Meeting abstract

https://doi.org/10.24869/spsih.2026.288

Archetypal Structure and the Collective Unconscious in the Poetry of Marko Perković Thompson: A Jungian Analysis of Collective Identification

Karlo Glavičić ; Health Centre of Split-Dalmatia County, Kavanjinova 2, 21000 Split, Croatia; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Split, Spinčićeva 1, 21000 Split, Croatia *
Tonći Mastelić ; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Split, Spinčićeva 1, 21000 Split, Croatia; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Split, Šoltanska 2, 21000 Split, Croatia; Department of Psychological Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Split, Šoltanska 2, 21000 Split, Croatia
Luka Novak ; Health Centre of Split-Dalmatia County, Kavanjinova 2, 21000 Split, Croatia
Davor Lasić ; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Split, Spinčićeva 1, 21000 Split, Croatia; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Split, Šoltanska 2, 21000 Split, Croatia; Department of Psychological Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Split, Šoltanska 2, 21000 Split, Croatia
Trpimir Glavina ; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Split, Spinčićeva 1, 21000 Split, Croatia; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Split, Šoltanska 2, 21000 Split, Croatia; Department of Psychological Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Split, Šoltanska 2, 21000 Split, Croatia

* Corresponding author.

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to analyze the poetic
oeuvre of Marko Perković Thompson through
the theoretical framework of Carl Gustav Jung’s
analytical psychology and to explore the role of
archetypal patterns in shaping collective identity,
political symbolism, and the transgenerational
transmission of social trauma. A qualitative content
analysis was conducted on selected songs
from different periods of the author’s creative work. The interpretation was based on Jungian
concepts of the Hero, the Shadow, the Wise Old
Man, the Anima, and the King, and on their manifestation
in lyrical motifs, symbols, and narrative
structures. The analysis shows that Thompson’s
oeuvre systematically activates fundamental
archetypes of the collective unconscious.
The Hero archetype develops from a defensive
warrior into a metaphysical fighter for the light,
while the Shadow archetype appears through
motifs of the external enemy and internal betrayal.
The Wise Old Man archetype is expressed
in the transgenerational transmission of values
and identity through the relationship between
father, son, and grandfather. The Anima evolves
from personal and conflictual projections toward
spiritualized and transcendent forms of the feminine
principle. The King archetype is linked to
historical traumas, the symbolism of national
sovereignty, and the collective sense of loss and
renewal. Thompson’s oeuvre can be viewed as a
symbolic space in which the processes of forming
collective identity and confronting historical
traumas are reflected. Archetypal patterns are an
important mechanism of collective identification
and may contribute to a better understanding of
sociopsychological processes, collective memory,
and the transgenerational transmission of values
in contemporary Croatian society.

Keywords

Carl Gustav Jung; archetypes; collective unconscious; Marko Perković Thompson; collective identity

Hrčak ID:

352988

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/352988

Publication date:

15.6.2026.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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