| This study explores the ego and its relationship to the Self, defined by Jung as the organizing center and god-image within the psyche. The study investigates the degree to which surrender and witnessing are essential components in the ego's ability to establish a dialogue with the Self, to integrate images the Self generates in the process of individuation and to incarnate the Self in everyday life.; A sample of 108 graduate psychology students in the San Francisco Bay Area were administered the Ego Grasping Orientation Scale (EGO), a Taoist measure of the ego's tendency to maintain its belief that it is in control of and at the center of psychic experience.; Subjects were divided into two groups: a high ego-grasping group H{dollar}sb{lcub}rm eg{rcub}{dollar} scoring more than one standard deviation above the mean (12+) on the EGO and a low ego-grasping group L{dollar}sb{lcub}rm eg{rcub}{dollar} scoring more than one standard deviation below the mean (0-5). Each group contained 8 subjects.; The Jungian sandtray technique, a non-verbal process of placing figures and objects in a standardized tray of sand to produce images, was used to access seven parameters: (1) the presence of a Divine image in the center of the tray; (2) Ordering; (3) Balance of opposites; (4) Centering; (5) Presence of a witness; (6) Movement and (7) Centrality of the "I".; The subjects produced a sandtray which was a reflection of themselves at the present time. Chi square and the t-statistic were performed and indicated that low ego-grasping subjects showed a significant presence of a Divine image in the center, central point, a balance of opposites and a witnessing attitude. |
