Psyche is a greek word meaning

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In psychology, the psyche is the totality of the human mind, conscious and unconscious.^[1] Many thinkers, including Carl Jung, also include in this definition the overlap and tension between the personal and the collective elements in man.^[2]

Psychology is the scientific or objective study of the psyche. The word has a long history of use in psychology and philosophy, dating back to ancient times, and represents one of the fundamental concepts for understanding human nature from a scientific point of view. The English word soul is sometimes used synonymously, especially in older texts.^[3]

Etymology[edit]

The basic meaning of the Greek word ψυχή (psyche) was «life», although unsupported,^[4] some have claimed it is derived from the verb ψύχω (psycho, «to blow»).^[5] Derived meanings included «spirit», «soul», «ghost», and ultimately «self» in the sense of «conscious personality» or «psyche».^[6]

Ancient psychology[edit]

The idea of the psyche is central to the philosophy of Plato. Scholars translate the Platonic conceptualization of the term as «soul» in the sense that he believed that it is immortal.^[7] In his Phaedo, Plato has Socrates give four arguments for the immortality of the soul and life after death following the separation of the soul from the body.^[8] Plato’s Socrates also states that after death the Psyche is better able to achieve wisdom and experience the Platonic forms since it is unhindered by the body.^[9]

The Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote an influential treatise on the psyche, called in Greek Περὶ Ψυχῆς (Peri Psyches), in Latin De Anima and in English On the Soul. In this work, he used the concept of the soul to explain certain functions.^[10] Since — for him — the soul is motion, it needs an explanatory principle for bodily motion.^[10] Aristotle’s theory of the «three souls (psyches)» (vegetal, animal, and rational) would rule the field of psychology until the 19th century. Prior to Aristotle, a number of Greek writings used the term psyche in a less precise sense.^[11] In late antiquity, Galenic medicine developed the idea of three «spirits» (pneuma) corresponding to Aristotle’s three souls. The pneuma psychikon corresponded to the rational soul. The other two pneuma were the pneuma physicon and the pneuma zoticon.

Medieval psychology[edit]

The term psyche was Latinized to anima, which became one of the basic terms used in medieval psychology. Anima would have traditionally been rendered in English as «soul» but in modern usage the term «psyche» is preferable.^[12]

Phenomenology[edit]

19th century psychologists such as Franz Brentano developed the concept of the psyche in a more subjective direction.

Psychoanalysis[edit]

In psychoanalysis and other forms of depth psychology, the psyche refers to the forces in an individual that influence thought, behavior and personality.^[13]

Freudian school[edit]

Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, believed that the psyche—he used the word Seele (‘soul’, but also ‘psyche’) throughout his writings—was composed of three components:^[14]

• The id, which represents the instinctual drives of an individual and remains largely unconscious. It does not respect the rules of society.
• The super-ego, which represents a person’s conscience and their internalization of societal norms and morality.
• The ego, which is conscious and serves to integrate the drives of the id with the prohibitions of the super-ego. Freud believed this conflict to be at the heart of neurosis.

Freud’s original terms for the three components of the psyche, in German, were das Es (lit. the ‘It’), das Ich (lit. the ‘I’), and das Über-Ich (lit. the ‘Over-I’ or ‘Upper-I’). According to Bruno Bettelheim, the Latin terms were proposed by Freud’s English translators, probably to make them seem more ‘medical’ since, at the time, Latin was prevalent in medical terminology. Bettelheim deplores what he sees as pseudoscientific, Latin terms.^[15]

Jungian school [edit]

Carl Jung wrote much of his work in German. Jung was careful to define what he meant by psyche and by soul (Seele).

I have been compelled, in my investigations into the structure of the unconscious, to make a conceptual distinction between soul and psyche. By psyche, I understand the totality of all psychic processes, conscious as well as unconscious. By soul, on the other hand, I understand a clearly demarcated functional complex that can best be described as a «personality». (Jung, 1971: Def. 48 par. 797)

[In previous translations, and in this one as well, psyche—for which Jung in the German original uses either Psyche or Seele—has been used with reference to the totality of all psychic processes (cf. Jung, Psychological Types, Def. 48); i.e., it is a comprehensive term. Soul, on the other hand, as used in the technical terminology of analytical psychology, is more restricted in meaning and refers to a «function complex» or partial personality and never to the whole psyche. It is often applied specifically to «anima» and «animus»; e.g., in this connection it is used in the composite word «soul-image» (Seelenbild). This conception of the soul is more primitive than the Christian one with which the reader is likely to be more familiar. In its Christian context it refers to «the transcendental energy in man» and «the spiritual part of man considered in its moral aspect or in relation to God.»— Editors.] (Jung, 1968: note 2 par. 9)

Cognitive psychology[edit]

The word «mind» is preferred by cognitive scientists to «psyche». The mind is a set of cognitive faculties including consciousness, perception, thinking, judgement, language and memory. It is usually defined as the faculty of an entity’s thoughts and consciousness.^[16] It holds the power of imagination, recognition, and appreciation, and is responsible for processing feelings and emotions, resulting in attitudes and actions.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

• Jung, C.G. (1968). Psychology and Alchemy, Collected Works, Volume 12, Princeton, N.J. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-01831-6 OCLC 219856.
• Jung, C.G. (1971). Psychological Types, Collected Works, Volume 6, Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-01813-8.
• Reed, Edward S., From Soul to Mind: The Emergence of Psychology, from Erasmus Darwin to William James, Yale University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-300-07581-2
• Rohde, Erwin, Psyche: The Cult of Souls and the Belief in Immortality Among the Greeks, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1925; reprinted by Routledge, 2000. ISBN 0-415-22563-9

Further reading[edit]

• Valsiner, Jaan; Rosa, Alberto, The Cambridge Handbook of Sociocultural Psychology, Cambridge University Press, 2007. ISBN 0-521-85410-5. Cf. Chapter 1, p. 23, «The Myth and Beyond: Ontology of Psyche and Epistemology of Psychology».
• Wilson, Robert Andrew; Keil, Frank C., The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences, MIT Press, 2001. ISBN 0-262-73144-4
• Snow, P.J., The Human Psyche In Love War and Enlightenment December 2009 ISBN 978-1-921555-42-8

The Greek word “psyche” (or “psychein”) means breathe or blow. In the context of Christian discourse, the meaning of the term “psyche” has been transformed from a vital force into the “soul” as immaterial, immortal, spiritual substance as part of a person (Graumann, 1996).

What is the meaning of Psyche in English?

The basic meaning of the Greek word ψυχή (psyche) was “life”, although unsupported, some have claimed it is derived from the verb ψύχω (psycho, “to blow”). Derived meanings included “spirit”, “soul”, “ghost”, and ultimately “self” in the sense of “conscious personality” or “psyche”.

What does psych mean in Latin?

1640s, “animating spirit, the human spirit or mind,” from Latin psyche, from Greek psykhē “the soul, mind, spirit; life, one’s life, the invisible animating principle or entity which occupies and directs the physical body; understanding, the mind (as the seat of thought), faculty of reason,” also “ghost, spirit of a …

What’s another word for psyche?

What is another word for psyche?

What is the closest meaning of psyche?

noun. 1’Laura saw clearly the effect of beautiful surroundings on the psyche’ SYNONYMS. soul, spirit, self, inner self, innermost self, ego, inner ego, true being, essential nature, life force, vital force, inner man, inner woman, persona, identity, personality, individuality, make-up, subconscious, mind, intellect.

What is the antonym of psyche?

Opposite of the human soul, mind, or spirit. body. physicality.

Who is the goddess Psyche?

Psyche (/ˈsaɪkiː/; Greek: Ψυχή, romanized: Psukhḗ) is the Greek goddess of the soul. She was born a mortal woman, with beauty that rivaled Aphrodite. Psyche is known from the story called The Golden Ass, written by Lucius Apuleius in the 2nd century.

What is Excalibur Umbra?

Umbra is the Latin word for “shadow”. Excalibur Umbra is the first Umbra variant of a Warframe to be released in WARFRAME. Upon release, Excalibur Umbra had the passive ability of Prime Warframes to gain energy from Orokin Void Death Orbs, as an erroneous leftover from his data origins as Excalibur Umbra Prime.

How does Umbra appear?

The umbra (Latin for “shadow”) is the innermost and darkest part of a shadow, where the light source is completely blocked by the occluding body. An observer within the umbra experiences a total eclipse. The umbra of a round body occluding a round light source forms a right circular cone.

What are the two types of eclipses called?

[Tim Jones] From our perspective on Earth, two types of eclipses occur: lunar, the blocking of the Moon by Earth’s shadow, and solar, the obstruction of the Sun by the Moon. When the Moon passes between Sun and Earth, the lunar shadow is seen as a solar eclipse on Earth.

What do we need in order to see a shadow?

So, Opaque objects and a light source are the main requirements to see a shadow.

What 3 things do you need to make a shadow?

The following three things are required for a shadow to form: a source of light. an opaque object. a screen or surface behind the object.

What is a shadow for Class 6?

Shadow: An area of darkness formed by an opaque object obstructing light is called a shadow. Objects can be transparent, translucent, or opaque, depending on how much light can pass through them. A shadow is formed when an opaque object blocks the light falling on it.

How are shadows formed in Class 5?

Shadow is formed when opaque objects come in between light source and the screen (Which can be ground, wall etc.). Shadow formation reveals that light always travels in a straight line and the portion through which light can’t pass through becomes dark, which is called shadow.

What are the characteristics of light Class 6?

• Introduction. Light is a form of energy which helps us in seeing objects.
• Sources of Light. luminous.
• Transparent/Translucent/Opaque. transparent.
• Formation of shadows.
• A Pin-Hole Camera.
• Natural Pin-hole Camera.
• Rectilinear Propagation of Light.
• Mirror.

What is an opaque object class 6?

Materials which don’t allow light to pass through them completely are called Opaque objects. Objects on the other side of opaque objects cannot be seen at all. Eg: Wood, metals etc.

Asked by: Oleta Gutmann

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psyche, the human soul, spirit, or mind. Psychology, Psychoanalysis. the mental or psychological structure of a person, especially as a motive force.

What is the difference between psych and psyche?

What is the meaning of Syke?

a gully or ditch, esp. one that fills with water after a heavy rain. Also: syke.

What is psyche short for?

The basic meaning of the Greek word ψυχή (psyche) was «life«, although unsupported, some have claimed it is derived from the verb ψύχω (psycho, «to blow»). Derived meanings included «spirit», «soul», «ghost», and ultimately «self» in the sense of «conscious personality» or «psyche».

Does psyche mean crazy?

The definition of a psycho is slang for a crazy or insane person. An obsessed stalker who threatens to kill his ex-lover is an example of someone who is psycho. … Mentally deranged; crazy.

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