 The second essay is split into two parts, with the first broadly being about the risks of a confrontation with the collective unconscious, and the second part being about Jung’s method for a more constructive engagement with this psychic material.Part One – The Effects of the Unconscious Upon Consciousness

Jung gives some examples of how consciousness becomes ‘inflated,’ which he defines as ‘an extension of the personality beyond individual limits, in other words, a state of being puffed up.’ This runs the gamut between megalomania and self-abnegation.Jung stresses the importance of maintaining the distinction between the personal and the collective, to maintain the integrity of the individual personality and allow it to grow in the individuation process.