The starting point for the journey into “know, master and transform yourself” is a diagram, we could say “a mandala”, which seeks to illustrate the integral vision of the human being proposed by Psychosynthesis.

Lower unconscious Middle unconscious Higher unconscious or Superconscious Field of consciousness “I” or personal self Self or transpersonal Self Collective unconscious

With the Egg diagram, Assagioli’s aim was to represent “a pluridimensional conception of human personality, which, though far from perfect or final, is, we think, more inclusive and nearer to reality than previous formulations” (Assagioli, 1965, p.16). He was perfectly aware of the approximation, over-simplification and limits of this map. He felt, however, that in the study of such a complex and elusive reality as psychological life, it is useful to lay down some clear structural distinctions to convey an overall picture of the system, of the interconnections between its different components as well as their value and significance.

All the lines in the diagram are dotted to indicate the continuous exchange, or “psychic osmosis” between conscious and subconscious, and between the various levels of the unconscious, both personal and collective. Thus, the terms “unconscious” and “conscious” are not to be considered as nouns but adjectives: referring to the transient condition of psychic contents which may change by themselves or be transformed by means of intentional and conscious work. Let’s get into the subject:

1. The lower unconscious: the basement

In the lower part of the egg diagram, at the base of our bio-psycho-spiritual being, is the lower unconscious which can be compared to the “the cellar” or “basement” of our psychic structure. This corresponds in part to the Freudian unconscious and contains the intelligent psychic activities governing organic life, instincts or impulses, such as sexual and aggressive drives, habits and automatic behaviours, our psychic past and the conflicts and traumas we have repressed. Exploring and healing this dimension of our being is of fundamental importance, especially if there are tensions or difficulties that interfere with our day-to-day functioning. It is important to specify that the designation “lower” does not have any moral connotation, but simply hints at how this level of the unconscious is the foundation of the whole psychological structure and is therefore vital to its development.

2. The middle unconscious: the ground level

The next level up, the middle unconscious, constitutes the ground floor of our bio-psychospiritual edifice. Comparable to the Freudian preconscious, the middle unconscious relates to the psychic present and comprises those elements of wakeful consciousness of which we need not be constantly aware. It can therefore be considered as the “great archive of memory” whose contents can, unlike those removed into the lower unconscious, be easily brought back to consciousness. At this unconscious level, we elaborate past experience and prepare for future activities. It is also the level where most of our intellectual, theoretical and practical activities take place, and the site of our imaginative work and psychic creativity.

3. The higher unconscious: the attic

The higher unconscious is one of the most specifically psychosynthetic notions and refers to the transpersonal, spiritual dimension of the human psyche. Assagioli defined it as “the upper floors and bright attics with large terraces where we can sunbathe in the day and contemplate the starts at night.” It encompasses our psychic future, our qualities, our virtues, talents and yet unfulfilled potentialities, our most far-reaching intuitions, altruistic impulses, creativity and states of spiritual enlightenment. It is important to open ourselves to this dimension to renew and enrich our being and our lives.

4. The field of consciousness: the “living” room

The term “field of consciousness” refers to that portion of psychic content of which we are aware in the here and now. We can define it as “the living room” of our psyche, or to be more precise, the room in which we find ourselves at any given moment. For example, in this moment, you may be aware of the words that you are reading, of your physical, emotional or mental state, of the sounds in your surroundings and so on. The reach of our field of consciousness is, of course, variable: when we are concentrating intently on one activity, it shrinks, as its focus needs to be narrow; on other occasions, its scope may expand and cover ever wider areas of perception.

5. The “I”: the tenant

Pursuing our metaphor, the “I” may be compared to the tenant of the house/psyche. The most direct and immediate manifestation of the “I” is the irrepressible sense of personal identity that persists throughout our lives. Despite the changes and transformations that we undergo, our sense of identity remains the same. Psychosynthesis makes a clear distinction between the changing contents of the field of consciousness (the sensations and emotions we feel, our desires and thoughts…), and the subject who perceives and observes these sensations, emotions and thoughts and can act upon them, the “I”. This distinction can also be metaphorically illustrated by the difference between the illuminated area of a cinema screen (the “I”) and the images projected onto it (contents). Creating space between the “I” and the constant influx of psychic contents (disidentification) is a fundamental experience in the Psychosynthesis process. In fact, the “I” is that part of the Transpersonal Self which is immersed in the psychic contents of the human personality and its various existential quandaries. The “I” then is in fact a reflection of the Self.

6. The transpersonal Self: the landlord/lady

The Transpersonal Self could be compared to “the owner” of the whole bio-psychospiritual edifice. In Psychosynthesis, the Self is not only a theoretical concept, but also a reality we can consciously experience. The Self is the true essence of the person, their true identity, their deepest being beyond masks and conditioning. It is the guiding star in our existential journey. It allows us to experience our wholeness, our totality, but cannot be assimilated into this totality. It is an evolutionary goal across the lifespan and a centre of cohesion and synthesis within the psychic space. It is called transpersonal in that it has a dual nature: it is at once individual and universal. Indeed, as the diagram illustrates, it is located at the boundary between the inside and the outside of the Egg diagram.

7. The collective unconscious: the neighbourhood

Finally, the collective unconscious – which we may compare to the area or locality where our bio-psychospiritual edifice is situated – is a vast world encompassing biological to transpersonal levels, and within which one must make distinctions regarding the origin, nature, quality and value of the various contents. Within the Psychosynthesis framework, some contents of the collective unconscious are primitive and archaic, going back to the past of humanity (lower collective unconscious), while others have a more integrative, evolutionary and synthetic character and refer to the future potential of humanity (higher collective unconscious); in the middle, so to speak, we have contents pertaining to the present socio-cultural conjuncture (middle collective unconscious), these are more easily accessible to what we may call the collective field of consciousness.

Psychosynthesis also makes another important distinction between the structured or conditioned unconscious and the plastic unconscious, source of our unbounded capacity for learning, elaboration, creativity and transformation (see The 10 psychological laws).

(see Symbolic meanings of the “egg” diagram)

For more:

• Know, Love, Transform yourself (Vol. I)  (pp. 48-52) – Buy now
  
• Know, Love, Transform yourself (Vol. II)– Buy now
• The Way of Psychosynthesis, Synthesis Insights (pp. 153-168) – Buy now