The Dark Numinous as a Force of Psychic and Societal Transformation
The concept of the dark numinous, a term referring to the terrifying, overwhelming, yet fascinating aspect of the sacred or unconscious forces, plays a significant role in Carl Jung’s understanding of profound psychic and collective transformations. Its emergence often signals not merely a minor shift but a fundamental upheaval, a revolution in consciousness or society. Jung perceived this dark, powerful energy as deeply ambivalent: potentially destructive but also holding the seeds of renewal and a more comprehensive wholeness. Its appearance indicates that the established order, whether internal or external, is being profoundly challenged from the depths.
The Chthonic Spirit and the Ambivalence of the Sacred
Jung identifies this dark aspect as integral to the divine or the archetypal realm itself. He speaks of the “chthonic spirit,” emphasizing that “Sexuality is of the greatest importance as the expression of the chthonic spirit” (MDR). He further clarifies, “That spirit is the other face of God, the dark side of the God-image.” This suggests that the darkness is not merely an absence of light or goodness but a potent, numinous force in its own right, one that demands recognition. Its power lies in its “numinosity and not in their sex or other chance attributes” (CW18 ¶583). This inherent power means that when old frameworks fail, the energy bound within them does not simply vanish; “it reappears in unconscious manifestations, in symbolic happenings that compensate the disturbances of the conscious psyche” (CW18 ¶583). The eruption of the dark numinous often occurs when consciousness has become too narrow, too rigid, or has lost connection with its instinctual and archetypal foundations.
Chaos and Upheaval as Precursors to Conscious Expansion
The initial encounter with the dark numinous typically manifests as chaos, disintegration, and terror, heralding a revolutionary overthrow of the existing psychic structure. Jung uses a powerful natural image: “The earthquake sends up a dark cloud: consciousness, because of the revolution of its former standpoint, is shrouded in darkness” (CW14 ¶209). This upheaval is not merely negative; it mirrors the darkness preceding creation or resurrection, “just as the earth was at Christ’s death, which was followed by a resurrection” (CW14 ¶209). This image conveys that the “widening of consciousness is at first upheaval and darkness,” a necessary phase before a “broadening out of man to the whole man” can occur (CW14 ¶209). This process involves confronting terrifying aspects of the self or the world, often symbolized by frightening figures or experiences.
Myths and Fairytales as Expressions of the Dark Numinous
In fairytales and myths, this force is often personified. In a Russian variant of a fairytale, the hero encounters “Koschei the Deathless,” an “evil spirit” who is initially chained up but is inadvertently released, leading to the hero being “killed and dismembered (the typical fate of the God-man!)” (CW9 ¶435). Similarly, in another tale, the archetype appears as an “old man in the guise of an evil-doer,” trapping the hero (CW9 ¶418). The forbidden room, like the one holding the raven who cries “piteously” for water, represents the seductive and dangerous allure of the repressed dark numinous (CW9 ¶428). Entering it, driven by a “secret scheme,” leads to the unleashing of this power (“the evil spirit regains his freedom”) and subsequent chaos, yet this very act is shown to be necessary for the progression of the narrative – bringing the princess “down from the upper world to the world of men” (CW9 ¶435). This motif of necessary disobedience or transgression highlights how engaging with the forbidden darkness can be crucial for transformation, however perilous.
Individual Psychic Crises and the Revolt of the Unconscious
Jung observed this revolutionary dynamic not only in myths but also in the lives of individuals. He describes patients whose lives are thrown into turmoil by the eruption of unconscious forces, often linked to unresolved complexes or a failure to adapt to life’s changes. One patient, struggling with alcoholism and an oppressive mother fixation, was trapped because “A part of him did not really want to leave the comfortably warm nest” (MDR). His drinking was an attempt to “stupefy or discharge his emotions.” Another patient, caught in a destructive father complex, developed a neurosis that forced “on her the wish to die so that she may go to hell—whither, be it noted, her father has already betaken himself” (CW4 ¶724-726). These neurotic states represent a psyche in revolt, overwhelmed by dark, numinous forces rooted in the unconscious. The experience can be utterly disorienting and destructive, as seen in the case of the man buried in snow for weeks in Greenland: “That fellow got absolutely ground to dust in the darkness… he looks like an egg without its shell” (Vision Sem.) This visceral description illustrates the potential for complete psychic disintegration when faced with overwhelming darkness and isolation.
Sudden Reversals and the Midlife Eruption of the Shadow
Even seemingly controlled individuals can experience a sudden, revolutionary irruption of the repressed dark side. Jung mentions a “pious man who was a churchwarden” who became a “darkly lowering pillar of the Church,” only to have a sudden realization at fifty-five: “Now at last I’ve got it! I’m just a plain rascal” ((CW8 ¶775). This led him to spend “his declining years in riotous living.” This dramatic reversal signifies a revolution in his psychic economy, where the suppressed ‘dark’ energy finally broke through the rigid persona. Similarly, the Native American chief whose dream commanded him to adopt women’s roles exemplifies the “psychic revolution of life’s noon,” where values “tend to change into their opposites” (CW8 ¶781). These internal revolutions, often triggered by the dark numinous, force a confrontation with the shadow and the neglected aspects of the self.
Collective Revolutions as Archetypal Psychic Events
Jung saw a direct parallel between these individual psychic revolutions and large-scale collective movements. He explicitly links the societal upheavals around the turn of the 19th century to the inner world: “The fact that this whole disturbance or reactivation of the unconscious took place around the year 1800 is, in my view, connected with the French Revolution” (CW10 ¶22). He describes this not just as political but as a “revolution of minds,” a “colossal explosion” resulting from the Enlightenment’s suppression of the irrational and the “official deposition of Christianity” (CW10 ¶22). This act “must have made a tremendous impression on the unconscious pagan in us, for from then on he found no rest” (CW10 ¶22). The subsequent “dechristianization” and “importation of strange gods,” from Buddhism to “the lowest, most squalid superstition,” mirrored the state of the Roman Empire in its decline, indicating a time when the unconscious “burst forth and brought back things immemorially buried” (CW10 ¶22).
Archetypal Forces in the Rise of Totalitarian Movements
Jung applied this lens to the political turmoil of his own time, particularly the rise of Nazism in Germany. He stated, “I had observed the German revolution in the test-tube of the individual… and I was fully aware of the immense dangers involved when such people crowd together” (CW10 ¶450). He witnessed how “the uprush of the dark forces deployed itself,” breaking through “moral and intellectual self-control” and flooding the “conscious world.” He saw figures like Hitler and Mussolini as individuals susceptible to these powerful unconscious currents: “mystical experience as well as identification with an archetypal figure lend almost superhuman force to the ordinary man” (CW18 ¶1333). Hitler’s decisions seemed “revealed” rather than reasoned, suggesting an openness to powerful, numinous, and potentially dark, archetypal influences. Jung also viewed Communism through this archetypal lens, calling it “an archaic, highly insidious pattern of life which characterizes primitive social groups,” implying a regression driven by unconscious forces when existing structures fail (CW18 ¶1272).
Symbolism, Dreams, and the Path to Integration
The symbolism emerging during such revolutionary periods often reflects the underlying psychic dynamics. A patient’s dream during a time of political tension featured a “revolution in Switzerland” where soldiers “prepare to shoot at the centre” (CW12 ¶200). This imagery mirrors the potential for self-destruction when unconscious forces turn inward. The dream note advises: “Salvation does not come from refusing to take part or from running away… Salvation comes from complete surrender, with one’s eyes always turned to the centre” (CW12 ¶200). This points towards the necessity of conscious engagement with the erupting forces, aiming for integration rather than suppression or chaotic dissolution. The emergence of mandalas – symbols of order, “measure, proportion, and symmetrical arrangement” – from the “very chaos of the conscious mind” during individual crises offered Jung a “gleam of hope” that integration is possible even amidst profound disorder (CW10 ¶450).
The Perils of Engaging the Dark Numinous Unconsciously
However, Jung remained acutely aware of the dangers inherent in confronting the dark numinous. The process is not automatically positive. It can lead to madness, self-destruction, or collective catastrophe. The mountaineer who ignored warnings and sought solitary climbs experienced a fatal “ecstasis with a vengeance,” stepping “literally out into the air” (CW16 ¶324). This represents the danger of being completely overwhelmed and destroyed by the unconscious forces one courts. Similarly, the destructive potential is evident in the collective sphere, as seen in the German revolution, which had “positive and negative aspects” but risked “ultimate defeat” due to its isolating tendencies (Vision Sem.). The dark numinous demands respect and conscious mediation; simply being swept away (“drifting”) or attempting to rigidly oppose it (“go against the impact of the storm”) can be disastrous (CW12 ¶200). True navigation involves a difficult balance, akin to the advice in the dream: conscious surrender oriented towards integration (“eyes always turned to the centre”).
The Dark Numinous as Catalyst for Transformation and Integration
In conclusion, Jung understood the emergence of the dark numinous as a critical, often terrifying, sign that a profound revolution is underway, either within the individual psyche or in the collective. It represents the eruption of repressed, archetypal energies, the “dark side of the God-image,” challenging the established conscious standpoint. This upheaval, symbolized by earthquakes, darkness, and destructive figures, necessitates a confrontation with the shadow. While fraught with danger – the risk of disintegration, madness, or collective disaster – this revolutionary moment also holds the potential for transformation, a “widening of consciousness,” and the integration of a fuller, more complete self or society, potentially leading to a symbolic “resurrection” after the necessary descent into darkness (CW14 ¶209).