The Self in jungian psychology

 

The archetype of the Self is at the core of jungian psychology. Carl Jung wrote about it in many of his books, and it is a complex and dynamic concept. In the book The Self in Jungian psychology - Theory and clinical practice, Leslie Stein defines it as a preexistent center of the psyche containing the entirety of all that is known and unknown. He says the Self is an organizing principle that brings us home to ourselves in moments when we are confused or disoriented, a guiding pattern of wholeness in the unconscious. It contains within it all the opposites and is also the place to reconcile those opposites. To Jung it is necessary that the ego (the self which is constructed socially and over time), establishes a conscious relationship and communication with the archetypal forces in the unconscious. The living and conscious connection between ego and Self is is to Jung necessary to bring purpose, meaning and feeling into life.

Knowing who we really are is to Jung the process of individuation, and the Self is the matrix, the process and the end state of individuation. The development of individuation is characterized by experiences of the Self, which can be described as unbidden and numinous, the breakthrough of collective archetypal forces into consciousness through dreams and visions. Numinousity means that the experiences have a mystical or spiritual character, and the numinous quality of the experiences is important because it will alter the existing state of ego consciousness, and create a transformation and a new foundation for life. Individuation implies that the person gradually lives less from a separated individual ego, and more in connection with the wholeness of the Self. The highest form of experiencing the wholeness of the Self, is the unitive experience where the ego is suspended and wholeness is perceived as the interconnectedness of all things, an integration of the world outside and the world inside. 

The process of individuation will also include working with personal psychological challenges, which Jung called complexes. Complexes are opposites in the psyche characterized by emotional tensions. When processing the tensions, the energy stored in the complex will be released and contribute to realizing wholeness/the Self. One kind of complex is trauma. Working with releasing tense opposites in the psyche will imply cultivating the ability to witness the movements of the ego, and to Jung the witnessing is a function of the Self. Leslie Stein points out that in clinical practice the feeling of connectedness with the center, the Self, often appears as a felt sense of rightness and inner coherence, and a sacred sense of one`s place in the wider scheme of things. Its also important that the connection with the Self needs to be discovered, because it is always there, even though we dont notice it. Jung expresses this by saying that the Self has its roots in the body, and the process is to embody the Self as the secret that was always there. 

Ego consciousness is capable of only limited experience, because it is living a life limited by time and space. The Self is hence trying to manifest in time and space, but since it consists of so many elements that have neither time nor space qualities, it cannot bring them altogether in time and space. This challenge of manifesting timelessness in time and space, is a central point in the jungian James Hillman`s book The soul`s code. In search of Character and Calling. In contrast to Jung, who sees the Self as a passive magnet and a powerful, numinous center of the psyche which is guiding in human life, Hillman establishes an inner guide who is a personal guiding spirit, which he calls the Daimon.  

The phenomenon of a guiding spirit is common in all religions and cultural traditions like myths and fairytales. To Hillman the Daimon is our soul-companion, who guides us towards realizing our essential truth, and towards aligning our lives with our unique calling. The Daimon is transcendent, so there is a need to grow down into the earth to manifest in the historical realm. In this perspective the process of manifesting calling is about grounding and growing down, into body, family and the concrete context of our lives. By being present with what is here, we become who we really are.

The calling or purpose isn`t seen as a prefixed goal, but more about listening to our inner flow and make continual moving adjustments in the direction of a vision which is in service of life. The ordinary everyday life is often the arena for the purpose, as the place where you are called to let the gifts of your life flow through you, cocreating in making the world a better place.