Jung discovered through word association test that there is a racial cluster related to emotion, thinking and memory in the unconscious, which he called complex. Any word touching these complexes will cause an involuntary delayed response, which shows that the complex is an autonomous structure with its own internal driving force, just like a small personality structure that exists independently in the whole personality. These complexes have a very powerful influence on controlling our thoughts and behaviors. For Jung, ego constitutes the core of the field of consciousness, and it is the subject of all individual conscious behaviors, showing a high degree of continuity and identity. But the ego is by no means the whole personality. It is just a conceptual complex, juxtaposed with other complexes, which are interrelated and relatively independent, and some complexes may even be completely unrelated to the ego, or this connection is extremely rare. The spirit of self-complex is closely intertwined, which ensures the unity of personality and thus maintains people's mental health.
As long as the conscious self is in harmony with the unconscious background formed by other complexes, it will continue to maintain its personality-centered characteristics and play a role. However, if the self-complex is divorced from the unconscious foundation, it will lead to the development of one or more divided complexes. In other words, self-complexity is no longer the center of personality, and there are another or more complex centers in parallel with it. They act in their own way, pursue their own goals, compete with the intention of self-complex, hinder the realization of their own goals and objects, and disrupt their own development. At this time, symptoms of neurosis or schizophrenia appear. In this sense, schizophrenia is actually a universal spiritual essence, and both healthy people and patients may appear.
Therefore, the so-called innate unity of personality means that this unity, as an image (that is, self-prototype), only exists in people's spirit and has not been successfully realized from the beginning of life, rather, it is the goal of individual development. Jung later discovered that this complex had more positive significance. Any personal life experience such as distressing emotional experience and mental trauma that leads to complex can be used as a favorable condition to deepen personal understanding, make them more sober and enrich their personality. Complex is often the source of human inspiration and internal drive, and it is essential for great artists to achieve outstanding and brilliant achievements. Van Gogh and Picasso were fascinated by painting, while Shakespeare and Guo Moruo were obsessed with the beauty of literature. Great works of art are driven by the artist's inner complex.
PS: reference content, reading notes.