Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious forms the foundation of his theories about the psyche and the need for psychic wholeness. He argues that the psyche is divided into conscious and unconscious awareness, and that the unconscious has different levels. The shallowest level is the personal unconscious; this realm houses repressed memories and complexes, all belonging solely to the individual. At a deeper level is the collective unconscious, a realm of the psyche that is shared by all people. The collective unconscious incorporates universal patterns and symbols that shape human thought and behavior. This assertion underscores Jung’s broader argument: Psychic wholeness requires engagement with both the personal and collective unconscious. 

Jung says the collective unconscious contains archetypes, which are images and motifs that are shared across different cultures, societies, mythologies, and time periods. He frames this concept as a form of a priori knowledge that manifests in mythology, folklore, and other forms of human art and narratives.

Throughout the work, Jung provides myriad examples of different archetypes, presenting them as empirical evidence of the collective unconscious. He shows how motifs emerge across cultures and mythologies.