The Center

“The center is an idea of wholeness and finality,” says Jung in "Transformation Symbolism in the Mass" (par. 435). It is expressed in mystical connections as being “both” — light and dark, right and left, and so forth. The cross symbolizes this center that unites everything; it is a recurring symbol in Eastern philosophy, particularly in the concept of Tao, and refers to the “center” (of a mandala). What is in the center, such as the center of a room, expresses its essence.

“One could perhaps … say that the unknown midpoint acts as a magnet on the disparate materials and processes of the unconscious, gradually enclosing them within something akin to a crystal lattice. Therefore, it is not uncommon for the center … to be depicted as the spider in its web, especially when consciousness is dominated by an attitude marked by fear of the unconscious process.” (Two Essays on Analytical Psychology, par. 325.)

In Visions (p. 1090), Jung states: “Whatever exists in the center always refers to the Self.”

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