okay we have been talking about the selves, is it not fascinating when we uncover an individual who has two incompatible identities. schizophrenia means 'divided mind.'
an old joke says, 'when a man talks to god its called prayer, but when god talks to man it's schizophrenia.'
in psychiatric terms schizophrenia covers a poorly defined group. many hear voices without suffering any dysfunctional effects, some treat these voices as inspiration or develop spiritual ideas about them, some become occultists.
demonic possession occurs in most monotheistic cultures but is always described as schizophrenia yet in some ecstatic cults it is a desirable state to achieve.
the unconscious, sub conscious mind arose in a moral society, these are rather artificial subdivisions. some impulses memories and emotions merely acquire more power to take control of the organism than others, mostly operate without direct communication with the others or what is called ego.
therefore any descriptive model that the mind uses to map itself is confirmed by the mind itself, if we use the freudian map the mind agrees, if we use leary's 8 circuit map then it agrees. no part of it can comprehend the whole.
we function within the whole spectrum from the mono self to the multi self. in practise neither is optimal because barriers are erected between themselves and others, communication breaks down.
monotheistic mystics exalt one imagined god self within by repressing all their own un natural ungodliness. they can never succeed in this as the impulse for good works is often subverted by appalling behaviours.
the devil is legion, the legion being repressed selves.
peter carrol suggests that magickians approach multi self management with stochastic techniques. if one self doesn't work try another, if necessary at random.
most people seem very protective about their name, they don't like it when people call them the wrong name, or get them muddled up with some one else, generally i have many identities i use for many situations, all serve me well and accord new dimensions in thinking about identity and what makes us who we are. i don't cling to the identity, just drop it when i no longer need to wear it. often people impose their identity upon me, which i just take as something to work with, i will be a footballer, bouncer, maori, fighter, base player, whatever they suggest if i need to in the given situation.
apparently everything perceived in our universe has a name, if someone sees something without a name there's an overwhelming compulsion to give it one. yet the many selves are un named. half the universe consists of areas that have no names, mere phycological tags suffice.
despite this we look into atoms and stars, our phycology is primitive. we don't know more than the ancient greeks, the destruction of all medical phycological books would have little impact.
naming the selves of the personal mythos would be a good starting point for insanity, destruction of the ego and self image. who names them?
in absence of an inner core or self, the selves name each other as they welcome themselves to a building they all own.
democracy works here. it's a good system from a bad bunch. critically it depends on power blocks negotiating with other power blocks to try anything that does not conflict with their agenda. it does not work in divided society, it depends on negotiation with various interest groups.
a sane society tries to achieve a compromise between the impulses.