Jungian Analysts and African Diviners: An Exploration of the Archetype of the Self

Abstract

This paper compares Jungian psychology and African indigenous healing practices through a theoretical review. It argues that while both practices express the shamanic archetype and facilitate the universal instinct towards wholeness, the expression of this differs. In Jungian psychology the archetype of the Self is projected onto the individual and the goal is a dialogue along the ego-Self axis, the patient ultimately coming to locate the shamanic archetype within his or her individual psyche. The working of the Self brings together the opposites of the psyche into individual consciousness. In indigenous healing practices, in keeping with the African worldview, the Self is projected onto the collective body, the ancestors as an extension of the living group, and the goal of healing is the restoration of wholeness through reintegration with the collective body. The implication is that good and evil are not brought together in the ancestors as a symbol of the Self, and evil is thus located outside the collective consciousness.