Defining Anima and Animus Possession
Possession by the anima (the unconscious feminine element in a man) or animus (the unconscious masculine element in a woman) signifies a state where the individual’s ego-consciousness becomes identified with, and overwhelmed by, this contrasexual archetypal complex. Jung describes it as an “identity of the ego-personality with a complex,” leading to a “structural alteration” rather than a simple enlargement or diminution of personality (CW9 ¶220). This identification results in the autonomous complex dictating the individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, often in ways detrimental to adaptation and relationships. The possessed state represents a failure to integrate the anima or animus consciously, allowing it instead to usurp control.
Psychological Significance in Consciousness and Dreams
Possession by the anima or animus is psychologically significant because it represents a profound imbalance and a disruption of the conscious personality. When possessed, an individual involuntarily exhibits traits associated with their contrasexual side, but often in a negative, undifferentiated, and caricatured manner. Jung notes, “this transformation of personality gives prominence to those traits which are characteristic of the opposite sex; in man the feminine traits, and in woman the masculine” (CW9 ¶223). In dreams and visions, this state may manifest as encounters with distorted or overpowering figures representing the anima or animus, or through scenarios depicting loss of control, irrational behavior, or being overwhelmed by collective forces or opinions often symbolized by these figures. This signals that the ego is being unduly influenced or controlled by unconscious contents.
Relation to Core Jungian Concepts
Possession by the anima/animus directly relates to several core Jungian ideas. The anima and animus themselves are archetypes originating from the collective unconscious, representing the innate feminine and masculine principles. Possession occurs when the ego naively identifies with the archetype instead of consciously relating to it. Jung warns, “Possession by an archetype turns a man into a flat collective figure, a mask behind which he can no longer develop as a human being” (CW7 ¶390). This state profoundly hinders the individuation process, which requires the conscious integration, not identification with, unconscious contents like the anima/animus. Furthermore, possession blocks the transcendent function; instead of serving as “bridges to the unconscious” facilitating dialogue between conscious and unconscious, the possessed anima/animus dominate the personality, preventing synthesis and psychological growth (CW9 ¶223).
Negative Manifestations of Possessed Figures
When operating autonomously through possession, the anima and animus lose their potential positive qualities and manifest negatively. Jung paints a stark picture: “Turned towards the world, the anima is fickle, capricious, moody, uncontrolled and emotional, sometimes gifted with daemonic intuitions, ruthless, malicious, untruthful, bitchy, double-faced, and mystical” (CW9 ¶223). The possessed animus is similarly portrayed: “obstinate, harping on principles, laying down the law, dogmatic, world-reforming, theoretic, word-mongering, argumentative, and domineering” (CW9 ¶223). Both states lead to poor judgment and taste, with the anima attracting “inferior people” and the animus being susceptible to “second-rate thinking” (CW9 ¶223). These descriptions highlight the loss of nuance and adaptation when the ego is swamped by the archetype.
Related Archetypes and Psychological Dynamics
Possession by the anima or animus often involves or activates other archetypal dynamics. The Shadow, representing the repressed, dark side of the personality, frequently interacts with the anima/animus. Jung suggests, “Sometimes it is incorrect to use the term animus or anima. It may be a new content coming up from the collective unconscious,” but often the shadow “increases the anima” or vice versa, creating a complex dynamic where personal repressions amplify the archetypal possession (Dream Sem.). The inferior function is also closely linked; its unconscious nature makes it a gateway for possession (CW9 ¶223). Jung states the inferior function is “practically identical with the dark side of the human personality,” the door through which the shadow and anima/animus “take possession of our ego-consciousness” (CW9 ¶222). Furthermore, there’s the danger of the mana-personality, where identification with an archetype leads to an inflated sense of power or wisdom, a risk inherent in unchecked anima/animus influence.
Example: Animus Opinions as a Dragon
In analyzing a female patient’s dream or vision involving a dragon in a cave, Jung connects the imagery to animus possession (CW9 ¶223). The patient recalled a legend of a mechanical dragon whose “tongue was a sword” used to sacrifice virgins (Vision Sem.). Jung interprets the symbolism: “what would the dragon with that sword in its mouth represent (Vision Sem.)?” Mrs. Sawyer suggests, “Animus opinions” (Vision Sem.). Jung elaborates that the dragon, as a “devouring monster,” signifies a “multitude, collectivity” (Vision Sem.). Thus, the devouring dragon armed with a sword-tongue symbolizes the destructive, cutting, and collective nature of the patient’s possessed animus opinions, which “sacrifice” her individual feminine perspective (Vision Sem.).
Example: Animus Possession as Masculine Action
During a seminar discussion analyzing a woman’s vision involving a figure with “the head of a woman and the hands of a man,” the possibility of animus possession arises (Vision Sem.). Mrs. Sawyer interprets this image directly: “Animus possession—she acts like a man.” Jung concurs, explaining the personal implication: “One could say that she would have the consciousness of a woman, yet her actions would be those of a man” (Vision Sem.). This example illustrates how animus possession can manifest as a dissociation between the individual’s conscious identity (feminine) and their mode of action in the world, which becomes driven by an unconscious, masculine-coded complex, leading to behavior that feels incongruous or forceful.
Example: The Anima Disrupting Collective Conformity
Jung analyzes a man’s dream where he is singing in church, part of the collective, when suddenly a soprano voice, the anima, breaks in inappropriately. The dreamer “was singing the song of the community as if he were a perfectly respectable member of that church, and then the anima breaks in with an entirely unsuitable song” (Dream Sem.). Jung identifies this soprano as “Madame Anima,” representing the feeling function (“What is the value of that (Dream Sem.)? Answer: Feeling”). This intrusion signifies the unconscious feminine side, likely underdeveloped or ignored, disrupting the conscious persona’s conformity with its spontaneous, feeling-toned expression. While not full possession in the sense of ego-identity, it shows the anima autonomously disrupting the conscious attitude.
Example: The Nature of Animus Opinions
In contrasting the anima and animus, Jung describes the typical manifestation of animus possession in women as the production of rigid, unexamined opinions. “As the anima produces moods, so the animus produces opinions.” These opinions “very often have the character of solid convictions that are not lightly shaken” and “exist ready made” (CW7 ¶331). The woman possessed by her animus holds these views “so positively and with so much conviction that the woman never has the shadow of a doubt about them” (CW7 ¶331). This state irritates men, Jung notes, because such opinions are often collective (“Animus opinion is always public opinion”) and defended “for opinion’s sake,” leading to pointless arguments as “the animus always plays up the anima—and vice versa” (Vision Sem.). This illustrates the intellectual rigidity and collective, impersonal quality characteristic of animus possession (CW9 ¶223).
Key Symbolic Elements Involved
Several symbolic elements are frequently associated with anima/animus dynamics and possession (CW9 ¶223). The Anima is often linked to water (the unconscious), the moon (shifting moods), earth (like the Anima Mundi or World Soul), and sometimes confusing figures like sirens or nymphs, reflecting her connection to nature, emotion, and the mysterious depths. The Animus is often associated with air, spirit (pneuma), logos (rational principle, though distorted in possession), weapons like swords (cutting opinions), collective figures (representing public opinion), or flying creatures (sometimes negative, like the raven in the fairytale example). Gold can symbolize value, but in a negative context, perhaps a “money complex” or a distraction from the true aurum non vulgi (philosophical gold) of individuation (Vision Sem.). Animals like the horse can represent libido or instinct, potentially hijacked by an animus opinion.
Mythological and Religious Parallels
Jung saw parallels between psychological possession and phenomena in mythology and religion. He explicitly links it to historical accounts of demonic or spirit possession, stating, “Possession was well-nigh a national nuisance in a previous age… The name has become a word, the explanation has changed, the thing itself remains.” He references Faust’s pact with the devil as a journey involving engagement with potentially destructive unconscious forces. Religious concepts like the Anima Christi or the Anima Mundi point to the archetypal soul-image, contrasting its potential sacredness with the “uncannily alive and active” nature that can lead to possession if not integrated (CW9 ¶55). Gnostic ideas of the soul imprisoned in matter (physis) also resonate with the theme of the anima/animus needing redemption or integration from an unconscious state. Even political phenomena, like the rise of Nazism, were analyzed by Jung through the lens of archetypal possession (“Wotan,” the “State-spirit” speaking through Hitler) (Jung/Keller).
Manifestations in Dreams and Visions
In dreams and visions, possession by the anima or animus commonly appears as the dreamer being dominated, argued with, seduced, or led astray by figures representing the contrasexual archetype in a negative guise. This could be a moody, irrational feminine figure (anima) or an opinionated, argumentative masculine figure (animus). The dreamer might find themselves acting out of character, driven by inexplicable moods or rigid beliefs. Encounters with crowds or overwhelming collective opinions can signify animus possession, while entanglement in confusing emotional situations or relationships might point to the anima. Psychologically, such manifestations indicate that the ego is losing its autonomy, that unconscious contrasexual elements are split off and operating destructively, and that there is a pressing need to differentiate from and integrate these powerful psychic factors.
Developmental, Compensatory, and Numinous Aspects
Possession represents a developmental arrest, a failure to progress towards integrating the anima/animus, which is crucial for individuation. Instead of achieving a conscious relationship with this inner figure (as suggested by Emma Jung’s stages of animus development: power, deed, word, spirit), the individual remains identified with it in an unconscious, often primitive way. The state is inherently compensatory: it arises because the conscious attitude is too one-sided, forcing the neglected contrasexual side to erupt autonomously. For example, an overly rational man might be compensated by irrational moods (anima possession). While the anima/animus archetype connects to the numinous potential of the unconscious, possession itself usually manifests negatively, leading to inflation (mana-personality) or destructive behavior rather than genuine numinous experience. The numinosity is present but distorted and overwhelming.
Therapeutic Exploration via Imagination and Dialogue
In therapy, working with anima/animus possession involves differentiating the ego from the dominating complex. Active imagination is a key technique, encouraging the individual to consciously engage the anima/animus figure in dialogue, treating it as an autonomous personality (“All autonomous psychic factors have the character of personality”) (CW10 ¶83). This helps to objectify the complex and understand its perspective. Amplification, exploring parallels in mythology, fairytales (like the “Raven” tale Jung analyzes), and religion, can illuminate the archetypal nature of the possession (CW9 ¶223). Therapeutic dialogue focuses on recognizing projections fueled by the anima/animus onto external figures, withdrawing these projections, and fostering a conscious relationship with the inner contrasexual reality, transforming it from a possessor into a helpful inner partner or “bridge to the unconscious.”
Insights Arising from Dreamwork
The emergence of anima/animus possession themes in dreamwork can prompt crucial questions and insights. One might ask: Whose voice is speaking within me – my ego’s or the animus/anima’s? Are these moods or opinions truly mine, or are they autonomous reactions? What conscious one-sidedness is being compensated for by this possession? How are my relationships being affected by these unconscious projections? Recognizing possession fosters insight into one’s own psychological structure, the reality of the unconscious, the nature of archetypes, and the necessity of conscious integration for wholeness. It highlights the task of differentiating the ego while simultaneously building a conscious, respectful relationship with these powerful inner forces.
Common Misreadings and Jungian Nuances
A common misreading is to label any expression of contrasexual traits as “possession” (CW9 ¶223). Jung nuances this: possession implies unconscious identification and negative, autonomous functioning. A well-integrated anima/animus contributes positively to personality (e.g., enabling a man’s relatedness or a woman’s focused thought) and serves as a vital link to the unconscious. Another simplification is equating anima/animus solely with personal experiences; Jung stresses their archetypal nature, rooted in the collective unconscious, although colored by personal life. Finally, while Jung notes the anima corresponds to Eros (relatedness) and animus to Logos (meaning/spirit) as general principles, he clarifies that “Animus in a man is not a person, it is his conscious principle, and then I call it Logos” (Dream Sem.). Anima and animus specifically refer to the contrasexual archetypes operating largely unconsciously until integrated.