According to Jung, the phenomenon of the eruption of the Self into consciousness is at
the core of the Christian myth.
The psychological interpretation of the story of Jesus of Nazareth
as God becoming man is parallel to the psychological experience that all humans have the possibility to reach.
God (Self) may be born in humans. The first step to the birth of the Self is
the recognition that God (Self) or the God-Image is a combination of opposites.
Jung’s Answer to Job
Benoit Rousseau
For the Self to be born, consciousness needs to be enlarged by the integration of multiple unconscious contents.
Then, consciousness becomes morally superior to the Self.
the Self
(Yahweh-God-Creator) needs consciousness (Job) to be born and to manifest itself.
Jung writes:
“That is why the Creator needs conscious man even though, from sheer unconsciousness, he
would like to prevent him from becoming conscious.”
The unconscious wants to flow into consciousness in order to reach the light,
but at the same time it continually thwarts itself,
because it would rather remain unconscious.
That is to say, God wants to become man, but
not quite.
The conflict in his nature is so great that the incarnation can only be bought by an
expiatory self-sacrifice offered up to the wrath of God’s dark side.”
The incarnation of God as the product of a self-sacrifice is an important notion.
What is that sacrifice?
As always with Jung, it is the sacrifice of the mother, a symbol of the state of unconsciousness.
sacrifice of the infantile state.
Jung’s first answer to Job is that the Self is unconscious
unless consciousness becomes qualitatively superior to the unconscious.
By the sacrifice of unconsciousness, consciousness becomes enlarged.
The Self will then compensate the imbalance by appearing in consciousness as a transcendent experience.
The way to exit that state of unconsciousness is to bravely face the brutal encounter with
the unconscious.
The integration of the shadow and the use of active imagination to integrate the
anima are essential.
These two tasks lead to the transcendent function.
He writes:
“So long as Job does not actually die, the pointless suffering could be continued indefinitely.
We must, however, keep an eye on the background of all these events: it is just possible that
something in this background will gradually begin to take shape as a compensation for Job’s undeserved suffering—
something to which Yahweh, even if he had only a faint inkling
of it, could hardly remain indifferent.
Without Yahweh’s knowledge and contrary to his intentions,
the tormented though guiltless Job had secretly been lifted up
to a superior knowledge of God which God himself did not possess.
Had Yahweh consulted his
omniscience, Job would not have had the advantage of him.
But then, so many other things
would not have happened either.
“Job realizes God’s inner antinomy, and in the light of this realization
his knowledge attains
a divine numinosity.
Jung’s Answer to Job
Benoit Rousseau
Thank for sharing all of this.
you're welcome. this is important to know, imo anyway, so i share what i can.
the destruction of Job’s life understood as a psychological
disintegration.
All the things around him are destroyed. This is the state resulting from a conscious integration of the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious.
One is confronted with the blackness of his life and he must endure the pain which results. To Jung,
that
state will bring a compensation from the unconscious.