Gnostic Inner Illumination & Jung's Individuation

8/12/2019 Gnostic Inner Illumination & Jung's Individuation

1/9

Journal of Religion and Health, Vol. 31, No. 3, Fall 1992

G n o s t i c I n n e rI l l u m i n a t i o n a n dC a r l J u n g sI n d i v i d u a t i o nJOHN PENNACHIOABSTRACT T h e a n c i e n t r e l i g i o u s s y s t e m o f G n o s t i c i s m a r g u e d f o r t h e t r a n s c e n d e n c e o f t h ep h y s i c a l w o r l d a n d t h e d i v i n i t y o f s e l f -k n o w l e d g e . M o r e r e c e n t l y , a s i m i l a r a r g u m e n t w a s m a d eb y C a r l J u n g t h r o u g h h i s c o n c ep t o f i n d i v i d u a t i o n . T h i s p a p e r e x a m i n e s s o m e o f t h e s i m i l a r i t i e sb e t w e e n G n o s t i c i n n e r i l l u m i n a t i o n a n d J u n g ' s c o n c e p t o f i n d i v i d u a t i o n .

For the psychoanal yst Carl Jung, the goal of hum an striving is the quest forwholeness throug h inner knowledge. This embodies a jour ney toward t he cen-ter of the psyche, a jo urn ey towar d the self. For Jung, one of the best repre-sent atio ns of this process is to be found in the symbolis m of Christ and thecross. In Jungian terms, the crucified Christ is very meaningful for the un-conscious. The cross is a symbol of uni ty d emo nst rat ing t he impor tance of thecenter. It signifies the self and f unctions as an organ izing theme. The symbol-ism of tran sform ation associated with death, r ebirth, and ascent to the spirit-ual r eal m is also an a tt ri but e of the cross. Some of this gains expr ession inthe following from the work of Jung:

The definition of the cross or center as the boundary of all things is exceed-ingly original, for it suggests that the limits of the universe are not to be foundin a nonexistent periphery but in its center. There alone lies the possibility oftranscending this world . . . In the self all disharmonies are resolved in theharmony of wisdom. The center symbolizes the idea of tota lity and f inali ty . . .This is a clear reminder that everything is contained in the center and that , as aresult, the Lord (the cross) unites and composes all things and is therefore freefrom opposites. 1

J o h n P e n n a c h i o , P h . D , i s P r o f e s s o r o f P s y c h o l o g y a t A d i r o n d a c k C o m m u n i t y C o l l e g e i n Q u e e n s -b u r y , N e w Y o r k .23 7 9 1992 Institutes of Religionand Health


2/9

238 Journal of Religion and Health

I t is c le a r t h a t J u n g b e l i e v e s s e lf - k n o w l e d g e is s y n o n y m o u s w i t h t h e c e n t e ra n d t r a n s c e n d s t h e b o u n d a r i e s o f t h e p h y s i c a l w o r ld . T h i s i s a l so th e b a s i s f ort h e a n c i e n t r e l i g i o u s p h i l o s o p h y of G n o s t i c is m . E a c h h o l d s t h a t u l t i m a t ek n o w i n g o r t r u t h e m e r g e s o n l y a s a co n s e q u e nc e o f t h e i n w a r d p a t h . T h e ym a i n t a i n s i m i l a r p o s i t i o n s r e g a r d i n g s e lf h oo d , t h e a t t a i n m e n t o f w h i c h i s d i-v i n e. W h a t G n o s t i c i s m r e g a r d s a s i n n e r il l u m i n a t i o n , J u n g t e r m e d i n d i vi d u -a t i o n .

A l t h o u g h J u n g d o e s n o t c o n s i d e r h i m s e l f a G n o s t ic } h i s c o n c e p t io n s o f t h ei n d i v i d u a t i o n p r o c e s s p la c e h i m q u i t e c l o s e t o m u c h o f G n o s t i c p h il o s o p h y. I ti s u n l i k e l y t h a t G n o s t i c i s m s p e c i fi c a l ly d e fi n e d i n d i v i d u a t i o n f o r J u n g , b u t ,r a t h e r , i t i s l i k e l y t h a t w h a t h e d i s c o v e re d i n d e p e n d e n t l y a b o u t t h e p s y c h ee n a b l e d h i m t o a p p r e c i a t e a n d b e n e f i t f r o m w h a t G n o s t i c i s m h a d t o o f f e r . I nt h i s p a p e r I e x a m i n e s o m e o f t h e s i m i l a r i t ie s t h a t e x i s t b e t w e e n G n o s t i c c on -c e p t i o n s o f i n n e r i l l u m i n a t i o n a n d J u n g ' s c o n c e p t o f i n d i v i d u a t io n .

T h e g o a l s o f b o t h G n o s t i c i s m a n d i n d i v i d u a t i o n a r e s i m i l a r i n t h a t t h e yh i g h l i g h t t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f t h e c e n t e r , o r se lf . T h i s i s t h e l i n k w i t h u l t i m a t er e a l it y . T h r o u g h t h e c o n c e p t o f i n d i v id u a t i o n J u n g m a i n t a i n s t h a t t h e r e i s af u n d a m e n t a l t e n d e n c y t o m o v e to w a r d i n t e g r a t i o n a n d, a s w i t h G n o s t ic i sm ,t h e p r o c e s s n e c e s s i t a t e s g r a p p l i n g w i t h p a i n f u l a n d d i s t u r b i n g i n n e r f o rc e s .S e l fh o o d i n v o l v e s to i l a n d d e v a s t a t i o n a s a p r e l u d e t o d e a t h a n d r e b i r t h . I t isk n o w l e d g e o f G o d a n d a l s o p e r f e c t w h o l e n e s s .G n o s i s i s d e f i n e d a s a n i n t u i t i v e p r o c e s s o f k n o w i n g o n e s e l f. I t i s a s e r i e s o fs e c r e t m y s t e r i e s a n d h i g h e r t e a c h i n g s m a i n t a i n i n g t h a t s e l f- d i s c ov e r y a t t h ed e e p e s t le v e l i s i d e n t i c a l to k n o w i n g h u m a n d e s t i n y a n d G o d . G n o s t i c i s mt o o k is s u e w i t h i n s t i tu t i o n a l iz e d C h r i s t i a n d o g m a a b o u t t h e n a t u r e o f t h ed i v in e . F o r t h e s e r e a s o n s i t w a s r e g a r d e d a s a C h r i s t i a n h e r e s y a n d w a s s y s -t e m a t i c a l l y d e s t r o y e d b y t h e o r t h o d o x c h u r c h i n th e e a r l y y e a r s o f C h r i s -t i a n i t y .

G n o s i s t e a c h e s t h a t o r d i n a r y h u m a n e x i s t e n c e i s s p i r i t u a l d e a t h . I t i s, i n as e n s e , a p h i l o s o p h y o f p e s s i m i s m a b o u t t h e w o r l d c o m b i n e d w i t h a n a t t e m p t a ts e l f - tr a n s c e n d e n c e . T h r o u g h a d e q u a t e e x p l o r a t i o n o f t h e i n n e r m o s t r e a c h e s o ft h e p s y c h e , a n e x p e r i e n c e o f t h e s e lf , o r c e n te r , w i ll m a n i f e s t i ts e lf . S u c h a ne x p e r i e n c e is s y n o n y m o u s w i t h t r a n s c e n d e n c e a n d i n n e r i l l u m i n a t i o n . T h i s i sa r e l i g i o u s q u e s t , a s e a r c h f o r t h e d i v i n e 2

M o s t G n o s t ic s c o n s id e r e d th e m s e l v e s C h r i s t ia n a n d r e g a r d e d C h r i s t a s e n -l i g h t e n e d . A c c o r d i n g t o G n o s t i c i s m , C h r i s t ' s m i s s i o n w a s to h e l p h u m a n so v e r c om e i g n o r a n c e a n d t o l i gh t t h e w a y t o w a r d t h i s i n n e r jo u r n e y . H e w a s at r u e G n o s t i c w h o c a m e i n t o t h e w o r l d a s a te a c h e r . A s t h e w o r d s o f J e s u sf r o m t h e G n o s t i c ospel of Thomas i l l u s t r a t e :

I t o o k my p lace in th e mid s t o f t h e w o r ld , an d I ap p eared to th em in f l e sh . Ifo u n d a l l o f t h em in to x ica ted ; I fo u n d no n e o f t h em th i r s ty . A n d m y so u l b ecam eaf f li c ted fo r t h e so n s o f men , b eca u se th ey a re b l in d in th e i r h ea r t s an d d o n o th av e s igh t ; fo r em p ty th ey came in to th e w o r ld, an d em p ty to o th ey see k to l eav e


3/9

ohn Pennachio 239

the world. But for the moment they are intoxicated. When they shake off theirwine, t hen they will repent. 4Thus, ultimate knowledge and mystical transformation are fundamental

and essential in Gnostic religious philosophy. Ultimate knowledge trans-forms, as the following words of Jes us point out:

He who drinks from my mouth will become like me. As for me, I will becomewhat he is, and what is hidden will be revealed to him?What the Christians regard as literal the Gnostics regard as symbolic. 6Jesus' life is a parable t hat maps the interior world, indicative of an inter nal

journey that is both transformative and divine. As is true for Jung, crucifix-ion, suffering, and resur recti on are i nterp reted as symbolic milestones on theroad to spiritual enlightenment. They represent movement to a higher level,transc ending one's present state of consciousness. Ascent to the heights, tothe place of revelation, is the domain of the spiritual. It is the tr ium ph ofspirit over flesh.

In the Gnostic world view, there is only one light or God. Through some kind ofemanat ion of this light, the world came into existence. In the process the divineman or emanated light became divided up, scattered and imprisoned in individ-ual human bodies. Most Gnostics felt that the human body serves as a kind oftrap or prison for inner divine sparks that are part of one true light. For theGnostic Christian, Jesus was a wisdom-type figure who came into this world tohelp us realize who we really are, and thus liberate us from the bondage ofhuman flesh. 7The si gnificance of the tr iu mph of spirit over flesh is to be found in the

inh eren t dar kness of the physical world, which includes the body. The divineworld of light is opposed by tha t of darkn ess and evil. It is this notion ofduality, also evide nt in the concept of individuation, that is of prim ary impor-tance in Gnostic religious philosophy. Since the physical world embodiesdarkness, it is inferior to the spiritual world. The human body makes dark-ness inescapable, and it must be transcended to reveal the divine world oflight. Therefore, the anguish associated with the duality of existence is un-avoidable. However, Christ, in pointing the way toward the inward path,demonstrated how to escape from evil and darkness. This is rebirth and sal-vation for the Gnostic.

Salvation consists of an inner illumination or experience of the divine sparkwithin . . . . Once we had learned to escape, we could tap the immense powersof our divinity, obtain freedom and immortality, and be able to be united oncemore to the light from which we came. 8


4/9

24 Journal of Religion and Health

Salvation embodies being freed from ignorance. One can be "delivered"from ignorance thro ugh knowledge of the trut h, ult ima te knowledge. Accord-ingly, truth is not found through intellect or belief, but is predicated uponexperience of the inner self, inner illumin ation, which is divine. Knowledgeof the spiritua l c enter w ithi n is the hig hest form of knowledge. In this sense,knowledge is salvation for the Gnostic. In fact, as is the case for individua-tion, sa lvation consists en tirel y of self-discovery?

Ignorance is the real sin, and it is responsible for darkness: suffering andevil acts. The unfo rtun ate plight of hum ans is that they have been duped intobeing content with ignorance. 1~ Transfor mation, thr ough redemption and re-birth, involves awareness of the duality of light and dark. Alth ough haunt-ing, the inne r world of darknes s and i nter nal conflict mus t be confronted andbrought forth. Failure to know oneself and to confront inner impulses is re-sponsible for living in illusion and is the precursor for destruction.

That which you have will save you if you bring it forth from yourselves. Thatwhich you do not have within you will kill you if you do not have it within you."That toil and devastation are indicative of the p ath toward the light is

fun dam ent al to Gnostic philosophy. It is this path th at leads to salvation, theinner ill umin atio n resulting from an experience of the self, or center.

9 .nailed to a tree he became a fruit of the knowledge (Gnosis) of the Father . . . ,2Inher ent in salvation is a new awareness beyond the limitations of the

physical world. Here lies the basis for redempt ion and rebirth.Wretched is the body that is dependent upon a body, and wretched is the soulthat is dependent on these two. 13

Redemption, literal ly mean ing release, involves transce ndence of the phys-ical world and the experience of inne r en light enment . Going beyond the phys-ical world and toward the spiritual center is the most essential aspect ofGnostic teachings. Inner knowledge of the divine, ulti mate truth , is whatleads to redemption. This is il lust rated in the following from the Gospel ofThomas

Whoever finds the interpretat ion of these sayings will not experience death . . .If those who lead you say to you, "See the Kingdom is in the sky," then the birdsof the sky will precede you9 If they say to you, "It is in the sea," then the fishwill precede you. Rather, the Kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you.When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you willrealize that it is you who are the sons of the living Father 9 But if you will notknow yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty. 14


5/9

John Pennachio 241

The message t ha t Chris t offered was to search. Anguish, of both body andmind, was to be anticipat ed and to be endured in order that one may be savedand reborn. The message is not a set of answers, but rat he r a process to-ward inquiry. Similar to individuation, the path is not a quieting one:

Blessed are they who have been persecuted within themselves. It is they whohave truly come to know the Father. Blessed are the hungry, for the belly of himwho desires will be filled. Blessed is the man who has suffered and found life. ~5However, Gnosticism maint ains that most people understa nd little or noth-

ing of this message and live in obscurity, terribly un awar e of who they are.Being unaware, they have no root. ''6 In Jungi an terms they are unconscious.Such existence is quite unpleasant. Those who experience it live in illusion.Consequently, terror, instability, doubt, and division may characterize theirlives. According to th e ospel of Truth they live:

9 . .as if they were sunk in sleep and found themselves in disturbing dreams . . . .Without strength chasing after others, or they are receiving blows . . . or havefallen off into the a ir though they do not have win gs .. , as if people were mur-dering them, though there is no one pursuing them.Jung's work with his patients and his own unconscious in particular ledhim to an explor ation of Gnosticism. This quest, among others, allowed him

to make connections between religion and psychology. His development of thearchetypes and the collective unconscious enabled him to say the followingabout Gnosticism:

Gnosis is undoubtedly a psychological knowledge whose contents derive fromthe unconscious. It reached its insights by concentrating on the subjective fac-tor which consists empirically in the demonstrable influence that the collectiveunconscious exerts on the conscious mind.Jun g understood many Gnostic images as an aspect of inner experiences in

connection with individuation. Like Gnosticism, individuation is a primaland original expression of inner life directed toward the task of wholenessand integration. Growth and transformation are natural processes, the poten-tial for which resides in the unconscious. As such, inner exploration, or indi-viduation, ma y occur with or wit hout the permission of the conscious mind,motivated entirely by the uncor/scious.

The transcendent function does not proceed without aim and purpose, but leadsto the revelation of the essential man. It is in the first place a purely naturalprocess, which may in some cases pursue its course without the knowledge orassistance of the individual, and can sometimes forcibly accomplish itsel f in theface of opposition. The meaning and purpose of the process is the realization, in


6/9

4 Journal of Religion and ealth

all its aspects, of the personality originally hidden away in the embryonic germplasm; the production and unfolding of the original, potential wholeness. Thesymbols used by the unconscious to this end are the same as those which man-kind has always used to express wholeness, completeness and perfection: sym-bols, as a rule, of the quaternity and the circle. 19Indiv iduat ion is a divine process, and Chri stia n symbolism very accuratel y

expresses this. As far as Ju ng is concerned, the symbolic mea ning of Christ isvery clear: Chr ist exemplifies the arche type of the self. '2~ This a rche type isat the center of the psyche and represents the goal of hum an striving. Jesusis the prototype for the awa keni ng of the spiritual i nner ma n.

It is therefore well to examine carefully the psychological aspects of the individ-uation process in the light of Christian tradition, which can describe it for uswith an exactness and impressiveness far surpassing our feeble attempts . . . 21The universal symbolism of religion points to essential psychologicaltruths. The symbols are expressions of growth and, ultimately, salvation. Inthis way Ju ng recognizes and appreciates the importance of religion.

Religion is a revealed way of salvation. It ideas are products of a preconsciousknowledge which, always and everywhere, expresses itself in symbols. Even ifour intellect does not grasp them, they still work because our unconscious ac-knowledges them as exponents of universal psychic factsPUnlike Christianity, which blames knowledge for sin, Gnostics seek re-

demption through knowledge. They maintain that institutionalized Chris-tia nit y intellectu alized a trul y subjective experience. For the Gnostics this isobviously not an encounte r with the divine ; redempt ion and salvation areimpossible to achieve solely through objective means. Similarly, Jung tellsus, unde rstan ding and satisfying the psyche is more than an intellectual en-deavor.

A psychology that satisfies the intellect alone can never be practical, for thetotality of the psyche can never be grasped by intellect alone. Whether we willor no, philosophy keeps breaking through, because the psyche seeks an expres-sion that will embrace its total nature. 23Individuation embraces the dualities inheren t in the psyche. Polarities areintimately connected to energy and, ultimately, to growth itself. Although

unple asant , tens ion provides the necessary energy for trans forma tion. Oppos-ing forces, their recognition, and, finally, their unificati on and transcendence,are essential to individuation just as much as they are to Gnosticism. Jungrecognizes evil as an inhe rent aspect of good, of the world itself.


7/9

ohn Pennachio 243

Li f e , b e in g a n e n e r g e t i c p r o c e s s , n e e d s t h e o p p o s i t e s , f o r w i th o u t o p p o s i t i o nt h e r e i s , as w e k n o w , n o e n e r g y . G o o d a n d e v i l a r e s i m p l y t h e m o r a l a s p e c t s o ft h i s n a t u r a l p o l a r i t y . T h e f a c t t h a t w e h a v e t o fe e l t h i s p o l a r i t y s o e x c r u -c i a t i n g l y m a k e s h u m a n e x i s t e n c e a l l t h e m o r e c o m p l i c a t e d . Y e t t h e s u f f e r i n gth a t n e c e s s a r i l y a t t a c h e s t o l i f e i t s e l f c a n n o t b e e v a d e d . ~4

T h e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f t e n s i o n g i v e s p r o m i n e n c e t o t h e r o l e o f d a r k n e s s i n r e li -g i o us s y m b o l i s m a n d t r a n s c e n d e n c e . J u n g r e p r e s e n t s d a r k n e s s t h r o u g h t h ec o n c e p t o f t h e s h a d o w a n d d e m o n s t r a t e s it s i m p o r t a n c e i n t h e f o l l o w i ng :

T h r o u g h t h e C h r i s t c r u ci f ie d b e t w e e n t h e t w o t h i e v e s m a n g r a d u a l l y a t t a i n e dk n o w l e d g e o f h i s s h a d o w a n d i t s d u a l i ty . T h i s d u a l i t y h a d a l r e a d y b e e n a n t i c i -p a t e d b y t h e d o u b l e m e a n i n g o f t h e s e r p e n t . J u s t a s t h e s e r p e n t s t a n d s f o r t h ep o w e r t h a t h e a l s a s w e l l a s c o r r u p t s , s o o n e o f t h e t h i e v e s i s d e s t i n e d u p w a r d s ,t h e o t h e r d o w n w a r d s , a n d s o l i k e w i s e t h e s h a d o w i s o n o n e s id e r e g r e t t a b l e a n dr e p r e h e n s i b l e w e a k n e s s , o n t h e o t h e r s i d e h e a l t h y i n s t i n c t i v i t y a n d t h e p r e r e q -u is i te fo r h i gh er consc iou sness . ~5S i m i l a r t o G n o s t i c i s m , J u n g ' s p s y c h o l o g y e q u a t e s e v i l w i t h u n c o n s c i o u s -

n e s s a n d u n a w a r e n e s s . T h e r e f o r e , o v e r c o m i n g e v i l b e g i n s w i t h i ts r ec o g n i-t i o n . N e g l e c t i n g t h i s a s p e c t o f l i f e i s u n k n o w i n g o f t h e m o s t s e r i o u s n a t u r e .

M u c h , t h a t i s t o s a y , t h a t p r o v e s to b e a b y s m a l l y e v i l in i t s u l t i m a t e e f f e ct s d o e sn o t c o m e f r o m m a n ' s w i c k e d n e s s b u t f r o m h i s s t u p i d i t y a n d u n c o n s c i o u sn e s s . 26T e n s i o n a n d t h e s h a d o w a r e n e c e s s a r y f o r i n d i v i d u a t i o n , a s t h e i n t e g r a t i o n

o f o p p o s i n g fo r c es i s a f u n d a m e n t a l a s p e c t o f w h o l e n e s s . J u n g i l l u s t r a t e s t h a ti n d i v i d u a t i o n i s l i k e l y t o b e i n i t i a t e d b y t h e s h a d o w , t h e r e b y i n d i c a t i n g , p a r -a l l e l i n g G n o s t i c i s m , t h a t c o n f r o n t i n g d a r k n e s s c a n b e t r a n s f o r m a t i v e :

T h e i n d i v i d u a t i o n p r o c e s s is i n v a r i a b l y s t a r t e d o f f b y t h e p a t i e n t s b e c o m i n g c o n -s c io u s o f t h e s h a d o w , a p e r s o n a l i t y c o m p o n e n t u s u a l l y w i t h a n e g a t i v e s i g n . T h i s

i n f e r i o r p e r s o n a l i t y i s m a d e u p o f e v e r y t h i n g t h a t w i l l n o t fi t i n w i t h , a n da d a p t to , t h e l a w s a n d r e g u l a t i o n s o f c o n s ci o u s l if e . . . I n d i v i d u a t i o n i s a ne x c e e d in g ly d i f f i c u l t t a s k . I t a lw a y s i n v o lv e s a c o n f l i c t o f d u t i e s , w h o s e s o lu t i o nr e q u i r e s u s t o u n d e r s t a n d t h a t o u r c o u n t e r - w i l l i s a l s o a n a s p e c t o f G o d ' s w i l l. ~7T h e s h e d d i n g o f i l lu s i o n a n d t h e c o n f r o n t a t i o n o f t h e i n n e r w o r l d o f t h e

u n c o n s c i o u s a r e c e r t a i n t o b e p a i n f u l , b u t t h e e n d r e s u l t i s p o t e n t i a l l y b e n e f i -c ia l. I n h e r e n t i n s u c h e n d u r a n c e i s t h e n o t i o n o f t r a n s f o r m a t i o n a n d w h o l e -n e s s. I n th i s w a y , t h e p a t h t o w a r d i n d i v i d u a t i o n i s o f t e n a n e x p e r i e n c e o fd e a t h a n d r e b i r t h .

T h i s p s y c h o l o g i c al p ro c e s s is a d m i t t e d l y p a i n f u l a n d f o r m a n y p e o p le a p o s i t i v et o r t u r e . B u t , a s a l w a y s , e v e r y s t e p f o r w a r d a l o n g t h e p a t h o f i n d i v i d u a t i o n i sa c h i e v e d o n l y a t t h e c o s t o f s u f f e r i n g . . . T h e e x p e r i e n c e o f s i c k ne s s , t o r t u r e ,


8/9

44 J o u r n a l o f R e l i g io n a n d e a l t h

death, and regeneration implies, at a higher level, the idea of being made wholethrough sacrifice, of being changed by transubstantiation and exalted to thepneumatic ma n-- in a word, of apotheosis. 28The fu nda men tal need for wholeness and int egrat ion lies at the core of the

human psyche. This internal psychological fact finds external expression inthe symbols tha t hum ans create and find attractive. Again, the symbolism ofthe cross demonstrates the u nderly ing truth of transform ation and the eter-nal and universal center.

Focusing attention upon the cross, consciousness is reunited with the uncon-scious, the unconscious is made one with his center, which is also the center ofthe universe, and in this wise the goal of man s salvation and exaltation isreached?9The appeal of a deity is connected with the central archetype or self. This is

also the God archetype. God is the univers al re prese ntat ion of wholeness.Like Gnosticism, wholeness, th rou gh self-discovery, is the goal of hu ma nstriving.

Consequently, it does not seem improbable that the archetype of wholeness occu-pies as such a central position which approximates it to the God-image. Thesimilarity is further borne out by the peculiar fact that the archetype produces asymbolism which has always characterized and expressed the Deity . . . Strictlyspeaking, the God-image does not coincide with the unconscious as such, butwith a special content of it, namely the archetype of the self.... The religiousneed longs for wholeness, and therefore lays hold of the images of wholenessoffered by the unconscious, which independently of the conscious mind, rise upfrom the depths of our psychic nature?~Growth and integration through inner exploration necessitate that what

resides deep inside be brought forward to consciousness. That which is notconfronted blocks development and is responsible for distress. True forGnosticism, this is also the case for Jung.

The psychological rule says that when an inner si tuation is not made conscious,it happens outside as fate. That is to say, when the individual remains un-divided and does not become conscious of his inner opposite, the world mustperforce act out the conflict and be torn into opposing halves?According to the Gnostic Gospel of Truth the process of self-discovery be-gins when a person experiences the a nguis h and ter ror of the h um an condi-tion. Salvatio n from suffering comes from a realization of the t ru th about

existence. Similarly, individuation involves recognition of the shadow andthe ability to use thi s aspect of the self for growth. Both the Gnostics andJu ng recognize the limit ation s of the physical world and argue for its tran-


9/9

J o h n P e n n a c h i o 245

s c e n d e n c e . T h e y e a c h a c k n o w l e d g e c o n c e p t s s u c h a s s a l v a t i o n , r e d e m p t i o n ,c r u c i fi x io n , a n d r e b i r t h a s p s y c h o l o g i c a l u n i v e r s a l s c o n n e c t e d w i t h i n n e r e n -l i g h t e n m e n t a n d u n d e r s t a n d t h e i n d i v i d u a l s el f, o r c e n te r , a s s y n o n y m o u sw i t h u n i v e r s a l t r u t h . U n i v e r s a l t r u t h i s e te r n a l a n d d i v i n e a n d i s t h e u l t i-m a t e g r o w t h e x p e r i e n c e . I t i s t h i s e m p h a s i s , a s d e m o n s t r a t e d h e r e , w h e r e t h es i m i l a r i t ie s b e t w e e n t h e G n o s t i c c o n c e p t o f i n n e r i l l u m i n a t i o n a n d t h a t o fJ u n g s i n d i v i d u a t i o n m a y b e n o te d .

H e n c e , f or J u n g a n d t h e G n o s t i c s s p i r i t u a l it y i s a n i n tr i n s i c p r o p e r t y o f t h ep s y c he . B o t h a r g u e t h a t i n n e r e n l i g h t e n m e n t i s n e c e s s a r y t o e s c a p e m i s e r ya n d m a i n t a i n p s y c h o l o g i c a l h e a l t h . S e l f - e x p l o r a t i o n a t t h e d e e p e s t l e v e l l e a d st o s p i r i tu a l a w a k e n i n g . A s t h e G n o s t i c s a ff i rm e d s o l o n g a g o , a n d J u n g m o r er e c e n t ly , t h e r e c a n b e n o s u b s t i t u t e f o r s e l f -k n o w l e d g e a n d a n e n c o u n t e r w i t ht h e d i v i n e . F u r t h e r , a t r u e s p i r i t u a l e x p e r i e n c e m a y b e o n e o f t h e m o s t b a s i cd r i v e s i n t h e p s y c h e , a n d m a y e v e n b e a n e s s e n t i a l p s y c h o l o g i c a l n e e d .

eferences1 . J u n g , C . G . , T h e C o l l e c t e d W o r k s vol . 11. P r i n c e to n P r i n c e t o n U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s 1970, p. 285.2 . I b i d . pp . 306-307 .3 . G r a s s i , J . , T h e G n o s t i c V i e w o f J e s u s a n d t h e T e a c h e r T o d a y , J . R e l i g i o u s E d u c a t i o n 1982 ,

77 , 336-349 .4 . R o b i n s o n , J . , T h e G o s p e l o f T h o m a s . Th e N a g H amm ad i L i br a l: y S a n F r a n c is c o H a r p e r1977, p . 121.5 . D o r e s e e , J . , T he Secre t Books o f he E gyp t i an Gnos ti cs N e w Y o r k V i k in g 1960, p . 370.6 . Pag e l s , E . , T h e Gn ost ic Gospels N e w Y o r k V i n t a g e 1979.7 . Gra ss i , op . c i t . 337 .8 . I b i d .9 . P a g e l s , op. c i t .10 . Gra ss i , o19. cir.1 1 . R o b i n s o n , o19. cit . p. 126.1 2 . P a g e l s , op. cir.1 3 . R o b i n s o n , op. c i t . p. 127.14. I b i d . p. 118.15. I b i d . pp. 126, 124.1 6 . P a g e l s , o19. cir.17. I b i d . pp . 150-151 .1 8 . J u n g , op . c i t . vo l . 9 , no . 2 , pp . 223 , 350 .19. I b i d . vol . 7 , p . 110.20 . I b i d . vol . 11.21. I b i d . vol . 9 , no. 2 , p . 45.22 . I b i d . vol . 11, p . 293.23. I b i d . vol. 7, p. 119.24. I b i d . vol. 11, p. 197.25. I b i d . vol . 9 , no. 2 , p . 255.26. I b i d . vol . 11, p . 197.27. I b i d . vol . 11, p . 198.28. I b i d . vo l . 11 , pp . 272 , 294-295 .29. I b i d . vol . 11, p . 292.30. I b i d . vol. 11, p. 757.31. I b i d . vol . 9 , no. 2 , p . 71.

Date post:	03-Jun-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	fraterprierius
View:	220 times
Download:	0 times

Gnostic Inner Illumination & Jung's Individuation

Documents