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Evolution of Consciousness

The central idea of the purpose of human existence is the creation of consciousness. Our purpose, I think is to bring light into the darkness of being, to increase consciousness by becoming aware of what is hidden in the unconscious.

Carl Jung developed a new myth for modern man, one based around the idea that man is indispensable for the completion of creation. Existence is only real when it is conscious to someone and this, he argues, is why the divine needs conscious men – whoever knows the divine has a moderating and loving effect upon it. Once the union of opposites is attained, man and the divine are reconciled. In psychological terms, the Ego and Soul are finally aligned, an the creation of higher consciousness changes not only the individual but the nature of creation itself.

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The Mystery of the Coniunctio

The Coniunctio is a medieval, alchemical concept regarding the union of opposites, king and queen, male and female, to create a complete, whole entity. The historian Mircea Eliade and psychologist Carl Jung were both aware of the religious, symbolic and archetypal significance of this concept with respect to the union of ego and soul within the individual.

The urge to individuatioin, the process of becoming a whole and harmonious individual as expressed in depth psychology, requires that one undertake a dangerous – and glorious – journey to elevated consciousness, where one can simultaneously experience and accept the opposites in one’s life – good and bad, light and dark, male and female. The highest measure of an individual’s worth is the ability to carry the opposites, so that one will not damage the psyche but will carry one’s own shadow.

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The Three Metamorphoses

In Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Friedrich Nietzsche, in discussing the Three Metamorphoses of the human spirit, points out that we are in a constant state of becoming. That is, we are evolving in consciousness, as individuals and as a species. Nietzsche’s three stages are: Camel, Lion and finally Child.

As Camels, we take on the social burdens placed externally upon us from parents, religion, society, and the like. As Lions, we become noble, vicious creatures thirsty for truth, destined to defeat our own internal dragons of “Thou Shalt.” And upon the successful vanquishing, we return to the innocence of the Child. This is the goal of our Journey, to begin a new life free of preconceptions and the “Thou Shalts” of the Ego.

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The Hero’s Journey

The first part of life is frequently centered around finding your way – learning how to navigate the obstacles of life, discovering what your passion and talents in life are, and in embarking on your own personal journey and adventure.

But it also involves setbacks, failures and great falls that will shake you to your core. There are many beautiful stories, parables and traditions that can help you along your own journey.