Does the same apply to humans? Is there a biological mandate which determines our attraction to other people? The answer to that is obviously 'yes'. We are all born with instincts which act as our drives and urges subconsciously compelling us to behave in 'preprogramed' ways. However as human beings we are not totally in the hands of our instincts. We are able to make choices which effect our behaviour. Nevertheless we are constantly negotiating the urgings and desires of our 'instincts' with our other interests in life hoping to achieve a fulfilling outcome alround.

Carl Jung put forward the idea that as human beings we can experience our 'instincts' psychologically through our own dreams and in the myths and stories within our cultures. He also suggested that within us we have 'images' which come from our instincts and it is these 'images' which become the powerful forces of attraction. In fact, after extensive research and reading he discovered that many of these images are shared universally and this helps explain why dreams, myths and stories often contain the same ideas and characters despite the differences in culture and time.

He called these images 'archetypes' - the shared images, patterns and motifs which are in us all. The great stories of falling in love exist in all societies, as do the stories of heroes and tragedies. It is a universal human experience to 'fall in love'. The poetry, the plays, the stories try to capture the feelings and longings generated by this experience.

When we feel attracted to someone it is said we are attracted to the archetypal image that is within us. That is, my instincts and deep needs produce in my mind an 'image' of the desired person, to which I then feel drawn. I then look for this desired image in other people and if someone 'mirrors'my image I am attracted to them. What is even more intriguing in this mystery is the idea that the male or female image we are attracted to, is with us from birth and can become a powerful reoccuring figure in our dreams. Of course that inner image can also be shaped and influenced to some extent by our life experiences. We can then spend the rest of our lives searching for that image, that person, as if they really exist.