Constellations, and the internal aspects of those wounded parts that were connected to their early childhood experiences.
It was a powerful experience both for me, and my client, and I found myself pondering this in the days to come, feeling that I had reached a new level of understanding in my own personal journey and in how I can best help those that come to me for help in navigating the complexities of healing our woundedness, stepping into feeling more empowered in how we can create a truly fulifilling life, and in simply being human.
I then participated in a Family Constellations workshop, where there were also several other participants who are therapists of varying sorts. I found myself almost gasp out loud when first one, then another, and then a third shared about how they have recently been integrating Inner Child and Internal Family Systems work with Family Constellations!
What I found unusual was not so much that other people are finding this kind of integration useful, both for themselves and for their clients; that seems a rather natural progression of things, as the two approaches truly do complement each other in a variety of ways that I won’t go into here.
What surprised me was the fact that in terms of timing it all seemed to be happening in a rather contemporaneous way, in many of us, but scattered all throughout the globe.
I was very touched by this and I kind of tucked it away in my mind, to ponder over during the days and weeks to come, as I would begin to explore my own way of integrating things.
Then, that same evening, I received a newsletter from yet another Family Constellations practitioner, who lives in yet another far-flung country, announcing how she is also integrating Family Constellations work with Inner Child work!!
Now what seemed to be possibly a mere coincidence truly began to ring of something “spooky at a distance” happening.
I know that most physicists would cringe at my applying that expression, which refers to particles being entangled at a subatomic, or quantum, level, to connections between human minds and cultural trends. I am certainly not a physicist, and so although I have read numerous books on these topics and have been studying how they can correlate with human experience for years, I most certainly do not consider myself an expert on any of it.
But after over 35 years of personal exploration of how our various lenses for interpretation of reality – science, philosophy, art and religion – intertwine and interact with each other, while being distinct, I can’t help but think that these experiences do show us that we are very likely experiencing the quantum dimension of reality far more often than we would like to think.
We are rightly skeptical about drawing correlations when we are dealing with subjective, or personal, experience, and our scientific method has most certainly helped humanity become more capable of drawing objective conclusions about reality, which have allowed us to advance in ways we could have never imagined.
But subjective experience is also a fundamental aspect of our existence, and many thinkers, even within more purely scientific realms, are becoming more courageous about affirming the importance of recognizing how objective and subjective reality are deeply intertwined, and how they then express into human culture through new ideas and practices, which advance our understanding of ourselves and our world, and how we can live better within it.
I have also noticed a kind of synchronicity in how Antonio Mercurio, the founder of the therapeutic and anthropological approach that he began developing in the 1970s and that I specialized in Italy in the 1990s and early 2000s, began first sharing his ideas when working with others around the same time as Bert Hellinger, who was in Germany.
While their general ideas and approaches have many differences, there are also some fundamental similarities in how they saw the challenges that face people who are struggling with a variety of mental and emotional issues.
Their common experiences of having begun both as priests within the Catholic church, who then left the church to found their own schools of thought and practice with a phenomenological approach at their foundation, seems serendipitous, or, in the words of Carl Jung, synchronous.
There are many, many examples of this throughout history, way before there was the internet and our now instantaneous ability to access information of any type. I am sure you have noticed such coincidences within your own life as well.
I invite you to reflect on this and, if you have an example to share, please do so in the comments. It seems important to be able to notice how we are connected with each other in these mysterious, yet profound, ways.
As we become able to observe them with greater consciousness and appreciation, we can strengthen our positive, creative, life-enhancing bonds with others, wherever we may be.
In any case, I hope you enjoy the following article comparing Carl Jung’s ideas about the Collective Unconscious and Rupert Sheldrake’s ideas about Morphic Fields. I asked AI to help me with it, out of curiosity, and it did a great job 🙂
I would like to qualify this by saying that while I am finding AI very helpful when I am doing research, and even in offering assistance when I want to organize my thoughts or create a synthesis of ideas, I am also well aware of its limitations. It is “machine-think” and as such it is incapable of infusing words with feeling, and for me, that is an essential part of the beauty of the written word, or of any kind of communication.
The wonderful technologies that are emerging now are incredibly powerful and will most definitely continue to modify our lives in unthinkable ways over the years to come, but they cannot replace the importance of our emotions and how our connectedness depends on these fundamental, and still not very understood, energies within us.
Nonetheless, I have decided to share this article as-is, and maybe in the future I will come back and create a second one, infusing it with more of my own “human” editing, just to prove my point. 😉
(And as an FYI, I have written pretty much everything else on my website over the last 15 years… as someone who loves to write, I do not see myself turning over this task completely to AI any time soon! )
—
Understanding Jung’s Collective Unconscious
Carl Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious represents a significant aspect of his analytical psychology. Unlike the personal unconscious, which is unique to each individual and formed through personal experiences, the collective unconscious refers to a deeper level of the unconscious mind that is shared by all members of a species. It contains universal symbols and archetypes, which Jung described as inherited structures intrinsic to humanity, transcending cultural and individual differences.
These archetypes include motifs such as the Hero, the Mother, and the Shadow, which reflect the shared experiences and emotions present in human societies.
The implications of the collective unconscious extend beyond the individual psyche; they manifest in collective behaviors, beliefs, and the shared mythologies that form the cultural bedrock of societies across the globe.
Jung posited that this metamorphic field is responsible for the connections between people throughout the world, fostering understanding and cooperation, as these archetypes resonate with the shared human experience. The concept suggests that individuals are influenced by these deep-rooted symbols, shaping their emotions and behaviors in ways that can often be unconscious.
This idea aligns with a phenomenological approach, as it emphasizes the importance of subjective experience and shared human structures in understanding psychological phenomena. By recognizing these universal aspects of our consciousness, we can begin to appreciate the fractals of ideas and behaviors that connect us as a species.
Jung’s theory serves as a foundation for understanding how cultural narratives are formed and maintained over time, allowing us to analyze the ways in which we are linked through our shared unconscious heritage. In essence, the collective unconscious provides a framework for exploring the underlying patterns that influence both individual and societal dynamics.
Rupert Sheldrake’s Morphic Fields: An Overview
Rupert Sheldrake’s theory of morphic fields presents a revolutionary perspective on how nature and behavior are influenced by fields that store collective memories of species. According to Sheldrake, these morphic fields exist in a realm akin to the collective unconscious described by Carl Jung, as both suggest that there is a shared reservoir of knowledge that influences behavior across species.
However, Sheldrake diverges from Jung by introducing the concept of morphic resonance, which posits that these fields are not static but dynamic, capable of evolving over time as they encapsulate the experiences and behaviors of individual creatures within a species. This idea has significant implications, especially in understanding how patterns of behavior can repeat across generations without direct genetic influence.
The concept of morphic fields extends beyond mere behavioral patterns to suggest that they also play a crucial role in evolution. Sheldrake proposes that these fields help facilitate the development of new traits and behaviors through the collective experiences of past generations.
This challenges traditional views of evolutionary biology, where changes are primarily attributed to genetic mutations and natural selection. Instead, Sheldrake argues for a phenomenological approach, emphasizing the intricate web of connections between people throughout the world and species as they draw upon historical memories preserved in morphic fields.
Moreover, Sheldrake’s theory resonates with the notion of fractals of ideas and behaviors, highlighting how specific patterns repeat across different scales and contexts. Sheldrake’s morphic fields also provide a framework for understanding family constellations, as they suggest that behaviors and experiences may reverberate through familial lines, influenced by shared history.
Ultimately, Sheldrake’s morphic fields challenge established scientific paradigms, inviting researchers to explore the interconnectedness of all life forms and the ways in which knowledge and behavior are transmitted through these profound collective dimensions.
Comparative Analysis: Synergies and Divergences
The theories of Jung’s collective unconscious and Sheldrake’s morphic fields offer intriguing perspectives on the shared experiences and memories that permeate human consciousness and, arguably, other forms of life as well. At the core of Jung’s collective unconscious lies the assertion that there exists a repository of archetypal images and narratives that shapes human behavior across cultures and generations. This idea emphasizes a shared mental landscape that connects individuals through time and space. It is this collective repository that informs dreams, myths, and even instincts, creating a common thread among people worldwide.
On the other hand, Sheldrake’s morphic fields propose that patterns of behavior, knowledge, and memory are transmitted not through the conventional biological processes but rather through these fields which enable a form of memory that transcends individuals. In this view, learning and habits are not solely the results of direct experience but are influenced by these higher-order patterns. Thus, the morphic field serves as a connecting framework through which behavioral patterns emerge and evolve, akin to the fractals of ideas and behaviors that manifest across various species.
Despite these similarities, the two theories diverge significantly in their acceptance within the scientific community. Jung’s collective unconscious has encountered its share of skepticism and has often remained within the realm of psychology and philosophy, whereas Sheldrake’s morphic fields are viewed with even more caution, often critiqued for their lack of empirical support.
Furthermore, the metaphysical implications of these theories lead to different interpretations regarding the nature of memory and consciousness. While Jung’s unraveling of the unconscious emphasizes psychological integration, Sheldrake’s approach hints at a more interconnected universe, underscoring the phenomenological approach in understanding the connections between people throughout the world. The analysis of these theories reveals a complex landscape of consciousness that invites further exploration and discussion.
The Relevance of Jung and Sheldrake in Today’s Context
In contemporary society, the theories proposed by Carl Jung, particularly his concept of the collective unconscious, have gained renewed interest among psychologists, artists, and cultural critics.
Jung’s idea posits that beneath the individualized consciousness exists a shared reservoir of experiences, memories, and archetypes common to all humanity.
This collective unconscious serves as a framework through which we can discuss the connections between people throughout the world, helping to explain shared symbols in art, myth, and religious practices.
As mental health practitioners increasingly adopt a phenomenological approach, they draw upon Jung’s ideas to better understand their clients within the broader context of societal influences and historical narratives.
Moreover, the relevance of Rupert Sheldrake’s concept of morphic fields resonates in the fields of biology and psychology. Sheldrake proposes that these fields govern the patterns and tendencies of behavior and development, influencing how organisms interact within their environments.
The concept of a metamorphic field extends beyond biology, suggesting that learning and behaviors are not merely learned individually but are shared among populations, echoing Jung’s collective unconscious.
By exploring metamorphic fields and family constellations, practitioners can address familial patterns and behaviors that transcend individual experiences, bringing to light their roots in collective memory.
As we navigate an increasingly complex world characterized by rapid technological advancement and global interconnectedness, Jung and Sheldrake’s theories provide essential perspectives on understanding consciousness, community, and individual identity.
Their ideas invite us to consider the fractals of ideas and behaviors that shape our experiences, hinting at a collective tapestry of human existence woven through shared memories and social interaction. The implications of these theories encourage a reflection on how we relate to one another, further enriching our comprehension of humanity in the modern age.
