Searching For The Soul Individuation And The Soul In Western culture, as author and lecturer, Gil Bailie says, we are torn between being Mother Theresa and John Wayne. We would like to believe that we are all different, and to some degree that’s true, but after all is said and done most wind up fitting into some category or another. One mark of individuality that is mentioned by Jungian psychologist and author, Robert Johnson, said, you can always tell a man in touch with his feelings because when he enters a room he brings grace with him. As a counselor and minister for the past forty years I have come to discover that who we are has a great deal to do with how we develop in both the inner-world as well as the outer-world. Those of us who live in the West, culturally speaking, know a great deal about the outer-world. We are focused on intellectual knowledge, achievement, and power over our bodies and experience. But the history of this nation indicates that it has not brought us true uniqueness in life, and as religious as we may be, it has not brought us any real faith or contentment. The inner-world, on the other hand, is about the development of soul. And I’m not referring to something like being religiously saved, or special knowledge found in the bible, or prayer, or religious faith. Soul, from the old koine Greek word,psyche, refers to who we are as human beings. It not about being saved, or some heavenly vessel inside us that will carry personalities to the resurrection of the so called righteous. Soul is about who we are as human beings with the capability of developing consciousness of our own humanity and the humanity of others around us. Individuation is the process of becoming conscious of who we are, and what we are experiencing as we walk down the pathway of life. It is not something to be achieved like a certain kind of knowledge. It is something that is continually unfolding as we experience life day by day, good and ill, prosperous and poor, spiritual and vain. The old story of Siddhartha, by Herman Hess, is a good example of how one develops soul. After Siddhartha, who is seeking the truth of life, tries becoming hyper-religious, he finally decides that he knows nothing more about life from that experience than he did in the beginning. He leaves his religious devotion, only to consequently run right into the Buddha. His friend, Govinda, has already run off to become a disciple, feeling that this is a wish come true. Its like someone who suspects that their is a Christ who actually runs into him one day. Who wouldn’t want to become a follower. Siddhartha, that’s who. Wanting to avoid the Buddha, he nevertheless runs right into him as he tries to leave the valley. He humbly and apologetically explains to the Buddha that he believes that the Buddha is truly the wisest and holiest man in the world. But … Siddhartha tell the Buddha that he believes that the Buddha did not become the Buddha by following a Buddha, but by finding the truth of life in the living of it. Then he goes his way to have many life experiences, both good and bad, spiritual and sinful. In the end he becomes a ferryman helping people leave one shore to move on to another. That’s the real experience of life. Reading that has helped me understand he relationship between soul and individuation. Individuation is living life consciously, learning to understand and interpret you inner-world experiences. Especially, your pathologies, weaknesses, and attitudes. You become conscious of your feelings and how they relate to your behavior, how they have an effect on you and others. As you become more conscious of yourself the more soul develops and becomes an active and leading part of your personality. Now the Copernican shift takes place. the ego leaves its place as the center of your inner-world, and consciousness of soul takes its place. With this shift comes inner-world power, which is the ability to know yourself and be a truly unique individual. You now can also see that human life is developed in others on the same basis. You can now see that whatever other individuals say or do, it has no bearing on who you are or what you do. This give one great power-the power to be. I’ll say more later, bye for now. Nov 1st, 2013 1 note Robert Gutleben
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 13:31:33 +0000