Carl Jung’s Anima Projection


Here’s a short film made by YouTube user VioletPsychofluid. It features narration taken from an audiobook version of Carl Jung’s book, ‘Man and His Symbols,’ overlaid with various feature film and documentary clips that seem to illustrate the points made by Jung on the ‘anima,’ which is the feminine aspect of the male personality or psyche. I particularly like the inclusion of clips from Jean Cocteau’s film, ‘Orpheus,’ which is one of the greatest depictions of the underworld ever put on film. This is really magnificent work done by someone willing to upload into the wilds of YouTube, potentially unnoticed. The filmmaker is deeply connected to the subtleties of Jung’s thought and seeks out images that illustrate and compliment the very difficult to grasp ideas and theories about the anima. When I read Jung I experience great excitement about his ideas. But when I put the books down I have difficulty keeping it all straight and remembering what an anima or a projection represents. For me, it’s almost as if Jung’s work itself exists in a hazy dreamworld that only intermittently connects with logic, rationality or memory.