The Boogeyman

The "Halloween" films, featuring the character Michael Myers, are set in a small neighbourhood in Illinois, USA. From a Jungian perspective, however, this village symbolises your mind. The film introduces various characters: the babysitter, the good-hearted nurse, his compassionate doctor wife, the retired old man, a dog, a child, his doctor, and teenage boys and girls. Each of these characters represents different aspects of yourself—your professional persona, your familial side, your playful self, and so on. According to Jung, these personas coexist within your mind, much like the village houses different individuals.

Additionally, within your mind lies a haunted house, much like the one in the film, where an assassin resides—a serial killer bent on destroying, torturing, and annihilating all your positive personas. In "Halloween," this killer is represented by the misunderstood Michael Myers. He seeks to destroy your dreams, friendships, and life's achievements.

This assassin can be seen as "self-sabotage." How, then, do we deal with this internal killer? It is important to recognise that everyone has such a force within them—an evil, an enemy, something to overcome. Should we react as the people of Illinois did, attempting to defeat it with brutal force, as Myers did to his victims? The answer lies in the movie when the former babysitter says:

"He cannot be destroyed by brute force. Brutal force and fear feed him. He must be defeated through the mind."

Indeed, only through the mind can we vanquish this internal force. The mind has the capacity to be so creative that it can bury self-sabotage, allowing it to rest in peace. In my case, I chose to embrace my inner killer, placing it in my heart and loving it as part of myself. By understanding and loving this aspect, it surrendered, transforming into a healthy, peaceful version of Michael Myers—a happy and balanced being.

Do not allow your inner killer to control, hunt, or take up residence in your mind. Instead, confront it, understand it, transform it.

Inspired by the "Halloween" franchise and Carl Gustav Jung.