Can false memories somehow make their way to become part of the collective unconscious? If not, why?
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Can false memories somehow make their way to become part of the collective unconscious? If not, why?
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I don't think so. Perhaps I don't understand the concept of "false memories" as you are using it. The collective unconscious belongs to the (evolution of the) species, not to the individual. It is "nature" and doesn't belong to the personal sphere. An individual has experiences and memories and an intellect that judges (rightly or wrongly) whether something is or is not "false." In the realm of nature, a "false memory" would be something like a genetic mutation that has become dominant -- but is that really "false"? It just is what it is. A tree root that DOESN'T seek water might be a kind of "false memory" in nature, but it won't deliver water to the tree, i.e., it will not be useful as a compensatory factor for the ego conscious. I think calling the collective unconscious the "memory of the species" or "race" is using the word "memory" as a metaphor. I think of it more as chemicals and goo that sometimes manifests to the psyche as images. False goo makes no sense to me.
It depends what one means by "the collective unconscious". If it is instincts combined with the psychoid (in Jung's terms) background (either physical or metaphysical) from which archetypes and consciousness emerges, then it really is goo. But, if for instance a person imagines that he/she is Batman (Batman isn't a real-life example, but for instance Hesse's Demian would be) or some other character from the series starring Adam West (the most ridiculous adaptation of Batman) and notices similarities between real life and one episode of the series, then notices similarities between his/her biography and the life story of Adam West, then for some reason pays attention to the fact that Adam was the first man (the beginning of mankind) and west is where the Sun sets (the end of the day or even the world), where does a pattern end and delusion begin?
What an interesting exploration! Wouldn't (one kind of) delusion begin precisely at the moment and to the extent of the ego's identification with the archetype?
What is the question? What do you mean by "the collective unconscious". I think that when you put it with "false memories" in the same sentence, it's far from obvious. Who has failed in having the true memory? Is Carlos Castaneda an example of false memory? Is The Red Book by Jung an example of true or false memory? What about religious stories?
Hope you don't mind me dragging this out because I'm going to have to try a piecemeal approach. Let me ask what to some might be a hypothetical question. Assume there are people who are born with a sense for the physical future, not just their own, but for that of others also. Where do those people acquire this sense? My thought is that the collective unconscious is made up of past and future memories and these people are taping into it. Does that make sense?
The first story/mythical person that came to me as I was reading that question was Kraljević Marko, the ultimate macho man, one of those with the biggest muscles and moustache, with the most dangerous sword, hammer, or mace in Marko's case, a man who has wizards and fairies for friends. According to the story, he was a real troublemaker for Turkish imperialists, but in reality he was on their side.
Back to your real question. When a person plays with imagination, myths, and symbols to the point of identification with symbols and myths, it seems that all kinds of weird things can happen, a story within a story within a story... I've been thinking and discussing about it for awhile, but I'm still not sure what is reality and what is delusion, what is free will and what is fate.
At the moment my (Successful or disastrous? A case study in any outcome.) attempts to read "akashic records" can be found here http://www.communityalchemy.com (The Will by Aleksandar Malecic - It will be there at least until tomorrow, but I don't know where Willi will put it later) and here http://www.depthpsychologyalliance.com/group/community-education-de... (the lectures 17-20).
The long story short: I am interested in the subject, but don't have any conclusion.
I see your points and perhaps with them have come the answers but I need to think on this a bit.
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