Archetype of the Self

The creation of Selfhood occurs through a process known as individuation, in which various aspects of personality are integrated. Jung believed that disharmony between the unconscious and conscious mind can lead to psychological problems. Awareness of these conflicts and their placement in consciousness is an important part of the individuation process.

Jung postulated that there are two distinct centers of personality:

• The Ego — the center of consciousness
• The Self — a more comprehensive center that includes not only consciousness but also the ego and the unconscious.

You can think of this by imagining a circle with a dot right in the center. The entire circle makes up the Self, where the small dot in the middle represents the Ego.

For Jung, the ultimate goal was for a person to achieve a sense of holistic “Self,” which is similar in many ways to Abraham Maslow’s concept of self-actualization.

Jung wrote that Selfhood lies at the center of individual personality, although in reality, it is the Ego that constitutes the personality. Jung described Selfhood as created through the process of individuation and that it is the ultimate goal of the individuation process.

During the process of individuation, various aspects of individual personality are integrated. Jung believed that disagreement between the unconscious and conscious mind would cause psychological trauma to the person concerned, and therefore, awareness of conflicts, to be able to adjust them to conscious mind, was an important part of the individuation process.

Jung argued that the archetype of Selfhood represents an inherited predisposition of a person to react to certain aspects of the world, that their psychic structures have genetically developed to be sensitive to certain types of experiences.

It is believed that the Self appears in myths and fairy tales in the form of higher personalities such as prophets, saviors, heroes, and others – positive archetypes with which we have been familiar for centuries.

It is also believed that it appears in dreams in the form of a half-human, half-animal creature, such as a centaur.

The Self is sometimes symbolically represented in the form of the Yin-Yang symbol, representing the unity of opposites. Here, opposites are shown as complementary forces or principles, indicating a higher unity.

The Self is also referred to as the image of the deity in the human psyche, and Jung himself wrote that Christ is identified with this image.

Jung associates the presumed descent of Christ into Limbo or Hades during the period between his death and resurrection as a symbol of the integration of the Collective Unconscious.

Thus, Jung believed that the Self archetype is:

• A part of the psyche that organizes and directs all other elements of our psyche (or psychological being).
• The totality of the psyche. This means that its point of view contains objectivity, acceptance, reconciliation, balance of “opposites,” and our numerous conflicting feelings and impulses.
• The center of the psyche (comparable to the nucleus of an atom), to which the other parts are related and subordinate.
• A transcendent, unchanging part of ourselves.
• An “image of God” in the soul (Jung emphasized that the Self is NOT God himself, but rather a likely representation of God as it will be depicted in the psyche).

In our house, the Self Room is white and transparent, pure light. The room possesses angular architecture, featuring two walls entirely composed of floor-to-ceiling windows. This unique design grants a seamless connection with nature, offering captivating views of the surrounding forest, tranquil pond, and the vast expanse of the lake, extending into the distance. An artist has adorned the white walls with a delicately crafted, ethereal representation of a forest. The bed appears to levitate as it is softly illuminated from below. Adjacent to the bed, a transparent chair discreetly blends into the space. Additionally, a white beanbag chair near the window provides a comfortable seat for meditation and contemplation of nature.

Everything in the room is designed to help you move towards the center of yourself, without being distracted by bright details. Observing nature also slows down your usual train of thought and calms you.

The search for the Self is infinite, and at the same time, as we move along the path of individuation, becoming more whole, we feel fulfilled and harmonious, and our life is filled with diversity and meaning.

Come and search for the important and essential in yourself, your supports, and meanings.