Grundfragen zur Praxis

Carl Gustav Jung

(My note: This passage of the book is translated by me from the original Czech version – “Výbor z díla I” so there might be some mistakes. Unfortunately this volume by Jung is perhaps not translated even to english. Some link to this text could be possible found in english version called – The Collected Works of C.G. Jung Complete Digital Edition, Volumes 1-19 by Gerhard Adler, R. F. C).

General treatise on theory of complex, (page. 153 czech version – Výbor z díla I)

Mainly thanks to Pierre Janet, we know today about the far-reaching possibility of consciousness to split. Both Janet and Morton Prince managed to create a four- to five- splitting of the personality, and it turned out that each part of the personality had its own piece of character and its own special memory. These parts exist relatively independently of each other and can be separated at any time, i.e. each part has a high degree of autonomy.My findings on complexes complement this somewhat troubling picture of the possibilities of psychic disintegration, as there is essentially no fundamental difference between a partial personality and a complex. All essential characteristics have in common, except for the delicate question of partial consciousness. Partial personalities undoubtedly have their own consciousness, but it remains unanswered whether such small psychic fragments as complexes are also able to have their own consciousness.I must admit that I have dealt with this question quite often. The complexes behave like small devils and seem to cheer themselves up with acerbic stunts. They put the wrong word on our tongue, they take the name of the person we should introduce, they irritate their cough at the most beautiful piano at the concert, they cause the latecomer, trying to be inconspicuous, stumbling on a chair. They recommend congratulations instead of condolences at the funeral, they are the cause of the craftiness that Friedrich Theodor Vischer wanted to attribute to innocent objects.*52, they are the actors of our dreams against whom we stand so helplessly. They are elves who have been so aptly characterized in Danish folklore in the story of a pastor who wanted to teach two elves the Father’s prayer. They tried very hard to repeat after him, but they couldn’t help but say in the first sentence: „Our Father, who are not in heaven.“