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But from a psychological perspective the threshold so often depicted as a physical point of crossing, is none other than the boundary within the psyche itself: It is the demarcation between our clear waking consciousness and the vast sea of the unconscious. What makes the descent so perilous is the fact that we — to some extent — let ourselves disintegrate by the powers of the Unconscious.
In its dark sea our stable sense of self begins to float and move; it begins to lose its outlines as the boundaries between self and other, inside and outside, become malleable. This need not be problematic. On the contrary, it can be a deeply enriching experience as we get to incorporate hitherto excluded aspects of ourselves. But if we lose the boundaries of the self altogether, we risk becoming flooded by unconscious material. We need strength, stamina, and stability, not only to descend and dissolve, but also to re-emerge and reintegrate.
I regard myself as a sensitive person, and I know that the psyche is a delicate thing — not to be played around with frivolously. Just by being in a rather secluded spot in the jungle, I felt that the alchemical vessel of my psyche was already hot and cooking. So I was nervous whether I could handle the extra heat. Was I pushing it too far? Or was it a deeper and more constructive drive to awaken and grow? It is indeed a fine line between having the necessary motivation and courage on our journey, and then becoming overly pushy.
If we are too careless we might risk burning out — or worse, severely damaging ourselves. On the other hand: For what lies buried beneath our fear and anxiety is our actual material for growth and transfiguration.
Perhaps it is all our crazy hopes and fantasies, our mad creativity and spontaneity? Perhaps it is our wild sensuality and lust, or maybe our fierce rage and anger? For it is only in the dark that we will be able to discover — and eventually recover — what we have been denying ourselves.
As Joseph Campbell assures us: The purpose of the descent as universally exemplified in the myth of the hero is to show that only in the region of danger watery abyss, cavern, forest, island, castle, etc. From this perspective I could hardly have imagined a more ideal setting than a cave full of lizards. It had all the symbolic ingredients that I could have wished for: It provided the space in which I could explore what I had been hiding from myself.
Just like the painter needs a canvas in order to paint the images of his soul, so I needed a dark cave for the projections of my unconscious. As for the Maya, the cave became a portal to the underworld xibalba: It appeared as a necessary step, that I had to take, in order to individuate. Imaginably, it was somewhat of a drastic and dramatic way to do it, but sooner or later I would have been forced to deal with the contents of the Unconscious.
For some, it will manifest itself in sudden outbursts of uncontrollable emotions. In my case, it was in depressive moods, lack of drive, and an overly introverted approach to life. Whether it explodes or implodes, our shadow harbors an energy, that will eventually become destructive if it is not integrated.
These are the simple, but wise, workings of the Unconscious: The unconscious will push us into situations, where we are forced to look at it. As such, there seems to be a natural pull toward integration and growth in the psyche. Just like the acorn contains the seed to become a tree, so does our psyche contain a natural potential.
And if we learn how to give form to this potential buried in our dark soil, we can grow to experience its full blossoming and actuality. This, Jung believed, is the overarching purpose of the dream matrix per se: It depicts a journey that we all go through as we unfold ourselves as individuals. It is a treasure map deeply inscribed in the collective unconscious — age-old and universal in its structure, but fresh and singular in every individual who gives birth and bones to it anew.
When we nourish it — when we attend to its symbols and listen to its dreamy voice — then the treasure map of the hero can become alive in us. It can begin to speak to us, and feed us with symbolic gestures, bolstered with archetypal significance. I forgot that I was a son of kings,. Nonetheless he carries a letter from his homeland. What a beautiful symbol the pearl is — a precious little thing hiding on the bottom of the dark ocean. The pieces of the puzzle were coming together, and a highly symbolical — yet powerful — map was emerging.
I could now see where my treasure was to be attained. Slowly, I was beginning to speak the arcane language of the symbol — and to my amazement, the world was speaking back to me. A river became a place where I could converse with nymphs — and not just a place to take a swim; the Ceiba trees in the rainforest became the life principle of man — and not just pieces of lumber; and a cave became a portal to the underworld — and not just an empty hole in a hill. The symbolic and the real were coming together in a deep and intimate reciprocity, as two sides of one and the same flesh.
But practiced in excess, I had become robbed of this profound contact with the natural world — and the powerful emotional energy that is contained in this symbolic connection. Living in the city, studying, and spending large amounts of time in front of the screen, I had come to disclose my world from an ever more rational and technological perspective. No doubt about it: Alienation is an evolutionary step that has bestowed many civilized gifts on us, but when we lose contact with our roots altogether — with our natural environment and our own bodily instincts — then we suffer a tremendous loss: We then begin to uncover a more poetic way of opening the world — one in which life seems to overflow with meaning and significance, with mystery and radiance.
This, I believe, was what the cave offered me: The king had become sick, locked inside his empty castle of concepts, unable to move from from his ceaseless considerations. And only by a night sea journey, across the boundaries of this barren land, could a remedy be at hand.
More literally than one would expect, the threshold marked a boundary between two different worlds for me: Already by venturing out on my journey I could smell this yonder zone of experience. And its scent increased as I approached the moldy cave. And out of this fantastic mirage a pearl was becoming visible. Now the time was ripe to take a dive. Unintendedly, and as if the symbolical load was not already heavy enough, it happened to be Maundy Thursday that I was to enter the cave — exiting again Easter Monday.
And as the lover of cacao that I am, I had brought a small brew of the sacred substance. Once we got seated in the cave, we offered the cacao and set our intentions for the immersion. With the last beams of light entering the cave, my shadow was projected onto the back wall of the cave. Elisa then closed up the cave, and the space around me became pitch black. Psychology and Alchemy , Routledge, Jung, Carl Gustav, Ed: Man and His Symbols , Anchor Press, Young alchemist and philosopher in pursuit of his treasure hard to obtain.
Sign In or Create an Account. Entering the Caves of the Unconscious: Some weight came off too as I was shedding my old skin, morphing into I hope a more loving, compassionate being. The human experience part is very important. It means I need some anchor into the physical realm. A strong, powerful foundation, a safe place for Spirit within me.
I always have to be careful about my soul wanting to fly out of my body, liberating herself from the home too soon.
I know the way. Over the years, the way has become the home.
I guess some people completely recover and go on to live their life. My path is not so linear.
Whenever my heart is feeling alone, it shows in my body. It is a process of accepting. For me, my journey started with accepting God. If He loves me, how could or why would I not love myself! I must be worthy of something! It took strength and it took courage, and I can tell you, it took a great deal to reach out, and ask for help. Fortunately, I had family and friends, but I had to take the first step, and it was hard! But I did it! I took the first step off the ledge.
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