Dr. Dragana Favre is a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and a seeker of the human psyche's mysteries. With a medical degree and extensive neuroscience education from prestigious institutions like the Max Planck Institute and Instituto de Neurociencias, she's a seasoned expert.
M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village (2004) is a film that has inspired countless analyses and interpretations, ranging from political to societal allegories. But perhaps the most intriguing way to view it is through the lens of the individual psyche. What happens when we see the story as unfolding within a single mind, where the village itself represents a dissociated complex? A complex can gain such autonomy that it becomes entirely severed from the rest of the psyche, unreachable by the ego. It inflates and takes control, creating a psychological enclave that resists all attempts at integration. Viewed in this way, The Village offers a compelling portrait of an inflated, autonomous dissociated complex.
Jungian psychology provides a rich framework for exploring this dynamic. A dissociated complex forms around a trauma, a wound the psyche cannot fully integrate. It operates autonomously, sustained by defense mechanisms such as repression and projection, and cuts itself off from the rest of the psyche. In The Village, this dissociation is embodied in the isolated, carefully controlled community established by the elders. Their trauma-driven retreat mirrors the psyche’s attempt to shield itself from pain by constructing a closed system. Jung observed that complexes often behave like independent personalities, asserting themselves over the ego and disrupting the psyche’s equilibrium (Jung, CW 8, para. 200).
The forest surrounding the village serves as a symbolic repression barrier, a defense mechanism that ensures the complex remains cut off from the broader psyche. The villagers project their fears onto the forest, populating it with mythical creatures to reinforce the boundary. Jung noted that the psyche frequently uses projection to externalize inner conflict, creating symbolic representations of the unconscious (Jung, CW 9, para. 46). In this case, the fabricated myths of “Those We Don’t Speak Of” sustain the complex’s autonomy by instilling fear of the unknown.
Characters within The Village reflect key psychological dynamics at play in the dissociated psyche. Ivy Walker, for example, represents the ego’s intuitive drive toward healing and integration. Her blindness symbolizes her ability to see beyond surface-level narratives and rely on her inner knowing. Her journey through the forest is the heroic effort of the psyche to reconnect with its dissociated parts, which is an act of individuation. Meanwhile, Noah Percy embodies the Shadow, the repressed energy within the complex that threatens to destabilize the entire system if left unacknowledged. Jung described the Shadow as the “dark side” of the psyche, often containing elements the ego finds difficult to accept (Jung, CW 9, para. 13).
The Shadow's role in the dissociated complex is paradoxical: it works to keep the complex dissociated, as this provides at least some stability for the psyche at the moment. However, by maintaining this separation, it obstructs the process of individuation that Ivy, as a symbol of the ego’s intuitive and integrative drive, is striving to restore. Her journey reflects the psyche’s struggle to overcome the defenses that sustain dissociation and move toward wholeness, even in the face of resistance from the Shadow.
The elders, as the architects of the village, symbolize the psyche’s mechanisms for maintaining dissociation. Their efforts to construct a safe, isolated world reflect the ego’s attempts to avoid confrontation with painful truths. However, this isolation comes at a cost: stagnation and disconnection from reality. Jung emphasized that while dissociation may offer temporary protection, it ultimately leads to fragmentation and a loss of psychic wholeness (Jung, CW 12, para. 127).
Ivy’s journey into the forest and beyond offers a glimmer of hope. By venturing into the unknown, she begins the process of reconnecting the dissociated complex with the broader psyche. Her actions suggest that even the most autonomous complex can be reintegrated through courage, intuition, and perseverance. As Jung wrote, the process of individuation requires us to face the unconscious and embrace the wholeness of the Self, even when it is painful or unsettling (Jung, CW 14, para. 158).
Thus, The Village ultimately serves as a powerful metaphor for the tension between dissociation and integration. When we recognize that we might be trapped in a partial part of ourselves, whether individually or collectively, this metaphor becomes a profound tool for self-reflection. On an individual level, the dissociated complex mirrors the way certain traumatic experiences or unresolved conflicts can fragment the psyche, creating internal enclaves that resist integration. These enclaves, like the village in the film, operate under the illusion of safety, isolating us from the broader, dynamic psyche and the opportunities for growth that come with confronting our fears.
Jung’s concept of individuation, the process of becoming whole by reconciling these fragmented parts, emphasizes the courage required to venture beyond the symbolic “forest” of repression and denial. The danger of remaining trapped within a partial self is psychic stagnation, where defenses such as projection and repression create a fixed narrative that distances us from the spontaneity and creativity of the Self. By examining the mechanisms that sustain dissociation such as fear, shame, or denial, we can begin the work of healing, allowing the energy locked within the complex to reintegrate into the broader psyche, restoring vitality and purpose.
On a societal level, The Village illustrates the collective consequences of dissociation, particularly when a society becomes trapped in a singular narrative or ideology that functions as a collective complex. Like the elders who construct the village to avoid facing their trauma, societies often create systems of repression and projection to avoid confronting collective wounds, whether these are historical injustices, systemic inequalities, or existential fears. These mechanisms can manifest as cultural myths, social norms, or even political ideologies that maintain a sense of order but come at the cost of authentic engagement with the broader reality.
Jung’s observations on the collective unconscious highlight how societies, like individuals, can project their shadow aspects outward, labeling them as “the other” and fostering fear of what lies beyond the boundaries of the familiar. Such dissociation leads to social stagnation, as it cuts the collective off from innovation, diversity, and the transformative potential of confronting its unresolved tensions. The process of societal individuation, while fraught with resistance, requires collective courage to face these shadow aspects, dismantle the barriers of repression, and embrace a more inclusive, dynamic vision of wholeness.
Perhaps Those We Don’t Speak Of are the parts of ourselves that hold the key to healing the very aspects the complex works to deny. Yet it is through curiosity and the courage to face the unknown that we can begin to bridge the divide.
Dragana Favre, Psychiatrist and Jungian Psychotherapist
Dr. Dragana Favre is a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and a seeker of the human psyche's mysteries. With a medical degree and extensive neuroscience education from prestigious institutions like the Max Planck Institute and Instituto de Neurociencias, she's a seasoned expert. Her unique approach combines Jungian psychotherapy, EMDR, and dream interpretation, guiding patients towards self-discovery and healing. Beyond her profession, Dr. Favre is passionate about science fiction, nature, and cosmology. Her ex-Yugoslavian roots in the small town of Kikinda offer a rich backdrop to her life's journey. She is dedicated to helping people find their true selves, much like an alchemist turning lead into gold.
References:
Jung, C. G. (1960). The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche (Collected Works Vol. 8). Princeton University Press.
Jung, C. G. (1953). Psychological Aspects of the Personality (Collected Works Vol. 9, Part 1). Princeton University Press.
Jung, C. G. (1954). The Practice of Psychotherapy (Collected Works Vol. 16). Princeton University Press.
Jung, C. G. (1953). The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious (Collected Works Vol. 9, Part 1). Princeton University Press.
Shyamalan, M. Night (Director). (2004). The Village [Film]. Touchstone Pictures.
