The pain of the interior life

The pain of the interior life is everywhere, look to the world of media for a graphic display, love lost, love desired, love currently enjoyed (this one not so popular but still in evidence, for example Shania twain - You're Still The One ). Ultimately it is the hunger for union, and it has been about for as long as humans have been able to express themselves. 'I' have read that this can be translated into hunger for union with God, 'I' disagree, here's why.
It does not matter in the end what faith you choose to explain your view of the world as they all speak of the same thing. So in that spirit 'I' quote Genesis 1:27 'And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. '
To 'my' mind this suggests God created a bi-sexual being, one entity (Man)two aspects male and female. It is only when we get to Genesis 2 that we discover the horror of what YHVH God did to Man (Man meaning male and female). He thrust Man into a physical envelope that could only house 1 aspect, the other aspect takes on a more subservient role, to 'me' this is the true fall, not the Eve incident. To 'my' mind that subservient role is your subconscious mind (the 'other').
The desire for union is the desire to be whole again, there is no greater spiritual pain than the separation that is felt, just look around for evidence. The image of the 'other' is projected outward onto fellow human beings, the one's that can closely match the 'other' remain as life partners, the others fall by the wayside. The 'other' is both you and not you, it is the world we inhabit in dreams, it is the occupants of the dream, it is sometimes 'you' ,sometimes the observer of 'you', it is anything 'you' want it to be because it wants nothing more than to please you in any way you could possibly want to be pleased, in essence you like to please yourself with yourself as often as possible.
In the end though any life partner will ultimately fail to live up to the 'other' because the 'other' is always exactly what you want, you will fail to live up to your partner's 'other' and it all looks so very miserable, sadness and resignation all around, unless of course you both understand this and realize that you are two very separate, entirely complete mini universes colliding for a short spell while the earth does a few rotations.
'I' do believe there is desire for God but it is grossly over shadowed by the desire for union with your other half.

A question I sometimes ponder is, "Is this life Hell?"

Hell being defined in vaguely the biblical sense.

I find many things of this life wonderful, but there are so many really messed up things that do not have to be the way they are. Things that if were not that way life here on this earth would be so much more like heaven.

For a true hell to exist I imagine you would have to create a constantly changing environment with an equal distribution of highs and lows, as the human being would normalise any experience no matter how awful, given enough time.

what does the phrase "interior Life" mean?

I was going to call it 'The mental pain experienced as a result of longing for love' but 'The pain of the interior life' sounded more dramatic.

I think Jung expressed dualism in terms of the anima and animus. Basically everyone has both. The anima includes qualities that our society typically encodes as feminine: caring, nurturing, esthetic, passive, emotional. The animus includes qualities that our society typically encodes as masculine: energetic, courageous, aggressive, dominant, active, &c.

What screws up ordinary human beings is that they confuse culturally-applied norms as biological reality. Women become alienated from their courage and aggression. Men become alienated from their sensitivity. So each gender tries to find the missing qualities in the opposite (Jung wrote heterosexually.)

No actual man can thereby meet the woman's expectations. No actual woman can meet the man's expectations, because each gender is looking for a psychological lack within themselves.

Pathologically, the anima and animus sometimes become "shadow" material. You know the tropes: "Women are unfaithful, cowardly." Or "All men are cruel."

They key is to honour and develop one's "masculine" and "feminine" qualities internally. Then we don't have to go looking for anyone else to fulfill our missing pieces.

Ironically, our relationships tend to go a lot better when we don't see our partner in terms of our own wish-fulfillment.

Astrologically we contrast Venus with Mars, moon with sun. But we need to incorporate within ourselves all dimensions of our human nature.

Easter is a good time to honor our simple blessings, rather than bemoan that which we do not have...I hope all your celebrations, whatever they might be, will create harmony and unity for you all...thanks for this interesting post...

These posts remind me of a book entitled, Path of Light, by Robert Perry. He covers most of what has been shared here, especially in the first part of that book...

I am also reminded of another book entitled, The Interior Castle, by Teresa of Avila!

mrdecc said:

'I' do believe there is desire for God but it is grossly over shadowed by the desire for union with your other half.

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Perhaps we're trying to collect our yesterdays, our soul-kindreds, our unfinished karma so that now, with the timing anigh, we as a world might finally move on as children again.

I am very aware of Jung's anima and animus but I tend to agree with Gareth Knight in that psychological terms are not as practical to work with as occult symbols.

mrdecc said:

I am very aware of Jung's anima and animus but I tend to agree with Gareth Knight in that psychological terms are not as practical to work with as occult symbols.

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I agree with the latter half of your comment (I'm lost on the first half).
Occult symbolism tranversers many cultures. Psychological terms are modern-day commercial American (if not others).

Ballin'

The pain I feel is real
The ones who caused it
Cannot feel

But even if they could
They just swept it under the rug

The pain I feel is so ill
Because I know the cure
does not come in a pill

And to many it
Is not even a drug

Does it hurt so bad that it could kill
But I keep on living so I must have the will


The cure is there just staring me in the face
My suffering continues
Because this certain cure is not found in my place



So my agony goes on endlessly
And so painfully needlessly


One twitch of the finger could end it all
I do not blow out my brains
Because on day again I shall ball


In the god given sack
hanging between my legs
They built an alley
where people bowl

Re: Ballin'

Pain and pleasure...sadness and happiness are merely thoughts and perspectives. You are not at the mercy of your emotions. Mind control is the entrance to the palace of wisdom.

Gododdin Votadini said:

The pain I feel is real
The ones who caused it
Cannot feel

But even if they could
They just swept it under the rug

The pain I feel is so ill
Because I know the cure
does not come in a pill

And to many it
Is not even a drug

Does it hurt so bad that it could kill
But I keep on living so I must have the will


The cure is there just staring me in the face
My suffering continues
Because this certain cure is not found in my place



So my agony goes on endlessly
And so painfully needlessly


One twitch of the finger could end it all
I do not blow out my brains
Because on day again I shall ball


In the god given sack
hanging between my legs
They built an alley
where people bowl

Click to expand...