Jung's Psychological InfluenceIn understanding society’s fascination with the occult, it is important to attribute the findings of Carl Jung, a psychologist known for his groundbreaking, and at times controversial discoveries in the world of psychology. While he is known for founding analytical psychology, some of his more controversial studies lie within the realm of consciousness. For Jung, the collective unconscious was an underlying link between all of humanity that we are unaware of. He justifies this by discussing archetypes, or universal images or ideas, found in ancient myths and legends around the world.
people want a sense of controlJung’s fascination with the occult is not rare. As scientists and psychologists continue to research human nature, it becomes more evident as to why as a society we seem to gravitate to the supernatural. In the case of the lost colony of Roanoke and many other mysterious disappearances throughout history, it can be fairly unsatisfying to not have any sound explanation. As to what happened to this colony, although we can gather evidence to draw conclusions, we can never be one hundred percent certain.
Any amplified state of consciousness helped humans deal with the not very appealing idea that life is chaos followed by oblivion |
Be You Fully. (2016, May 14). Collective Unconscious, Carl Jung [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIuJUt90BMo
In fact, much of Jung’s psychological studies delve into religion and the occult. While many other psychologists including Sigmund Freud, known as the father of psychology, found his speculations and theories unscientific, Jung stood firmly with his convictions, declaring, “I shall not commit the fashionable stupidity of regarding everything I cannot explain as a fraud… Science cannot afford the luxury of naivete in these matters”.
In the absence of perceived control, people become susceptible to detecting patterns in an effort to regain some sense of organization This is where the fascination with the occult comes into play. Since the occult is made up of concepts and existences beyond human understanding, it can be used to explain mysteries in a more interesting way. This could speak to the reasoning as to why so many interpretations of the lost colony of Roanoke exist. Allowing people to use their imagination to propose some far fetched explanation transforms the dissatisfaction of the unknown into a form of entertainment that encourages the mind to imagine the possibilities of what might lie beyond our understanding.
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religion
We are also able to trace human fascination to the occult back to the creation of religions. Every religion in the world has an origin story to explain how we have come into existence, among other things. Prominent world religions such as Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism as well as less prominent religions like Jainism, Shintoism, and Sikhism all have different ways to explain essentially our creation and meaning. There are many other religions around the world that seek to provide an explanation for our existence. In the same way that people tend to explain things in a way that we are unable to prove, people will often credit their religion for happenings that they have no way to explain, but that we feel we need an explanation for in order to feel satisfied. Needless to say, we can attribute some of humanity’s natural pull towards the occult to the way we attempt to understand our own existence, and the uncertainty that comes with faith and religion.
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CrashCourse. (2017, March 3). Creation from the Void: Crash Course World Mythology #2 [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/4eVFgfQ2694
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This relates directly back to Carl Jung and his psychological studies related to mythology and the collective unconscious. While there are many significant differences between religions, there are also an abundance of similarities when it comes to core values or creation. While we can never factually prove how creation came to be, people around the world have turned to religion in order to fulfill their need for an explanation and to give their life a sense of meaning.
references
Allison, Michael. (2013, September 19). Top 10 Most Creative Religious Origin Stories From Around The World. TopTenz. https://www.toptenz.net/top-10-most-creative-religious-origin-stories-from-around-the-world.php
Baxter, Samuel C. Magic, Horror and the Occult-Why the Attraction?. The Real Truth. https://rcg.org/realtruth/articles/121030-001.html
Licauco, Jaime. (2018, May 15). Carl Jung’s fascination with the occult. Lifestyle INQ. https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/294281/carl-jungs-fascination-occult/
Mark, Joshua. (2018, October 31). Mythology. Ancient History Encyclopedia. https://www.ancient.eu/mythology/
Samuel, Lawrence. (2013, June 9). Why People Believe Weird Things. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychology-yesterday/201306/why-people-believe-weird-things
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2020, February 28). Collective Unconscious. Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/collective-unconscious
Baxter, Samuel C. Magic, Horror and the Occult-Why the Attraction?. The Real Truth. https://rcg.org/realtruth/articles/121030-001.html
Licauco, Jaime. (2018, May 15). Carl Jung’s fascination with the occult. Lifestyle INQ. https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/294281/carl-jungs-fascination-occult/
Mark, Joshua. (2018, October 31). Mythology. Ancient History Encyclopedia. https://www.ancient.eu/mythology/
Samuel, Lawrence. (2013, June 9). Why People Believe Weird Things. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychology-yesterday/201306/why-people-believe-weird-things
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2020, February 28). Collective Unconscious. Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/collective-unconscious