Explorations into the Self
“Self functions not only integratively, but also deintegratively. Deintegrates of Self carry characteristics of the original wholeness. How many depends on the variety of mental activities, the degree to which the dichotomy conscious-unconscious has developed the kind of ego-structures that have come into being, and the degree of differentiation between archetypal deintegrates in the unconscious that has taken place, i.e. differentiation of shadow, animus-anima, old wise man etc. The deintegrates develop symbolic and other forms by reason of their interaction with the environment, providing perceptual images. These images make a field; some of them are used in the organism’s adaptation to the external world, (ego activities) others to form inner images (the archetypal forms). States of integration and reintegration can be observed objectively in behavior or subjectively as feelings of good/bad, love/hate in object relations. Deintegration takes on many forms; the dream, active imagination, instinctual behavior, play and in myths. This deintegration postulate is useful because it provides a bridge between wholeness and its expression in formed archetypes referring to it—inner images and behavior patterns. (Re-integration)In Carl Jung’s definition the ego is “embraced” and “included” in the self. Like the archetypes, the ego is potential within the Self.Each archetypal image of the Self has ego content.(w/ wounded inflation, the Self might be a feared apprehending) The Self as the organizer of the unconscious contributes significantly to the formation of the central ego, finding expression especially in conscious experiences of selfhood. In progressing from unknowing to knowing, the self has a powerful creative influence in the formation of mental structures whilst still remaining unknown and unknowable. It’s a matter of experience that all the archetypal images can express something of the wholeness of the organism; but the central Self archetype (parent-god,unaffected-self), with its clear relation to the central ego (child-man,affected-self), expresses it best in that it transcends and unites opposites.”
Excerpt from Explorations Into The Self by Michael Fordham
Books mentioned:
Explorations Into The Self by Michael Fordham
