The Persona Effect and Jung For Days (Part 1) Synchronicity
- Tristan Biggs
- Apr 11, 2017
- 3 min read
I had a little base idea for this piece a few days ago. Nothing was all that fleshed out, just a base thought that Jungian archetypes are present throughout Persona 5 (and the series) and it might be fun to write about them. I know I am not treading new ground here either, but I had never delved that far into the games and their connection to Jung’s theories. My base connection would have been enough, then I came across Mementos last night while playing, and it was less abstract, and more right there in my face. And I am ok with that. I haven’t studied psychology since my University days (I’m slowly getting older and older L) so I didn’t have the knowledge of Jung that I previously had, just vague recollections of the theories. So, sitting down to write this it came as no small surprise that the Persona title itself comes from Jung….. apparently I didn’t connect the dots sooner, even though the dots are the size of buses. The Wikipedia entry for Jung for Jebus’ sake states plainly “The Persona series is heavily based on his theories.” So I will cover in as succinct a way as I possibly can the ways that Persona draws from the theories of Jung, how they are represented in Persona 5, and fleshed out further with some examples from 3 and 4 where needed. After all, I am still in the middle of the game. The main thing I want to cover is how this connects with the aforementioned Persona Effect, and how the use of these theories draws the audience in further. Warning- this article may be spoilerific!
Synchronicity What it is: Jung’s concept that events are meaningful coincidences if they occur with no causal relationship yet seem to be meaningfully related. Basically those events that stand out to you, and then connect somewhat miraculously to another event when they seemingly should not, are examples of the collective unconscious and the connection between all humans. In the games: A standout example of this to me is in Persona 4 Golden where the protagonist meets the gas station attendant after arriving in Inaba for the first time. This is all due to unforeseen circumstances that could not have been possibly planned, yet their meeting resulted in a handshake that has a huge impact at the end of the game. *Spoiler- you’ve been warned* Turns out the attendant is the cause of all the calamity in Inaba, and the protagonist needs to take her down. Similarly, in Persona 5, *again, Spoilers* the pompous a-hole that the protagonist “assaulted” in his past, that led him to be transferred to his new school conveniently pops up when the phantom thieves become an official team, and are looking for more hearts to steal. I know that he may be a red herring, but the coincidence here is palpable, and shows a greater connection between the two characters that borders on mystical. There are obviously more examples of this in the games, and I would love to hear some of your experiences in the comments, but in interest of time I won’t go through any others here. What I will say is that the use of these seemingly unconnected connections (yay, words!!!) makes the game so much more approachable for its audience. It’s relatable, and explained in an accessible way. How many times have you had a run in with someone when you were just speaking about an event that involved them? Like Emile Deschamps’ claim in his memoirs regarding plum pudding and how a certain Monsieur de Fontgibu always popped up when he was ordering the dish in unrelated restaurants ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronicity ), I think we all have these seemingly coincidental occurrences that just feel odd and connected. The fact that the Persona series peppers these throughout with their own characters gives us a connection to them, making them feel more human. Who says that games can’t teach you about the human condition? Stay tuned for more thoughts on Persona 5, and what I have labelled as the Persona Effect over the coming days. * It should be assumed that all details are taken from the games themselves, my experiences in my University career studying psychology (poorly J), and the wonder that is Wikipedia. I will not be posting sources for that reason.
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