 The missing quality is not necessarily an “opposite” one.. pp. Though these latter descriptions of the relationship between consciousness and the unconscious do not represent the preponderance of Jung’s writings. The transcendent function is founded on opposites located one in consciousness and one in the unconscious. Corbett (1992). Others assert that though psyche manifests multiple and dissimilar elements. A quick review of the index to Jung’s collected works reveals count-. 168). for example. that opposites are the basis of all psychic energy.40 The Transcendent Function Jung essentially disagrees with his own assertion. “Concentration on the opposites leads to neglect of slight gradations and subtle transitions of difference. and offers a notion that seems intuitively correct: psyche is comprised of disparate. offers a view. but not necessarily opposite. it is not about opposites but about psychological parts that are missing: Many post-Jungian writers have questioned the notion that the psyche is necessarily structured in sets of opposites. values of which we are clearly conscious. Samuels (1985) pointed out that the perception of psychic functioning in terms of opposites ignores the concurrent mutual support.
were it entirely unconscious). or beliefs residing in the unconscious that are also implicated. above/below. Jung (1921/1971) describes how conscious and unconscious states can come into dialogue. or rise to consciousness. of opposites existing purely in the conscious mind (in addition to those that face each other across the boundary between both consciousness and unconscious) again makes intuitive sense. but he often contradicts himself and gives clear examples where the opposites to which he refers are clearly extant in the conscious mind alone. they must ﬁrst face one another in the fullest conscious opposition [italics added]. 478) Jung’s acknowledgment. same/different) that clearly manifest in the conscious mind. an affect. In addition. some distress. some feeling of dis-ease. Considering the transcendent function in any way except a purely abstract. a symptom. ascent/descent. one can probably locate several states in the conscious mind that are opposite or compensatory to or at least inform that thought or attitude. ﬁre/water. while the ego is forced to acknowledge its absolute participation in both.. Jung’s thesis that the unconscious compensates for or opposes consciousness feels accurate.Tracing the Transcendent Function 41 less references to pairs of opposites (e. Its presence must manifest in some conscious way—as an inkling of a conscious attitude. compensations and complements) are probably everywhere: in the conscious mind. between consciousness and the unconscious. that is the essence of Hegel’s dialectic model: the constant posing of the opposite viewpoint (antithesis) as a counterbalance to the proposition being considered (thesis) yields the emergence of a reconciled. Jung felt that the opposition comes primarily from the unconscious. more balanced view (synthesis).. Put another way. and he refers to the opposites in consciousness. cold/warm. it would never compensate. oppose. in discussing the role of the symbol in the operation of the transcendent function. to the point where thesis and antithesis negate one another. is that in practice the unconscious opposite is often (some might say. feelings. This necessarily entails a violent disunion with oneself. Once it becomes distressing in some conscious way. What we add here. or an illness—before it becomes an issue. Finally. In fact. right/wrong. a dream. (p. if the one of the pair were located entirely in the unconscious (i. opposites (or even more broadly. birth/ death. body/mind. good/evil. Still. Indeed. one could probably imagine thoughts. and also in pairs in the unconscious. attitudes.g.e. then the opposites are in play and the transcendent function can operate upon them. light/heavy. indeed repeated illustrations. however. speciﬁcally in the conscious ego: For this collaboration of opposing states to be possible at all. requires us to acknowledge that it must include opposites in consciousness as well as those in both consciousness and the unconscious. theoretical model. for every conscious thought or attitude. Moving away from the Jungian paradigm.
fantasy was not an abstract concept but a psychic reality by which he was personally affected in a profound way. Jung acknowledged that opposites exist not only between consciousness and the unconscious but often ﬁnd manifestation entirely in consciousness. Jung says: Philemon and other ﬁgures of my fantasies brought home to me the crucial insight that there are things in the psyche which I do not produce. (1989c. p.. or at least ambiguities. 183). in Jung’s view of the opposites. Through him the distinction was clariﬁed between myself and the object of my thought. Second. In describing the impact of Philemon. To Jung. they are not always exactly opposite and indeed may reﬂect a kind of psychic multiplicity seeking some sort of stasis. therein lies the importance of the transcendent function. frequently.. The Role of Fantasy and Symbol Jung’s arrival at the concepts of the dynamic opposition of consciousness and the unconscious and of the bringing together of the opposites for psychological wholeness set the stage for his innovative theories about the role of fantasy9 and symbol10 in the operation of the transcendent function. Where does this leave us regarding Jung’s theory of the opposites? In most of his writings Jung suggests that consciousness and the unconscious are in dynamic opposition to one another. Philemon represented a force which was not myself. It was he who taught me psychic objectivity. that each attitude or viewpoint in consciousness is mirrored by an opposing view in the unconscious. the transcendent function is referred to by post-Jungians in situations where the opposition being faced is wholly conscious. contrary to his central assertion. From that hypothesis ﬂow the ideas that the separation of the opposites between consciousness and the unconscious results in a kind of psychological splitting and that wholeness requires a bringing together or reconciliation of the opposites. This point also clears up the confusion created when. Jung hypothesized that opposites cannot be reconciled rationally but rather can be united only irrationally through fantasy and the symbol-producing capacities of the unconscious. Thus.. but which produce themselves and have their own life. an Egypto-Hellenistic pagan ﬁgure who appeared in his dreams and fantasies during the critical period after his break with Freud. fantasy and symbol became critical to Jung’s thinking about the transcendent function and to the psychological well-being it promotes. the reality of the psyche.42 The Transcendent Function almost always) manifested in various conscious ways in order to give notice of the conﬂict’s existence. First. Yet we have also unearthed two important inconsistencies.
(1921/1971. Jung posited that through fantasy the unconscious produced symbols—images. Much of Jung’s formative work on the role of fantasy and symbol in the transcendent. Symbol was equally important to Jung because he asserted that it was the mechanism through which fantasy made its journey from the unconscious to consciousness.. And the fantasies of the unconscious work. fantasy is the “mother of all possibilities. (1928/1953. notions—that can be accessed by consciousness to produce the transcendent function and create psychological change.. is not inextricably bound up with the other psychic functions. He maintained that fundamental opposites cannot be resolved by reason but only by fantasy and that in fantasy lies the nexus between all psychic functions. In the face of skepticism he was certain to receive from elsewhere in his professional circle. Jung forcefully avowed the importance of fantasy: The scientiﬁc credo of our time has developed a superstitious phobia about fantasy. It is something real. whether we give this something a good name or a bad. Fantasy. it is the mother of all possibilities..Tracing the Transcendent Function 43 Jung came to learn ﬁrsthand the innate capacity and enormous power of the psyche.. therefore. Something works behind the veil of fantastic images. p. 52) One can see from the language of this passage the profound belief Jung placed in the power of fantasy. p. Fantasy is just as much feeling as thinking. it is difﬁcult to fully apprehend how radical they were when Jung advocated them. as much intuition as sensation. There is no psychic function that.” a source of answers to the most difﬁcult questions. The only expression I can use for this activity is fantasy. the creative activity from which the answers to all answerable questions come. Because these ideas are well accepted in most quarters of depth psychology now. Jung also speciﬁcally posited that in fantasy all opposites are joined: The psyche creates reality every day. pre-eminently. motifs. like all psychological opposites. 217) Beyond his general feeling that fantasy is a powerful and real force... But the real is what works. More than a whimsical landscape of imagination and imagery. Jung tells us. the inner and outer worlds are joined together in union [italics added]. because of its capacity to unite seemingly unlinkable opposites. where. seems to me the clearest expression of the speciﬁc activity of the psyche. and for this reason its manifestations must be taken seriously. through fantasy. It is. there can be no doubt about that. Jung conceived of fantasy as that terrain of psyche where the shackles of preconceived limits could be discarded and psyche could actually transform itself. Furthermore.
xv). p. However. 1989. arguing that opposites are. Schiller’s “reciprocal action between the two