In Part II we continue exploring the connections between Jung’s Map of the Soul and the BTS songs covered in week 34 of the blog:  “Make It Right”, “Home”, “Jamais Vu”, and “Dionysus”. For a graphic representation of Jung’s map of the Soul, go to Part I.

Make it Right

But, everything is for me to reach you

Who is the answer to my journey

I sing to find you

“Make it Right” has so many possible interpretations. As Quince told us in the weekly blog, the video and the lyrics seem to suggest that BTS is yet again dedicating this song to ARMY. But the “map of the soul" concept gives the song an entirely different meaning. That’s the beauty of BTS songs, they always give us much more.

We mentioned our friend Dr. Murray Stein in Part I, and he describes this as a “profoundly moving” song that explains the journey inward to discover one’s soul. The Latin anima, which we previewed as Halsey in “Boy With Luv”, comes back in the Make it Right video, personified again by a girl. The main character finds her only to lose her, traveling the world to find her again. 

The journey to find the Soul, very much like BTS 'own journey to stardom, is a hard and perilous one. The lyrics use recurring images that we have heard before in their lyrics to drive the point across, like this echo to the LOVE YOURSELF: Her hidden track, Sea, which also refers to the sea and the desert :

Across deserts and oceans, 

The wide, wide world

I wandered around

The “me” we discussed in “Intro: Persona”, the Self and the core of our being, struggles to be recognized, which is a fundamental part of the discovery of the soul : 

Look at me, why don’t you recognize me

How do we discover our Soul? The connection with “Boy With Love” might be a clue. When we are in love, we sometimes say we have found our soulmate. Our inner soul finds its external twin; we “project” our soul into our beloved. The discovery of our soul through experience, especially in the first half of life, is that we discover the Soul in others and through others. The journey is as much external as it is internal and when the lyrics talk about “the one person who recognized me”, they are as much talking about others as they are talking about themselves:

The one person who recognized me

In the eternal night for which I was unable to see the end, 

it was you who gifted me the morning

This line echoes the light and dark duality we saw in WINGS, precisely in the quote “The dawn right before the sun rises is the darkest” that shows before the WINGS short film #1: Begin, Jungkook’s solo film. Like in the plot of Demian, the main character only can come to himself through the projection on his “perhaps imaginary” friend Demian (read the Demian blog series for more on this). 

When we find our Soul, we finally come into ourselves, we come closer to know who we are. RM’s rap lines refer to the map all over again:

My height that increased a bit more than before

My voice that became more solid than before

Everything is to come back to you

Let me open the map wide, the map that is you

If we think of these lyrics under the Jungian lens, that “you” is the Soul, the deepest core of the “me.”  In a way, coming back to the map of the Soul is coming back to oneself, RM is coming closer to answering the “who am I” question he asked in “Intro: Persona”. 

Home

When I first listened to Home, I did a double take. I mean, I tend to hear Korean words that sound like Spanish to me, but in this case, I wondered if “Mi Casa” was actually a homophone I hadn’t discovered yet. It took me very little to realize that yes, it was actually Spanish. I mean, the title is “Home” after all. 

I don’t know how many times I have used the “Mi Casa es su Casa” (my home is your home) joke in my lifetime, but in this song, BTS is doing their own play on it to tell us that ARMY is indeed their home. There’s a very intimate connotation to the words “mi casa”, like when we say “a house is not a home.” A home has a soul; it’s a sanctuary that’s comfortable, grounded, and authentic—where we can be ourselves. When you come back home, there’s a feeling of belonging that you don’t feel anywhere else. 

RM told us in his UN speech that he went from being a kid from a small village near Seoul to a world celebrity. These “seven normal boys from South Korea” have all followed that path, and their fame has taken them everywhere around the world in order to meet ARMY. Home now is wherever ARMYs are, because they feel loved and accepted by them like they would be in their home. 

Still, the song mentions going back home, to where it all began. They are on a journey that makes them think of “mi casa” dearly. This song, in a way, is a more positive take from Namjoon’s “Lonely”, in which he expresses this sense of longing for home more desperately:

And now I hate the cities I don’t belong

Just wanna go back home

This song doesn’t have the most obvious connections to Jungian psychology, but it still gives some insight into how these seven men feel about themselves and their relationship with the world. 

Jamais Vu

Jungian Complexes

Complexes are so central to Jungian ideas that he initially called all his theories Complex Psychology. He defined complexes as "constellations of emotionally charged thoughts, feelings, and memories that are organized around a particular theme or idea." Like a strain in a muscle, these knots of the soul can be both conscious and unconscious, and they exert a powerful influence on our behavior, emotions, and perceptions.

Jung believed that complexes arise from our personal experiences, cultural influences, and inherited predispositions. They can be positive or negative, depending on their underlying content and how they are integrated into the overall personality. For example, a positive complex might be centered around a deeply held value or belief, while a negative complex could be rooted in traumatic experiences or unresolved conflicts. Understanding the dynamics of complexes is essential for gaining insight into our own motivations and the motivations of others.

If you ever have had a deja vu moment (“already seen” in French), they can be quite disconcerting. You are in a place or a situation you’ve never been before and you have this intense sensation that you have experienced the same thing before. You usually cannot tell when that “before” happened, but sometimes you can even predict what is going to be said in the conversation or recognize the store around the corner even before you see it. It can feel like your life has suddenly become a movie that you’ve already seen. 

“Jamais Vu” (“never seen” in French) is the opposite. Imagine you are in a familiar place, even your own home,  and suddenly you feel that you don’t recognize it. Some people with front lobe epilepsy and sometimes schizophrenia can manifest this disorienting symptom. The lyrics of Jamais Vu are about repeating the same action over and over again like you don’t learn from experience.

Feel like I’ve lost again

You look angry

A sign that glimmers, “game over, over, over”

If this was a game,

it would be all good if I load it again

Like in a video game, whenever your avatar fails, you keep reloading and start again. Jung gave the name “complex” to these episodes in which we repeatedly struggle with the same issues.

A complex makes people repeat the same pattern when they confront a similar situation, as if they never learned from their previous experiences. They know where their behavior is going to lead, but somehow, it feels like they are confronting a new situation every time. If a complex is too strong, for instance, you find yourself having the same argument time and time again. And you don’t learn.  This repetition of patterns can be hurtful to others or yourself, leading you to regret what you’ve said and done.

It hurts every time as if it’s the first time

A gamer who lacks the skills, yeah, right, I can’t control myself

That’s usually the case when a complex takes over. In one of these self-reference moments that BTS has mastered, the lyrics bring us to their song RUN with the lyrics:

I run again and fall again

Even if this repeats countlessly,

I’ll run again

These patterns can be broken. Even if you keep repeating these hurtful routines, there’s hope. The song shows the necessary determination needed to improve; they might fail repeatedly but there’s a promise of improvement in the will to not give up. 

(It’s not easy again this time)

Please give me another chance

(Am I going to give up? No, no never)

I won’t give up

Not giving up is the key. Obtaining the insight to break the pattern might require a lot of psychological work, but will help find the remedy the guys sing about repeatedly in this tune.

Please give me a remedy

A remedy that will make my stopped heart beat again
What should I do now 
Please save me, please give me another chance

Please give me a

A remedy, a melody
The memory that will remain only in me
If I stop at this point,
if I turn it off, will everything be at ease?

Talk therapy can help us figure out these behaviors, discussing them and being self-aware of why we act a certain way, can bring these moments to our consciousness. This way, we see through and react faster when a situation presents itself again. In a way, it helps us overcome the jamais vu by turning it into a deja vu. By giving these patterns a name,  you can catch yourself early and fight hard against your complexes. It’s hard and a struggle, but we can always improve.  

Dionysus

Carl Jung and Greek mythology

Carl Jung used Greek mythology to explain some of his theories on the collective unconscious and archetypes, including:

The Olympian Gods as archetypes: Jung believed that the Greek gods represented archetypes that are common to human thinking, and express these archetypes in different stages of life. For example, Apollo described the masculine principles of reason, rationality, and order. 

Myth as a psychological need: The Swiss psychiatrist thought that myths originated from the need of humans to represent the unconscious. According to Jung, myth-making is natural and present in the collective unconscious of all humans. Every culture creates its own myths to explain these unconscious realities.

Myths as symbols: Jung believed that myths are supposed to be read symbolically, they are about the human mind and not about gods or the physical world. 

BTS has used Greek mythology as a theme on multiple occasions. When Quince discussed Wings, she mentioned The Lament of Icarus, a painting that appears as the backdrop of some scenes of the Blood Sweat & Tears M/V, which depicts the fall of Icarus when his wings melted from flying too close to the sun. The myth of Pandora’s box is intimately linked to j-hope’s name and he even composed a song with that title for Jack in the Box. 

Carl Jung was also into mythology, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that BTS would return to the Greek gods in an album inspired by the Swiss psychologist's work. This celebratory song is inspired by the god Dionysus, the party animal of the Greek pantheon. Dionysus is also a disruptor, he squashes old values and breaks down people’s resistance because he’s somehow irresistible. If you try to escape him, he will overwhelm you. Dionysus is also a foreigner, he came from Thrace and invaded Greece. 

According to this, Dionysus seems to be a perfect choice to represent BTS. Let me put it into perspective for you. These seven “normal” guys came from South Korea and pretty much took the world by storm, disrupting the music industry with their entirely different take on what being a music band is. They paved the way…. and yes, they are pretty much irresistible (admit it, you’re Pied Pipered!) They seem to identify with the Greek god too, when you check the following lyrics:

In a transparent crystal glass, art that sloshes

Well, art is also alcohol, you get drunk when you drink it, fool
You dunno you dunno you dunno what to do with

Let me show you, I’m pushing forward with something completely different

A mic that is made of ivy vines and rough wood

That mic is their thyrsus and it’s described as Dionisys sceptre, which could be either a beneficent wand or a weapon of destruction. BTS members have also used their mics as healing and destruction sources, healing the hearts of ARMY going through their darkest time but also breaking stereotypes and imparting harsh social criticism (“Baepsae”, “Go Go” and “Spine Breaker” come to mind, among others.)

Our friend Dr. Stein wrote that this celebratory song is about breaking the persona. Dionysus was called the loosener, dissolving old structures, strict behaviors and patterns, and destroying personas. Wine intoxication can temporarily make an introvert more extroverted, it might temporarily help someone break their persona. Of course, if you drink too much, you can lament it the next day…. hangovers aren’t fun. Intoxication can also be too much, get out of control, and become destructive. BTS have described their struggles not to give in to the intoxication of fame and this song is not an exception:

Wherever in the world we show up, stadium party ay

Born as a K-pop idol, an artist who reincarnated

An artist who reincarnated, an artist who reincarnated

Whether I’m an idol or an artist doesn’t matter, cheers

At this level, even art is like excessive drinking, excessive drinking, yeah

Breaking a new record is a race with myself, a race, yeah

Raise the glass of celebration, one shot

But I’m still thirsty

BTS is still willing to drink. The Greeks gave in and admitted Dionysus in their pantheon, even making him share a temple with the god Apollo in Delphi for half of the year, because they recognized they could not resist him, he was the life force that would break them. That life force that breaks BTS every time is their music and the inebriation of the stage:

Who is Dyonisus?

The Greek god of wine, revelry, and theater, was a complex and often misunderstood figure in Greek mythology. Often depicted as a youthful, effeminate figure with flowing hair and a staff topped with a pine cone or ivy (the thyrsus), Dionysus was associated with wild abandon, ecstasy, and the transformative power of ritual.

His festivals, known as Dionisya (and Bacchanalia in Rome after the equivalent Roman god, Bacchus), were characterized by revelry, dancing, music, and the consumption of wine. These celebrations could sometimes become chaotic and even dangerous, leading to accusations of excessive indulgence and moral corruption. However, for many Greeks, Dionysus represented a connection to the divine and a release from the constraints of everyday life. His association with theater and drama also highlighted the power of storytelling and the transformative nature of the arts.

Dionysus was often seen as an outsider and a foreigner, arriving in Greece from Asia Minor. This foreign identity was reflected in his cults and festivals, which were often characterized by their wild and unconventional nature. Despite his association with chaos and excess, Dionysus was also seen as a god of fertility, renewal, and the cycle of life and death. His connection to the grapevine, which symbolized the annual renewal of life, was a testament to his role as a bringer of abundance and prosperity.

I’m at the door of the world now

The loud cheers I hear as I step onto the stage

Can’t you see my stacked broken thyrsus

It’s only now that I am born again

When the night comes mumble mumble mumble

When the night comes tumble tumble tumble

Filling the studio, low voice, low voice, low voice

Bass drum goes like dum dum dum

Until the sun rises, where the party at

Until we fall asleep, where the party at

Sing it, sing it again

Drink it, drink it again

Drink it up (the pain of creating)

One sip (the scolding of society)

Drink it up (the communication with myself)

One sip (Okay now I’m ready fo the sho)

Dr. Stein wrote that this celebratory song is about breaking the persona. Dionysus was called the loosener, dissolving old structures, strict behaviors and patterns, and destroying personas. Wine intoxication can temporarily make an introvert more extroverted; it might temporarily help someone break their persona. Of course, if you drink too much, you can lament it the next day…. Hangovers aren’t fun. Intoxication can also be too much, get out of control, and become destructive. BTS have described their struggles not to give in to the intoxication of fame and this song is not an exception:

Wherever in the world we show up, stadium party ay

Born as a K-pop idol, an artist who reincarnated

An artist who reincarnated, an artist who reincarnated

Whether I’m an idol or an artist doesn’t matter, cheers

At this level, even art is like excessive drinking, excessive drinking, yeah

Breaking a new record is a race with myself, a race, yeah

Raise the glass of celebration, one shot

But I’m still thirsty

BTS is still willing to drink. The Greeks gave in and admitted Dionysus in their pantheon, even making him share a temple with the god Apollo in Delphi for half of the year, because they recognised they could not resist him, he was the life force that would break them. That life force that breaks BTS every time is their music and the inebriation of the stage:

I’m at the door of the world now

The loud cheers I hear as I step onto the stage

Can’t you see my stacked broken thyrsus

It’s only now that I am born again

[…]

Sing it, sing it again

Drink it, drink it again

Drink it up (the pain of creating)

One sip (the scolding of society)

Drink it up (the communication with myself)

One sip (Okay now I’m ready fo the sho)

In psychology, if you resist the powers of Dionysus, you might become too straight-laced, striving for social correctness. Being fixed and inflexible is dangerous because you will repress some powerful aspects of your unconscious. You will try hard to restrain your internal god of revelry. But if you do this, he might break out with intensity. You must learn how to live with Dionysus and allow his energy to coexist with others in your life. This celebratory song seems to show us how BTS have accepted their own Dyonisus into their lives and they celebrate him, breaking the constraints and the traps of the persona as well the conventions of the music industry.

The next part of this series will cover the songs from week 35 of Quince’s blog, “Interlude: Shadow”, “Black Swan”, “Filter”, and “My Time”. Meanwhile, if you are interested in looking more into Jungian Psychology, I recommend the book Map of the Soul:7 . Persona, Shadow & Ego in the world of BTS by Murray Stein. You can also check out the podcast “Speaking Jung”, which has several episodes dedicated to BTS, and includes interviews with Dr. Stein (among others).