Meeting the other within
Dec 12, 2006 03:53 PM
by Cass Silva
Long but worth the read
Cass
MEETING THE OTHER WITHIN
> By Paul Levy
>
> As I point out in my recent book, "The Madness of George W. Bush: A
> Reflection of our Collective Psychosis," withdrawing our shadow
> projections, the darker part of ourselves that we see reflected in
> "others," initiates the process of being able to more effectively deal
> with the darkness in our world. The question arises: what does owning our
> shadow and withdrawing our shadow projections look like? When we
> recognize, own and withdraw our shadow projections from the outside world
> that we have cast onto "others," we get in touch with the "other" inside
> of ourselves. When we stop seeing the "other" who is outside ourselves as
> separate, but as a reflection of something within ourselves, we become
> acquainted with the "other" who exists within.
>
> This newly found "other within" is subjectively experienced as not being
> under the control of our will, as if it is a separate and autonomous
> being. To meet the other within is to discover that we are not the master
> of our own house. To conceptualize this other within ourselves, think of
> our primary identity, of who we imagine we are (a good, kind, spiritual
> person, for example), and then take the polar opposite of this
> perspective - this is how the other within us sees the world. To quote
> Jung, ".we discover that the 'other' in us is indeed 'another,' a real
> man, who actually thinks, does, feels, and desires all the things that are
> despicable and odious.. A whole man, however, knows that his bitterest
> foe, or indeed a host of enemies, does not equal that one worst adversary,
> the 'other self' who dwells in his bosom." To quote the cartoon character
> Pogo, "We have met the enemy and he is us."
>
> The autonomous other within us is symbolically related to the figure of
> the devil, who is the "other," and adversary, to God (one of the inner
> meanings of the word "devil" is the "adversary") . The battle between
> Christ and his adversary (the anti-Christ) , seen symbolically, is a
> reflection of the dynamic that exists between ourselves and the
> "adversarial other" unconsciously residing within us. Commenting on this
> correlation, Jung said ".the 'adversary,' is none other than 'the other in
> me.'" And yet, in some mysterious way, this adversarial other plays a
> crucial role in the actualization of our true nature. To quote Jung, "The
> shadow and the opposing will are the necessary conditions for all
> actualization. "
>
> This other within can really get in our way and mess with our best
> intentions, however. This other within can manifest in a way that is truly
> "devilish," thwarting us at every turn. Interestingly, one of the meanings
> of the word "Satan" is that which "obstructs." This other within can
> manifest so demonically and arouse such terror in us because it is a
> reflection and projection of our inner state of fear and denial, as
> ultimately it is related to, an expression of, and inseparable from
> ourselves. Because we experience this "other" within ourselves as alien
> and separate from ourselves and not under our control, however, we feel
> fear upon meeting it. Fear and the experience of an "other" (whether in
> the outside world, or within ourselves) co-arise simultaneously, as they
> mutually evoke and reinforce each other. Fear is the very expression of
> the separate self, as one is never found without the other.
>
> AUTONOMOUS COMPLEXES
> Jung relates demons to what he calls "autonomous complexes," which are
> parts of the psyche that have been so split-off due to trauma they develop
> a seemingly independent and quasi-life of their own. These split-off and
> disowned autonomous complexes which seem to oppose us are ultimately parts
> of ourselves that we have disassociated from. This is similar to if we
> forget about part of our physical body, this part of ourselves will
> compensate our dis-membering of our wholeness by trying to get our
> attention and help us to re-member it; so it is in our psychic landscape.
> When we split-off from a part of our psyche, we project out this part of
> ourselves and it will invariably get dreamed up, either as an "other"
> within our psyche, or as an "other" in the outside world.
>
> These autonomous complexes are ultimately our own energy appearing to us
> in projected, seemingly out-there form, so as to compensate a
> one-sidedness on our part. These autonomous complexes are genuine symbols
> that reflect our inner situation while at the same time being potentially
> transformative of it. They are an expression of the part of us that is
> one-sided, while simultaneously being the very doorway into integrating
> our imbalance, embracing the split-off inner "other" and actualizing our
> intrinsic wholeness. How the autonomous other within us manifests -
> constructively or destructively - depends upon if we recognize what it is
> revealing to us.
>
> Jung said, "Individuation is an exceedingly difficult task: it always
> involves a conflict of duties, whose solution requires us to understand
> that our "counter-will" is also an aspect of God's will." This autonomous
> other, with its "counter-will, " plays a mysterious, and key role in the
> revelation of our true nature. Paradoxically, this "autonomous other"
> within ourselves, though seemingly separate from ourselves, is
> simultaneously none other than ourselves. It is as if we are so split off
> from our true self that we have to dream it up as being alien to ourselves
> in order to begin relationship with it.
>
> Interestingly, such disparate thinkers as Jung and the philosopher
> Terrance McKenna, hypothesized that the ET/UFO phenomena might actually be
> an expression of the psychic fact that we are so split-off from our true
> self that we can only begin to experience it in the projected form of an
> "alien other." Are the seeming appearances of ET/UFO's in the outer world
> simply an embodied reflection of this inner, psychic process, as if an
> archetypal process existing deep within the human psyche is being "dreamed
> up" into materialization through our universe in order to show us
> something about ourselves?
>
> When we are completely disassociated from a part of ourselves, just like
> in a dream, we project it outside of ourselves (whether inwardly or
> outwardly), where this unconscious content belonging to ourselves gets
> "dreamed up" in the form of an "other." If we can recognize the reflection
> of ourselves that is being revealed to us, we can then begin the process
> of integrating this split-off, unconscious part of ourselves into our
> conscious self-image. This is similar to how Christ, who symbolizes God
> incarnate, had to fully incarnate in humanity, which is to say become
> completely alien and separate from God, for God to re-concile with and
> become one with Itself. To quote Jung, "God in his humanity is presumably
> so far from himself that he has to seek himself through absolute
> self-surrender. And where would God's wholeness be if he could not be the
> "wholly other?"
>
> THE OTHER WITHIN AS A SACRED EXPERIENCE
> When we discover the "other" within ourselves, we begin to get in
> relationship with it, instead of trying to dominate and destroy it. We
> begin to treat our darker part "religiously, " as we honor and respect this
> darker partner we are sharing our life with. Etymologically, the word
> "religio" derives from the word "religare," which means to link back and
> reconnect (to the source, God, our true selves). Talking about treating
> things religiously, Jung said, "Religion appears to me to be a peculiar
> attitude of mind which could be formulated in accordance with the original
> use of the word religio, which means a careful consideration and
> observation of certain dynamic factors that are conceived as 'powers.'"
> The use of the word "religious" in this context must not be confused with
> the contemporary pejorative use of the word, which typically refers to the
> dogmatic, rigid fundamentalism of "organized religion," which entails
> following a set of predetermined beliefs or laws imposed by
> an
> outside authority.
>
> Our existential situation as human beings is to find ourselves having to
> come to terms with archetypal powers that are seemingly more powerful than
> ourselves. To quote Jung, "The truth is we do not enjoy masterless
> freedom; we are continually threatened by psychic factors which, in the
> guise of 'natural phenomena,' may take possession of us at any moment. The
> withdrawal of metaphysical projections leaves us almost defenceless in
> the face of this happening, for we immediately identify with every impulse
> instead of giving it the name of the 'other,' which would at least hold it
> at arm's length and prevent it from storming the citadel of the ego.
> 'Principalities and powers' are always with us; we have no need to create
> them even if we could. It is merely incumbent on us to choose the master
> we wish to serve, so that his service shall be our safeguard against being
> mastered by the 'other' whom we have not chosen." We are in a position
> where we choose, whether we know it or not,
> whether
> we become taken over by the "other" within ourselves in a way where we
> unwittingly become its instrument, or relate to this power seemingly
> greater than ourselves with consciousness. This is related to the choices
> each of us must make in coming to terms with our own compulsive, addictive
> tendencies.
>
> To relate to the "other" within ourselves in a "religious" way is to be
> carefully contemplating it as a power greater than ourselves (the
> numinosum) that is worthy of our devoted attention. To quote Jung,
> "Religion, as the Latin word denotes, is a careful and scrupulous
> observation of what Rudolph Otto [author of "The Idea of the Holy"] aptly
> terms the numinosum, that is, a dynamic agency or effect not caused by an
> arbitrary act of will. On the contrary, it seizes and controls the human
> subject, who is always rather its victim than its creator. The numinosum -
> whatever its cause may be - is an experience of the subject independent of
> his will."
>
> To treat things religiously is to develop a more wholistic attitude
> towards our experience, in which we realize that we are inseparably united
> with our universe. Instead of relating to our experience in a literal,
> linear and materialistic way, we recognize that this universe of ours is a
> living oracle, a continually unfolding revelation that is speaking
> symbolically, just like a dream. This is to recognize that the "material"
> of our universe is infused with spirit, a realization which itself is a
> reflex-ion and effect of cultivating a religious attitude. Jung explains
> that ".the term 'religion' designates the attitude peculiar to a
> consciousness which has been changed by experience of the numinosum." When
> we have the numinous experience of getting in relationship with the other
> within ourselves, we, as well as the very universe in which we live,
> become transformed in the process.
>
> We encounter the numinous every moment, as our very life experience is
> nothing other than an ongoing experience of the numinous. The question is:
> do we add consciousness to our experience of the numinous or do we
> continue to experience it unconsciously, indirectly, and hence, as
> problematic? The answer to this fateful question literally determines our
> destiny. This is why Jung said, "The main interest of my work is not
> concerned with the treatment of neuroses but rather with the approach to
> the numinous. But the fact is that the approach to the numinous is the
> real therapy and inasmuch as you attain to the numinous experiences, you
> are released from the curse of pathology. Even the very disease takes on a
> numinous character." When we encounter the numinosum, the seemingly
> negative aspect of our experience reveals itself to be an aspect of the
> divine.
>
> To have an experience of this autonomous other within ourselves can
> potentially lead to a life-transforming experience in which we get more
> deeply in touch with the truth of who we are. To quote Jung, "All modern
> people feel alone in the world of the psyche because they assume that
> there is nothing there that they have not made up. This is the very best
> demonstration of our God-almighty- ness [an unconscious identification with
> God, otherwise known as "inflation"] , which simply comes from the fact
> that we think we have invented everything psychical - that nothing would
> be done if we did not do it; for that is our basic idea and it is an
> extraordinary assumption.. Then one is all alone in one's psyche, exactly
> like the Creator before the creation. But through a certain training
> [contemplating the other within, for example].something suddenly happens
> which one has not created, something objective, and then one is no longer
> alone. That is the object of [certain] initiations, to tr
> ain
> people to experience something which is not their intention, something
> strange, something objective with which they cannot identify.this
> experience of the objective fact is all-important, because it denotes the
> presence of something which is not I, yet is still psychical. Such an
> experience can reach a climax where it becomes an experience of God."
>
> When we recognize and get in relationship with the dark other within us,
> we can potentially experience the numinosum directly. As Jung continually
> pointed out throughout his work, it is by making the darkness conscious
> that we become enlightened. Coming to terms with the dark other within us
> forces us to develop a strong sense of self, of who we are, of our innate
> wholeness and connection with the divine. Developing a strong sense of
> self enables us to sustain being in conscious relationship with and not
> become overwhelmed by, identified with, or possessed by this more powerful
> transpersonal power. Paradoxically, though the other within us is
> ultimately an aspect of ourselves that we need to embrace, confronting the
> other within forces us to develop a viewpoint other than it. The other
> within teaches us how to say "no" and set a boundary. Like a psychic
> nautilus machine that helps us to work out the very muscle we need to
> develop, engaging with the other within helps us to st
> rengthen
> the part of ourselves that is weakest.
>
> Relating to the other within us religiously is to participate in the
> transformation of this archetypal power into becoming our ally. As we
> become more engaged with this part of ourselves, we experience the sacred
> marriage of alchemy, which is to join and unify with ourselves. At this
> point the "other" is no longer "other." We have become integrated, one
> with ourselves. By raising our darkness to the level of consciousness, we
> have taken away its autonomy and assimilated it into the wholeness of our
> being, which is what "Incarnation" is all about.
>
> ENCODED IN THE DARKNESS IS THE GERM OF A NEW LIGHT
> Paradoxically, recognizing our own darkness is an "illumination. "
> Depending upon how we relate to it, this dark other we have found within
> ourselves can truly be Lucifer, the dark angel who is the bringer of the
> light. As Jung continually contemplated in his work, evil plays an
> incredibly important and mysterious role in the divine drama of
> incarnation, salvation and redemption. To quote Jung, "A glance at the
> Scriptures, however, is enough to show us the importance of the devil in
> the divine drama of redemption." When the Christ event is viewed
> symbolically (just like we would contemplate a dream), the Incarnation of
> God in, through, and as humanity would not have been accomplished without
> the role of the devil. As if part of a deeper divine mystery, the figure
> of the devil, the embodiment of evil itself, is related to the coming of
> the light. Shadows are expressions that light is nearby. As Jung pointed
> out, ".a strong light is the best shadow-projector, provided that there
> is
> something to cast a shadow."
>
> When the darkness seems to be at its most powerful is paradoxically when
> the light becomes available. To quote Jung, ".when one principle reaches
> the height of its power, the counter-principle is stirring within it like
> a germ.the apparently meaningless and hopeless collapse into a disorder
> without aim or purpose, which fills the onlooker with disgust and despair,
> nevertheless contains within its darkness the germ of a new light." Could,
> as Jung suggests, the darkness in our world contain within it the "germ of
> a new light," heralding a new era dawning for our species? Marie Louise
> von Franz, Jung's closest colleague, wrote, "Jung saw this present-day
> culmination of evil as typical of the historical catastrophes that tend to
> accompany the great transitions from one age to another." In bringing the
> darkness within us to the light of conscious awareness, we are
> participating in an evolutionary and epochal expansion of consciousness
> that has been predicted by numerous wisdom-ba
> sed,
> prophetic traditions for centuries.
>
> What is happening within us, the microcosm, is a reflection of the same
> process that is happening collectively, in the macrocosm. Just like the
> dark other within ourselves is the very figure that can awaken us to a
> greater and more comprehensive state of being, the darkness that is
> playing out on the world stage can potentially activate the light of
> consciousness in our species, thus serving as a catalyst for collective
> evolution. Jung said, "And so we can draw a parallel: just as in me, a
> single individual, the darkness calls forth a helpful light, so it does in
> the psychic life of a people."
>
> Becoming intimately acquainted with the dark other within us empowers us
> to relate with and effectively deal with the darkness in the outer world.
> The inner experience of getting into conscious relationship with and
> integrating the other within ourselves is reflected in the outside world,
> as the more we embrace the other within us, the more we are able to
> re-connect with others in the outside world, and vise-versa.
>
> Any one person integrating the darkness within themselves could be, as
> Jung said, "the makeweight that tips the scales," precipitating a
> realization in the collective psyche of all humanity. Because we are all
> interconnected, we can co-relate, inter-act and hook up with each other to
> become the instruments through which our lucidity becomes collectively
> made real (materialized) in space and time. We are then able to intervene
> en masse and change the dynamics and direction of the waking dream we are
> sharing. We are being invited by the universe to be the engines of our
> own, as well as the universes', evolution. It is an invitation we should
> not decline. Let us assent and say "yes" to what is being freely offered
> to us.
>
> Paul Levy is an artist and a spiritually- informed political co-activist. A
> pioneer in the field of spiritual awakening, he is a healer in private
> practice, assisting others who are awakening to the dream-like nature of
> reality. He is a long-time Tibetan Buddhist practitioner. He is the author
> of "The Madness of George Bush: A Reflection of Our Collective Psychosis,"
> which is available at his website www.awakeninthedrea m.com. Please feel
> free to pass this article along to a friend if you feel so inspired. You
> can contact Paul at paul@awakeninthedre am.com; he looks forward to your
> reflections. © Copyright 2006.
>
---------------------------------
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Back to Top]
Theosophy World:
Dedicated to the Theosophical Philosophy and its Practical Application
