Graduate Research Library: A Library Guide to Jung's Collected Works: Persona

Reference publications: Persona

Dictionary definitions: Persona

"Persona" In A critical dictionary of Jungian analysis by Samuels, A., Shorter, B., & Plaut, F.
Call Number: BF173.J85 S275 1986
Publication Date: 1986
Persona: "The term derives from the Latin word for the mask worn by actors in classical times. Hence, persona refers to the mask or face a person puts on to confront the world. Persona can refer to gender identity, a stage of development (such as adolescence), a social status, a job or profession. Over a lifetime, many personas will be worn and several may be combined at anyone moment. Jung's conception of the persona is of an archetype, meaning in this context that there is an inevitability and ubiquity to persona. In any society, a means of facilitating relationship and exchange is required; this function is partly carried out by the personas of the individuals involved. Different cultures will establish different criteria for persona and there will be alteration and evolution over time since the underlying archetypal pattern is susceptible to infinite variation. Sometimes, the persona is referred to as the 'social archetype', involving all the compromises appropriate to living in a community." (p. 107) [Read more]
"Persona" In Jung lexicon: A primer of terms & concepts by Sharp, D. (Ed.).
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Call Number: BF109.J8S53 1991
ISBN: 0919123481
Publication Date: 1991
Available as a free download from the publisher

Persona. "The “I,” usually ideal aspects of ourselves, that we present to the outside world.
"The persona is . . . a functional complex that comes into existence for reasons of adaptation or personal convenience."" [“Definitions: Soul as persona,” CW 6, para. 801.]
"The persona is that which in reality one is not, but which oneself as well as others think one is."" [“Concerning Rebirth,” CW 9i, para. 221.]
Originally the word persona meant a mask worn by actors to indicate the role they played. On this level, it is both a protective covering and an asset in mixing with other people. Civilized society depends on interactions between people through the persona." (Sharp, 1991)" [Read more]

Encyclopedic overviews: Persona

"Persona" In Encyclopedia of psychology and religion (3rd ed.) by Ann Casement
Publication Date: 2020
Persona: "Persona is the term Jung used to denote the outer face that is presented to the world which he appropriated from the word for the mask worn by actors in antiquity to indicate the roles they played. Jung conceived of it as an archetype meaning that it is universal and it is the archetypal core of persona that facilitates the relating that has evolved as an integral part ofhumans as social beings. Different cultures and different historical times give rise to different outer personas as do different life stages and events in an individual’s development. However, the archetypal core gives the persona its powerful religious dimension that raises it from the banal, workaday outer vestment of an individual via its connection to the depths of the psyche." (p.670) [Read more]

Research Guides: Persona

"Persona" in A guided tour of the Collected Works of C. G. Jung by Robert H. Hopcke
Call Number: REF BF173 .J85 H66
ISBN: 9781570624056
Publication Date: 1999
"As an aspect of the personal and collective psyche, the persona may be counted among Jung's less abstruse and more practical conceptions. From the Latin word for an actor's mask, which in turn represents his role within the play, the persona, in the psychological meaning coined by Jung, is that part of the personality developed and used in our interactions, our conscious outer face, our social mask. Our persona may be a well developed, socially adapted face—the famous writer, the devoted spouse, the rising young executive—or, on the contrary, a well developed but socially unadapted face—the rebellious artist, the argumentative gadfly, the stubborn curmudgeon—but it is still the persona, a face and a role shown to others and used to give form to our outward sense of self." (p. 88) [Read more]
"Persona" in C. G. Jung's Collected Works: The basics by Ann Yeoman and Kevin Lu
ISBN: 9781317213093
Publication Date: 2024
"For the work of the first half of life, the ego adopts and develops a ‘skin,’ the psychic organ or complex that Jung refers to as the persona. The word persona originally described the theatrical mask worn by actors in ancient Greece to convey to members of the audience ... the role and character each was playing. Embedded in every mask was a rudimentary megaphone to amplify and project the voice of the actor. Jung adopted the term, persona, to describe the ‘face’ we each present to the world." (p. 87)." [Read more]

Jung on Persona

Jung's essays on the Persona from the Collected Works:

The relations between the ego and the unconscious (pp. 121–241)
Jung, C. G. (1966). The relations between the ego and the unconscious (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.). In H. Read et al. (Eds.), The collected works of C. G. Jung: Vol. 7. Two essays on analytical psychology (2nd ed., pp. 121–241). Princeton University Press. (Original work published 1928) https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400850891.121
The structure of the unconscious (pp. 269-273)
Jung, C. G. (1966). The structure of the unconscious (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.). In H. Read et al. (Eds.), The collected works of C. G. Jung: Vol. 7. Two essays on analytical psychology (2nd ed., pp. 269-273). Princeton University Press. (Original work published 1916) https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400850891.269
Definitions: Soul [Psyche, personality, persona, anima]

Jung, C. G. (1971). Definitions: Soul [Psyche, personality, persona, anima] (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.). In H. Read et al. (Eds.), The collected works of C. G. Jung: Vol. 6. Psychological Types (pp. 463–470). Princeton University Press. (Original work published 1921)

Suggested readings adapted from Hopcke's (1999) A guided tour of the collected works of C. G. Jung, pp. 88-90.

Available from Ebook Central.

Additional resources: Persona

Ebooks on the Persona archetype available from the library:

Persona: Where sacred meets profane (print copy) by Robert H. Hopcke
Call Number: BF175.5.P47 H67 1995 (Browse shelf)
Publication Date: 1995
Read online: Internet Archive
"The persona is our mask - the place in our personality where who we are perceived to be confronts who we really are. But, as C. G. Jung understood, the persona is not to be disregarded in the search for our true selves, but rather to be honored as an essential part of the rich and complex configuration of the whole person. Robert Hopcke underscores the persona's essential role of mediator between our inner and outer worlds. He follows the concept from Jung's original theory into its persistent manifestations in traditional rituals and the arts, and on into the lives of real men and women to explore such questions as: what is the result of identifying too completely with one's persona?; is it possible not to have a persona?; what part does persona play in sex roles and communication between the sexes?; how do people whose inner selves clash with cultural expectations - like women, gays and lesbians, and people of color - use their personas to adapt?"--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
"Psychic Energy: Libido Theory " In Jung's Map of the Soul by Murray Stein
Call Number: BF173 .S674 1998
Publication Date: 1998
"Thus far I have described two basic structures of the psyche—ego-consciousness and the complexes—as Jung conceived and wrote  about them. Now I will consider the force that animates these  structures and gives them life, namely libido. This is desire and  emotion, the life blood of the psyche. Jung called libido psychic  energy. In the previous two chapters, I have frequently used the  term energy. This is the dynamic feature of the psyche. Jungs theory of libido conceptualizes, in an abstract way, the relationships  among the various parts of the psyche. To use the metaphor of the  psyche as solar system, this chapter is about physics and the forces  that affect the various objects in this universe." [Read more]
" The Ego, The Persona and the Self: The Conflict" In Jungian Theory for Storytellers by Bassil-Morozow, H.
Publication Date: 2018
"Jungian Theory for Storytellers is a toolkit for anyone using Jungian archetypes to create stories in fiction, TV, film, video games, documentaries, poetry, and many other media. It contains a detailed classification of the archetypes, with relevant examples, and explains how they work in different types of narratives. Importantly, Bassil-Morozow explores archetypes and their significance in characterization, individuation, plot and story-building. Bassil-Morozow also presents an overview of Jung's thoughts on creativity and other Jungian concepts, including the unconscious, ego, persona and self and the individuation process, and shows how they are linked to conflict. The book provides an explanation of relevant Jungian terms for a non-Jungian audience and introduces the idea of the hero's journey, with examples included throughout. Accessibly written yet academic, both practical and engaging, and written with a non-Jungian audience in mind, Jungian Theory for Storytellers is an ideal source for writers and screenwriters of all backgrounds, including academics and teachers, who want to use Jungian theory in their work or are seeking to understand relevant Jungian ideas."

Articles:

Binswanger, H. (1965). Ego, anima and persona. Harvest, 11, 1–14.

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Burton, C. (2017). Connie Burton on Persona. Jung Journal, 11(4), 84–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/19342039.2017.1367607

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Calfee, S. (2017). Susan Calfee on Persona. Jung Journal, 11(4), 81–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/19342039.2017.1367605

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Graves, M., & Schermer, V. L. (1998). The wounded male persona and the mysterious feminine in the poetry of James Wright: A study in the transformation of the self. Psychoanalytic Review, 85(6), 849–869. (1999-13755-001).

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Hudson, W. C. (1978). Persona and defence mechanisms. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 23(1), 54–62. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1465-5922.1978.00054.x

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MacGuire, A. S. (2017). Embodying the Soul: Toward a Rescuing and Retaining of Persona. Jung Journal, 11(4), 45–80. https://doi.org/10.1080/19342039.2017.1367623

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Pye, F. (1965). Transformations of the persona. Harvest, 11, 70–79.

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Salman, S. (2017). Sherry Salman on Persona. Jung Journal, 11(4), 88–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/19342039.2017.1367608

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Stebbins, M. (2017). Morgan Stebbins on Persona. Jung Journal, 11(4), 92–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/19342039.2017.1367624

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