Mandala for Jung: meaning of the symbol

George Alvarez 03-06-2023
George Alvarez

Carl Jung made a major contribution to the use and dissemination of mandalas in the therapeutic world. It was thanks to the efforts of the founder of Analytical Psychology that the West had access to the use of this tool. mandala for Jung and how it impacts your life.

The mandala for Jung

The mandala for Jung means a support for transformation and internal growth in the individual to reach wholeness According to him, mandalas showed themselves as attempts of the unconscious to seek a cure for our internal form. With this, our psyche could be restored and put in order.

When he created his first mandala, in 1916, Jung had no idea what he was doing, so the result concentrates several mythological archetypes and mystical and natural symbols distributed in a circle. Given the complexity of the final result, it took time to understand the path he had taken.

However, the daily creation of the mandalas gave him a clarity that was gradually coming closer. Gradually, he experienced what he called "psychic transformation". This allowed him to observe himself with more confidence and willingness to transform himself into something greater and more complete.

The Centrality of the Divine

The Orientals carried a unique form that influenced the perception of mandala for Jung . The therapist pointed out that the Orientals had the motivation to have an encounter with God For this, the centralization movement was fundamental in the construction of their mandalas.

With this, the meeting with Self On this path, we would visualize, through the mandala, our true nature far from the physical eyes.

Thus, the power of vivification increases, becoming more expressive through the mandala. The purpose of this route is to make clear the structures that make us up individually and as social beings. These structures are, respectively, of Self individual and collective unconscious.

Action Sequencing and Discovery

A mandala for Jung In other words, he created a routine where he drew a new picture every morning. In this, the new design signified his psyche in form prior to the present moment, so that it was always transformed .

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With practice, he noticed that he had more clarity about what he was doing and how it reflected in his life. Thus, he observed his progressive, eternal psychic transformation and recreation of spirit. Thus, on this path, when one reaches the totality of being, there is no room left for self-delusion in the personality.

Jung was guided by the feeling that the mandalas signified and headed towards something central. In this way, he was able to conclude that the design was an archetype of the universe itself. Therefore, he classified the object as a model of any path leading to the center and individualization.

Psychic structure according to Jung

The psychic structures of mandala for Jung exemplify well the formation of the human being. At the same time that they individualize us, they also serve to connect us to the external environment They are:

  • Self

It is the "self", a representation of us with ourselves. In other words, it is the bridge we have so that we can access the greater force that makes us alive. In a simplistic way, it is the initial pillar of our existence that places us and gives us a place in this world.

  • Personal Unconscious

This structure is about our experiences as individuals in the direction of the self. Try to think of it as our particularity, that which differentiates us from other people. After all, this structure drives the personal experiences that we have throughout life and that help to characterize us.

  • Collective Unconscious

The collective unconscious shows itself as the representation of our experiences connected with ancestral memories If you have never traveled to Africa, for example, how could you create images and sensations about it? This, in fact, is one of the most famous work proposals released by Carl Jung.

The pillars of mandala construction

A mandala for Jung It was understood little by little and with the passage of time. Lines above, we highlight the psychologist's insistence to better understand how they reflected his own life. In this, among other ideas, he was able to establish that there is a connection with:

  • The Fantasy

People without such a loose imagination will find it difficult to build their own mandalas. You have to let your mind be carried away by the creative part of it so that other instances can approach For example, it puts you in front of symbols that escape the real world, but that have meaning for you.

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  • Wishes

There needs to be motivation, a fuel, for the mandala to be created. The whole process of creation is wrapped up in a goal of achieving a certain object, even if you don't know what it is. At the end of therapy, you will try to understand what motivations led to the creation of the object.

  • Motivation

The unconscious has a distinct motivation based on its personal nature. This type of representation is important because it is from this representation that the individual will visualize what accompanies him daily .

Read Also: Mandala Symbol: Jung's view and holistic view

Individualization

Looking at the meaning and application of mandala for Jung There is a process called individualization It is the process of synthesizing the unconscious content on its way to self-consciousness.

Basically, is a psychic process for the integration of opposites in a person's mind From Jung's perspective, individuation is a central process of human growth.

The proposal here is to condense the unique image of an individual so that he can achieve his wholeness. To do this, it is necessary to fit all his psychic components together properly and to establish harmony among them. Even if they function separately, together they are part of a single system.

See_also: Duality: definition for Psychoanalysis

Self-centeredness X Self

The form and function of mandala for Jung ends up aiming at the concept of center to the human mind. This center is what Jung classifies as Yourself So how can one differentiate one from the other, if the partial response is the same?

Self-centeredness works on the idea that our consciousness is embraced with our desires and wants created in the Ego. This ends up preventing the individual from focusing on his evolutionary aspect and on the mission proposed by his Essence It is geared to human needs, since it cannot connect with the higher Power.

On the other hand, the Yourself It focuses on spiritual needs directly linked to growth. Connected to the higher Power in wisdom, it gives meaning to your life, harmonizes you, and enhances your mental health.

Final considerations about the mandala for Jung

For Jung, the mandala plays a decisive role in the understanding of human will Through it, we can observe how our mind evolves, changes, and responds to the internal and external world. For those who seek to know themselves, the exercise is a highly recommended tool.

Even if it is a simple design, the mandala is the door to unrestricted understanding that we need in life. To achieve this, we suggest you make your own circle and try to achieve it. What hopes do you believe you may find?

Besides the mandala, another way to get to know yourself is through our 100% distance course in Psychoanalysis. The teachings shared will help you achieve the self-knowledge necessary to deal with any issue you need on your path. Although it offers broader knowledge than Jung's mandala, Psychoanalysis proposes a journey of transformation that works the first time .

I want information to enroll in the Psychoanalysis Course .

George Alvarez

George Alvarez is a renowned psychoanalyst who has been practicing for over 20 years and is highly regarded in the field. He is a sought-after speaker and has conducted numerous workshops and training programs on psychoanalysis for professionals in the mental health industry. George is also an accomplished writer and has authored several books on psychoanalysis that have received critical acclaim. George Alvarez is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and expertise with others and has created a popular blog on Online Training Course in Psychoanalysis that is widely followed by mental health professionals and students around the world. His blog provides a comprehensive training course that covers all aspects of psychoanalysis, from theory to practical applications. George is passionate about helping others and is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of his clients and students.