CARNIVAL CARNIVAL AND AND

PSYCHOLOGY PSYCHOLOGY

The mask and itsThe mask and itspsychologycal functionpsychologycal function

In our culture, the In our culture, the carnival has the carnival has the function to free function to free ourselves from the ourselves from the routine for a few days.routine for a few days.TThe mask gives a shape to he mask gives a shape to our personality and our personality and represents it.represents it.Carnival is an ancient Carnival is an ancient social celebration social celebration practised in old times practised in old times and still in use today.and still in use today. Mask and carnival, both, Mask and carnival, both, symbolize deep symbolize deep psychological processes psychological processes related to the changes of our related to the changes of our personality.personality.

CarnivalDuring this period it’s possible to - change the social order - overthrow the certainties of the whole year.

It represents the chaos when the civilization was born, and its route from chaos to order.

We can apply this We can apply this aspect to psychology. aspect to psychology. Our personality takes Our personality takes form starting from form starting from chaos. Carnival is a chaos. Carnival is a representation of representation of - our origin, - our origin, - the absence of shape, - the absence of shape, rules and restraint of rules and restraint of any kind.any kind.

From this From this moment of moment of confusion follows confusion follows the return to the return to orderorder,,born from the born from the transformation of transformation of the old order the old order caused by the caused by the temporary chaos.temporary chaos.The personality The personality changeschanges. .

The meaning of “the mask”

Jung takes the word Person (that means the mask of the actor) from

latin. PERSON= the part of our

personality that represents our social aspect. OUR MASK= the

ability to show ourselves into the contest we live in;

it transforms us; it is responsible for our changes and our ability to adapt to different

contexts and situations.

A little child doesn’t know who A little child doesn’t know who he is, he will discover it later.he is, he will discover it later.He starts to shape himself in He starts to shape himself in the look of his parents, using the look of his parents, using

the masks they choose for him the masks they choose for him when he still can’t have his when he still can’t have his

own. own.

“PERSON” (Jung) is a mask “PERSON” (Jung) is a mask that aims at bringing and that aims at bringing and

representing what we really representing what we really areare

In this way we can In this way we can explain the relation explain the relation between mask and between mask and

carnival for the carnival for the collective collective

consciousness: if consciousness: if carnival is chaos, carnival is chaos,

the mask the mask represents the represents the structure that structure that

prevents us from prevents us from falling definitively falling definitively

into it.into it.

Our psychological structure is Our psychological structure is transormed by the mask, that transormed by the mask, that

change:change:- when its adaptation doesn’t - when its adaptation doesn’t

fit us as well as before, fit us as well as before, - when it’s too old;- when it’s too old;

- when it doesn’t represent us - when it doesn’t represent us anymore. anymore.

DEFENSIVE FUNCTIONIn the moment of chaos we have a temporary mask.It grants us - a steady idea of our personality,- we are not “broken into pieces”; - something that connects us to our personality;

This temporary and defensive mask is often stiff. Anyway it is the only thing that makes us feel to be a cohesive identity.

When we abandon chaos,the mask changes,it becomes more flexible:- helps us to relate more easily with the entire world,-The mask accompanies us from the chaos of carnival to the order, - from the chaos of neurosis to the order of a harmonious and balanced personality , - It helps us to express the truest and deepest part of ourselves.

Marta

Florida

Angela

THE END

YOUNG STUDENTS IN EUROPEPartners: Istituto Marco Belli di Portogruaro (Italia) - Instituto de Enseñanza Secudaria Xesús Taboada

Chivite di Verín (Spagna) - VUC di Lyngby, Copenhagen (Danimarca)

Liceo “Marco Belli” di PortogruaroAnno scolastico 2012/2013