Restoring inner balance

The Transcendent Function of the psyche is the dynamic aspect of the transitional creative space. Its aim is to restore inner imbalance.

The containing creative space is a transitional space because of how we approach the space. As a transitional space it is a symbolic space and its content has a symbolic nature. In a symbolic space, the Transcendent Function of the core of the personality is activated in an attempt to restore inner imbalance. This is how it functions.

In general, the conscious and unconscious aspects of the personality have different perspectives and aims in life. The conscious personality is directed toward the outside world and has to adapt to worldly situations of which the unconscious is not aware, and this is necessary; it is goal-directed.

The self as the totality and the core of the personality, on the other hand, represents the whole/total personality, our full potential, and includes the conscious and the unconscious parts of the personality; it is concerned with the general well-being of the whole personality, a perspective which is not possible for the conscious personality to have.

It often happens that the conscious personality is not aligned to the whole. When the conscious personality neglects the whole, a complimentary load builds up in the unconscious.

The unconscious will then try to communicate the problem by way of a dream perhaps, or a slip of the tongue, or other ‘mistakes’ in an attempt to draw the attention of the conscious personality to the problem. Symbolic creative work can help to mediate this imbalance.

Jung described a symbol as the best possible expression of a complex fact not yet fully understood by consciousness. It presents “an objective visible meaning, behind which an invisible profounder meaning is hidden.” (Jacobi, 1959) A symbol is the essence of psychic energy presented as an image. It is energy; it is alive.

A symbolic image has many meanings, and the unconscious circles around it to present it to us from different points of view. The healing, nourishing properties of the symbolic content is in the experience of the other aspects of the truth, represented by the image, or series of images.

It comes from the unconscious; it is an inner alignment, and a wider perspective. It can potentially influence a one-sided conscious attitude. This process is beautifully illustrated in the ancient Chinese tale, The magic paintbrush.

The Magic Paintbrush

Liang was a poor boy who loved to paint but could not afford to buy brushes and paper. One day he decided to ask the schoolmaster for a paintbrush, but was chased away. That night he dreamt that an old man with a white beard and long white hair came to him on a phoenix. He gave Liang a golden paintbrush, and told him to use it only for the good of the people.

The next day, Liang was delighted to discover that he had a real paintbrush! He immediately started painting. To his astonishment, as soon as a picture was completed, it became alive. He remembered the words of the old man and only used his gift to help the poor.

But the emperor wanted Liang to paint gold so that he could be rich, and Liang refused. This made the emperor furious. Liang was locked up and the emperor used his brush himself to paint bars of gold. Then the bars of gold became a poisonous snake from which the emperor had to be rescued, and he realized that he needed Liang.

Again the emperor asked Liang to paint what he wanted, this time in exchange for his daughter in marriage, and Liang agreed. The emperor wanted Liang to paint the sea and a boat to sail in, and Liang painted it and it became real. Then the emperor wanted wind so he and his followers could sail. He cried, “Paint more wind, paint more wind, Liang!” And Liang painted more and more wind till it became a huge storm and the ship disappeared under the enormous waves. Then Liang went home.

Discussion of the story

The emperor wants the magic paintbrush for himself, but the old man on the phoenix wants it to benefit the poor. He wants to restore the imbalance in the psyche.

The paintbrush is peculiar: it is a magic brush and its products become real. It is a product of the transitional creative space and its transcendent function, and the imbalance is restored, bringing healing and nourishment to real lived lives.

In this story, we find a conscious attitude that neglects the whole, and this problem needs to change. The psyche’s solution to the problem is the magic paintbrush to be used for the benefit of the poor people, the neglected aspects of the whole personality, not only for the benefit of the conscious personality under the influence of a complex, the emperor. The old man on the phoenix as a symbol of the self, represents the whole personality.

At first there is need, a poor child and neglected people of the land, and this leads to the appearance of the paintbrush and the successful execution of simple tasks: nourishment is brought to aspects of the personality in need. This is how I understand the chemistry of what happens within the creative space.

But the one-sided attitude of the conscious personality, the complex, represented by the emperor, has to change, and Liang has gradually become strong enough to stand up to the problem. The old exploiting, persecutory emperor is destroyed, and Liang could go home to his personality as a whole.