Know Thyself

I feel that not much is being talked about the topic of the psyche (‘soul’ in Greek’) and the internal and external influences which made it so difficult to stay calm, hopeful and centred nowadays.

The modern environment is severely distorted for the psyche and the need for inner knowledge. The ancient Delphic Oracle has already noted that people have long prioritised external concerns over inner needs and called them to ‘know thyself’ . This tendency worsened with rationalism, industrialisation, and the decline of religion, accelerating dramatically in recent decades through constant digital distractions from media, smartphones, and social networks. These forces disrupt the psyche, which evolved over millennia in harmony with natural and spiritual cycles, leading to widespread uprootedness and disorientation. Rationalism has left modern people at the mercy of the psychic underworld, having lost spiritual values and traditional anchors.

There is no simple ‘mental health crisis’ solvable by more doctors or funding, but rather a deeper rebellion of the psyche. The English term ‘mental’ reduces inner struggles to the mind alone, while the word ‘psyche’ means soul. Quick fixes to the mind fail because the soul needs meaningful work, rest aligned with cycles, belonging, roots, and connection to something greater. All these elements are missing in modern Western life. Following social rules without reflection masks unconscious possession by forces renamed as restlessness, neuroses, and dependencies on pills, alcohol, or other habits.

To navigate this inner labyrinth, you must get to know the psyche first. According to Carl Gustav Jung, the key components include the Ego (everyday conscious awareness, habits, and identity), the Shadow (repressed personal unconscious, visible more easily in others), Anima/Animus (inner feminine or masculine qualities), the Persona (social mask), the integrative Self, plus layers of collective conscious (cultural norms) and unconscious influences. Life’s complexities resemble a labyrinth where confusion and getting lost are inevitable, yet maturation brings pattern recognition and ability to move safely. There are also the external aids such as mythology, psychology, and ancient wisdom that serve as guiding threads.

Self-exploration is a gradual, non-linear process requiring effort and willpower, beginning with the Ego, then the Shadow, and Anima/Animus. I invite you to embark on this journey towards greater awareness and integration, in which progress is spiral-like: sometimes it moves forwards, sometimes it returns to the starting point, yet with perseverance and strong will it inevitably leads to becoming a better, more mature person.

I will be presenting you each of the psyche’s parts in the coming weeks. Follow me if you are interested.

(This is the shortened and simplified version. For the original text head to my blog, the link is in bio.)