Psychosynthesis Experiences – 6
Synthesis (I) – different types of synthesis
Synthesis is the guiding principle of Assagioli’s psychology, both the means and the goal of the whole Psychosynthesis process. For Assagioli (2022), synthesis is “a tendency which expresses a universal principle” and whose manifestations can be found in all aspects of reality: from inorganic to organic matter, from the vegetable to the animal world, from the intra-psychic world of emotions and ideas, to the domain of interpersonal and social relations, to the spiritual realms.
The synthesis principle is active in the whole bio-psychic organism of the individual, generating different configurations and structures. Its main manifestation, however, is the organisation of the various parts of the personality around a unifying centre which may consist, depending on the cases, of a subpersonality, a role or passion, an idea, the personal self, or the transpersonal Self (see table). This process of synthesis is what ensures the maintenance of a relatively constant sense of identity.
| Type of (psycho)synthesis | Unifying centre | Integrated contents | Split-off contents | Effects on psychic dynamics |
| Partial | Role, task, subpersonality, passion, idea, model | Those that resonate with the aims of the partial unifying centre | All the others | Stagnation Oscillation Conflict |
| Personal | Personal self or “I” | Middle and lower unconscious contents | Higher unconscious contents | Balance Mastery Rhythm |
| Transpersonal | Transpersonal Self | Middle, lower and higher unconscious | none | Evolution Transformation Harmony |
| Automatic | Mechanical aggregation of psychic elements occurring without the involvement of awareness and will | |||
| Voluntary | Purposeful aggregation of psychic elements with the involvement of awareness and will (personal self/transpersonal Self) | |||
Type of (psycho)synthesis – Partial
Unifying centre – Role, task, subpersonality, passion, idea, model
Integrated contents – Those that resonate with the aims of the partial unifying centre
Split-off contents – All the others
Effects on psychic dynamics – Stagnation Oscillation Conflict
Type of (psycho)synthesis – Personal
Unifying centre – Personal self or “I”
Integrated contents – Middle and lower unconscious contents
Split-off contents – Higher unconscious contents
Effects on psychic dynamics – Balance Mastery Rhythm
Type of (psycho)synthesis – Transpersonal
Unifying centre – Transpersonal Self
Integrated contents – Middle, lower and higher unconscious
Split-off contents – none
Effects on psychic dynamics – Evolution Transformation Harmony
Type of (psycho)synthesis – Automatic
Unifying centre – Mechanical aggregation of psychic elements occurring without the involvement of awareness and will
Type of (psycho)synthesis – Voluntary
Unifying centre – Purposeful aggregation of psychic elements with the involvement of awareness and will (personal self/transpersonal Self)
Before the “I” can start to emerge thanks to our sustained work of self-knowledge, the elements within the psyche may organise into more partial syntheses which include some elements of the personality but exclude others. Usually, the “I” is not fully conscious of these syntheses: it automatically identifies with some elements, and automatically rejects others. These partial syntheses are generated by what sparks our interest, what we are most drawn to; and consists in the organisation of some psychic contents around a dominant aspect of our lives (a subpersonality, a complex, a passion, an idea) that acts as a unifying centre. In this type of synthesis, the psychic functions (sensations, desires, emotions, thoughts and images) are aggregated in service of the particular purpose of the current unifying centre; contents that are not compatible with such purpose are excluded and relegated to the unconscious, through mechanisms such as splitting, denial, repression etc. Although these partial, automatic syntheses are of passing importance, they are important transitional steps in our development and help us manage and organise psychic chaos, giving us a sense of relative cohesion and stability. Whenever possible, these partial syntheses, especially those which are obsolete or damaging, need to be made conscious and dissolved by means of an analytical process, so that the freed-up energy can be channelled into a more intentional and conscious synthesis: into personal and/or transpersonal psychosynthesis.
Personal psychosynthesis is the first conscious and intentional synthesis in the individual’s maturation process. It is made possible by the activation of the “I”. The “I” becomes the unifying centre around which all the elements of our biopsychic organism are organised. What facilitates the emergence of the “I”, is the work of exploration, elaboration and integration of the conscious and unconscious aspects of the personality, and a patient process of disidentification. Awareness and will are the forces guiding us towards personal synthesis. An essential tool for its achievement is the technique of the Ideal Model (see Ideal model – Psychosynthesis Experiences 5).
The second major synthesis is known as transpersonal psychosynthesis. It aims at awakening and actualising the potential and higher qualities latent within the human psyche. Transpersonal psychosynthesis is a process aimed at the integration of the whole personality, including not only the middle and lower unconscious contents but also the superconscious aspects. Its goal is to “elevate the centre of awareness so as to realise the union between “I” and Self, moving along that path of growth which leads from multiplicity to unity, from mass consciousness, to self-awareness and consciousness of the transpersonal Self: synthesis of the universal and the personal.”
For more:
- The Way of Psychosynthesis, Synthesis Insights (Part 4, Ch. VI) – Buy now
- Know, Love, Transform yourself, Psychosynthesis books (Part 2, Ch. 8)
– Know, Love, Transform yourself (Vol. I) – Buy now
– Know, Love, Transform yourself (Vol. II)– Buy now