Carl Jung’s definition of “Repression” and its broader context in the psychic process
When does the process of repression begin?
Repression is a process that begins in early childhood under the moral influence of the environment and continues throughout life (Carl Jung, Two Essays on Analytical Psychology, Collected Works, Vol. 7, par. 202).
How can repression be removed?
A person can remove repressions by engaging in the process of Jungian Analysis because “[b]y means of analsysis the repressions are removed and the repressed wishes made conscious” (Two Essays on Analytical Psychology, Collected Works, Vol. 7, par. 202). This is why it is important for a person wishing to remove repressions to undergo psychoanalysis and not just read Jungian psychotherapy materials.
What is ‘Repression’?
Jungian Analyst Daryl Sharp defined ‘repression’ as: “the unconscious suppression of psychic contents that are incompatible with the attitude of consciousness” (Daryl Sharp, Jung Lexicon, 1991).
According to this definition, there are three components required to establish ‘repression’:
Unconscious suppression (the ‘act’ which constitutes repression)
Psychic contents (the ‘contents’ being repressed)
The incompatibility of those psychic contents with the attitude of consciousness (the ‘reason’ for the repression and why such psychic content is kept in the unconscious).
The above working definition is going to be considered in light of Jung’s primary sources. To really understand repression it is necessary to understand Jung’s views on the psychic processes related to the act of repression and the type of psychic contents which are repressed in that process.
By the end of this article, these three components of repression will be explained, namely: i) the act of repression; ii) the type of psychic contents which get repressed; and iii) the reason why such psychic contents are repressed.
A good starting point is Jung’s discussion of ‘The Dissociability of the Psyche’ in Volume 8 of his Collected Works titled ‘The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche’.
‘The Dissociability of the Psyche’
Jung said that psychopathologists, or as we’d say today ‘mental health professionals’, are familiar with the psychic phenomonen of “the dissociation or dissociability of the psyche”, which is something he says is "unknown to “academic” psychology” (The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche’, par. 365). The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines the word ‘dissociation’ as “the fact of being separate or not connected”. The dissociability of the psyche arises from the fact that the “connecting link” between psychic processes is “very conditional” (The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche’, par. 365). For example, the unconscious processes themselves are “strangely independent of the experiences of the conscious mind” but at the same time the conscious mind also shows a “distinct loosening or discreteness” in how it functions (The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche’, par. 365). There are rarer cases where a person’s “whole personality is split in half” and also “probable” and “more common” circumstances where “only smaller fragments are broken off” from an individual’s personality (The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche’, par. 365). Accordingly, the psychic processes are “very loosely knit and by no means a self-contained unity” (The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche’, par. 365).
As seen from the above text, Jung generally described the “dissociability” of the psyche as: the loosely knit, very conditional and strangely independent connecting links between psychic processes (eg. the psychic processes of the conscious mind and the unconscious mind). He concluded that these traits of “dissociability” allow us to “set aside the difficulties that flow from the logically necessary assumption of a threshold of consciousness” (The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche’, par. 366). In other words, the theoretical difficulties or empirical ambiguities which arise from the required presumption of a “threshold of consciousness”, can be set aside or accounted for when we accept the “dissociable” nature of the psychic processes of the conscious and unconscious mind because, by their nature, these processes are loosely knit and have strangely independent connecting links.
In addition to the above, there is no objective “Archimedean Point” from which to observe and study the psyche “from outside ourselves” because any person who is studying the mind is using his or her mind to study the mind (Symbols of Transformation, par. 344). Accordingly, “[p]sychological truth by no means excludes metaphysical truth… Its subject is the psyche and its contents … [we] can therefore know nothing objective about it since all knowledge of the psyche is itself psychic” (Symbols of Transformation, par. 344 - note that Jung was emphasising the establishment of the ‘soul’ in this passage but it applies to scientific study of the psyche as well, particularly the processes of the unconscious mind).
But now you ask: what is this “threshold of consciousness” that he is referring to?
One way to think of it is that we have a conscious mind (eg. when you are actually aware of something and conscious of it) and the unconscious mind (eg. when you are not aware of something and therefore you are not conscious of it). At some point there has to be a ‘threshold’ or a point where something in the unconscious becomes conscious. Eg. When something that you are not aware of (eg. something you are unconscious of) becomes part of your awareness (eg. you become conscious of that thing).
The “threshold” of consciousness: an important matter to be aware of when trying to understand repression and the unconscious
The “threshold of consciousness” is that point where unconscious psychic content becomes conscious. Jung’s explanation of the “threshold of consciousness” is worth reproducing in full:
“The hypothesis of the threshold and of the unconscious means that the indispensable raw material of all knowledge-namely psychic reactions- and perhaps even unconscious “thoughts” and “insights” lie close beside, above, or below consciousness, separated from us by the merest “threshold” and yet apparantly unattainable.”
(The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche’, par. 362)
Importantly, Jung further elaborates on the nature of the unconscious. This following passage is important regarding the process of repression and how contents become repressed in the unconscious:
“We have no knowledge of how this unconscious functions, but since it is conjectured to be a psychic system it may possibly have everything that consciousness has, including perception, apperception, memory, imagination, will, affectivity, feeling, reflection, judgment, etc., all in subliminal form.”
(The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, par. 362)
Take note of Jung’s use of the term “subliminal” form. This “subliminal” form is relevant for the psyche’s two aspects of “dissociation” detailed later in this article whereby Jung says that psychic content remains subliminal by “secondary subject” or “secondary consciousness”. Secondary consciousness is a form of dissociation of the psyche where psychic contents are kept below “the threshold of consciousness” and therefore our Ego consciousness is not aware of these contents unless they are brought to the surface and burst through the “threshold”. This is relevant for repression because psychic content which is repressed exists below the threshold of consciousness and can be contained within the unconscious or specifically in the “secondary consciousness” of the psyche.
It is important to note that the unconscious mind includes “not only repressed contents, but all psychic material that lies below the threshold of consciousness”(Two Essays on Analytical Psychology, Collected Works, Vol. 7, par. 203).
In fact, Jung “emphatically” affirmed that:
“[I]n addition to repressed material the unconscious contains all those psychic components that have fallen below the threshold, as well as subliminal sense-perceptions… the unconscious also contains all the material that has not yet reached the threshold of consciousness. These are the seeds of future conscious contents.”
(Carl Jung, Two Essays on Analytical Psychology, Collected Works, Vol. 7, par. 204)
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The next section of this article will discuss two matters, firstly, how psychic content which remains below “the threshold” can burst through to consciousness and secondly, the two distinct dissociations of the psyche where repressed material is contained in one of those aspects of dissociation.
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How psychic content which remains below “the threshold” can burst through to consciousness
Can something that was conscious in your mind fall below “the threshold” into the unconscious?
Due to the dissociability of the psyche and the threshold of consciousness, Jung said that conscious contents become “subliminal, and therefore unconscious, through loss of energy” (The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, par. 366). This means that something that was conscious at one point of your life can fall below the threshold of consciousness and become unconscious. Below is a theoretical example of a conscious content which could become subliminal, and therefore unconscious, “through loss of energy”:
A traumatic or painful childhood event occurs when you are 7 years old.
At the time, when you are 7 years old, this event was in your conscious mind.
However, due to “loss of energy” or the process of repression, it falls below “the threshold” into the unconscious.
Can something that was unconscious rise above the threshold into the conscious mind?
Conversely, “unconscious processes become conscious through accretion of energy” (The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, par. 366). ‘Accretion’ is defined as ‘the process of growth or enlargement by a gradual buildup’ (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Accordingly, unconscious processes, which include the storing of unconscious psychic content, can become conscious via a gradual growth of energy which raises that content above the threshold of consciousness.
Can unconscious acts be a choice? Do we have the free will to do an unconscious act?
Jung considers whether “unconscious acts of volition are … possible” (The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, par. 366). ‘Volition’ is defined as ‘the power of choosing or determining’ (eg. the free will to do something) or ‘an act of making a choice or decision’ (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Therefore, Jung is contemplating whether unconscious acts of choice are possible, or in other words, whether the ability to unconsciously choose an action is possible. Jung concludes that if it is possible to unconsciously act:
“[T]hese [unconscious acts] must possess an energy which enables them to achieve consciousness, or at any rate to achieve a state of secondary consciousness which consists in the unconscious process being “represented” to a subliminal subject who chooses and decides.”
(Carl Jung, The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, par. 366).
The following bears emphasis: any unconscious acts must “possess an energy” which allows them to achieve “consciousness, or at any rate … a state of secondary consciousness”(The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, par. 366).
Unconscious acts (such as repression) occur below the threshold of consciousness and therefore they are unconscious and we are unware of them. However, Jung distinguishes that unconscious acts occur at a “subliminal” level of the psyche which he calls the “secondary conscious”. So the conscious mind does not have a free ‘will’ to do an unconscious act (that would make no sense). Instead, Jung says that somehow on an unconscious level such unconscious acts “possess an energy” to achieve a form of “subliminal” consciousness which is a “secondary conscious” working below the threshold of consciousness and without our Ego awareness. Therefore, the unconscious act occurs without us being consciously aware or in control of it. The unconscious act arises from a process occuring in the unconscious mind, specifically in the secondary conscious. Some practical examples of unconscious acts could include a defensive response, a shadow behaviour, or an act that feels that it occured involuntary upon later reflection.
How does an unconscious act occur in the “secondary conscious”? Who or what is deciding to perform the unconscious act if we are not aware of it consciously?
Unconscious acts “must possess an energy” to achieve a state of “secondary consciousness”, this “secondary consciousness” resides in the unconscious process and is “represented” by a subliminal subject (eg. some subliminal representative in the unconscious) who “may possibly have .. [a] will” (Collected Works, vol. 8, par. 362) and chooses the unconscious act.
Since “we have no knowledge of how this unconscious functions”, there is no definitive understanding of the process but Jung believed it “may possibly” have a “will” (The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, par. 362) . This would support the idea that the unconscious is able to make unconscious decisions via the “secondary consciousness” which operates on a “subliminal” level which we are not aware of as it is operating below the threshold of consciousness (eg. below our Ego awareness or Ego consciousness).
The unconscious act does not “possess an energy” to actually achieve “consciousness” and become an act at the conscious level of the person (eg. it does not rise above the threshold and become an act of the conscious mind). Instead, it “possess[es] an energy” which remains below the threshold but rises high enough to achieve “secondary consciousness”. This secondary consciousness, which resides below the threshold, is “represented” by a subliminal subject (eg. some subliminal representative in the unconscious) who “may possibly have .. [a] will” (par. 362) and “chooses and decides” (Collected Works, vol. 8, par. 366) the unconscious act.
How does this unconscious process, via “secondary consciousness”, reach the point where an unconscious act occurs?
In summary, Jung states that this process must neccesarily possess “the amount of energy required for it to achieve such a consciousness” or in other words “it is bound eventually to reach its “bursting point”” (The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, par. 366).
“[T]he question arises as to why the unconscious process does not go right over the threshold and become perceptible to the ego[?]” (Carl Jung, The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, par. 366)
Here Jung is addressing a question relevant for the act of repression and also for the unconscious acts (component three of the repression definition, which is the “reason” why content is repressed). Jung states that obviously this unconscious process does not cross the threshold into our ego awareness and then explains that the secondary subject:
“[R]emains suspended in the domain of a subliminal secondary subject … this subject, which is … charged with sufficient energy to become conscious, does not in its turn push over the threshold and articulate with the primary ego-consciousness”
(The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, par. 366)
In other words, this subliminal secondary subject is charged with enough energy to operate at secondary consciousness but why doesn’t it have enough energy to rise above the threshold and communicate with our Ego awareness and Ego consciousness?
Jung answers this directly:
“This secondary consciousness represents a personality-component which has not been separated from ego-consciousness by mere accident, but which owes its separation to definite causes. Such a dissociation has two distinct aspects”
(The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, par. 366)
One of those distinct aspects of dissociation of the psyche is the unconscious process by which repression occurs. The other distinct aspect of dissociation is where another unconscious process occurs but that process is not a repression.
These two distinct aspects of dissociation will be explained below. After considering these two aspects of dissociations, we will have a foundation upon which to understand the originally listed components of repression, namely:
i) The act of repression;
ii) The type of psychic contents which get repressed; and
iii) The reason why such psychic contents are repressed.
All three of these abovelisted components are addressed by considering: the two distinct dissociations of the psyche.
In addition, we will also learn of a distinct aspect of dissociation of the psyche which is not a repression.
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THE TWO DISTINCT DISSOCIATIONS OF THE PSYCHE
The first aspect and cause of dissociation of the psyche (where repression occurs)
The first aspect of dissociation is:
“[A]n originally conscious content that became subliminal because it was repressed on account of its incompatible nature” (The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, par. 366).
This means that at one point some psychic content was conscious but it was repressed because of its incompatible nature with our Ego consciousness. In other words, it was incompatible with the attitude, demeanour or ‘mindset’ of our ego consciousness. Accordingly this first aspect of dissociation of the psyche is how repression occurs. It occurs because a conscious content was repressed and became “subliminal” (repressed down below the threshold of conscious) into the unconscious because of its “incompatible nature” with our Ego-consciousness at the time that the psychic content was conscious in our mind.
For example, a psychic content may have been conscious at one point when you were younger but it was too painful for your ego consciousness to handle at that time (eg. when you were a child) and it was repressed down and became “subliminal” in the unconscious mind. This is a logical process because that repression may have been a good coping mechanism at that time. Perhaps it worked as a survival or coping mechanism when you were young or going through a difficult time. However, if the mechanism of repression is not required in the present moment, you are wasting psychic energy, unconsciously at the subliminal level, to continue to repress something, that is not required to be repressed in the present moment (eg. if you are a 40 year old adult, but are repressing things in your nature which you needed to survive the shaming or parenting style of your parents when you were child or teenager). In this case, if you are still repressing elements of your nature and soul, unconsciously as an adult, it is no longer serving your present circumstances of survival but rather it will be simply draining your energy (libido) to keep repressing that material unconsciously.
This draining effect is best summarised by Jungian Analyst and author Bud Harris in his lecture titled “Aging Strong” in which he discusses repression. First, Bud Harris describes what repression is:
“We all repress things in childhood that have to do with the ways that we were hurt or shamed. More importantly, we learn to deny some of our potentials. The ones that didn’t fit the images of who we were expected to be or that could create conflict with people who were more powerful than we were …
Unless we have had to face and excavate these things, they are still alive and repressed in our unconscious.”
Bud Harris then lists two things we need to remember about repression. The first is why it occurs in the first place. He notes that as a defence mechanism it can be a guardian and protect us at a vulnerable time. However, the second point he makes is how continuing to repress something when we are no longer vulnerable or in present danger to that vulenerable situation can actually be detrimental and drain our life energy on an unconscious level (eg. which can explain feeling drained, not energetic, depressed, or stuck in jobs, relationships, cycles, or paths we dont really like, etc). This is Bud Harris’ critical explanation of these two things we need to remember about repression (firstly, the beneficial use of repression and secondly, the later detrimental continuation of repression when it no longer serves us) :
“Now there are two things we need to remember about repression.
The first is that a repression is an unconscious activity and a defence mechanism against threatening events and emotions that could overwhelm or fragment us when we were vulnerable.
So repression isn’t something bad. It is more like an inner guardian that protected us when we were vulnerable.
Now the second thing we need to remember is that once repression has outlived its usefulness, it takes an increasing amount of emotional energy to keep this material repressed over time.
Then if we stubbornly or fearfully stick to denying our inner reality, it will cause us the kind of unconscious emotional stress that can make us sick.”
Bud Harris, then provides another insightful commentary regarding repression and its link to the shadow, complexes and how it limits our potential for psychological transformation:
“Repressed and denied emotions and the stories behind them, that we Jungians call ‘shadow’ material and ‘complexes’, block our ability to grow, they block our desire to grow, they limit our vision of who we are and who we can become, they limit our trust in ourselves, in other people and in life. They limit our trust in growth itself.
Repressed emotions limit our capacity to be passionate and creative. They limit our ability to experience the desire that can take us to our best capacities in living. What the very journey of encountering these challenges carries its own potentials for new birth, for defining a new sense of purpose, for seeing in new ways, through new eyes, and discovering a new life. Such knowledge frees us, gives us strength, and empowers us for the future.”
You can view Jungian Analyst Bud Harris’ lecture where these quotes are contained by clicking here.
After the above analysis, especially with the help of both Carl Jung himself and Jungian Analyst Bud Harris, we have addressed the three components of repression, namely: i) the act of repression; ii) the type of psychic contents which get repressed; and iii) the reason for repression. Bud Harris took us a step further and explained that once the reason for repression no longer exists, it can be extremely harmful to our psyche, our energy and our journey to become our true happy selves, if we continue to repress things: when the reason for the repression no longer exists or the repression is no longer needed.
The second aspect and cause of dissociation of the psyche (where repression does not occur)
Unlike repression which is described above, the second aspect of dissociation of the psyche, is a process that never entered into consciousness. In fact, there are no possibilities for ego-consciousness to perceive it:
“In the other case, the secondary subject consists essentially in a process that never entered into consciousness at all because no possibilities exist there of apperceiving it.” (The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, par. 366).
Jung explains the reason for this inability for the Ego to perceive it as follows:
“[E]go-consciousness cannot accept it for lack of understanding, and in consequence it remains for the most part subliminal, although, from the energy point of view, it is quite capable of becoming conscious. It owes its existence not to repression, but to subliminal processes that were never themselves conscious.”
(The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, par. 366).
Accordingly, this second aspect of dissociation is due to “subliminal processes” that were “never conscious” because ego-consciousness cannot accept it. As a result, it was never conscious and cannot be repressed (eg. there is nothing to repress because the psychic content never rose to consciousness which must occur if the content is to be unconsciously repressed back down into the unconscious or subliminal realm).
It is worth noting that both repression and this second aspect of dissociation of the psyche occur at the subliminal level. However, the first aspect of dissociation is repression and the second aspect is an unconscious process which remains at the subliminal level for the entire process because the conscious mind cannot perceive it and cannot accept it due to a lack of understanding it. Content which exists in the unconscious due to this second aspect of dissociation of the psyche, does not become conscious unless it reaches consciousness in the future by rising above the threshold due to the accretion or increase in energy in that content because, as Jung said, “from the energy point of view, it is quite capable of becoming conscious” (The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, par. 366).
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FURTHER CARL JUNG REMARKS ON REPRESSION
The above parts of the article provide both a technical and practical consideration of repression. However, for those who would like a broader consideration of repression from Jung’s Collected Works, I include some important quotes below regarding repression to provide an even deeper understanding of the process and its impact on the psyche and our lives.
Repression involves a deliberate ‘systematic amnesia’ or withdrawal of specific painful or disagreeable memories
Firstly, Jung compared the act of repression to a ‘systematic amnesia’ because it involves the deliberate withdrawal of specific memories from our conscious minds because even the possibility of recalling those memories would be painful or disagreeable. Below is Jung’s full direct quote:
“Repression causes what is called a systematic amnesia, where only specific memories or groups of ideas are withdrawn from recollection. In such cases a certain attitude or tendency can be detected on the part of the conscious mind, a deliberate intention to avoid even the bare possibility of recollection, for the very good reason that it would be painful or disagreeable”
(Carl Jung, Development of Personality , Collected Works 17, par. 199a).
The difference between “supression” and “repression”
In this same paragraph, Jung also explains the difference between ‘supression’ and ‘repression’:
“Repression, however, should be clearly distinguished from suppression. Whenever you want to switch your attention from something in order to concentrate it on something else, you have to suppress the previously existing contents of consciousness, because, if you cannot disregard them, you will not be able to change your object of interest. Normally you can go back to the suppressed contents any time you like; they are always recoverable. But if they resist recovery, it may be a case of repression. In that case there must be some interest somewhere which wants to forget. Suppression does not cause forgetting, but repression definitely does. There is of course a perfectly normal process of forgetting which has nothing to do with repression. Repression is an artificial loss of memory, a self-suggested amnesia.”
(Carl Jung, Development of Personality , Collected Works 17, par. 199a).
The conscious mind will repress psychic content that it is unwilling or unable to assimilate.
Jung noted that the more negative the conscious attitude is to repressed content, the more the conscious mind will resist that repressed content:
“Indeed, it is usually the case that, in the course of development following puberty, consciousness is confronted with affective tendencies, impulses, and fantasies which for a variety of reasons it is not willing or not able to assimilate. It then reacts with repression in various forms, in the effort to get rid of the troublesome intruders. The general rule is that the more negative the conscious attitude is, and the more it resists, devalues, and is afraid, the more repulsive, aggressive, and frightening is the face which the dissociated content assumes.”
(Carl Jung, Alchemical Studies, Collected Works 13, par. 464).
Accordingly, it makes sense that repression is both a factor in the causes of many neuroses and that it also determines many contents of the personal shadow. Repressed content makes its way into the personal shadow because the ego generally represses material that would disturb its attitude or its preferred ‘reality’ or mindset.
Repression is a process that begins in early childhood. Repressions can be removed and repressed wishes can be made conscious through the process of psychoanalsyis
Jung said that repression begins in early childhood but that analysis (or psychoanalysis) can remove repressions:
“[T]he contents of the unconscious are reducible to infantile tendencies which are repressed because of their incompatible character. Repression is a process that begins in early childhood under the moral influence of the environment and continues through life. By means of analysis the repressions are removed and the repressed wishes made conscious.”
(Carl Jung, Two Essays in Analytical Psychology, Collected Works 7, par. 202)
As the above quote suggests, a person’s repressed contents naturally rise above the threshold to the conscious mind during the analytic process. Simply put, the repressions are removed by the analytic process and repressed wishes or desires are brought to your conscious mind. For example, with the repressions removed, you may be able to accept your true nature (eg. your true nature may have had to be repressed due to the demands of your parents of origin or the circumstances of your upbringing). With these repressions removed, you may now have the awareness and freedom to pursue a lifestyle, career or values which you previously could not do due to unconscious repressions.
When removing repressions during analysis, the resistances of the Ego should be respected because bringing repressed material to consciousness may overwhelm the Ego
However, it is important to also note that in certain circumstances a person may have very strong resistances to unearthing repressed material which resides in the unconscious. In these circumstances, the resistances of the Ego should be respected because the repressed material may be extremely traumatic or painful in nature and bringing such repressed material to consciousness may overwhelm the Ego. Specifically, Jung explained that:
“[W]hen the patient shows violent resistances coupled with fear of the activated contents of the unconscious. There is good reason and ample justification for these resistances and they should never, under any circumstances, be ridden over roughshod or otherwise argued out of existence. Neither should they be belittled, disparaged, or made ridiculous; on the contrary, they should be taken with the utmost seriousness as a vitally important defence mechanism against overpowering contents which are often very difficult to control.”
(Carl Jung, Practice of Psychotherapy, Collected Works 16, par. 381)
Jung stated that in such circumstances it is best proceed cautiously:
“The general rule should be that the weakness of the conscious attitude is proportional to the strength of the resistance. When, therefore, there are strong resistances, the conscious rapport with the patient must be carefully watched, and – in certain cases – his conscious attitude must be supported to such a degree that, in view of later developments, one would be bound to charge oneself with the grossest inconsistency. That is inevitable, because one can never be too sure that the weak state of the patient’s conscious mind will prove equal to the subsequent assault of the unconscious. In fact, one must go on supporting his conscious (or, as Freud thinks, “repressive”) attitude until the patient can let the “repressed” contents rise up spontaneously.”
(Carl Jung, Practice of Psychotherapy, Collected Works 16, par. 381)
I hope you found this article on repression, depth psychology and Jungian Analysis beneficial.
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