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TheCollectivelyUnconsciousExperienceintheUniversalDesert
Johnfuckingdoe
Shitholecommunitycollege

Abstract
Throughouthistorytherehavebeenmanypsychologistswhohavehadextreme,
expansiveinfluencesonthefieldforgenerationstocome.Unfortunatelytherearefew
psychologistswhohavepioneeredintothemetaphysical,existentialrealmthatCarlGustavJung
has.TherearevariousreasonsJungexploredthespiritual,religious,philosophicalspanof
psychology.Onecanspeculatethemostpotentfactorsindetermininghisdriveforesoteric
knowledgewerelivingintheWorldWarera,hisvasttravels,andhispossiblementalillness.
JungstheoriesmayatfirstseeminapplicabletoaCamusreadingpresentdayU.S.
marine,butAnthonySwoffords
Jarhead
,abooktofilmPersianGulfWarmemoirofhis
internalandexternalexperiencesshowsthatJungspremisesinregardstothecollective
unconsciousarestillpertinentevenposthumously.

Introduction
CarlGustavJungdiedattheageofeightyfivein1961.Upuntilhisdeathhepublished
variousbooks,manyofwhichwerepublishedpostmortem.Hisstudiesinfluencedseveral
domainsofknowledgespanningarchaeology,anthropologyofreligion,philosophy,andothers,
butheisknownforemostforhispsychiatry,psychoanalysis,andthevariouspsychological
conceptsheconceived.Hismostfamoustheoryisthatofthecollectiveunconscious,and
thosewhichstemmedfromit.
JungwasborninKesswil,Switzerlandin1875toPaulJungandEmilie
Preiswerk
(Brome,1978p.28)
.EmiliePreiswerkexperiencedprolongedboutsofdepressionandadmitted
tobeingvisitedbyspiritsinherbedroomatnight(
Jung,Jaff
,
1963,

p.18).
Itcanbespeculated
thattheseinstancesofapparentschizophrenicpsychosiswerehereditary.In
Memories,Dreams,
Reflections
,apartlyautobiographicalbook,Jungrecollectedthatfromearlychildhoodhefelthe
hadtwoseparatepersonalitieswhichhereferredtoasPersonalityNumber1andPersonality
Number2(Jung,Jaff
,p.3334).
Hismotheralsoreportedlyexperiencedthisfeeling(Stepp,
2011).
Jungdescribedthatcertaintimesinhislifehefeltthe"menaceofpsychosis(2009).
TranslatorSonuShamdasaniprefaces
LiberNovus
,aposthumouslypublishedmanuscript
journalofJungswiththeexplanation:
FromDecember1913onward,he[Jung]carriedoninthesameprocedure:deliberately
evokingafantasyinawakingstate,andthenenteringintoitasintoadrama.Thesefantasies
maybeunderstoodasatypeofdramatizedthinkinginpictorialform....Inretrospect,herecalled
thathisscientificquestionwastoseewhattookplacewhenheswitchedoffconsciousness.The

exampleofdreamsindicatedtheexistenceofbackgroundactivity,andhewantedtogivethisa
possibilityofemerging,justasonedoeswhentakingmescaline(2009).
Jungpronouncedthesesometimesextendedhallucinogenicepisodesasaconfrontation
withtheunconscious(2009).
In1910,SigmundFreud,anAustrianpsychologistandmentorofJung,foundedthe
InternationalPsychoanalyticAssociation,andelectedJungasChairmanforLife(
Gillespie,
1982).
Jungtheorized,inarecognizablysimilaryetdiscernableconjecturetoFreudstheory,that
neurosisoccursduetoadisturbancecausedbylackofhomeostasisbetweentheegoandthe
unconscious.FreudandJungalsowidelysharedbeliefsregardingcomplexes,whichisaterm
usedforconsistentbehavioralandperceptivepatternswhichdevelopinanindividual'semotions
duetoapreviouseventorpreexistingconditionthatasubjectmayhaveexperienced.Jungs
parapsychologicalviews,however,didnotamuseFreud,anddiscrepancybetweenthetwoin
regardstothelibidinousdrivesinfluenceonthecoreofindividualpersonality,whichFreud
consideredthegreatestdeterminingfactor,causedafalloutbetweenthetwo,ultimatelycausing
JungtoresignanddefythetitleofChairmanforLife(
Gillespie,1982)
.
EastAfrica,England,andtheUSAwereallvisitedinJungstravels,butthevoyage
whichinfluencedhimthemostwashisexpeditiontoIndia.InhistourHinduismbecameavital
proponentofhistheories.Insuitwithhislifemotifofwhatcanbeperceivedasderangement,
Jungbecameillandsufferedtwoweeksofdeliriumduringhistrip(Bair,2003p.622).Jungs
studiesofHinduismsolidifiedhisconceptofwhatisnowreferredtoasJungian
archetypes(
Jung,1921
).Thesearchetypesareessentiallytimeless,interculturaloccurrencesand
phenomenons.Theyconsistofmotifswhichtranscendacrossthehumanspeciesthroughmyth,

folklore,religion,andfactualevents.Forexampleafloodingoftheearthisclearlyrecognizedin
theBibleinthestoryofNoah,aswellasintheQuranwiththestoryofNuh.
AnotheruniversalarchetypeJungpresentedwasthearchetypalfigures:theshadow
whichrepresentsrepressedorrejectedlevelsofconsciousness,thewiseoldman,thechild,the
mother,andtheanimaoranimuswhichevincesqualitiesoftheoppositesexandsignifiesawell
developedindividual.Jungalsodescribedarchetypaleventswhichoccurthroughoutapersons
lifesuchasseparationfromonesparents,aninitiativecomingofageprocess,andaunion
betweenpeoplewhohavecomplimentingqualitiesthusformingasyzygy.Jungsurmisedthatthe
reasonthesehappeningsareomnipresentisthattheyareallmanifestationsoftheentiretyofthe
compiled,fullyencompassingstateofconsciousbeing:thecollectiveunconscious(Jung,1921).

LiteratureReview
BasedonU.S.MarineAnthonySwofford's2003warmemoir
Jarhead
,afilmadaptation
ofthesamenamestarsJakeGyllenhaalasSwofford,andfollowshimthroughhisexperiencesin
bootcamp,hisstationinginCampPendleton,andhisdeploymentduringOperation:Desert
Storm.DistributedbyUniversalPicturesanddirectedbySamMendes,this2005filmdepictsthe
strugglesofayoungmalewhogotlostonthewaytocollege,anddecidedtosubjecthimselfto
thetrialsofbecomingamemberoftheArmedForces.
Uponenteringbootcampandhavinghisheadslammedintoachalkboardbyhissadistic
DrillInstructor,Swoffordreconsidershislifechangingdecision.Afterextensiveandgrueling
physicaltrainingwhichJungwouldconsideranarchetypeofinitiation,Swoffordgraduatesfrom
bootcampandisassignedtoGolfCompany,stationedinCampPendleton.

ThefilmislacedwithSwoffordsnarrations:Everywarisdifferent.Everywaristhe
same.ThislineisreflectiveofJungsarchetypesinthatSwoffordrecognizestheconsistencies
inthemotifsofhumannature.Warisperhapsthemostwelldocumented,regularlyaccounted
phenomenonthroughouthumanhistory.
Oncedeployed,Swofforddiscernsthatthegreatestthreattohiswellbeingandtheenemy
hewillbecombatingmostoftenishimself.Jungstatestheshadowarchetypeisthereservoirfor
humandarkness,(Jung,1921)andinenduringtheneurosisinducinglethargy,loneliness,
extremeboredom,anddepressionthataccompanieshiscurrentlivingconditions,Swoffordhas
variousencounterswithhisowndarknessandwitnessesthedarknessemergefromothers.
Jodyisthenamegiventomenwhostayhomeenjoyingtheliberties,andthewives,
thatthosewhoenlistaremeanttobefightingfor.Suspectingunfaithfulness,
Swafford
contemplateswhetherornothisbackathomegirlfriendisspendingtimewithJody.Withthis
additionalstress,Swoffordfindshimselfwakingupinthemiddleofthenightsweatingafter
feverishnightmares.CinematographerRogerDeakinsbeautifullyportraysthisscene:Swofford
arisesfromhisbed,walksintothelotrine,andstaresintothemirror.Asheleansforwardtowash
hisface,hisreflectionchangesfromhis,tohisgirlfriends.Gagging,Swoffordbendsoverand
vomitsamountainousflowofsand.
Thisisahighlysymbolicevent.
Swoffordsongoinginsecuritiesregardinghis
girlfriendssuspectedinfidelitydevelopedintoaneuroticcomplex.Theunconsciousmindis
muchmoreobservablethroughdreamsandthusthecomplexwasrevealedclearlyhere.The
animaarchetypeisbrieflycontouredinanegativelightasSwoffordseeshisreflectionashis

girlfriend.Hisneurosiscauseshimtotakehisnegativesuspicionshehasabouthisgirlfriendand
introjectthem.
Swofford,alongwiththeotherMarines,iscompletelyconsumedintheisolationofthe
desert.
Livinginthebarrenwasteland,andcutofffromsocietylongenoughfortimetolose
meaning,Swoffordhasbecomethedesertitself,hencehisvomitingofsandinhisdream.Thisis
reflectiveofthetitleofthefilm.Swoffordofferstheetymologyof
Jarhead
:Noun.Slangfor
Marine.Origin:Fromtheresemblancetoajaroftheregulationhighandtighthaircut.The
Marine'shead,byimplication,[is]thereforealsoajar:anemptyvessel.Swaffordhasbecome
justasmuchofamental,emotional,andspiritual,void,asthedesertisphysicalone.
Eventuallytheprolongeddissonancebetweenhisegoandunconsciouscreatesastrain
whichcauseshimtoexperienceamentalbreakdown.ThrustingaloadedM16A2intothefaceof
acomradewhilerecitingTheRifleman'sCreed,Swoffordthreatenstomurderhisfriend,
beforeturningtheweapontohimselfandbeggingforhisfellowMarinetoendhislife.
Uponreturninghome,Swoffordfindshisgirlfriendisnolongerhisgirlfriend,justashis
unconsciousintuitionforeshadowedwithhisnightmare.WhenaVietnamveteranthankshimfor
hisservice,heisremindedthatEverywarisdifferent,andEverywaristhesame.Thisfilm
isnotanaccountofthepoliticsofwarfare.Itisnotapatrioticcalltoarms,norisitanantiwar
protest.Itistheportrayalofatwentyyearold...dumbenoughtosignacontract.Itisa
depictionofeveryhuman,strandedintheirowndesert,lookingforGod,orSatan,inthemiddle
ofPurgatory.Itisastorytoldwiththesameuniversaldesperationformeaning,helpless
absurdity,andultimateirrelevanceasanyother.

Thefirstwordsofthefilmareechoedinthelast:

Astory:Amanfiresarifleformany
years,andhegoestowar.Andafterwards,hecomeshome,andheseesthatwhateverelsehe
maydowithhislifebuildahouse,loveawoman,changehisson'sdiaperhewillalways
remainaJarhead.AndalltheJarheadskillinganddying,theywillalwaysbeme.Weare
still
in
thedesert.
References

Brome,V(1978).
Jung
(1ed.).NewYork:Atheneum.
Gillespie,W.(1982).HistoryoftheIPA.
InternationalPsychoanalyticalAssociation
RetrievedAugust6,2015.

Jung,(2009)
Libernovus
.
Norton.
ung,C.(1921).
Psychologicaltypes
(Vol.6).UnitedKingdom.Routledge.
Jung,C.,&Jaff,A.(1963).
Memories,dreams,reflections
.NewYork:Pantheon
Books.
Mendes,S.(Director).(2006).
Jarhead
[Motionpicture].USA:UniversalStudios
Stepp,G.(2011).
CarlJung:ForeverJung
.
Vision.
RetrievedAugust7,2015.
Bair,D.(2003).
Jung:Abiography
.Boston.Little,Brown