Page 38 - NAMAH-Apr-2023

Namah Vol. 31, Issue 1, 24th April 2023

unconscious parts of the vital and physical
being, we may say the subconscient in general.
In a society, on a large scale, a similar process
translates as a conflict between modernity and
tradition, or progressives and conservatives,
or as a conflict between science and religion.

Integral Psychology looks at this internal
conflict within an individual or society as a
general process of Nature’s evolution that is
unfolding simultaneously. In this progress,
there are three factors that we need to
consider, the conscious part of the being, and
the normal outer stable surface personality,
which are operating under three influences:
describes:
1. The influence from below — the sub-
“… everyone possesses in a large measure, rational or infra-rational parts of the
and the exceptional individual in an increasing being, the vital and physical layers,
degree of precision, two opposite tendencies of the subconscient, that can pull down
character, in almost equal proportions, which are or upsurge and take over the rational.
like the light and the shadow of the same thing. 2. The pull from behind — the subliminal
Thus someone who has the capacity of being parts of the being, the inner mental, inner
exceptionally generous will suddenly find an vital and inner physical parts, that are far
obstinate avarice rising up in his nature, the superior and powerful than the surface
courageous man will be a coward in some part personality and influence from behind
of his being and the good man will suddenly 3. The pull from above — the supra-rational,
have wicked impulses. In this way life seems to the spiritual ranges of consciousness above,
endow everyone not only with the possibility is drawing the evolutionary movement
of expressing an ideal, but also with contrary upward towards higher possibilities
elements representing in a concrete manner the that are potentially present within the
battle he has to wage and the victory he has to subliminal.
win for the realisation to become possible (5).”
These three forces are simultaneously
In general we can say that this process is at operating within the individual and the
once individual and collective. In a society, collective. Bipolar disorder manifests when
the change makers are often seen as rebels the forces from below take over the surface
who upset the existing social order and in personality. This upsurge may have some
the same way within an individual, when outer triggers as the external cause and may
a part opens to evolutionary progress that use genetic or other biochemical mechanics
disturbs the established order, it is met with of the body as physical means. However,
resistance. This resistance arises from the when we look at it from an evolutionary

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