Psychology of the Unconscious: A Study of the Transformations and Symbolisms of the Libido. A Contribution to the History of the Evolution of ThoughtJung, C. G. (Carl Gustav)
Philosophy
Psychology of the Unconscious: A Study of the Transformations and Symbolisms of the Libido. A Contribution to the History of the Evolution of Thought
Jung, C. G. (Carl Gustav)
Libido (Psychology); Mother and child; Psychoanalysis; Subconsciousness; Symbolism (Psychology)
At that time we had placed sun and fire in parentheses. Now they are
entitled to their right place in the chain of synonyms. With the
changing of the erotic impression from the affirmative to the negative
the symbols of light occur as the paramount object. In the second poem
where the longing is clearly exposed it is by no means the terrestrial
sun. Since the longing has been turned away from the real object, its
object has become, first of all, a subjective one, namely, God.
Psychologically, however, God is the name of a representation-complex
which is grouped around a strong feeling (the sum of libido). Properly,
the feeling is what gives character and reality to the complex.[117]
_The attributes and symbols of the divinity must belong in a consistent
manner to the feeling_ (_longing, love, libido, and so on_). If one
honors God, the sun or the fire, then one honors one’s own vital force,
the libido. It is as Seneca says: “God is near you, he is with you, in
you.” God is our own longing to which we pay divine honors.[118] If it
were not known how tremendously significant religion was, and is, this
marvellous play with one’s self would appear absurd. There must be
something more than this, however, because, notwithstanding its
absurdity, it is, in a certain sense, conformable to the purpose in the
highest degree. To bear a God within one’s self signifies a great deal;
it is a guarantee of happiness, of power, indeed even of omnipotence, as
far as these attributes belong to the Deity. To bear a God within one’s
self signifies just as much as to be God one’s self. In Christianity,
where, it is true, the grossly sensual representations and symbols are
weeded out as carefully as possible, which seems to be a continuation of
the poverty of symbols of the Jewish cult, there are to be found plain
traces of this psychology. There are even plainer traces, to be sure, in
the “becoming-one with God” in those mysteries closely related to the
Christian, where the mystic himself is lifted up to divine adoration
through initiatory rites. At the close of the consecration into the Isis
mysteries the mystic was crowned with the palm crown,[119] he was placed
on a pedestal and worshipped as Helios.[120] In the magic papyrus of the
Mithraic liturgy published by Dieterich there is the ἱερός λόγος[121] of
the consecrated one:
Ἐγώ εἰμι σύμπλανος ὑμῖν ἀστὴρ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ βάθους ἀναλάμπων.[122]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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