Development is a process composed of both partial and contextual elements. Each progressive step toward a conceptualized goal belongs to a longer sequence of integrative movements that together constitute a whole. These parts must be retained within consciousness if the individual is to comprehend the developmental process as such.
In Jungian terms, development often unfolds through dichotomous movements of descent and ascent within the life of the ego. The ego is the center of identity and awareness in the individual, while the Self is the larger totality within which the ego is situated. Beneath these structures lies the unconscious, both personal and collective. Development requires the integration of unconscious material into the ego, increasing both the precision of identity and the individual’s comprehension of the external world.
Times of difficulty often symbolize periods in which one descends into the unconscious. Yet it is precisely here that valuable material lies hidden. During such periods, the individual is called to encounter, comprehend, and integrate novel contents arising both from within and beyond the unconscious itself. Inner contents are often approached through retrospective and prospective contemplation, while outer contents are encountered through novel experience — study, travel, dialogue, or other forms of contact with what is unfamiliar. Through this process, the ego assimilates unconscious material and is gradually transformed into a more differentiated and integrated center of identity.
From there, the ego ascends out of the abyss of the unconscious and into a moment of differentiated wholeness. Yet this wholeness is never final. It is a temporary elevation, one that will eventually give way to another encounter with unconscious material in one form or another. Nevertheless, it is through these cyclical periods of descent, integration, and ascent that the individual gradually becomes more whole and more differentiated. Over time, these developmental cycles form a larger sequence of contextual patterns of wholeness. Consequently, precision of identity emerges alongside an increased comprehension of reality itself.
Michael Thacker 