Overview

In this pivotal chapter, Jung introduces the Self as the archetype of wholeness and the regulating center of the psyche. The Self represents the unified totality of conscious and unconscious, serving as both the center and the circumference of our entire psychological being.

Jung distinguishes the Self from the ego, explaining that while the ego is merely the center of consciousness, the Self encompasses the whole personality. This archetype manifests in dreams and visions through symbols of completeness: mandalas, circles, squares, and quaternities.

"The Self is not only the centre, but also the whole circumference which embraces both conscious and unconscious; it is the centre of this totality, just as the ego is the centre of consciousness." - C.G. Jung, Aion

Key Concepts

The Self as Totality: The archetype representing the unity of the personality as a whole
Self vs. Ego: The crucial distinction between the limited conscious center and the total psyche
Mandala Symbolism: Sacred circles representing the Self's wholeness and integration
Christ as Self-Symbol: Religious figures as projections of the Self archetype
Individuation: The process of realizing the Self through integrating unconscious contents

Mandala: Symbol of the Self

Interactive mandala showing the Self's structure as center and circumference

The Relationship of Ego to Self

Understanding the ego as a small circle within the greater sphere of the Self

The Fish: Symbol of the Self Through Time

Explore how the fish symbol has represented the Self across different ages

The Fish Symbol Through Time

Understanding Jung's Aion Through the Evolution of a Symbol

In "Aion," Carl Jung traces how the fish symbol transformed from an ancient fertility symbol to the Christian Ichthys, and how this relates to the astrological ages.

The Self as God-Image

Jung explores how the Self archetype has been projected onto divine figures throughout history. Christ, in particular, serves as a symbol of the Self in Western culture, representing the ideal of wholeness and the union of divine and human nature.

However, Jung notes that the traditional Christ figure represents only the light side of the Self. The complete Self must include the shadow, the dark aspects of the personality, leading to his exploration of the Antichrist as the shadow side of this archetype.

"The self is a quantity that is supraordinate to the conscious ego. It embraces not only the conscious but also the unconscious psyche, and is therefore, so to speak, a personality which we also are." - C.G. Jung, Aion

The Quaternity Structure of the Self

The four-fold nature of psychic wholeness

The Path to the Self

The realization of the Self is not an intellectual exercise but a lived experience that Jung calls individuation. This process involves:

Recognition of the ego's limitations
Confrontation with the shadow
Integration of the anima or animus
Encounter with the Self as the organizing principle

The Self acts as both the goal of this process and the force that guides it, creating a paradox that can only be resolved through direct experience rather than rational understanding.