The Neurotic Organisation (Part 3 Introduction)

'Remember, it is the secret force hidden deep within us that manipulates our strings; there lies the voice of persuasion, there the very life, there, we might even say, is the man himself’

- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations [quoted in Kets de Vries & Miller, The Neurotic Organisation, 1984]

Approaching the Unconscious

I like this quote from Marcus Aurelius highlighting that while the external world and bodily impulses affect us, our unconscious mind or inner world holds the ultimate power of choice. It is a wonderful, succinct statement of the dynamics of the unconscious and its potential for growth.

The quote also conveys the nature of Jungian psychoanalytical thinking. It is a way to understand human behaviour at an individual and group level by looking at the hidden, unconscious parts of the mind, and the bedrock of #JungianBitsOfInformation’s blog which explores the unconscious in the workplace, specifically, the dynamics between the individual psyche and the workplace. The blog series, The Neurotic Organisation, is an exploration of the unconscious mind, organisational life, and mental health.

The unconscious is a term used to describe mental contents which are inaccessible to the ego and to delimit a psychic place with its own character, laws and functions [Samuels, Andrew; Shorter, Bani; Plaut, Fred. A Critical Dictionary of Jungian Analysis, 1986]. The ego is central to consciousness - it contains our conscious awareness of existing and a continuing sense of personal identity. It also expresses our thoughts, feelings, intuitions, sensations and has access to our memories. The ego is the bearer of what we call ‘personality’ and it plays a mediating role balancing out the demands of consciousness and the unconscious, in other words, the inner and outer worlds.

The ego is formed out of the unconscious during infancy and early childhood. Genetics plays a part too. The ego develops from encounters with demands of the inner and outer world. I describe ego development as a collision between the competing demands of the inner and outer worlds. The collision creates a tension which eases as the ego selects a particular standpoint against the competing demands - specifically the ego focuses attention on the inner or outer world. Ego development with a preference for the outer world of people, objects, and activities becomes the extravert. Similarly, ego development with a preference for the inner world of ideas, memories, and experiences becomes the introvert. These preferences are known as attitudes of consciousness which direct psychic or mental energy outwards [extraversion] or inwards (introversion].

Does your attention naturally focus on the outer world or the inner world?

Nobody is completely an extravert or introvert because we do both. However, the ego will prefer a particular attitude.

The two attitudes have considerably different impacts on organisational life. For example, an extraverted person might prefer a line management position, and an introverted person might prefer a role in which they can apply their expertise.

Jungian Analysis is an in-depth form of therapy and coaching. Analysis is an investigation of the unconscious, its contents, processes and interaction with consciousness. In other words, an analysis of the unconscious and conscious mind, in particular, the dynamics between the two parts which manifest at an individual and group level. Bringing both parts in harmony is the goal of analysis. If there is a commitment to analysis by the ego, it can lead to a transformation of the personality, the consequences of which can be beneficial for the individual, their family and friends, workplace and society in general.

Today as I write this blog [12 August 2026] the northern hemisphere is going to see a total eclipse or totality. The total eclipse will be visible in cities such as Reykjavik, Iceland and León, Zaragoza, and Valencia, Spain. Here in the UK, there will be 90% - 95% of the sun obscured by the moon. Interestingly, totality is a term used to describe psyche - the totality of all psychic processes, conscious as well as unconscious [Carl Jung’s Collected Works CW6, para 797]. In psychoanalytic thinking we use the term ‘psyche’ rather than ‘mind’, since mind refers to the aspects of mental functioning which are conscious.

The psyche is a self-regulating system - it strives to maintain a balance between the opposing qualities of the unconscious and consciousness while at the same time actively seeking its own development, i.e. individuation, a type of individual psychological development unique to Jungian analysis. Therefore, totality is the goal of analysis - the integration of conscious and unconscious parts in ourselves. This is an important clue to the solution of problematic and dysfunctional individual and group behaviour at work.

The phenomenon of totality is symbolic in psychological terms. The moon is in direct alignment with the sun - a metaphor for conscious and unconscious alignment, an outcome of which is psychic harmony or good mental health, a general state of wellbeing. You can find out more about conscious/unconscious alignment by exploring the work of Edward Edinger who was an American psychiatrist, Jungian Analyst and writer.

His book, Ego and Archetype, which features in my Motivational Reading recommendations, explores the foundational concepts in Carl Jung's analytical psychology, particularly the dichotomy between the ego [consciousness] and the Self [unconscious]. The book examines the relationship between the ego and the Self, highlighting its significance in psychological development.

In this blog, I will delve into Jungian psychoanalytic thinking to explore individual and group dynamics in the workplace. I explore the conceptualisation of the unconscious as a dynamic spirit, a repository of memories, fantasies, and motivations that can express themselves as subpersonalities, the role of repression, complexes, and defence mechanisms in the development of dysfunctional individual and group behaviour.

My pitch to readers of my blog is - the unconscious is an untapped source of personal transformation, it can help to improve your resilience, better understand yourself and others, develop more effective personal and work-based relationships, find creative solutions to long-standing problems and a source of inspiration, knowledge and wisdom. The unseen and unknown unconscious dynamics can also have unintended and less constructive, even damaging, consequences for you, the people around you and the workplace. Getting to know your unconscious can help you to address emotional issues and improve your relationships with others. 

In other words, individual and group dynamics can impede or enable organisational success. The unconscious dynamics contribute to the success or failure of organisational missions because they have a direct impact on decision-making, strategy, culture, people, structure, processes, and technology. I will explore these dynamics using two specific examples: (1) the authoritarian line manager or micromanager and (2) employee-to-manager attachment styles. I will then look at how individual and group dynamics influence organisational culture. By looking at the unconscious dynamics of individuals and groups, the blog will give you an insight into the influence of the unconscious in workplace settings and practical actions to remedy dynamics which impede business success.

My aim is to help you, organisational leaders, HR professionals etc to make sense of organisational life with fresh eyes, deepen your understanding of how psyche manifests in the workplace, bring the insights to bear on the challenges you face, and provide new possibilities for action.