Consider: the original Star Wars trilogy is about integrating the three so-called “ego-syntonic” functions of the psyche…

Star Wars (a.k.a. Episode IV: A New Hope) details the integration of the auxiliary function, symbolised by Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ne).

The Empire Strikes Back gives us the positive depiction of the tertiary function and its role as a source of healing and retreat. Hoth, the Bacta tank, Dagobah and Yoda (Si) all symbolise this function’s role. Note that in Star Wars, this function is treated more negatively–it is only by integrating the auxiliary first that you can maturely handle the powers of the tertiary.

Return of the Jedi turns to the inferior function, represented by Leia and Endor (Fe). By learning of the true nature of his relationship to Leia, Luke is able to integrate his inferior function into consciousness.

26 years after first watching Star Wars (and 21 years after seeing the whole trilogy), these films still bowl me over with their insights.

I was considering David Lynch’s type based on his movies. He’s definitely some kind of NT, and his films don’t seem busy enough to be that of an ENTP (what I’m now calling the “kitchen sink effect”), so I was pretty much down to INTP or INTJ. (Really, The Straight Story is so slow that it’s almost inconceivable to consider it the work of an Extravert of any kind.)

Then it occurred to me: his means of completing Mulholland Dr. was the ultimate Ni perspective shift. Basically, he took a 90-minute TV pilot and reinterpreted it as a dream sequence within a larger film. (This is the “spin” of Ni I was referring to earlier.) It’s no wonder he was so well-suited to translating Frank Herbert’s INTJ epic, Dune, to the silver screen.

Whereas Ne catches ideas and associations from the unconscious as they float to the surface of the conscious mind, Ni goes deeper, plunging right into that dark well of dreams and symbols. Have a look at the video below to see what I’m talking about:

Note how Lynch contrasts Ni with Ne — this is very instructive for anyone wishing to grasp an Ni take on the differences between the two functions.

Let me demonstrate the idea of Jungian functions as archetypes by analysing one of my favourite films: Terry Gilliam’s Brazil.

Gilliam strikes me as the quintessential ENTP: manic, irreverent and full of whimsy. His filmmaking career is an exercise in maverick eccentricity, often leading to disaster (with Brazil being a case-in-point), but he always leaves his mark, being a fine example of a modern auteur.

According to John Beebe, the films of auteurs are akin to their dreams, and furthermore, instances of dream archetypes can be interpreted as Jungian psychological functions. In the case of an ENTP, we have…

1. Hero/Heroine: Extraverted iNtuition (Ne)
2. Good Parent: Introverted Thinking (Ti)
3. Eternal Child: Extraverted Feeling (Fe)
4. Anima/Animus: Introverted Sensation (Si)
5. Opposing Personality: Introverted iNtuition (Ni)
6. Senex/Witch: Extraverted Thinking (Te)
7. Trickster: Introverted Feeling (Fi)
8. Demonic Personality: Extraverted Sensation (Se)

So in the case of Brazil, the characters that stand-in for these archetypes (e.g. Hero, Anima, etc.) should somehow embody or personify the respective psychological functions within an ENTP (assuming I’ve typed Gilliam correctly). For anyone who’s seen Brazil, this should illustrate Beebe’s theory nicely.

In order to be intellectually honest in this affair, I’ll try not to force the data (i.e. the characters and plot) to the conclusions (i.e. the interpretation via Beebe’s theory) — the connections drawn should be fairly obvious.

As a taste, let’s look at the Hero of Brazil. I don’t think I need to argue the case that Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) is the Hero in this tale. Does he embody Ne?

To attack this problem with a left-field approach, consider that Sam’s dreams symbolically mirror his own life, and that the “Dream Sam” — an Icarus-like figure who soars through the sky, initially free of any care or anchoring concern — metaphorically represents Sam-as-Hero better than the “real-life” Sam might (stricken as he is with neuroses).

iNtuition is the realm of symbolism and metaphor, with Ne in particular being a free-form exploration of possibilities. That this should be depicted in Brazil in metaphorical language as “flights of fancy” seems wholly appropriate. Indeed, blue-sky daydreaming is the perfect image for pure Ne.

Does this seem to fit? To me it certainly does.

Next time: The Good Parent (Ti)…