Carl Gustav Jung's understanding of symbols and his approach to symbols

This thesis examines Carl Gustav Jung's understanding of symbols from the perspective of the history of religions, focusing on their functions at both the individual and collective unconscious levels. Within the framework of Jung's theory of archetypes, it is argued that symbolic thought is not confined to individual psychic processes such as God, the mother, the hero, and the wise old mana re analyzed through the symbolic manifestations of the sacred. Jung's works demonstrate that these archetypes are not only linked to individual psychological processes but are also connected with symbolic expressions found in different religious traditions. His analyses in Symbols of Transformations, Man and His Symbols, and The Red Book illustrate how symbols acquire meaning in historical, mythological, and psychological contexts, suggesting that the networks of meaning constructed in such narratives point simultaneously to historical and psychological dimensions. The research has been conducted within a qualitative framework and is based on a literature review. Dream symbolism, alchemy, Kundalini yoga, and various mystical traditions have been comparatively examined in light of Jung's theoractical approach. Through these evaluations, a framework has been developed indicating that the mythological, theological, and psychological dimensions of symbols can be discussed in an interdisciplinary context.