{"id":13035,"date":"2019-12-08T15:00:04","date_gmt":"2019-12-08T14:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennethsorensen.dk\/?p=13035"},"modified":"2026-04-30T10:47:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T09:47:05","slug":"the-connection-between-ego-and-the-transpersonal-self","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennethsorensen.dk\/en\/the-connection-between-ego-and-the-transpersonal-self\/","title":{"rendered":"The Connection Between Ego and the Transpersonal Self"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Soul<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A central and unique feature of psychosynthesis theory is the relationship between the conscious “I” (ego or personal self) and the Transpersonal Self (soul or Higher Self). This relationship is depicted in Roberto Assagioli’s egg diagram (1) as a dotted line linking the conscious \u201cI\u201d (the point at center of the egg) to the Transpersonal Self (the star at the top of the egg). Clearly, this relationship \u2013 which has become known as the I-Self connection \u2013 is an important aspect of Assagioli’s thinking. But understanding is not enough \u2013 Assagioli always stated that psychosynthesis is based on experiential facts \u2013 so how do we <\/span><\/span>experience<\/span><\/span><\/em> this connection?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Assagioli's
Assagioli’s egg diagram<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I explore this topic in-depth in my book <\/span><\/span>The Soul of Psychosynthesis<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/em> , so please look there for a full explanation. Meanwhile, in this brief article, I would like to share some introductory ideas.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s start by defining how Assagioli described the I-Self connection. According to Assagioli: “The ‘I’ is intimately related to the Transpersonal Self. More precisely, the ‘I’ is a projection or reflection of the [Transpersonal] Self, an  <\/span><\/span>outpost <\/span><\/span><\/em> of the [Transpersonal] Self in the world of the personality.” (2)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assagioli further emphasized that there are not two separate selves, stating: “There are not really two selves, two independent and separate entities. The Self is one; it manifests in different degrees of awareness and self-realisation.” (3)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a lot to unpack here. We read that the conscious “I” is a “projection or reflection” of the Transpersonal Self; however, we might ask: a projection of what? As I have discussed earlier (4), the conscious \u201cI\u201d, or ego, in psychosynthesis theory always points to the inner center of pure self-awareness and will in each individual. When we disidentify from the body, emotions and thoughts, and identify with self-awareness itself, we discover ourselves as the self-aware observer \u2013 which is something entirely different from the <\/span><\/span>content<\/span><\/span><\/em> of awareness. When we become the observer, we wake up to the fact that we ultimately are <\/span><\/span>the subject which is aware of being aware<\/span><\/span><\/em> , and from this point of detached awareness we can access our will-to-choose what we identify with in any given moment.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From this perspective, it becomes obvious that the conscious “I” is a projection or reflection of the Transpersonal Self’s <\/span><\/span>pure self-awareness and will<\/span><\/span><\/em> . In other words, a transpersonal and transcendent witness (5) projects its essential nature into the personality and, at some point as we evolve, we discover in this center our ability to be a self-aware observer. When we have found ourselves as the observer, we have connected with the core of our being. In Assagioli’s words: “The human personality is characterized by the possession of self-consciousness, or, in other words, the I or Ego is the core of the personality.” (6) It is from this self-aware core that we can start to recognise, accept, integrate and synthesise all the conflicting elements in our personality.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n