Then this would be the cover:
This is an artwork, I worked on a few years ago; it's made of archival photographs and montaged into a mandala attempting to integrate what Jung called the shadow-self, where much in my shadow is what my ego decided that it would have no use for. Jung wrote:
Unfortunately there can be no doubt that man is, on the whole, less good than he imagines himself or wants to be. Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual's conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. If an inferiority is conscious, one always has a chance to correct it. Furthermore, it is constantly in contact with other interests, so that it is continually subjected to modifications. But if it is repressed and isolated from consciousness, it never gets corrected.
Carl Jung, Psychology and Religion
The mandala contains a Higher- and lower-self and a huge mass of "general, all-over me" spread across the middle; it points to the awakened spirit being aware of all of his or constituent characteristics - both good and bad. It also reminds me that the essence of me doesn't change; I still have all my character defects but in becoming aware of them, and allowing them to be a part of me, I now have little use for them.
Some who have seen this picture attempt an explanation of the child in the middle. There is no conscious choice in that although I like to think of a T-shirt I was once going to have printed that read "INNER-CHILD MOLESTER" in protest at a new-age psychology.
You say of your constituent charachteristics: "I now have little use for them" - this implies that these good and bad bits are only consciously implemented.....Do you mean this - or am I reading extravagantly between your lines? - Or is it that - when we are present - in our 'Isness' these constituent charachteristics simply no place: There is no charachter as such in these moments when our spirits are awake?
ReplyDeleteAs ever, only more questions!
LuvMarv
OOPS typo alert!'Characteristics simply have no place'
ReplyDeleteHmmmm! Good question - highlighting my careless use of language. My point was that even when I am acting in ego (ie when I am out of the moment) I find myself less likely to use a character defect, mainly it seems because I am aware of my "mistake" as it happens or pretty quickly. But your question does to underline the point that when we are in the moment there can be no character defects. Could it be that our awareness here-now "removes" our character defects.
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