THE TRANSCENDENT FUNCTION OF THE BILATERAL BRAIN
Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science June 2, 1986 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9744.1986.tb00745.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that a "transcendent function" integrating conscious and unconscious material can be modeled by modifying Jung's four psychic functions into a "compass of the psyche" consistent with the bilateral brain, and that this function corresponds to hybrid states of consciousness between waking and sleep, where dreams, myth, and experiences of deity appear. The author contends its exercise is creatively valuable in the arts and sciences and paramount to human survival. |
Abstract
Abstract. A “transcendent function,” which integrates conscious and unconscious elements, can be characterized for the human mind. From Carl Jung's model of four basic functions of the psyche—thinking, feeling, sensation, and intuition—a modified compass of the psyche is constructed to conform to the neurobio‐logical structure of the bilateral brain. The transcendent function can be correlated with the principal states of consciousness existent between waking and sleep. Dreams, myth, and the experience of deity, of related unconscious content, are manifest in hybrid states of consciousness. The exercise of the transcendent function is of creative value in the arts and sciences and paramount to human survival.