Dissociation

1. Etymology

Dissociation names the splitting of a personality into its component parts or complexes, characteristic of neurosis. Related: disunion with oneself; wholeness; repression as special case.

2. Plain summary

A dissociation is not healed by being split off further, but by more complete disintegration that lets unity-seeking powers become conscious of possible inner integration—rewarded in an undivided self. In neurotic breakdown analysis, the aim is to make the conscious ego aware of autonomous complexes—by reductive work and by objectifying them in active-imagination.

Every form of communication with the split-off part can be therapeutically effective; even a supposed discovery of causes may heal by suggestion if seriously believed and pursued. Samuels: unconscious fragmenting of what should be linked—or a too-rational fragmenting “analysis” where a holistic attitude would serve; neurosis as discrepancy between conscious attitude and unconscious trends; dialogue with inner figures is not dissociation by the ego.

Examples (exhaustive house list for this Index lemma — common dissociation motifs named across Jung’s essays and standard Jungian lexica; not a claim that Jung’s CW contains only these):
split into parts/complexes; characteristic of neurosis; not healed by further splitting; more complete disintegration → inner integration; undivided self; ego awareness of autonomous complexes; reductive + active-imagination; communication with split-off part; disunion with oneself; vs dialogue with inner figures; repression as special case; conscious/unconscious discrepancy.

3. Academic elucidation

In analytical psychology dissociation is pathological (and sometimes cultural) disunion—Marriage / Philosophical Tree territory in Sharp; broader CW 8 / 16 pointers in Samuels. Descent Press keeps Sharp and Samuels in §4. §5 holds sample CW stamps at CW 17 ¶334; CW 8 ¶61; CW 16 ¶26. CW 13 ¶465 (Sharp pointer) remains unverified on vessel — not stamped.

4. Lexicon

Sharp (1991)

Dissociation. The splitting of a personality into its component parts or complexes, characteristic of neurosis. A dissociation is not healed by being split off, but by more complete disintegration… He will then find his reward in an undivided self. … Every form of communication with the split-off part of the psyche is therapeutically effective…

(Sharp, 1991) — cites CW 17 ¶¶334f; CW 13 ¶465 in Sharp’s lemma.

Samuels, Shorter & Plaut (1986) — dissociation p. 47

dissociation Refers to an UNCONSCIOUS fragmenting of what should be linked in the personality, a kind of ‘disunion with oneself’ (CW 8, para. 62)… Dissociation is an important aspect of NEUROSIS… ‘discrepancy between the conscious attitude and the trends of the unconscious’ (CW 16, para. 26)…

(Samuels, Shorter, & Plaut, 1986, p. 47)

5. CW concordance — sample, not exhaustive

CW 13 ¶465 (Sharp pointer) not verified on vessel this pass — not stamped.

A dissociation is not healed by being split off, but by more complete disintegration. All the powers that strive for unity, all healthy desire for selfhood, will resist the disintegration, and in this way he will become conscious of the possibility of an inner integration… He will then find his reward in an undivided self.
(Jung, 1925/1954, CW 17, pp. 196–197, ¶334)

The tension leads to conflict, the conflict leads to attempts at mutual repression, and if one of the opposing forces is successfully repressed a dissociation ensues, a splitting of the personality, or disunion with oneself. The stage is then set for a neurosis.
(Jung, 1928/1969, CW 8, p. 52, ¶61)

… for the cause of neurosis is the discrepancy between the conscious attitude and the trend of the unconscious. This dissociation is bridged by the assimilation of unconscious contents.
(Jung, 1931/1966, CW 16, p. 20, ¶26)

See also: complex; ego; active-imagination; abreaction; wholeness; shadow; unconscious; analysis-jungian.

References

Jung, C. G. (1954). Marriage as a psychological relationship. In H. Read, M. Fordham, G. Adler, & W. McGuire (Eds.), The collected works of C. G. Jung (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.) (Vol. 17, pp. 196–197, ¶334). Princeton University Press. (Original work published 1925)

Jung, C. G. (1966). Problems of modern psychotherapy. In H. Read, M. Fordham, G. Adler, & W. McGuire (Eds.), The collected works of C. G. Jung (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.) (2nd ed., Vol. 16, p. 20, ¶26). Princeton University Press. (Original work published 1931)

Jung, C. G. (1969). On psychic energy. In H. Read, M. Fordham, G. Adler, & W. McGuire (Eds.), The collected works of C. G. Jung (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.) (2nd ed., Vol. 8, p. 52, ¶61). Princeton University Press. (Original work published 1928)

Samuels, A., Shorter, B., & Plaut, F. (1986). A critical dictionary of Jungian analysis. Routledge.

Sharp, D. (1991). Jung lexicon: A primer of terms & concepts. Inner City Books.