By bending towards light all life unfolds and is shaped by obstructions – and the dark, compressed sphere behind the crack that allows growth to emerge.
It’s the same for all plants and creatures, and humans, who, once visible and mirrored in other eyes and minds are drawn into a labyrinth of self-reflection that informs the self-image.
Beyond eyes, we perceive each other via dreams, intuitions, catching glimpses of transient truths and falsehoods beneath the visible. How many mirrors acknowledge, ignore or denigrate us? Our families reflects us, our social environments, school, college, university, churches, travel companions, sport clubs and interest groups in general. For some the mirrors branch out to success and fame for a talent. For others the mirrors narrow to a work environment, or peter out once the job comes to an end.
In come informal internet platforms, where simple ‘like’ and ‘love’ buttons are often pressed almost by chance. It’s easy to assume that friends who ignore our posts don’t care about us, though they may have missed it. In any case, we know there’s a limit to responsiveness. Even at private parties we only engage with a few people in any significant way.
Multiverses – Mindfunda
Is it a buried memory of the evasive calm center of life’s storm that animates our journey? Will we come to the sobering conclusion that all we are not is a facets of us, of the one being? This psychic tapestry of the dominant attitudes and repeating thoughts we have of ourselves and others work their invisible threads. Whether we’re aware of this process or not, these thoughts weave the state of our collective psyche.
And off we are into the multiverse – what is real?
In the village where I grew up (near Munich) there was a small group that discussed the ideas of Carl Gustav Jung. His ideas settled in me and have influenced my thinking ever since. I hope one day it is understood that the psyche is not confined to space and time and this insight will be acknowledged and utilised. I always rejoice when Jung gets a mention, like at Maria Popova’s wonderful website: Brainpickings … which in this link features a memorable interview with Jung. She never lets us forget about the people who inspire and keep in balance this world we live in.
Another sustaining influence for me was Ibn’ Arabi, the Sufi mystic, first encountered through Henry Corbin’s translation of the ‘Creative Imagination.’ Get a taste of the quest for what is ‘behind the many’ in this wonderful poem ‘Alone with the Alone.’
Here my latest Haiku:
an angel wings by
leaving a fluffy feather
that will dip no scale
And I can’t resist mentioning my novel, ‘Course of Mirrors.’ – Some comments about it are on my book page. The book yearns for readers. Check it out on my bookpage.
Stay safe, avoid sensationalism, stay sane ♥
Course of Mirrors 
I have to admit that I don’t truly grasp the concepts you write about. I think that trying to stay centered is invaluable. Ditto for trying to see straight when emotions are running high.
Take care. Enjoy the week.
Neil S.
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Thanks Neil. I try my to best to stay centered. Seeing straight is more difficult these days, especially after ingesting media reports, more like zick zack.
Is there a particular aspect of this post that I might expand on a little?
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Hi. What were Jung’s main beliefs?
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Thanks for your question. Not sure ‘belief’ applies to Jung’s concepts.
His discoveries derive from intense work on his personal psychology. Archetype is one such concept – a deep structure in the human psyche every child brings along. What for Plato were mental forms, Jung called active living dispositions, biological entities endowed with a generative force that according to our immediate environment initiate and mediate behaviour and experience. Further concepts are: persona, shadow, anima, animus, individuation of the Self, active imagination, psychological types, synchronicity, the collective unconscious …
The unconscious, as part of the psyche that eludes consciousness is an ancient idea that received renewed attention around 300 years ago. The exploration of its structure and function only started in the late nineteenth century, with Freud. When it comes to the modern concept of the unconscious, Freud set the tone. I can recommend the brilliant and lucid ‘Essential Freud’ by Christopher Badcock – under 200 pages.
Jung’s 20 volumes don’t make easy reading. But plenty of inspiring works were written about Jung’s concepts by people who followed and expanded on his transpersonal approach. As a first go I’d recommend the books by Anthony Stevens.
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Thankyou Ashen.
“I am a feather on the breath of God”…..Hildegard von Bingen.
I remember Ida and I looking up at the sky during one of the final ceremonies at Four Winds and there, floating in the blueness, was the most feather-like cloud either of us could ever remember seeing.
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I always feel a little jolt when a feather blows my way. We make what we make of it, but for me they’re a message of beauty. Certain clouds, too. Thanks for bringing Id to mind. I wrote a poem for her once, called The Witness …
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Ah, those mirrors, they can be so tricky to negotiate. Yes, I too find dreams can be good places to work some of them out.
I love your haiku.
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Thank you Cath. I’m pleased you like the haiku.
Good dreams for us ☼
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You are not alone in those thoughts and feelings Ashen. I love the way your words always bring about introspection in me. “What is real?” Stood out for me in your post. As you so eloquently described, we can get caught up in all of our thoughts sometimes that perhaps we don’t know what is real. at least I do at times. But then some incident happens that reminds us of what is real. Just this week I invited someone around to sit with me in the garden (2 meters apart) and my son was angry with me for not telling him that someone was coming around. I told him that I knew he was busy in his room, so no problem. I was about to get a bit miffed at being told what to do when I thought, there is something behind this. He later admitted that he was afraid of losing me and his dad. So I am glad I approached with love and not anger. Love is real and lasting. However at times so many things can get in the way cant it? Also the subject of being real made me think about the “Velveteen Rabbit.” It’s true to say that being real is about what we feel at the time for a lot of us. You are not alone in your reflections Ashen. x
Gillian.
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Thanks Gillian. Good to know you’re well. And your family.
I haven’t seen my son and his partner for months. It’s like we’re all stuck on our little planets. Surreal. I look forward to meet them, and friends, as soon as attitudes relax. We must heed our thoughts and feelings, our truth.
Shared this on Twitter today … If friends misread me, I like to console myself with this Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote –
‘Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.’
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Alone withe Alone…On these days of now, not a quarantine, but what it seems a cloistered living conditions, those of us who live alone, we all are forced to see into ourselves for a deep look into who we really are, hope many will find the Jewel within ourselves.
Blessings, and best wishes. 🙂
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Thank you, friend. Introspection, yes, it takes courage though. Hopefully it will happen more widely, when the harsh truth about our dysfunctional systems kicks in. Presently depression or anger are the most common reactions.
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That conversation between tiger and boy had me thinking. Absolutely love this article and the haiku. 🤗
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Thank you, Kendi Karimi ☼
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such a great post, Ashen — I’m enjoying the comments here as well!
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Thank you da-Al. You’re welcome ☼
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