Call it a typological handicap of sorts. An intuitive, while sniffing out some slight hint of potential unfolding in the dim fog of the future, will often stub his toe on a crack in the sidewalk.
While typology is a fascinating subject and tests like the Meyers-Briggs can paint an interesting portrait of one’s tendencies, it’s important to recognize the need to do something with the results. In my experience, the most useful aspect of such a test result is not the strength it reveals, but the weakness.
For an intuitive, it’s the relationship to sensation that opens the door to the unconscious. It’s precisely that crack in the sidewalk where the shadow will leap up and say “hello.” We sort of know this from experience. How many times have we witnessed an overly rational co-worker get overly sensitive?
Getting oneself relating to this opposing typological function, that which Jung called the inferior function, is where we can find a hidden gateway to our path of individuation.
“The word mythology (from the Greek mythología, meaning “a story-telling, a legendary lore”) refers to a body of folklore/myths/legends that a particular culture finds meaningful in explaining the nature of reality or mysteries in life, often using supernatural or dream-like language.” ~ Wikipedia
Mythology and Blogging
Blogging as a medium is clearly about the now. The poet Charles Olson used to teach a class at Black Mountain College where he would just take the headlines from the day’s newspaper and explore which archetypes were at work. The same can be done with the aggregated headlines on Google Blog Search. And what do we see?
Tales of coronation, transfer of power, fallen leaders, enemy combatants, spying, violence, starlets heading into rehab, and spooky viruses…for crying out loud, it could be Homer!
So mythology and blogging…One of Jung’s great contributions was making myth relevant again. By identifying archetypal structures underlying our actions, he revealed that the value of myth is how each and every story reveals an aspect of the ‘now’. The archetypes are tied to our instincts in a polar relationship. The idea: the archetypal image provides a different perspective to the same energy that on its opposite pole gets revealed as instinctual behavior.
What seems clear to me is that avid blog readers come to blogs to tap into the electricity of the zeitgeist. It’s through contact with these short snackable posts that our readers anchor their days, open up some new lines of thought, get in touch with archetypal imagery, and sometimes find really delineated ‘to do’ lists. Is it really any different then gathering around the fire pit to listen deep into the night as the tales of the gods and heroes get exchanged?”
Each time I hear that actions are derived from what I’m doing here, I know I’m connecting on a level that’s as much myth as idea. This goes for all the business stuff in the blogosphere as well. It’s a lame distinction business folks try to draw when they say “well, this is business, you know, serious business.” All life is serious business, and that blogs convey life cannot be argued.
How does the unfolding of the story through blogs strike you?
There are many ideas out there about needing to do away with the ego, that the ego is the root of our problems, that everything would be better if we could just take our ego’s out of it. Yet, the ego is needed for every single conscious action we perform. I question if modern life could even continue to exist without it.
There is another way to consider this dynamic, a way which Jung wrote about extensively and which from my observation seems not to have entered into our collective understanding. It demands that we look at our psychic structure as relational. So some bullet points to get the ball rolling.
- the ego, like the hidden aspects of the unconscious, is a complex; it is equal to our consciousness.
- the ego complex, or consciousness, is the crown jewel of creation.
- we are more than our ego’s, but we tend to identify ourselves only with ego awareness.
- the key to individuation is developing and maintaining right relationship to creation, both as it exists in the external world and as it exists in the unconscious.
- Wrong relationship leads either to inflation or a diminishment, (loss of self esteem, etc.)
- While many Eastern spiritual paths pursue nothingness, the Western mind frame seems more geared to the pursuit of somethingness.
- Because we have consciousness (ego’s), we have responsibility.
In Jung’s thought there emerges an idea of the ego-Self axis. This forms the basis of the transcendent function whereby consciousness develops a relationship with unconsciousness, the ego a relationship with unconscious Self. One of the great benefits of this schema and finding the experience its defines: it guards against the ego-centrism we so often recognize in each other.
I will cycle back to this theme, but first I’d love to hear how these points sit with you.
I came to the laptop ready to pour myself out, and lately that can run from two to four hours of sustained focus. But it didn’t happen. I simply do not have the needed energy right now. I’m exhausted and here’s how I know it.
I’ve posted briefly on active imagination. At one point in the small chapter book of the same name, Jung explains about meditating on your emotional state, be willing to let whatever image that comes your way to come uncensored and have your attention.
Letting go into my feeling:
I saw myself leaning against a paper birch at the side of a small meadow. I’m stooped, hands on knees, breathing heavy from the exertion.
I’m turning in early. Peace.
Getting Imaginal 
...Out to the Cape
The value in the WordPress community
Entering The Red Book by Carl Jung