Table of content
In this article, Roberto Assagioli describes how the vision of psychosynthesis includes and expands the psychoanalytical framework. The perspective of psychosynthesis deals with both the unification of the personal and spiritual realms of the individual and a unification of the individual with society.
By Roberto Assagioli , translation Torben Steffensen
Psychoanalysis and psychosynthesis
Psychosynthesis has psychoanalysis as a prerequisite, or rather includes it as a first and necessary step. There is in this respect a close analogy to chemical processes – both to those produced in scientific laboratories and to those, even more marvelous, which are constantly going on in the human body. For example, the complex molecules of the proteins contained in food are broken down into the simpler molecules of peptones in the biochemical analytical processes of digestion. Through a process of synthesis, these are incorporated into larger molecules which constitute the specific proteins in our own organism.
The same thing happens in the human psyche, where a process of dissolution and reconstruction is constantly taking place. Sometimes these psychological processes of assimilation (one might say ingestion and digestion) occur easily and spontaneously, but often psychological indigestion and toxic states occur, and psychopathological abscesses and tumors develop in the individual’s subconscious.
The need to investigate and cure these disorders has led to the design and use of new research and treatment methods, and to various theories and explanations, the most commonly known of which is psychoanalysis.
The whole of psychoanalysis has been a strange one. What has happened we must deplore because of the many unfortunate consequences, but it should not, with our psychoanalytic knowledge of human nature, surprise us. The more dubious, excessive, and dangerous aspects of psychoanalysis have been the ones that have been most emphasized and most widely disseminated. The sexual theory (or the alleged sexual origin of most of the manifestations of human life) and a system of often arbitrary and wild interpretations have enjoyed great popularity with the public, have aroused unhealthy curiosity, and often created a pseudo-justification for an uncontrolled indulgence in instinctive nature. At the same time, the higher aspects, the noble flowering of human nature, such as expression through religion and art, have been the subject of a destructive analysis that overlooks their true and deeper essence.
As a consequence of these exaggerations and deviations, a number of psychologists and psychiatrists have been led into a complete denial and condemnation of psychoanalysis and a rejection of the important elements of truth which it contains and the useful psychotherapeutic and educational techniques which it has developed.
Its most fruitful contribution may be said to have been the demonstration that there can be no real health, no inner harmony and freedom, and no unimpaired performance, without our first sincerely, courageously, and humbly acknowledging all the lower aspects of our nature, all the impulses, passions, and illusions, with their manifold combinations and aberrations, which dwell and seethe in our subconscious, and which deceive, limit, and enslave us.
Psychoanalysis, at its best, is effective in helping us overcome the forms of resistance and repression created by our ignorance, our fear, our pride, and our hypocrisy; these prevent us from seeing clearly the darker sides of our nature. Recognizing them is a prerequisite for dealing with them satisfactorily and thus laying a sound and stable foundation for all our subsequent work in the psychological construction of our personality.
As Freud (2) argued, psychoanalysis can help us move from the “pleasure/pain principle,” from the endless oscillation between these two poles in a vain attempt to cling to the first and avoid the second, to the “reality principle,” that is, to the recognition and conscious acceptance of reality—with its laws and just demands. Thus, psychoanalysis, properly understood and applied, can help us move from a world of passions and emotions, of vain imaginings and illusions, to the world of common sense, to an objective and scientific vision of ourselves and others.
But sometimes this help, even when provided by the best form of psychoanalysis, proves insufficient to solve man’s psychological and spiritual problems. It has been seen again and again that while bringing the various tendencies of our subconscious, which are at war with each other, to the light of consciousness may remove some morbid symptoms, it is not sufficient to resolve the conflicts. Sometimes, as when the patient is unable to cope with too sudden or hasty a revelation, it may even aggravate the condition. Moreover, too insistent and one-sided a dive into the lower aspects of the human psyche can be clearly harmful.
Therefore, the practice of psychoanalysis requires great caution and should be kept within clearly defined limits; but above all, it should be integrated with active psychosynthetic procedures. This integration enables the therapist to help his patients, and the educator to help young people to make use of, transform, and sublimate their fertile vital and psychological forces.
The psychological laws
There are specific psychological laws which regulate the use and transformation of emotional and mental forces, very analogous to the laws of hydrodynamics, and the technique by which these forces can be directed into the desired channels and used for constructive purposes is based on these laws. These methods are increasingly being developed and perfected to the point where they constitute a specific branch of applied psychology, psychodynamics.
Thus we can nurture and consciously direct the formation and development of a complete, well-integrated and organized human personality. This is psychosynthesis in the strict sense of the word, the result of using psychosynthetic methods.
The superconscious elements of man
But there is another and more important fact which has been discovered, or rather scientifically ascertained and recognized, in the practice of psychotherapy, chiefly by Jung. It is that there are in man qualities, energies, impulses and needs which are of a higher nature and at a higher level than those present in the normal average human consciousness.
These tendencies and energies, which may be termed superconscious, relate to and interact with the conscious personality, which is curiously analogous—on a higher level—to the lower subconscious drives. It has been stated that these higher energies are often rejected by the “field of consciousness” for similar motives: lack of understanding, fear, preconceived ideas, deprecia- tion , unwillingness to be disturbed or to undertake new inner tasks, and to give up selfish attachments and gratification.
But even in these cases, rejections and denials create reactions, conflict, and various nervous and psychological difficulties. As Jung (3) clearly stated:
“To be ‘normal’ is a glorious ideal for those who are not successful, for all those who have not yet found an adjustment. But for people who have far greater abilities than the average, for those for whom it was never difficult to succeed and to complete their part of the work in the world – for them, to confine themselves to the normal is like a Procrustean bed, unbearable boredom, diabolical sterility and hopelessness. As a result, there are many people who become neurotic because they are only normal, just as there are people who are neurotic because they cannot become normal.” (p.55)
Consequently, some of the more advanced psychologists have recognized the existence of and have begun the scientific study of the superconscious, that is, of the psychospiritual reality in which all higher inspirations, philosophical and scientific institutions, telepathic impressions, unusual healing powers, and impulses to heroic and self-sacrificing deeds are organized and developed, and from which they penetrate into the consciousness of man.
The time has truly come for science to recognize the existence and value of these inner realities and to realize that those who have such experiences will welcome an open-minded, benevolent exploration. Churches and other religious organizations founded on revelations emanating from the transcendental levels mentioned would have nothing to fear from the light that greater psychological knowledge can shed upon them. That which is true and real is like a diamond that no metal tool can scratch; it is like the pure gold that withstands the acid test of any analysis. It is time for religion and science to end their long and unnatural conflict, the result of mutual misunderstanding and the unjustified claims of both. The time has come for them to shed light on each other and integrate with each other in a nobler, more comprehensive synthesis.
Then such an intrusion (often sudden and violent) of the higher energies would no longer cause conflicts, disturbances, deviations, fanatical reactions, erroneous interpretations and judgments, or strange mixtures of truth and illusion, as they often do when they move down into the middle and lower psychological levels. Instead, we will learn to support the effect of these descending currents of energies, to control and assimilate them in an appropriate way, sensibly, so to speak, reducing their potential by – through our resistance – adapting their regenerative influence on ourselves and those on whom they shine. In other words, it is possible, and it should be our goal, to achieve a harmonious integration and harmonious cooperation between the normal and higher spiritual energies – that is, to achieve a Spiritual Psychosynthesis.
Such a view brings up another point, namely that psychosynthesis is not an undertaking that can be completed and that leads to something final and static, like the construction of a building. Psychosynthesis is a vital and dynamic process that leads to ever new inner victories, to ever more comprehensive integrations.
Psychosynthesis in groups
All this is true of each of us as individuals, but it is equally true of the relationships that exist, or that can and should be established, between people. In reality, an isolated individual is a non-existent abstraction. In fact, each individual is woven into an intricate network of vital, psychological, and spiritual relationships that involve mutual exchange and interactions with many other individuals. Each individual is included in and forms a necessary component of various human groupings and groups of groups, just as a cell is a tiny part of an organ within a living organism. Therefore, individual psychosynthesis is only a step towards interindividual psychosynthesis.
Just as an organ (e.g. the liver) and a system of organs (e.g. the digestive tract) constitute important parts of the organism, so the various human groupings constitute certain psychological units or wholes which fulfill specific functions and consequently each has its own particular life, activity and reality or being.
The first of such human groupings is that which consists of the man and the woman, the couple. It is the smallest and simplest from the quantitative point of view, that is, when one considers the number of its constituent elements. But qualitatively it is one of the most complex because of the diversity and closeness which characterize not only the mutual interactions, but also on the basis of the intimate physical-psychic-spiritual connections and fusions which occur in the man-woman relationship. This explains why it is so difficult for a spontaneous, almost automatic, psychosynthesis or harmonious relationship and exchange to occur, as people with a naive and catastrophic ignorance of the complexities of human nature generally expect. We see abundant evidence of this difficulty in the almost universal conflicts and the frequent dramas which endanger the marital relationship and not infrequently cause it to break down. Appropriate psychological knowledge and understanding and a conscious use of the methods of psychosynthesis could effectively help humanity to avoid and eliminate countless sufferings.
The second psychological group or identity is the family. In the past, its members were closely linked and it often exercised a limiting and coercive influence on them. Nowadays, the family grouping is in a serious crisis, mainly because of marked differences, and the resulting acute conflicts, between the older and younger generations. The study and elimination of these conflicts and the establishment of harmonious and constructive relations between the members of the family group is an important part of training in psychosynthesis. May we emphasize that this includes the training of parents on an equal footing with the training of their children.
Then there are broader groupings of various kinds, which have a greater or lesser degree of cohesion or unity. There are, for example, the various communities formed by people belonging to the same class or caste, or the same trade or profession, or the same organization. Clear examples of this are seen in the typical mentality of the aristocratic class in the past; in the “esprit de corps” of the military profession; and in the psychological fusion of a sports or work team, or between people who, although physically separated from each other, are engaged in the same physical work, as, for example, the astronomers of the world. It is not our intention, however, to deal with such groupings, but rather to devote greater attention to the kind of group which at present raises some very acute problems, that is, the group of which a people or a nation is composed.
To understand the nature of such a group properly, we will make use of the close analogy that exists between a nation and a human being. This is often recognized, more or less clearly, for we regularly hear and read statements about the “soul” of a people, about its “psychology,” its “mentality,” its faults and qualities, its development, and its education. Such expressions correspond to a certain psychospiritual reality—a concept that the Polish philosopher W. Lutoslawski put forward as far back as 1911 in his treatise, Nations as Metaphysical Entities, at the “International Congress of Philosophy” in Bologna that year.
Psychosynthesis in nations
The study of a nation as a living entity is very thought-provoking, and we can draw from it many practical conclusions and rules of action. The first fact revealed by such a study—a fact which should not shock us, but rather be regarded as a source of reasonable optimism, for it explains and justifies many things—is that the “personality” of each nation is still at a stage corresponding to the troublesome age of pre-puberty, or perhaps, if more advanced, to adolescence. It is the stage at which the young man is reaching an incipient degree of self-consciousness; and his early evidences of this generally assume an uncontrolled and exuberant form of separatist and aggressive self-assertion.
An objection to this view might be raised on the ground that a number of peoples have a glorious past of distinguished cultural achievements. To this we would reply that we are not dealing here with peoples in general, but with nations as they exist now and here, the formation of which is of comparatively recent date. Furthermore, we must bear in mind that a people may create great artistic and literary works with the help of a few outstanding individuals, just as some artists may create striking works in their early childhood and yet remain children or youths for the rest of their lives, without developing a truly mature “personality.”
The evolution of nations does not proceed in a straight line, but in a “cyclical” manner, as the historian GV Vico (6) pointed out in his theory of “historical repetitions” long before the contributions of more recent thinkers such as Spengler (4) and Toynbee (5). Even in the individual, the psychological and spiritual ages often do not move parallel to the age of the body. They have markedly alternating periods of activity and inactivity, of acceleration and deceleration, maturity or senility and rejuvenation. Goethe’s life is a typical example of this. It assumed a clear cyclical development with recurring periods of astonishing rejuvenation. During the last of these, at the age of 74, he fell in love with a 19-year-old girl, Ulrika von Lewetzow, and he wrote one of his most inspired lyrical poems to her, in which he expressed feelings of an almost youthful character.
Moreover, the particular cycles of each nation are at present subordinate to a greater cycle involving the entire planet. This cycle marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. It thus implies a psychological rejuvenation of humanity followed by the eruption of elemental, primitive, barbaric forces.
Another important fact (related to that which we have just considered) is that the psychological life of a nation corresponds to a great extent to that which is on the unconscious plane of the individuals. Modern research into unconscious psychological activities has confirmed that these are mainly instinctive, emotional and imaginary. They are easily influenced by suggestion, and are often dominated by the collective unconscious, governed by inherited “images” or archetypes, as Jung called them. A real and unprejudiced observation of the psychological life of all peoples shows that they are dominated by the same characteristic features.
The conscious part of the individual corresponds in a people to a minority, composed of its thinkers (philosophers, historians, psychologists, sociologists and other scientists), who strive to develop the nation’s self-consciousness, to interpret its past, to assess its present state and to point towards the future. But such a minority is so far more at a stage of research and discussion than at a stage of certain conclusions and clear action. Those who belong to it are often at odds with each other, and their influence on the life of their nation is limited or unstable.
The soul of the nation
The Self, the “Soul,” the true spiritual Center, is—in nations as well as in individuals—superconscious. It exists, but in a reality and on a level which is generally beyond the reach of personal consciousness. Its reality is revealed through its manifestations, which usually occur only on special occasions, but which are so vivid, potent, and of such a different quality as to be a sure proof of its higher origin.
In individuals this is eminently demonstrated by geniuses, mystics, holy men, and heroes, in whom we cannot help but recognize “something other” than ordinary human traits. It also sometimes happens that these great individuals are inspired not only by their own Self, but also by the soul of their nation, which uses them as instruments and representatives, to reveal itself and to achieve its group purposes. Examples of such inspiration or “overshadowing” have been Moses, Dante, Joan of Arc, and Lincoln.
The psychological study and evaluation of a people is a difficult and complicated undertaking, and this may partly explain the fact that the research which has been carried out so far into the psychology of different peoples is not, on the whole, very satisfactory, and that that which has been carried out in a truly scientific, objective, and impartial manner is rare. In reality, irrational impulses, illusions, and pride have such a great influence as to cloud the vision, and thus distort the estimate of even the material resources of the nation. How much more must the same deceptive influence obscure the recognition of psychological factors which are more fluid, complicated, and difficult to interpret.
Therefore, the psychological study of the different peoples should be carried out only after special preparation and with due caution; that is, after the researchers have undergone a thorough and serious self-analysis in order to eliminate as far as possible their own unconscious complexes, their emotional reactions, and the deviations and illusions which tend to color and distort their judgment and conclusions. In view of the difficulties of being objective and impartial in this matter, it would be advisable for the study to be carried out by groups of researchers, and for each group to include members who do not belong to the nation under study. Often those who are “outside” and therefore observe from a certain “psychological distance” can discern more clearly than those who are “inside.” From this point of view, a harsh critic—and even an enemy—can prove more useful than a blind admirer. The wise ancient Indians went so far in this respect as to assert: “An enemy is as useful as a Buddha!”
Finally, all human individuals and groups of all kinds should be considered as elements, cells or organs (i.e. living parts) of a larger organism which includes all of humanity. Thus the principle of, and the development towards, synthesis brings us from group to group in ever-widening circles to humanity as an integrated whole. The essential unity in origin, in nature and purpose, and the unbreakable interdependence and solidarity of all human beings and groups is a spiritual, psychological and practical reality. It cannot, however, be suppressed, however often it is denied and violated through the countless conflicts in which men foolishly and painfully waste their precious energies and even rob each other of the sacred gift of life.
Despite all the contrasts, all the contradictions and all the negative manifestations, the principle of interdependence, of solidarity, of cooperation, of brotherhood – that is, synthesis – is rapidly gaining recognition. An increasing number of people are animated by the will to implement it and are working actively within various groups and in all fields, outwardly disorganized but inwardly closely linked by a common dedication to the same purpose: the psychosynthesis of humanity.
How to move forward
Read also: The types of energy in society and collectively
Read Roberto Assagioli’s article: The national soul and personality
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 integral meditation
