"SLEEPING BEAUTY" AND THE ARCHETYPE OF PSYCHIC AWAKENING: EMOTIONAL MATURITY AND PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The fairy tale Sleeping Beauty is one of the most emblematic narratives of the Western tradition, presenting a rich symbolism related to human psychological development. From the perspective of Carl Gustav Jung’s Analytical Psychology, the story can be understood as a representation of the process of emotional maturation and the awakening of consciousness. The protagonist’s long period of sleep symbolizes a phase of psychic suspension necessary for inner transformation, while her awakening represents the transition to a higher stage of personality development. Drawing on the contributions of Jung (2008), Bettelheim (1980), Corso and Corso (2006), and Von Franz (1992, 2005, 2010), this article analyzes the symbolic meanings of sleep, awakening, and the archetypes present in the narrative. It is concluded that Sleeping Beauty symbolically expresses the process of individuation and the transition toward emotional maturity, revealing fundamental aspects of human development.