The great psychologist Carl Jung has said: “In the end, the cosmos and the person obey common laws. The human being is a cosmos in miniature and is not separated by any barrier from the great cosmos. The same laws regulate both, and between the one and the other exists a path that links them. The psyche and the cosmos are in relation with each other in the same way that the inner world is related with the external world.” (Quoted in “The Inner Space of the Human Being” by Angela Maria la Sala Bata).
This happens in a gradual process as the individual becomes conscious of all of these aspects in her or his being, of all the energies that compose it and all of its faculties, until the true essence of the being is realized – the Self or Overself (as it is called by the philosopher Paul Brunton.) To the extent that we become conscious of these dimensions in ourselves and to the extent that we harmonize and balance these many aspects of our being – including our body, psyche and spirit – the more we feel integrated and an increase in happiness and health is actualized.
Robert Assagioli, the founder of Psychosythesis, affirms the existence of a transpersonal level within the human being, i.e. of an inner dimension that transcends the limits of egoism, of materiality, and of sensorial experience, of the biological and psychological conditioning within which the being reveals its true nature and reality.
We could say that this is the divine part in us – our essence – or if one prefers, our super-consciousness, transcending the personal aspect in us, i.e. the physical, emotional and mental bodies.
How then can we come to know in ourselves this multi-dimensional totality? Through a gradual interiorization that can take place when make space for a few minutes of silence in our daily lives, through the practice of meditation or systems of movement such as Tai Chi, Yoga and Xi Gung, or in contemplation of nature.
In this way we begin the process of awakening to a realization of self through the perception of these multiple dimensions – etheric, mental, emotional and spiritual. Thus the great philosopher and teacher of Plato Socrates has said: “Know Thyself.” The knowledge of the self leads us to freedom. Therefore to know and to be, or know to be – these are important keys in this evolutionary process of the human being called life.
Beatriz Berkowitz was trained as a clinical and transpersonal psychologist and teacher of psychology at the Catholic University of Pelotas, Brazil and is a certified hypnotherapist, Acutonics Sound Healing practitioner and teacher, and certified instructor of the Biyun Medical Xi Gung system. For over thirty years she has assisted individuals in the process of healing and awakening to their deeper reality, i.e. a psychology of the soul. Currently she offers classes in spiritual philosophy and psychology and individual consultations at the Wellness Center in Mount Shasta. Feel free to stop by her office (#2) to pick up a brochure or call or e-mail (530 784-0417 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for more information.
