Collective Unconscious

According to Carl Jung, each person not only has their own unique unconscious mind, but also shares some elements of unconsciousness with all other people. He called this shared unconscious, the collective unconscious. Jung suggested that there are archetypes (images and memories of important human experiences) that are passed down from generation to generation. These archetypes can be common designs, shapes, colors, and figures seen over and over again throughout time. For example, Jung suggested that a rash of disk shaped UFO sightings were related to an archetype of god -- he believed that the disk-shape was an archetype of godlike form and perfection and the rash of sightings was an expression by people who wanted to be saved from destruction by some superhuman force.