| Carl Jung's Lamp | |
|---|---|
| |
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Origin |
Carl Jung |
|
Type |
Desk lamp |
|
Effects |
Manifestation of one's Shadow. |
|
Downsides |
Risk of assimilation with Shadow. |
|
Activation |
Exposure to light. |
|
Collected by |
TBA |
|
Section |
|
|
Aisle |
26675-6661 |
|
Shelf |
TBA |
|
Date of Collection |
TBA |
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. His work heavily involved the ideas of symbols, archetypes, and the collective unconscious.
One of the key concepts of Jungian psychology is that of the Shadow, an unconscious aspect of the personality which the conscious ego does not identify in itself, or the entirety of the unconscious, i.e., everything of which a person is not fully conscious; in essence, the Shadow is the unknown side.
The Jungian shadow can include everything outside the light of consciousness and may be positive or negative. "Everyone carries a shadow," Jung wrote, "and the less it is embodied in the individual's conscious life, the blacker and denser it is."
According to Jung, the shadow sometimes overwhelms a person's actions; for example, when the conscious mind is shocked, confused, or paralyzed by indecision. 'A man who is possessed by his shadow is always standing in his own light and falling into his own traps ... living below his own level." Such an extreme encounter with one's Shadow may lead to "etantiodromia", and assimilation with the Shadow becomes a very real risk.
Jung's concept of "enantiodromia" is essentially one of balance and extremes: "the emergence of the unconscious opposite in the course of time. This characteristic phenomenon practically always occurs when an extreme, one-sided tendency dominates conscious life; in time an equally powerful counterposition is built up which first inhibits the conscious performance and subsequently breaks through the conscious control." Any extreme is opposed by an equal extreme to restore balance, and when things get to their extreme, they turn into their opposite.
Effects[]
When one is exposed to the light of the lamp, they become able to summon and control a manifestation of their psychological Shadow when experiencing extreme emotions.
This Shadow can manifest in multiple ways, including an extension of one's body, as part of the user themselves, or as a separate entity entirely.
The appearance of one's Shadow varies from individual to individual, but always involves deep symbolism relating to the user in ways even they may not understand.
Should users summon their Shadows too often, or dwell too much in extreme emotions, they risk combining with and ultimately becoming their own Shadow entirely, and will lose complete control of themselves, a slave to very base emotions, desires, and compulsions at their absolute extremes that are almost always dangerous to others.
Trivia[]
- This artifact was inspired by the concept of Witches and Doppels from Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
- Owls, being nocturnal birds of prey, often have negative symbolism attached to them. Several cultures regard them as symbols of death or the dead, "monsters of the night, the very abomination of human kind", and their presence is often considered an ill omen.