Minoa, thank you for your comments. I'm glad you like the post. I also wish I had an answer to the questions I posted. But then I think our challenge as human beings is not to find the "right answers", but rather to discover the right questions. The right question changes the whole focus. But then, even the notion of "right" anything makes it all too formulaic and too prone to remain clinging to such "rightness" as if it were eternal trueness.
Though we believe in our "deep structures" or "archetypes" or "universals" that appear to be "true" and "eternal," I believe we do not comprehend them in their multidimensional interpretations, and that we consequently misinterpret and simplify them so that they "make sense". Such "making sense" to us gives us a feeling or belief that we are somehow "in control".
Regarding, "our existence", my questions, in retrospect, are a bit artificial and imply one or the other, i.e. "value" vs. "shadow play". In truth, it would be both, wouldn't it? Our existence would have value AND also be "mere ephemeral shadow play". Jung speaks of the vital importance of fantasy as reality, though I shouldn't go there now, since my understanding of that is probably too superficial. Hinduism speaks of the "flux" or "play of the universe” (lila), in and of itself, as though the Atman (the Allness?) "plays with itself" to amuse and probably pleasure itself. It tricks itself into believing it is ... actually differentiated into so many varying expressions in forms. Your response generated a further movement in this ongoing unfolding/unraveling/unwrinkling of penetration of the fabric of the matrix of our human existence and conceivably much more than that. We touch into the seemingly perpetual, at this point, fractal, paradoxical chaos/order of … what, life?
So please feel free to continue the conversation. And anyone else who cares to is also always invited… Your Host,
Joe Leone 
Thanks for the much more than expected reply to my,reply.I'd love to continue the conversation on this topic because i feel it is a burning philosophical question as well as a deep rooted psychological issue that sprouts many branches.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to archetypes and structures,i feel the same way.Jung himself seemed deeply concerned about the lack of understanding here.Here is a small sample of what I've seen him repeat numerous times in several different ways:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQubC5zc-y4
Speaking of a collective consciousness and its combined universal impact of things,may seem a bit off the topic but i feel it plays a major,if not foremost role in the question of "purpose", "existence" and "shadow play".It's a very basic question for every man/woman to question their mortality,to ponder their own value (and life's) value.Those who have taken steps into the abyss beyond that then contend with the shadow and possible illusions of well,everything.
It is there where the bold lines seem to melt away and the black and white all turn to gray.While many things do in fact become clear, those spawn ten-fold, in the new appearance of that is not clear.To me this is where your statement in the previous post (separating,in a sense - value & shadow), meet to intertwine like woven rope as you raised in the new thread.
I think it is quite obvious that it is both playing a significant role but i would imagine that one would be the dominate over the other at any given time and fed while the other starved a bit.I suppose in a small sense it would be like the ego & super ego.In this case the ego would supply the shadow play and the super ego, the value (though quite possibly unknown to self).
It is the unknown factor (with this),like it is with human nature that troubles me the most.It troubles me because while we van claim to know our value,most if not all of us would be lying to ourselves and others if we said so.In the chain of interaction our true worth and value is typically unknown in result,on the larger scale.It is the same with our shadow play and our ego driven desires.It troubles me further because i often wonder the possibilities if we understood not only our value but the value of all things,the purpose of all in all things.By that i mean more so appreciation than anything (i.e - to appreciate that a ant colony has a purpose and value here and maybe shouldn't be eradicated for the sake of...).These leads back to Jung's clip and the understanding of the collective.
I tend to shoot off at times a bit from the actual core issue,so i apologize for tossing a few other elements out but i do find them all related.I'd enjoy continuing this and look forward to reading your thoughts.
Regards.