I've been reading this thread with great interest. I'm always fascinated by the exploration of one's individual spirituality and the human dynamic which draws us to identifying with a collective consciousness.

I'm not well read on Jung or psychology in general but I'm always interested in how others see the connection between the mind and the spirit.

I'm sorry the discussion here like so many discussions about such explorations became a bit of an either or debate. I personally have no interest in debate because that suggests a right or wrongness. I do have an interest in finding the truth and intellectually I like looking for common ground among alternative persectives. That's the God, Creator of Life that I believe gave me breath, guides my heart and provides me examples of the Love that for me is the purpose of my existance.

I live that I might walk in a knowing Love that breeds life and peace. God is Love works for me. I resist making God too human or too finite or too limited by human consciousness and human experiences. I simply rest in the essense of God's intentions as Great Spirit. The source of spiritual essense from which I originated. Having many purposes as a spiritual being that remain a mystery to me I sense the purpose of my human experience is to transcent into 'life time' the essense, purpose, perfection of Great Spirit's centre which is Love. Life on earth is all about Love and Peace. States of being that are the closest definition and expression of the great beauty and secure safety and supreme satisfaction and unconditional belong that is the true 'paradise' we were created to understand and experience. Words of course are not enough to describe what my heart craves and how my Creator affirms his truth in me. Yet feeling a spiritual connection to a higher source provides me with a sense of purpose and understanding that words and other human constrains can not ever describe. Who among us can describe Love without having experienced it?

Spiritual awakening, awareness, centredness for me means transcending my humanness with spiritual expressions of love, peace, joy, patience, kindness,.... gifts of the spirit world.

I'm interested in what Jung and others have learned from their search for more than worldly expressions of God to answer thier questions. To satisfy their spirit's quest. I can relate to a need to go deeper with a spiritual awakening than to simplify my human consciousness. I sense Creator asking more of me. Asking me to walk in a balance of spirit and humanness. To be able to transcent my humanness to walk in the spirit before I pass on from this earth. I want to know total spiritual enlightenment before I die rather than waiting till after my physical body breaks down and I transend naturally into spirit.

I know from my own experiences and readings that there is a risk involved and it is not for the untrained, inexperienced, falsely led. The spirit world is a very powerful place and it can be a hard consciousness to balance with humanness. A place with both positive and negative energies at work. Shape shifters, transformers, spirit helpers.... what ever you call them... people who carry these gifts and talents practise this level of spirituality sensing the role of spirit in guiding humanity on its journey.

But I digress.....

I think we often over intellectualize the journey we all take towards knowing Creator.... the source of our beginnings, the architect of our doings, the energy force that is invisibly linked to our individual eternal spirit. I think that may be why I don't sweat the small stuff. I don't accept any one 'authority' other than my own spirit when it is seeking to be aligned with Love.

God's essense must be discernable to children, to simple minds, to all beings. If we have to learn rather than feel something as powerful as Creators life force than for me we have gotten distracted.

God is Love..... Love being the definition of paridise on earth. In our hands to make real by our connection to love. Walk in love... walk in beauty..... no fuss no muss works of me.

It's not rocket science... it can't be found by our intellect but I believe it can be feed by our acknowledgement of our spiritual essense. If we see ourselves as spirit then we find our own ways to feeding our spirit with its favourite diet.....love and more love.