Holymoly…

I’ve been finding myself running up against a bit of push back when sharing Jung’s ideas as of late, so I thought I’d cut to the chase a bit and talk of the Self, and Wiki is as good a place to start as any…

In Jungian theory, the Self is one of the archetypes. It signifies the coherent whole, unified consciousness and unconscious of a person. The Self, according to Jung, is realized as the product of individuation, which in Jungian view is the process of integrating one’s personality. For Jung, the self is symbolized by the circle (especially when divided in four quadrants), the square, or the mandala.

Terminology seems to always be the first stumbling block.  Think of what we normally mean when we say self-centered.  Self here needs to point not to our casual “myself”, but instead to borrow from religious traditions, the experience of the divine within.

While Jung is careful not to claim that the archetype of the Self is God within, he does go as far as to say that the Self is the “image of God within.”  Edward Edinger is the Jungian that pushes this distinction the furthest throughout his writings, most especially in The New God-Image.  Wiki continues…

What distinguishes Jungian psychology is the idea that there are two centers of the personality. The ego is the center of consciousness, whereas the Self is the center of the total personality, which includes consciousness, the unconscious, and the ego. The Self is both the whole and the center. While the ego is a self-contained little circle off the center contained within the whole, the Self can be understood as the greater circle. (both quotes from Wikipedia, Self – psychology)

When Jung makes a claim that “the most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely” it is with this fullness of personality in mind.  In my experience, our current collective development leads to ego-centric personalities.  To step into a life of a Self-centered personality leads one down unsure paths.  Wait, let me reframe that.  To engage and develop in this manner you better take a machete.