Soul Therapy by Thomas Moore

Author:Thomas Moore [Moore, Thomas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2021-05-24T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Complexes

If you have ever been in the presence of someone who is better read, traveled, or skilled than you, then you probably know what it’s like to have an inferiority complex settle on you and cause you considerable discomfort. The complex takes over and makes you feel and do things that just are not you. You may start blabbering, making excuses for why you are not more traveled. I do it all the time. You may feel possessed. You can’t get rid of the feeling no matter what you do.

Jung placed complexes at the heart of his psychology, describing a complex as a “splintered psyche” or as a fragment of the psyche, highly emotional and—the key quality—autonomous. A complex acts like a person inside you who can take possession of you and make you feel things you wish you did not feel. It can also give you a good picture of what is going on deep in the psyche. This is an important clue for therapy. Complexes are not things to get rid of directly. They are a doorway to the entire psyche, and so therapy pays close attention to them and respects them.

Of course, people want to be free of their complexes, but the route to freedom goes through the complex rather than against it or around it. You feel your inferiority, let it be, and ask yourself if this complex tells you what you need. Do you need some humbling? Would you be better off if that inferiority complex gave you a more accurate picture of your abilities and talents? You may believe that entering into the complex will sink you into low self-esteem, but it is more likely that it will give you a more realistic view of yourself.

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