How To Journal Like Carl Jung

24.09.24

In this article, we’ll discuss:

• How to journal like Carl Jung using his Active Imagination Technique (The same one used on the Red Book).
• How to integrate the shadow by working with our projections and disrupting destructive narratives and patterns.
• 5 Keys to enter Active Imagination and stimulate the unconscious.

Last week, I mercilessly criticized using Shadow Work prompts as I don’t believe they promote a true dialogue with the unconscious and are often ineffective. However, I never offered anything to replace it, so allow me to redeem myself.

Carl Jung created an immense body of work which culminated in his Active Imagination method, a powerful tool to explore and integrate unconscious contents. People often discuss this technique only focusing on images and fantasies, however, we can easily enter this same state through writing.

In this light, for journaling to be effective we have to achieve the flow state of automatic writing and let the words flow as a stream of consciousness. Then, we must challenge this material. It’s a dialectical procedure between the conscious ego and the unconscious perspective.

One of the immediate benefits of journaling is that it works like exposure therapy, in which we build tolerance and resilience to distressing emotions.

However, I believe this technique can go much deeper, If you understand the psychological principles behind this, you’ll never need to rely on prompts again.

And this practice turns into one of the most powerful tools for us to become our own analysts. We’ll begin by exploring a few psychological principles and then the practical aspects.

The Power of Narrative

The first thing you have to realize is that the personal shadow is mainly formed by complexes. Carl Jung refers to them as the architects of every symptom. I like to call them the puppet masters due to their compulsive and “possessive” nature.

Whenever you’re experiencing a strong emotional reaction, anxiety, depression, and find yourself trapped in toxic relationship patterns, you can bet there’s a complex at play.

Moreover, complexes distort our interpretation of reality and shape our sense of identity by producing fixed narratives that play on repeat in our minds. These stories prime us to see ourselves and the world in a certain way, also driving our behaviors and decisions.

The less conscious we are about them, the more power they have over us. This is so fascinating, that there’s a huge body of work dedicated to understanding why the same event can affect people in such different ways.

It’s common knowledge that what’s traumatic and paralyzing for one person, can be experienced in an entirely different way by another who can even become stronger and grow after the same event. That’s the power of narrative.

The Key To Integrating The Shadow

This leads us to the most important concept in Jungian Psychology, i.e., conscious attitude. This is basically how a person is wired, it’s a sum of their belief system, core values, pre-dispositions, and their typology – Extraversion x Introversion, and the four functions (thinking, feeling, sensation, and intuition).

• I cover each one of these components at the Audacity University.

To simplify, conscious attitude is someone’s modus operandi. Furthermore, Carl Jung explains that neurosis happens when we adopt a rigid and unilateral conscious attitude.

A simple example is to envision someone who is extremely logical and absolutely despises any display of emotion. Well, we all know they tend to be dry, and harsh, have a horrible temper, and are always possessed by their emotions.

This happens because the unconscious reacts to the conscious attitude. In this example, feelings and emotions are always being repressed and are relegated to the shadow. The more something is repressed the more it rebels against us, and the only way it has to be expressed is in a negative and destructive way.

It’s important to realize that the shadow isn’t bad, it’s neutral. It only acquires a dark quality because we judge it as bad and inferior. That’s why the key to integrating the shadow is transforming our perception of what’s being repressed.

Carl Jung constantly emphasizes how the goal of psychotherapy is transforming the conscious attitude so we can create a more harmonious relationship with the unconscious. As a result, we allow repressed aspects to be integrated to the conscious personality and we become more whole.

Moreover, complexes lose their grip over us and we not only disidentify from destructive narratives but also take our power back to become a conscious creator of our stories.

Projection Uncovered – Is It Possible To Stop Projecting?

One of the most important elements of the shadow integration process is learning how to work with our projections, as everything that is unconscious and doesn’t have a relationship with the ego is first encountered projected.

In that sense, complexes are the main material for our projections and they’re the sum of our experience around a certain theme. The nucleus of a complex is always the individual experience, however, they can be grouped around archetypes, originating the mother and father complex, for instance.

• Here’s a great video about it – Conquer The Puer and Puella Aeternus

I’ve seen multiple times people asking how they know if they’re projecting and if it’s possible to stop it, so let’s get more practical. The most flagrant sign of a complex operating are overreactions (”feeling triggered”) and compulsive behaviors.

It’s important to realize that a projection only takes place via a projective hook. In other words, the person in question often possesses the quality you’re seeing, however, projection always amplifies it, often to a superhuman or inhuman degree.

For instance, for someone who always avoids conflict and has difficulty asserting their boundaries, interacting with someone who is direct and upfront might evoke a perception of them being highly narcissistic and tyrannical, even if they’re just being somewhat normal.

Here are a few pointers to spot projections:

• You see the person as all good or all bad.
• The person is reduced to one attribute, like being a narcissist or the ultimate flawless spiritual master.
• You put them on a pedestal or feel the need to show your superiority.
• You change your behavior around them.
• Their opinions matter more than your own.
• You’re frustrated when they don’t correspond to the image you created about them.
• You feel a compulsion toward them (Here’s a great video on Limerence and Love Addiction).

Withdrawing Projections

As you can see, projection significantly reduces our ability to see people as a nuanced human being. However, when we withdraw a projection, we can finally see the real person, our emotional reactions diminish as well as their influence over us.

It’s impossible to stop projecting entirely because the psyche is alive and as our conscious attitude changes, the unconscious reacts. However, we can create a healthy relationship with our projections understanding them as a message from the unconscious.

However, withdrawing projections requires taking responsibility and realizing how we often act in the exact ways we condemn, leading to a moral differentiation.

In the case of a positive aspect, like admiring someone’s skill or intelligence, we must make it our duty to develop these capacities for ourselves instead of making excuses.

Furthermore, complexes being the basis for our projections also means that we unconsciously seek other people to perpetuate our internalized narratives. The external mirrors our internal dynamics.

For instance, someone who always plays the victim will constantly seek a perpetrator to blame. The only way to end these dynamics is by understanding how we’re contributing to keeping them alive.

To achieve that, Carl Jung united both Freud’s and Adler’s perspectives. The first one is always concerned with finding the origins of our symptoms and behaviors, the basic idea is that once we experience a catharsis the symptoms can be reduced. The second is concerned with understanding what we’re trying to achieve with our strategies.

For example, adopting people-pleasing and codependent behaviors is often a result of having experienced emotionally unstable parents whom you always tried to appease.

On the flip side, keeping codependent behaviors can also be a way of avoiding taking full responsibility for your life, as you’re constantly looking for someone to save you.

Journaling Effectively

Time to put everything into practice. Carl Jung used the Active Imagination method, which basically consists of fully connecting with our affects and allowing the unconscious contents to be manifested, be it through imagery, drawing, or in this case, writing.

First and foremost, it’s highly important to understand our conscious attitude because this will guide how we’ll engage with the unconscious contents. Moreover, understanding the compensatory nature of the unconscious and both Freud’s and Adler’s perspectives helps us know which questions to ask.

Starting is quite simple, the main objective is to enter the flow state of automatic writing, allowing the unconscious to speak freely.

Here are a few departure points that I find helpful:

• Affects (triggers).
• Dream fragments.
• A genuine question.
• Spontaneous fantasies.
• A narrative or repeating pattern.

As we focus and allow the unconscious to be manifested, we can clearly see the narratives that are shaping our lives. The process in itself is very straightforward, however, most people miss the “Active” part which is dialoguing with the unconscious material.

This is the fun part! Now you have the chance to understand the origins of these stories and how you’re contributing to keeping them alive. It’s important to challenge these perspectives, negotiate with the unconscious, and come up with new solutions.

To achieve that, you can’t identify with what’s being written, you must see it as a compensatory perspective. Many of the questions used in the therapeutic setting can be applied here, all with the intention to expand our conscious attitude, see ourselves in a new light, and change in the present moment.

The Most Important Step

When we’re deep in the process it’s not uncommon to hear voices and start seeing images, we have to remember that complexes are autonomous and often present themselves in a personified form, just like the characters we see in our dreams.

Active Imagination and automatic writing evoke a mild psychotic state and sometimes open the door to the collective unconscious, and this can be too much for many people. That’s why it’s so important to build a strong ego and learn to emotionally regulate, have good habits, and have real responsibilities before engaging with the unconscious.

• If you’re struggling with this, here’s a great video – Obliterate Procrastination With Carl Jung

This leads us to the most important step of all, which is integrating what you’ve learned in real life. In the past year, I had many Active Imagination experiences with a sword. After exploring the symbolism, I understood that I was being called to write.

I changed my schedule, rearranged clients, and even my business structure so I could write as often as possible. That’s how my book PISTIS came to be, and that’s also why I chose the sword and snake to be on the cover, representing Eros and Logos.

Lastly, all of this theory means nothing if we don’t take practical action and integrate it into real life. Every time we engage with the unconscious, our responsibility increases.

Finally, If you want a step-by-step to integrate the shadow that follows Carl Jung’s original method, I invite you to check my best-selling and accessible course Katabasis – The Shadow Integration Manual.

You can also come directly to the Audacity University and access a condensed 4-year Jungian Psychology Curriculum, to either become your own analyst or integrate it in your therapeutic practice.

Rafael Krüger – Live an Audacious Life

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

• Katabasis – The Shadow Integration Manual – My best-selling and accessible course will introduce you to all you need to know to disrupt the unconscious patterns keeping you stuck.
• Audacity University – My flagship course contains a  4-year psychology curriculum and gives you access to the Audacity Inner Circle and live meetings.
• Mentorship – Catalyze your personal transformation with 1 on 1 sessions. Master your psychology, relationships, and business.