The Collective Unconscious
Carl G. Jung's First Mandala
"only gradually did I discover what the mandala really is: the Self, the wholeness of the personality, which if all goes well is harmonious."
A mandala is a geometric spiritual symbol representing the universe, first appearing in ancient Indian religions.
Jung's Map of the Soul by Murrey Stein |
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The ego-consciousness is the surface, where our normal awareness is centered. The ego is rational and reality based, but can be disturbed by psychic conflicts, emotions and fantasies. Psychic content, when triggered by a thought or event, can be projected onto the surface where we become aware of it. Somethings deep in the unconconscious are never projected to the surface.
The persona (the actor's mask) is what we project to the outside world.
Hidden beneath are the "shadow" and many complexes developed in our life time, where the ego repressed disturbing events.
The "anima" and "animus" are psychic structures (feminine and male) that link the ego to deepest layers of the interior.
All of these pyschic parts can project images - imagio - and thoughts onto our consciousness. This may be part of the collective unconsciousness, which includes archetypes common to all people, derived from evolution. These archetypes could be stored as part of our DNA and expressed in an area of our brain that can manifest as a psychic element. Dreams, meditations, visions and other "altered states of consciousness" can trigger a projection of feelings and thoughts and images that appear spiritual to our ego.
There is the likely possibility that all things are connected into one whole. David Bohm, a physicst and philosopher, in his book "Wholeness and the Implicate Order" described such a thing. Jung described synchronicity as "falling together in space-time" as a meaniful coincidence between physical and psychic events.
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Visible light reflects from an object. The retina in eyes receives a collection of various wavelenghts of light. The optic nerve send an electrical signal to the brain. The visual cortex in the brain receives the signal and translates it into an image that can be stored as a memory and a perception can be realized, or made aware. |
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A symbol or image from some unconscious part of the self is projected on to the surface of the ego consciousness and there is awareness of it. |
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We must learn to listen to the voice within. It can recognized as the inner friend, the Guardian Angel, the friend we have in Jesus, peace profound, the old wise man and by many other names. We can experiment to distinguish this voice from other voices coming from within.
The Next Reformation will recognize that Archetypes of the Inner Self are responsible for much of our religious and spiritual feelings. And wholeness may be the actuality.
