Lu, Kevin, Clarke, Briony, Hill, Niall, Howe, Andrew and Tower, Rupert (2026) The virtual unconscious. International Journal of Jungian Studies, 18 (2). pp. 111-147. ISSN 1940-9060

Abstract

This paper conceptualises the virtual unconscious as an emergent psychic layer. Drawing on workshops exploring the intersection of analytical psychology and VR, we examine how a technical glitch acts as a site of psycho-social rupture, unveiling how VR and XR may reconfigure the way in which psychological material is manifested and communicated to consciousness. VR experiences function as transitional objects, creating – in the sense proposed by Hauke (2009) and Hockley (2014) – a 'third space' that enables serious play and the externalisation of unconscious material. VR experiences, furthermore, lend themselves to being adapted for therapeutic use, due to their capacity to catalyse somatic immersion while allowing users to maintain a clear anchor in consciousness even as they explore a simulated landscape. The paper suggests two areas in which the virtual unconscious may be productively applied, before noting future directions of research and practice.

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