There are seven paths to the soul that open us up to a life of greater meaning and creativity. Behind our longing for meaning, there is a very special energy that calls, and this is our soul path.
By Søren Hauge and Kenneth Sørensen
An important aspect of energy psychology is the philosophy of the seven paths to the soul. It is a journey of development that opens up for us when we begin to care about our place and role in the greater whole. It is the longing for meaning and to make a positive difference that initiates the journey.
Our dominant essence type basically shows us our soul path. Regardless of what dominances there may be in the personality energy type and its secondary dominances mentally, emotionally and physically, the underlying keynote of the soul’s transpersonal energy type will show the specific character and direction of the deeper soul path.
The soul path is therefore extremely important. No two people have the same path, but all people belong to one of the seven fundamental keynotes, which are estimated through the energy types. So our path to the unfolding of the deepest potentials goes via one of the seven energy types. It is important to point out that each of the seven paths contains the other six as side tracks. Therefore, they should not be perceived as separate from each other, but more like a rainbow – a spectrum of possibilities that we all touch to a greater or lesser extent.
All the archetypal roles are retained at the transpersonal level, so that the leader, for example, also contains the manager and the pioneer, because the higher version always transcends and includes the preceding levels.
Piero Ferrucci, inspired by Roberto Assagioli’s psychosynthesis, has described the seven paths to the soul in his book: Spiritual Highlights . Based on the spiritual breakthroughs of famous people, he makes it probable that the seven paths are a reality.
The mandala above summarizes the seven paths of development, each with its own leading archetype, psychological function and energy type name. We will touch on these seven paths in the map below.
1. The Path of the Hero and the Leader ~ Purpose and Bringing to Life
The Manager, the Pioneer, the Leader
The path of leadership is through the creation of influence and power to pave the way for freedom – the freedom to create and bring about change. The true leader is single-mindedly focused on living in accordance with an inner purpose, a higher purpose, which, so to speak, constitutes the most important guiding star for the leader. The leader is inspired by the evolutionary purpose and spiritual life that shapes the destiny of humanity. From here, the leader brings the new life into the world that brings to life the idea that is the essence of the leader’s message.
The leader, through his work, releases power that promotes the development of full freedom and creates the best conditions for most people through the realization of new ideals for people and society. It is an immensely potent function that paves the way for the liberation of all conceivable potentials. The true leader’s impact on the environment is empowerment – an inner strengthening of the good, the true and the beautiful. It is through the will in all its stages – personal, transpersonal and universal – that the leader draws his power.
The path of the leader is also the hero and the heroic path . Here appear the pioneers who have the moral habitus to show new paths despite intense resistance from mainstream culture. These leaders can stand alone because they have found an inner center of unshakable calm and certainty from which their actions spring. Here they uphold and defend the truths that have found their way into the consciousness of humanity as the highest good for most. It is also here that we find the great conquerors who, from their time, brought the new world order to humanity. It can be both the outer and inner world that is conquered. All the great founders of religions have had a strong element of the leader in them, although one would most naturally place them on the path of the teacher or the idealist.
The path of the leader is also the path of the reformer , the one who brings destruction and breaks down the old world order so that new life can sprout. Transpersonal leaders are in deep contact with the spiritual seeds of thought that will one day sprout and become the norms of everyday consciousness – hence their foresight . It is from this foresight that they dare to break down the old, dare to choose the unpopular, and dare to commit to giving themselves fully. Boldness, daring, and the ability to burn through are some of the central qualities of the leader.
2. The Path of the Enlightener and Teacher ~ Compassion and Wisdom
The Guide, the Helper, the Enlightener
The teacher’s path leads through the ability to be inclusive and cohesive to the unfolding of true love, which is not personally conditioned, but universal and unconditional. It is the empathetic, compassionate path that emphasizes connectedness and, fundamentally, unity. We see their work within many of the great religions, where they show through the power of example the deeper levels of consciousness, unfolded through compassion and insight into the inner nature of reality. They also express themselves within pedagogy, where they create understanding for the necessity of education. People are flower buds that must be brought to unfold and illumination.
In that sense, the path of the teacher is also connected to the Enlightener and the path of enlightenment . Who are we? Where do we come from? and Where are we going? These have been questions that people have explored for thousands of years – the Enlightener simply goes several layers deeper and achieves enlightenment to one degree or another. Often they are prompted by a deep inner longing to truly understand the cause of human suffering and the meaning behind the external events of life. But it is not the clear mental understanding of the metaphysician, it is more the intuitive form of ‘becoming-one-with-understanding’. Or it is the deep love for one’s fellow man in all his misery that awakens a compassion in the heart, and which insists that forgiving love overcomes all barriers. These enlightened ones manage to expand their consciousness to such a degree that they become one with spiritual being itself and can establish that all is light, all is love. Wisdom and love are the very central driving forces on the path of enlightenment.
One needs education and enlightenment at all stages of life, and the teacher is the gardener, who with wisdom and sunny warmth ensures that this happens with care and loving insight. The teacher is an expression of the sensitive type, and therefore the emphasis will often be on the broad inclusive attitude that emphasizes accommodating and uniting all aspects of diversity. Unity in diversity is the main focus of this type.
3. The Genius and the Path of the Metaphysician ~ Realization and Clarity
The Thinker, the Strategist, the Genius
The path of the metaphysician is to that extent the path of understanding, leading to ever greater clarity as the bird’s eye view attains its greatest possible breadth and depth. It is the mental abstract intelligence that unfolds on this path, and philosophers of all the world have trodden it. It is the path of the Genius that, through the seeing eye of knowledge, understands the purpose behind the outward appearances of life, and intelligently connects the many threads that make up the complex pattern of evolution.
This type weaves a network of systems and creates clear theoretical representations of how all the scientific disciplines are connected in an integral pattern. They are often driven by an impulse to create a theory that can be verified and encompasses everything.
The path of the metaphysician is also the path of the ethicist – the path of the one who formulates ethics in relation to all the manifold changes that culture continuously produces in relation to the coexistence of the sexes, the relationship to abortion, minorities, etc. However, the ethicist is not only an intellectual, but is rather a moral exemplar of what is avant-garde within culture. In this sense, it is the writer, the communicator and the opinion former who elevates culture to a higher level. They are the trendsetters in relation to good taste – not the decadent, self-effacing culture, but the culture that emphasizes the importance of reaching beyond oneself and making a difference in the world.
The thinker looks in and realizes. The luminous clarity of deep realization makes it possible to formulate and plan intelligently in accordance with the higher order of life. What the metaphysician can do is formulate the laws and principles that form a matrix for the unfolding of culture. In other words, metaphysicians are creators of culture through their creative work.
4. The Artist’s Path ~ Beauty and Harmony
The Aesthetician, the Transformer, the Artist
The artist’s path leads through the union of opposites to the deeper beauty of life and the higher harmony that abolishes all dualities. In other words, it is through the conflict, the darkness, the drama that the artist succeeds in uniting the opposites that so often divide man.
Therefore, the artist’s path is often the path of suffering . It is as if the artists are trying to embrace all the painful contradictions, and in this way the true artist is a representative of the struggle of all humanity. How do we create that wholeness within ourselves, and between us, when the good I want is not what I do? It is that struggle that the artist reflects on again and again through dance, music, theater and film.
But the artist is not just a storyteller. He is an artist of life, who has the ability to use the color palette and keyboard of consciousness to create the whole of life. He is the ability to express contrasts and dance with opposites, so that life-giving sounds arise. He is Dante, who goes through hell to find his Beatrice. He is the luminous figures, who are willing to die daily in the fire of transformation, to renew their character and show that light is stronger than darkness.
The path of the artist is also the path of the aesthetician , for it is beauty that is the artist’s guiding star. The beauty that is revealed when good triumphs over evil – not by annihilating darkness, but by embracing it, containing it, and mastering it. It is only in the light of darkness that beauty can shine.
The artist of life hears the music of the spheres in his heart, the fundamental harmony that flows like the eternal ‘OM’ – the creative sound – through all the planes of existence. It is from this responsiveness that the artist of life expresses the inner potentials, makes life a living work of art, and shapes from his creative, visionary inspiration.
5. The Path of the Discoverer and the Scientist ~ Truth and Insight
The Explorer, the Specialist, the Discoverer
The path of the scientist leads through focused analysis to uncover the truth behind the veil of all material forms. It is a penetrating exploration that brings out the facts and unravels the mysteries of life. The revelation of quantum physics that all is light is a clear example. Through his extensive research into the individual details, the scientist reaches through logic the greater wisdom of the whole. The world of matter is uncovered to reveal the reality of spirit, and in that sense the scientist seeks to verify God by going from the outside to the inside.
The path of the scientist is the scientific path , but not only the natural scientific path. The true scientist uses objective observation and empiricism in three different ways: through the physical eyes, the mind’s eye, and the eye of contemplation. In other words, it is by making comparable studies and experiments in the physical, psychological, and spiritual worlds that a true understanding of reality emerges.
In this sense, the path of the researcher is also that of the explorer , meticulously mapping the new landscape by daring to move into new areas. This brings new technical, psychological and spiritual discoveries to light, which help to change physical life as we know it.
The mysteries of life are revealed and the deeper truth is revealed when human issues are subjected to a purposeful reflective analysis/meditation. What motivates the researcher is the joy of discovering a new material, a psychological method or a spiritual dimension that helps people. In other words, it is the practical utility that is crucial for the researcher – that it works, can be verified and is true.
6. The Path of the Visionary and the Idealist ~ Service and Transcendence
The Idealist, the Advocate, the Visionary
The visionary’s path is constantly directed towards the uplifting, ideal goal. Through idealization, perfection, the highest good or the highest light is sought. It is through the longing and aspiration of the heart that the idealist feels the call from on high – the call that will lead to what is experienced as perfect at any given time. The visionary is radical in everything he or she does and cuts away and renounces everything that stands in the way of reaching the goal. Only the essence is good enough.
Burning, single-minded love for the beloved makes this path the path of the mystic , when the longing is introverted, and the path of the saint , when it is extroverted. The mystic’s task is to keep the transcendent—the immense grandeur of existence—alive, so that we can see in awe that there is something greater than ourselves. This creates true humility, which springs from an inner dignity of being related to something great, beautiful, and good. The path goes through sanctification of the heart and self-surrendering service. Deep inner peace and indescribable ecstasy characterize the one who walks the path filled with devotion and a heartfelt longing for reunion with the creative source.
To be a true representative of the highest is the saint’s motivation. If God is love, the saint seeks to demonstrate this to perfection in action. The guiding star is followed, and the highest good is sought to be accomplished with unconditional dedication. Lepers are cared for by the wise, the poor are helped, the outcasts are taken into the warmth, for in them lives the eternal spirit itself. Love can also be directed towards God’s nature, towards animals, plants and against abuses against the planet. The dedicated visionary seeks his goal and gives his whole life to it.
7. The Path of the Creator and the Conductor ~ Creation and Synthesis
The Order Maker, the Organizer, the Creator
The path of the Creator is practical and focused on producing results through efficiency and skillful use of all available powers. The Creator works in deep contact with a strong spiritual purpose, which is translated into harmony with the psychological laws of creation. In this sense, the path of the Creator is also the path of the magician . Magic should not be understood as illusion or conjuration, as the magician creates real results for the benefit of people. They are very effective because they have a deeper knowledge of the spiritual and psychological forces that are activated in connection with all forms of action.
What the creator can do is gather people around a strong spiritual idea that is in line with the needs of the time. Then devise an intelligent plan where the right people are placed in the right positions, creating an organic whole. Then, using psychological means, keep the motivation alive in the group, and lead the whole group through meaningful rituals and organization towards the goal. Should that be magic? Yes, when the result is that Heaven is brought down to earth . Magic is not supernatural. Magic is meta-natural – natural on a deeper and higher level.
The Creator who is also the conductor has the ability to enter the silence where cooperation with the spiritual inspiration is possible, and translate it into group action. This is the human being who introduces law and order where chaos and unrest reign. It makes all forces merge into a higher unity, because everyone finds their right place in relation to the whole and cooperates with the purpose and intention that the conductor makes alive. It is also called synthesis. The ideas are expressed in group action, the inner is expressed in the outer, and the living plan is anchored and creates new syntheses based on the design of evolution. And for the good of humanity.
The above review is just a very brief and simplified presentation of the many possible scenarios that are possible when we each embark on the path to our soul’s existence.
It is through this journey that the seven tones are heard in the cosmic octaves of existence, and the diversity of human life shows its many facets. The seven soul paths are followed with individual originality, so that the unique, innovative sees the light of day. The seven soul paths weave together the great tapestry of existence. The seven paths reveal different forms of identity and being, which are completed in their forms of doing, and the whole is enriched and grows in depth and richness.
” The most important rule is to clearly and precisely formulate the goal to be achieved, and then to keep it firmly in mind throughout all the stages of execution, which are often long and complex .” ~ Roberto Assagioli
How to move forward
Here you can receive seven free meditations where you develop different aspects of yourself.
Also read the article Psychosynthesis an Integral Psychology and the biography of Roberto Assagioli
Read the introductory article about energy psychology
Read the introductory article about integral meditation
