Jungian depth psychology, founded on the work of Carl Gustav Jung, centers on the unconscious—the parts of the psyche of which we are largely unaware. Jung’s model of the psyche includes three key levels of consciousness: personal consciousness, personal unconscious, and the collective unconscious. Personal consciousness comprises the Persona, the outward face we present to the world, and the Ego, which serves as the center of personal awareness. The personal unconscious contains the Shadow, representing repressed or hidden aspects of the self, as well as the Anima and Animus, the inner contra-sexual archetypes that bridge the personal and collective unconscious.
At the heart of Jungian psychology is the process of Individuation, the development of the Self—the integration of the total personality. Individuation occurs when unconscious material is brought into conscious awareness, allowing for the alignment of the Ego and the Self along an Ego-Self axis at the center of consciousness.
Jungian psychology distinguishes itself from Freudian psychoanalysis by emphasizing not only the psychological and biological aspects of the unconscious but also its spiritual and healing dimensions. While Freud focused on the unconscious primarily as a repository of repressed sexual instincts, Jung expanded this view, recognizing that the unconscious also contains spiritual instincts, creative potential, and a capacity for self-healing. Jung cautioned against reducing all instincts to sexuality, a mistake he believed was central to Freud’s approach.
For Jung, the relationship between the sexual and spiritual aspects of the psyche was integral. The unconscious is not merely a space for repressed desires but also a dynamic, healing source capable of nurturing psychological wholeness. This broader view of the unconscious as both a psychological and spiritual force is a defining feature of Jungian psychology.
James Hillman, the founder of archetypal psychology, introduced the concept of the “union of sames,” which suggests that two opposite archetypes can exist in unity. Archetypes, as defined in Jungian psychology, are instinctual, universal patterns of energy that shape human experience across cultures and time. Hillman argued that archetypes contain “a secret identity of two halves—two halves not of life, but of a single archetype” (Hillman, 2021, p. 56). This means that polarity within an archetype is not a contradiction but an inherent potential. Each archetype possesses a dual aspect, two faces, separated only by the psyche's inability to integrate both aspects into ego-consciousness. In other words, Hillman believed that opposite archetypes are not separate entities but two facets of the same underlying archetype.
This view opens up the possibility of experiencing opposite phenomena simultaneously, holding the tension between them. For example, the archetypes Senex (wise old man) and Puer (eternal child) can be understood as senex-et-puer or puer-et-senex—where “et,” meaning “and” in Latin, symbolizes the union of two opposites. The middle ground between these opposing archetypes represents a conjunction that binds them together, much like two poles that, despite their seeming separation, are intrinsically connected. Hillman describes this phenomenon as the “union-forming effect of dialectic,” where the question “why” and the answer “I know” exist in an ongoing dialogue, with each face of the archetype turning toward the other in mutual recognition (Hillman, 2021, pp. 10-11).
Hillman’s thinking echoes the ancient philosophy of Heraclitus, who believed that opposites are identical, and his principle of enantiodromia—the idea that all things eventually turn into their opposites. This idea also aligns with Jung’s belief that opposites ultimately unite over time. In myth and religion, we see similar representations of unity in duality: in Greek mythology, Dionysus embodies the union of sensual pleasures and spiritual fulfillment, while in Christianity, Jesus Christ symbolizes the fusion of human suffering and divine resurrection. Similarly, in Jungian psychology, the archetype of the Self personifies the union of consciousness and unconsciousness through the process of individuation.
Hillman’s perspective invites us to engage with archetypal experiences directly, without attempting to resolve or simplify dualities. He draws attention away from the apparent contradictions and encourages us to see the likeness beneath them. Hillman was less concerned with analyzing the psyche as an object and more interested in understanding what the psyche is actively creating. In his view, the psyche is not a passive subject to be dissected but a dynamic force that generates images—images that, in turn, create Soul.
The concept of “soul-making” is central to Hillman’s work. In this view, the psyche's capacity to hold the tension of opposites is not about resolving the paradox but about honoring the dialectical interplay between them. Soul-making is the “et” between two opposing archetypes, the “and” that binds two seemingly separate experiences into a deeper unity. It is a process that affirms the spiritual experience within the material world, acknowledging that object and subject, far from being opposites, are part of the same ongoing creative dialogue.