A Strange Fire: an exploration of psycho-spiritual development aided by Jungian analysis and Vedanta.
David Sagar, Marcus West
Journal of Analytical Psychology November 1, 2016 DOI: 10.1111/1468-5922.12260 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Transcendental Meditation Jungian analysis Vedanta active imagination |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Aktive imagination Beдaнтa Desidentifikation Erleuchtung Ich-selbst-achse Individuation Komplex Vedanta Active imagination Asse io-sè Aктивнoe вooбpaжeниe Complejo Complesso Complexe Desidentificación Disidentification Disidentificazione Désidentification Ego-self axis Eje ego-self Enlightenment Esperienza spirituale Experiencia espiritual Expérience spirituelle Illumination Illuminazione Iluminación Imaginación activa Imagination active Immaginazione attiva Individuación Individuazione L'axe ego-soi Meditación Meditazione Méditation Numineux Numinoso Numinous Ocь эгo-caмocть Spiritual experience Spirituelle erfahrung Дeзидeнтификaция Дуxoвный oпыт Индивидуaция Кoмплeкc Мeдитaция Нуминoзный Пpocвeщeннocть 冥想 去认同 吠檀多 开悟 情结 灵性经验 神圣的 积极想象 自性化 自我-自性轴 |
| Key points | Proposes that the difference between Jung's view of the Self and Vedanta's view of the Self as consciousness is due to the extent of disidentification from the contents of consciousness. |
Abstract
This paper explores the process of psychological and spiritual development through a series of active imaginations arising from the author's 'psycho-spiritual quest', a process of transformation in which the individual progressively frees themselves from the ego's identifications and may be afforded a vision of the 'self as consciousness', as described by Vedanta. The author describes how this quest was facilitated by the disciplines of Transcendental Meditation, Jungian analysis and Vedanta, and how these three disciplines can work together to foster psycho-spiritual development. The paper aims to de-mystify the actual experiences that can accompany these practices. The records of these active imaginations, tracing some key stages in this process, are then presented, with a commentary by Marcus West, linking them to Jung's concepts of ego and Self and recent understandings of consciousness and ego development. There is a discussion of Jung's conceptualizations of the ego and the Self and his rejection of the Vedantic understanding of the Self as consciousness. These views are then explored and a reconciliation is suggested through the understanding of the process of disidentification where the difference between Jung's view of the Self and that of Vedanta is understood to be due to the extent of disidentification from the contents of consciousness.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |