glossary

"I have recommended the technique of "acting as if"; that is, of acting as if a psychological attitude existed in us, instead of the contrary one. Some are shocked at the use of this method because they consider it hypocritical; they say in effect: i "If I am angry and harbor resentment(...)

Here comes a short compilation on archetypes by Roberto Assagioli: TD= Transpersonal Development, 2007. PS= Psychosynthesis, 1965.   “The two main symbols of development are the seed and the flower: a seed has all the potential it needs to become a tree, and a flower, from its(...)

A short definition of Attachment, by Roberto Assagioli: "Now we shall discuss the many forms of attachment - to people, things and ways of living - which are like heavy balls of lead tied to the feet of those trying to advance, or snares along the path, things that can sometimes even cause(...)

“I have recommended the technique of “acting as if”; that is, of acting as if a psychological attitude existed in us, instead of the contrary one. Some are shocked at the use of this method because they consider it hypocritical; they say in effect: i “If I am angry and harbor resentment(...)

“I have recommended the technique of “acting as if”; that is, of acting as if a psychological attitude existed in us, instead of the contrary one. Some are shocked at the use of this method because they consider it hypocritical; they say in effect: i “If I am angry and harbor resentment(...)

  Here comes a short definition of the collective unconcious, by Roberto Assagioli. (see also unconscious) "Jung’s most important contribution to the psychology of the unconscious is represented by his extensive studies of the collective unconscious. Before him, psychoanalysis had(...)

  Here is a definition of Concentration by Roberto Assagioli: Concentration and meditation "In taking up the subject of concentration the first point to realize is the difference between spontaneous or automatic concentration and deliberate controlled concentration. They are(...)

A Short definition of criticism, by Roberto Assagioli: "We will now examine another of the greatest obstacles standing in the way of spiritual development: the tendency towards personal self- affirmation, and the aggressive ways in which this manifests itself. It can take various forms:(...)

This is a short compilation of quotes on desire, by Roberto Assagioli. Desire or Impulse are one of the psychological functions according to psychosynthesis theory: "Another group of functions that must be accorded a similar consideration are the dynamic or “hormic” func­tions (from the(...)

A short definition of devotion by Roberto Assagioli from his book Psychosynthesis Typology: "... devotion is often called love, but in reality it has a tone and a quality decidedly different from that of love, a fact that justifies and even requires the use of different terms to describe(...)

Roberto Assagioli about Disidentification in his booklet Meditation for The New Age, vol. 3. As recognised in the Technique of Dis-identification in the Second Meditation Course, the various elements of the personality are not the self, but the vehicles of expression and experience(...)

Empathy. “Regardless of one's intellectual understanding, genuine existential understanding is not possible without empathy, i.e., the projection of one's consciousness into that of another being. Its development and use demand an attitude of impersonality and selfforgetfulness; it can be(...)

  Here is a short compilation on equality, by Roberto Assagioli:   Higher, Lower and Equality The denomination “high” and “heights” has been used both in the East and in the West to designate what are called religious or mystical attainments. Mountains were considered to be the(...)

Roberto Assagioli about Eternity from his booklet Meditation for The New Age, Year Three: "In connection with the concept of Eternity, we should realise that this word has two meanings: the one just referred to, unlimited duration of time, and the other, which is in a sense the opposite—the(...)

See Extrovert

Roberto Assagioli's definition of introvert versus extrovert from the article Jung and Psychosynthesis: “We now come to the direction of the vital interest, and so pass from the descriptive to the dynamic aspect. One of Jung’s most valuable contributions was the discovery and description of(...)

Roberto Assagioli defines seven groups of glamours related to each of the seven psychological types in his study course: Meditation for the New Age. (Year Three) A glamour is an emotional distortion of reality due to an identification with some aspect of the emotional life, defined(...)

A short definition of Illumination by Roberto Assagioli: "III. ILLUMINATION One of the ways in which the superconscious manifests most frequently in the consciousness is illumination, which follows the opening of the “inner eye”. Although intuition and illumination have a close affinity,(...)

  Roberto Assagioli about Imagination:   “Imagination is a function which in itself is to some extent synthetic, since imagination can operate at several levels concurrently: those of sensation, feeling, thinking and intuition. In one sense it is a cross-section of these four(...)

A short definition of Inferiority, by Roberto Assagioli: We can distinguish two different causes, or groups of causes, of indecision. One, which may be considered "constitutional," occurs in introverted types who indulge in excessive and sterile self-analysis. They often have an intense(...)

A short definition of inspiration by Roberto Assagioli: INSPIRATION AND CREATION Inspiration and psycho-spiritual creation represent other types of relationship and interaction between the superconscious and consciousness. It is of importance to reach a realization of the differences(...)

  Here is a short definition of instinct in relation to fear by Roberto Assagioli: There are five main forms of fear, and these underlie the five fundamental instincts: - The first is the instinct of self-preservation, the root of which is the fear of death. - The second is the(...)

Roberto Assagioli's definition of introvert versus extrovert from the article Jung and Psychosynthesis: “We now come to the direction of the vital interest, and so pass from the descriptive to the dynamic aspect. One of Jung’s most valuable contributions was the discovery and description of(...)

  A compilation of thoughts on Intuition, by Roberto Assagioli   "The value of intuition has to be emphasized and examples given; and in the second case - of over-valuation - the difference between intuition and “hunches” or imaginative flights has to be explained and emphasized."(...)

See star

A short definition of love by Roberto Assagioli from his book Psychosynthesis Typology: "Everybody is interested in Love. It is one of the most-used words in the language, — probably the most frequently used after “I” and “money”. Nearly everybody either has been or will be in love.(...)

By Roberto Assagioli, Lesson XII, 2 June 1963, Assagioli Archive Florence. “The doctor first of all teaches the patient the techniques of meditation. Then he trains him to perform it by means of “guided meditation”; that is, the doctor does the meditation with the patient, pointing out the(...)

A definition of memory, by Roberto Assagioli:   "This contrast indicates that there must be something basically wrong with the current methods of teaching languages, and that the elimination of the present incalculable waste of time and effort in this field demands, not mere(...)

A short compilation on the mind, by Roberto Assagioli Mental Development By Roberto Assagioli, from his article Notes on Education: "This does not only consist of a quantitative increase in mental activity, but refers to different ways of using the mind, bringing about a. change in(...)

From  the article: Psychosynthesis and Evolutionary Panentheism Panentheism is a term Ken Wilber and the co-founder of Esalen Institute, Michael Murphy, also use to describe their philosophy. In his article on Panentheism Murphy shows how some of the great geniuses in history have reached(...)

Roberto Assagioli saw a need for “a science of the Self and of its energies”. In this glossary Item, we will see how psychosynthesis is the first step towards Assagioli’s goal of a new psychology, called Psychoenergetics. Here is a large article by Kenneth Sørensen about Psychosynthesis and(...)

Roberto Assagioli about psychological levels "The collective unconscious is a vast world stretching from the biological to the spiritual level, in which therefore distinctions of origin, nature, quality and value must be made." (C. G. Jung and Psychosynthesis) "The third group of symbols,(...)

PSYCHOSYNTHESIS AND GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY By, Roberto Assagioli, From Psychosynthesis Research Foundation, Newsletter   "As to the difference between Psychosynthesis and Gestalt Psychology—both of which emphasize the reality and value of 'wholes' it can be briefly said that the latter is(...)

Notes on Psychosynthesis, Religion and Philosophy Roberto Assagioli, from Psychosynthesis Research Foundation, newsletter, April, 1962     I think it advisable to answer a question which has been put to me and explain in what sense psychosynthesis is "neutral" concerning religion and(...)

Here come some quotes from Assagioli about the definition of psychosynthesis psychotherapy (see also Jung and Psychosynthesis): "Criteria of Psychosynthesis Therapy The criteria which are characteristic of psychosynthetic therapy and which distinguish it in a certain measure from other(...)

By Roberto Assagioli, A Practical Contribution to a Modern Yoga, The Beacon, 1933 Purification of the personality PURIFICATION. When man sets himself earnestly about the task of his spiritual development, he soon discovers that the first necessity is a thorough purification of all the(...)

A short compilation of quotes on radiation by Roberto Assagioli: “Each of us necessarily and inevitably radiates what he is.” Roberto Assagioli “Energies radiate outwards from the personality as if from a great source of light; luminous rays shine out and pervade the atmosphere. This(...)

A short definition of revelation by Roberto Assagioli: "IV REVELATION A type of illuminative experience different from those mentioned so far is the “flash” of consciousness, often a sudden perception, of what a human being is, in which an individual experiences a revelation of himself.(...)

A short definition of scientific knowledge by Roberto Assagioli from Psychosynthesis Typology: "It is interesting to note that, in order to obtain scientific knowledge, the mind must perform two different and even opposing functions; first of all, it must analyse and therefore distinguish(...)

  A definition of the scientific method by Roberto Assagioli: "This is an appropriate point, I think, at which to clarify what the “scientific method” truly consists of, in view of the confusion and misunderstanding about it that now prevails. It was applied first and especially in the(...)

A short definition of selfishness, by Roberto Assagioli "Selfishness, instead, is the result of the fundamental urges to self-preservation and self-assertion, of the outcome of the desire to possess and to dominate; and as such, continually finding obstacles that prevent its satisfaction,(...)

  Here is a short compilation of quotes by Roberto Assagio, about the Seven Ways. Read also his article The Seven Ways, which goes into depth with this concept.   “There are many different ways of expanding the consciousness as one moves upwards, and they are related to different(...)

Roberto Assagioli about Silence: “As one teacher has said: “. . . the cultivation of a technique of silence is of incalculable value ... In the silence power is generated, problems are solved and important recognitions are registered. In the silence sensitivity can be developed and the(...)

  Here is a short definition of the soul, by Roberto Assagioli.   M.L. What is the relationship of the soul and the personality? R.A. The difficulty in answering this question is first of all a semantic one, due to the very different meanings in which the two words have been and(...)

  Roberto Assagioli about the star at the top of his Egg-diagram: "The jewel is also one of the most meaningful spiritual symbols. It corresponds in my diagram to the star symbolising the spiritual Self. It is drawn as a star because the diagram is two-dimensional but it is better to(...)

see sub-personality

The following quotes are among my research notes from my book The Soul of Psychosynthesis (KS). Please read the Article: Life as a Game and Stage Performance (Role Playing), by Roberto Assagioli, for a full presentation of subpersonalities. Sub-personalities according to Roberto(...)

see sub-personality

  Here is a definition of symbols, their value, effect and usage in psychotherapy, by Roberto Assagioli, from his book Psychosynthesis, p. 173-75, 1965: TECHNIQUE OF SYMBOL UTILIZATION Purpose The purpose of this technique is to utilize the enormous and by far not yet realized(...)

An article by Roberto Assagioli: What is Synthesis? Giordano Bruno proclaimed the synthesis of the opposites as the principle tenet of a forgotten philosophy. He speaks of the unifying of the opposites: of love and hate, of poisons and their antidotes, of concave and converse. By,(...)

The Self - definitions of the self and Self by Roberto Assagioli The Self - an experience By, Roberto Assagioli, From Psychosynthesis Research Foundation, Newsletter When we held the Valmy Conference in May 1958 much discussion took place about the Self and it occurs to us that readers of(...)

A short definition of the will, by Roberto Assagioli: "The will is the synthetic power which coordinates, organizes and directs all the other faculties and, therefore, should have a greater development in order to truly master them, while nearly always the opposite is the case. The will(...)

A short definition of thinking, by Roberto Assagioli Reflective Meditation Its simplest definition is to think; an accurate but limited definition, since clear ideas on the function of thinking are not common property. It has been stated that "the mind thinks in us," rather than it(...)

See mind

Below is a compilation of quotes by Roberto Assagioli about typology:   Why we use typology "… the essential unity of all souls does not exclude differences existing in their personal appearances. Therefore, we must make a serious study of these different qualities. This study should(...)

Roberto Assagioli about The Unconscious in his booklet Meditation for The New Age, vol. 3, booklet two:     Roberto Assagioli's Egg-diagram: 1. lower unconscious, 2. Middle unconscious, 3. Higher unconscious, 4. Field of(...)

See visualization

  A short definition of Visualization by Roberto Assagioli:   TECHNIQUE OF VISUALIZATION Purpose The general purpose of evoking the imagination has already been discussed. The great importance and paramount value of visualization is that it constitutes the necessary preliminary(...)