Carl Jung, a brilliant psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology, made a famous statement over 60 years ago: “I only believe in what I know. And that eliminates believing. Therefore, I do not take His existence on belief—I know that He exists.” This reflects his unique approach to spirituality. For Jung, the concept of God was not rooted in traditional religious faith but in direct, inner experience and knowledge.
Jung’s understanding of God was deeply intertwined with his theories of the collective unconscious and archetypes. He believed that God, or the divine, could be experienced directly through personal psychological exploration, dreams, and visions. This experiential knowledge
Faith: Believing or Knowing?
The traditional understanding of faith involves belief without empirical evidence. However, Jung suggested that true faith arises from an inner knowing, rooted in personal and collective unconscious experiences. This type of faith transcends rational understanding and is based on a deep, intuitive certainty from direct encounters with the divine within our own psyche.
“Modern Man Never Finds God Because He Doesn’t Look Low Enough”
Yet another famous quote of Dr. Jung, “Modern man never finds God because he doesn’t look low enough,” suggests that people of the post-industrial age seek the divine in lofty ideals and external rituals, neglecting the introspective journey into the unconscious mind. For Jung, true spiritual discovery required confronting the shadow — the hidden, often darker aspects of ourselves — and integrating these elements to achieve wholeness.
Seeking Meaning in Existence: Man and Protohumans
Man and protohumans, such as Neanderthals, have long sought the meaning of their existence in the world. Evidence from Neanderthal archaeological sites indicates that they engaged in rituals and possibly held spiritual beliefs. Burial sites with grave goods and structured arrangements of animal bones suggest early forms of religious consciousness and a sense of the sacred.
Whereas Neanderthals may have sought meaning through rituals carved out of responses to their immediate environment, Jung encourages us to look inward and recognize the divine within our unconscious.
Integrating All Aspects of the Self
Carl Jung supported that the whole individual’s experience should be respected and included rather than aspects being shunned and pathologized. This holistic approach includes the anima and animus—Jung’s concepts of the feminine inner personality in men and the masculine inner personality in women. By acknowledging and integrating these aspects, we move towards greater self-awareness and wholeness.
By exploring the depths of our unconscious mind and confronting both the light and shadow aspects of ourselves, we can experience a profound sense of spiritual fulfillment and connection with the divine that is present within and around us. This holistic approach to spirituality emphasizes that true spiritual discovery is accessible to everyone, everywhere, through introspection and an appreciation of the present moment and the natural world. Therefore, the whole exercise of seeking our true purpose can be extrapolated to an inner journey of illuminating the shadow aspect of self, removing blockages, and integrating these elements to achieve unified wholeness.
