A Jungian Introduction to America's Repressed Identity

"For the first time since the dawn of history, we have succeeded in swallowing the whole of primitive animism into ourselves, and with it, we have the spirit of animated nature . . .

"Even though nature is depsychized, the psychic conditions that breed demons are as actively at work as ever. The demons have not disappeared but have merely taken on another form: they have become unconscious psychic forces."

— C. G. Jung, After The Catastrophe, Collected Works; Civilization in Transition, Vol. 10., (2nd ed.), p. 211-212, §431. 

When studying psychoanalyst Carl Jung's discussions of adopted animism, the unconscious, and godlessness throughout Europe before and during WWII, the stories of white captive children—specifically those German children who swiftly adapted to Native American ways—come to mind. 

Captive Santiago McKinn, center, with playmates and adults at Geronimo’s camp in 1886. (Library of Congress).

These children underwent a literal and metaphorical 'death' of their previous selves and a rebirth into new identities shaped by entirely different cultural archetypes. They remained spiritually connected to the earth and exhibited a lack of egoism, even in adulthood when reintegrated with European settlers.

It's only one example of active interaction between 'modern man' and 'primitive' culture, revealing how buried psychic forces can surface when individuals leave their original cultural context. Unfortunately, direct testimonies from these ex-captives are rare, leaving us with limited insight into their psychological transformations.

Perhaps it is probably a simple conclusion: children, when not appropriately taught, will always revert to primitivism.

In contrast to Europeans, who may have a deeper awareness of the unconscious forces that drive them, the contemporary American—intensely preoccupied with individualism—often grapples with the question, 'What is our psychic force?' This question hints at an unrecognized truth about American identity.  

Americans' obliviousness to the unconscious patterns that shape their behaviors and identities is fully displayed. Many Americans remain unaware that their psyche, influenced more by Native American history and primal forces than by European origins, demonstrates the intrinsic link to these unconscious dynamics. This lack of awareness leads to a disconnect from reality and history, adding to the already apparent virtual escapism that has possessed the country.

"Primitives dread the sharply focused stare in the eye of the European, which seems to them like the evil eye. A Pueblo chieftain once confided to me that he thought all Americans (the only white men he knew) were crazy, and the reasons he gave for this view sounded exactly like a description of people who were possessed. Well, perhaps we are."

— C. G. Jung, After The Catastrophe, Collected Works; Civilization in Transition, Vol. 10., (2nd ed.), p. 211-212, §431.

More thorough and interpretive essays on this topic will be published soon.