from within to without

jung talks about the necessity of grappling with the unconscious as the sine qua non initiation into the deeper mysteries of an individuated, or integrated, self. as we develop the ability to become aware and tune into the many competing voices and fragments of persona within us, we also become emboldened and newly able to challenge some and nurse others. maybe the saboteur voice that seeks to curtail and kill off possibility for action in the world needs to be questioned, reframed and often outright opposed, while those that urge us to authenticity, challenge-engagement and growth, need be considered, aligned with, even solicited.

in grappling with these subpersonas that would counsel us into purposeless negativity, we should always be prepared for the rite of passage that proceeds whenever we have the courage to tap our inner demons on the shoulder and say, yo. in fact, as soon as we succeed in pulling ourselves out of the trance of identification with this inner opponent, the argument this opponent represents will, as if by magic force, manifest at the level of some outer world enactment. this is correct and to be welcomed. why? its not enough to simply bring awareness to and resistance to bear on the dialogues we're subject to within ourselves. in order to be truly free of the old programs we have to 'act it out,' duplicate the success achieved within, by learning to spot, distinguish, and prevail over agents of adversity wherever we meet these precious teachers.

so take heart. if you have a complex that you've recently become aware of, don't recoil in dismay or fear or self-pity when the dynamic takes form in flesh and blood events in your world. the escalation of engagement is to be welcomed as it presents the opportunity to make good on and put into play the new insights and awarenesses, so long-coming and hard-won. keep to center and make the same gentle but firm insistences with the outer agents as one does with the intrajected forces.

for example, if you've recently emancipated yourself from a powerful voice of old that seems to takes pleasure at every turn to tell you, 'you will fail' by newly refusing to take heed of its discouragement, know that the echo of this recent victory will emerge in an external theater. someone or something will come along and repeat this same message, but more powerfully and even painfully. it will be irresistibly tempting at this juncture to fall into the old habit of taking the discouragement, and ending the quest. please know that the apparent power of these agents is a pure mirage. they arise in generosity to furnish us with the chance to take our act to the next level. duplicating our successful strategy at the level of mind and transposing it to the level of worldly action is the final nail in the coffin for these factors that have outlived their prohibitory usefulness. they will always become persistent in this manner, when their perpetuity is challenged, because they want resolution more than unmolested continuance, they want to be put to rest by our own hands more than they want to prove themselves true. thusly, the moment we achieve dominance of love, self-respect, positivity and hope, versus fear, self-hatred, negativity and despair, these refrains of the old inner opponent bow out gracefully, releasing the stores of energy they once monopolized which now come to our refreshment.

its good to recall that these various subpersonalities, like the inner opponent, or saboteur, come into manifestation as a protective measure during infancy in order to maximize survival potential based on perceived local threats. eventually these perceived threats are no longer local, but the constellated protective agent fails to compute the new conditions, and continues in its work of outputting old protocols no matter how novel the new circumstances. the unconscious, where these factors live, and which underscores all learning and action, is intensely habit-forming. were it not we would never be able to acquire adaptive knowledge nor cope with the vast set of repetitive skills required in daily life.

the counterpose to the unconscious is volitional mind, and like any agonist/antagonist relationship, exercise, challenge and play are required to get the best out of both ends. this is why we must always be ready to question the weight of our acquired behaviours and thoughtforms, and be ever ready to cast aside old containers for life's fresh new wines...