1. The Lower Unconscious
2. The Middle Unconscious
3. The Higher Unconscious or Superconscious
4. The Field of Consciousness
5. The Conscious Self or "I"
6. The Higher Self
7. The Collective Unconscious
As a subject Psychosynthesis fascinates me. It resonates a lot with eastern philosophies. Especially with Advaitic principles of Self and the "I". Please refer to my article on the "I". This is one of the main reasons why I have decided to become a student of Psychosynthesis.
Following is the information I have gathered, as a student, about Psychosynthesis. I will keep adding more to this content. Please note that the following content is not written by me. I claim no authorship over this. I will let you know when I add my own content.
Please click below on the topic Index
In its most basic sense, Psychosynthesis is simply a name for the process of
personal growth: the natural tendency in each of us to harmonize or synthesize
our various aspects at ever higher levels of organization. In human beings, this
evolutionary drive towards a higher level of being becomes conscious, which
makes it possible to cooperate with and facilitate this natural process.
Cooperating with evolution in this purposeful way requires a conceptual
understanding, a framework, and a wide range of practical techniques.
Psychosynthesis integrates the best available concepts and methods into an
inclusive and flexible framework, so as to assist and facilitate the natural
human striving toward development and integration.
Psychosynthesis believes that each human being has a vast potential that
generally goes largely unrecognized and unused. It also believes that we each
have within ourselves the power to access that potential. Psychosynthesis is
often seen as an unfolding process where the person actually possesses an inner
wisdom or knowledge of what is needed for that process at any given time. The
guide's role is help identify these inner resources, support the process, and be
attentive to what is happening.
Psychosynthesis was first formulated in 1910 by the Italian psychiatrist,
Roberto Assagioli (1888-1974), a pioneer of the psychoanalytic movement in
Italy, and a contemporary of both Freud and Jung. Early in his work he observed
that repression of higher, superconscious impulses (later known as "repression
of the sublime") could be just as damaging to the psyche as repression of
material from the lower unconscious. Traditional psychoanalysis recognizes a
primitive, or "lower" unconscious - the source of our atavistic and biological
drives. But there is also a higher unconscious, a superconscious - an autonomous
realm from which originate our more highly evolved impulses: altruistic love and
will, humanitarian action, artistic and scientific inspiration, philosophic and
spiritual insight, and the drive toward purpose and meaning in life.
Psychosynthesis is concerned with integrating material from the lower
unconscious and with realizing and actualizing the content of the superconscious.
To this end, it uses a wide range of techniques for contacting the
superconscious and establishing a bridge with that part of our being where true
wisdom is to be found. The superconscious is thereby accessible, in varying
degrees, to each one of us, and can provide a great source of energy,
inspiration, and direction. Psychosynthesis helps us in attempting to manifest
this part of ourselves as fully as possible in everyday living.
Psychosynthesis uses a number of "maps" or diagrams to aid in understanding the
various components of the self. Although they are necessarily limited in both
scope and perspective, they are useful in providing a partial depiction of the
mystery of the self. Both diagrams are basic to psychosynthesis. The Egg Diagram
can also be seen in color. The Star Diagram depicts the psychological functions
with the will playing a pivotal role.
| The Egg Diagram 1. The Lower Unconscious 2. The Middle Unconscious 3. The Higher Unconscious or Superconscious 4. The Field of Consciousness 5. The Conscious Self or "I" 6. The Higher Self 7. The Collective Unconscious |
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| The Star Diagram 1. Sensation 2. Emotion-Feeling 3. Impulse Desire 4. Imagination 5. Thought 6. Intuition 7. Will 8. Central point: The I, or personal self |
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The self is an entity independent of and sovereign to the various aspects of the
personality, such as body, feelings, and mind. This concept is found in the
major world religions and in more and more branches of Western psychology and
philosophy. Freeing the concept from any doctrinal background and examining it
empirically, we find first of all a centre of awareness and will. This is the
"personal self," the "I," or centre of personal identity, from which the various
aspects of the personality can be recognized, reorganized, and integrated. The
personal self, however, is distinct from the "Transpersonal Self," which is the
focal point of the superconscious realm. It is a deeper and all-inclusive centre
of identity and being, where individuality and universality blend.
A helpful image is that of an orchestra, where the musicians represent the
different parts or aspects of ourselves. Without a conductor, there would be
little cooperation as each of the musicians would attempt to get their favourite
music played according to their own interpretation. Acceptance of and submission
to the conductor results in integration of the orchestra, and this would
subsequently be reflected in the music. Where the conductor represents the self,
the transpersonal self can be thought of as the composer or the producer.
The two central functions of the personal self are consciousness and will. The
consciousness of the self enables one to be clearly aware of what is going on
within and around him or her, to perceive without distortion or defensiveness.
This has been called the inner "attitude of the observer." To the extent that
one is able to achieve this vantage point, the claims of the personality and its
tendency to self-justification no longer stand in the way of clear vision.
The will is considered a direct expression of the self in psychosynthesis and
is given a central place. Through releasing the will of the Self, we gain
freedom of choice, personal responsibility, the power of decision over our
actions, and the ability to actively regulate and direct the many personality
functions. In this way we are freed from helpless reaction to unwanted inner
impulses and to the expectations of others. We become truly "centred," and
gradually become able to follow a path that is in accordance with what is best
within each of us. At the highest level of will development, we seek to align
our personal will with a more universal will, thus increasing the capacity to
serve the forces of evolution and to find a deeper meaning and purpose in our
personal lives and our social tasks, and to become able to function in the world
more effectively and serenely, in a spirit of cooperation and good will.
To act "from our centre" can be difficult, as we have all experienced. One major
difficulty in learning to act "from centre" is the large number of false
identifications we make with specific elements within ourselves. We may
identify, for example, with a temporary feeling such as fear or anger, and lose
or distort our true perspective. Or we may become identified with one of our
"subpersonalities" - those semi-autonomous and often contradictory aspects of
ourselves that follow a predictable, pre-programmed routine when evoked by a
certain set of circumstances. Much of the basic work of psychosynthesis is aimed
at recognizing and harmonizing subpersonalities. We are then no longer
helplessly controlled by them, but can learn to bring them increasingly under
conscious direction. Essential to this involves learning the central process of
"dis-identification" from all that is not the self, and "self-identification,"
or the realization of our true identity as a centre of awareness and will.
There are a wide variety of methods employed in psychosynthesis to meet the
diversity of needs presented by different situations and different people. Each
person is treated as an individual, and an effort is made to find the methods
best suited to the person's existential situation, psychological type, unique
goals, needs, and path of development. Some of the methods more commonly used
include guided imagery, body awareness and movement, symbolic art work,
journal-keeping, training of the will, goal-setting, dreamwork, development of
the imagination and intuition, gestalt, ideal models, and meditation. The
approach in psychosynthesis is to treat the person as a whole, although any one
session may focus on a particular level or aspect. In aiming at integration of
body, feelings, and mind, psychosynthesis has as a goal to foster an on- going
growth process, in which we apply the basic attitudes and techniques of
psychosynthesis in daily living to achieve a more joyful, harmonious, and full
actualization of our lives.
Every person is an individual, and the integration of each person follows a
unique path. But in the overall process of psychosynthesis we can distinguish
two consecutive stages - personal and transpersonal psychosynthesis. In personal
psychosynthesis, the integration of the personality takes place around the
personal self, and the individual attains a level of functioning in terms of his
work and his relationships that would be considered optimally healthy by current
standards of mental health.
In the transpersonal stage of psychosynthesis, the person learns to achieve alignment with, and to express the energies of the Transpersonal Self, thus manifesting such qualities as social responsibility, a spirit of cooperation, a global perspective, altruistic love, and transpersonal purpose. Often the two stages overlap, and there can be a considerable amount of transpersonal activity long before the stage of personal psychosynthesis is complete.
