But how does the collective unconscious relate to psychedelics? Some may say these powerful drugs create elements of fantasy and wild imagination.
The term collective unconscious represents a form of the unconscious which is common to all mankind, stemming from the inherited part of the brain.
This unique and abstract concept was, once again, coined by Carl Jung after working with schizophrenic patients.
Jung took it a step further and introduced something called the archetypes which form the structure of the collective unconscious. There are four main archetypes:
– Persona – Shadow – Anima, Animus – Self
According to Jung, each represents the matrix which influences human thinking.
Psychedelic compounds create visual, sensory, and auditory distortions — these are hallucinations. The person taking them experiences a variety of effects, most of which they can’t control.
One of the most common themes that threads through them is fear of the unknown. This is where the foundation of anxiety exists.
Psychedelics help remove that barrier, allowing the content of the unconscious state to push through.