In depth psychology, the Ego describes the locus of consciousness. In Jung’s model of the psyche there is also a second, albeit unconscious centre, that Jung termed the Self.

For Jung, the goal of individuation was the realization of the Self. This individuation process first requires the development of the Ego, the acknowledgment of one’s shadow and the marriage of one’s opposites in order to then meet and integrate the Self.

This search for the greater Self, however, is not new. In Hindu thought, the Self is akin to the Atman, the divine within. In Alchemy the goal is the philosopher’s stone. In Buddhism, the neophyte aspires toward enlightenment.

As with Jung’s psychology, each of these traditions trace the steps involved in the realization of the Self. In this reflective session we will explore Zen Ox Herding pictures in the light of archetypal psychology and personal experience.

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