The Anima and Animus: Psychological Polarity, Projection, and Inner Integration
In Jungian analytical psychology, the anima and animus are archetypes representing the inner feminine in men and the inner masculine in women. Together, they form the symbolic polarity of the psyche and serve as vital bridges between the ego and the unconscious (Jung, 1959). While these terms are often interpreted through a gendered lens, they actually reflect a broader psychological reality—the necessity of balancing opposites within the psyche. In contemporary terms, the anima/animus dimension can be understood as the inner polarity between receptivity and assertion, feeling and thinking, relatedness and autonomy (Hillman, 1985; Stein, 1998).
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