The Journey of the Self: From Ego to Soul’s Calling
February 14, 2025.
As children, we first develop a sense of self-what Carl Jung might call the little self. Around the age of three, we recognize ourselves in the mirror, distinguishing me from you, realizing our own desires, preferences, and separateness from others. This sense of identity, rooted in ego, carries us through much of our early life.
For many years, we build upon this self. We shape it through achievements, relationships, career pursuits, and social validation. We seek to belong, to be seen, to fit in or stand out. Our identity is formed largely in response to the world around us-what others expect, what society rewards, what brings us external success and validation.
But then, something shifts.
The Emergence of the Higher Self
At some point-often in midlife but sometimes earlier-another self begins to make itself known. This is the Self with a capital S, the deeper, more authentic aspect of our being that has always been present but often overshadowed by the ego’s drive. It arises as a whisper, a longing, a pull toward something greater.
This emergence can be triggered by life transitions: a midlife crisis, a career shift, a loss, or simply a quiet but persistent sense that the life we’ve built is no longer in full alignment with something deeper within us. Jungian psychology speaks to this as the process of individuation-where we begin to integrate the unconscious, moving beyond the limited identity of the little self and stepping into our fuller, more embodied truth.
Some might call this the soul’s journey-the call to actualize something greater, something uniquely ours to bring into the world. Unlike the ambitions of our younger years, which often stem from a desire for approval, this calling does not seek validation. It arises from within, needing no external permission.
Listening to the Inner Wisdom
How do we hear this voice? It often speaks in subtle ways-through intuition, inspiration, dreams, or moments of deep stillness. It may come alive in plant medicine journeys, meditation, journaling, ceremony, or time in nature. It may show up as a creative impulse, a sudden knowing, or a feeling of being drawn toward something beyond logic.
Unlike the ego-driven push of our earlier years, this new self moves differently. It flows. It does not strive in the same way. Instead of chasing, it magnetizes. Instead of grasping, it receives. Instead of proving itself, it simply is.
Embodiment as a Path to Alignment
This is why we practice embodiment-to attune to this inner wisdom, to move beyond the noise of the conditioned mind, and to connect with the deep intelligence that resides in our body, our breath, and our being. Where does this wisdom come from? Is it encoded in our ancestry, woven into our DNA, carried from past lives, or whispered by the cosmos? Perhaps all of the above.
What matters is not so much where it comes from, but that we honor it. When we align with this voice, life moves with greater ease. There is a knowing that we are on the path-not a path given to us by society, but one that is uniquely ours to walk.
And so, we listen. We trust. We step forward, not with force, but with presence.
We embody the Self.
