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The Self is the “god within,” the deeper sense of wholeness beyond the ego. The Self provides the unconscious impulse toward creative self-realization. The ego resists because the ego does not have the language of the unconscious to understand “the other world.” The ego does not understand that symbol is the language of the unconscious.

The inner light inside symbolizes the relationship between ego and the Self. The Self provides light to the ego; without the light there is only darkness and emptiness. The ongoing relationship with the Self is essential for psychological health because it provides energy, a feeling of unity and a connection to something greater than what the ego can provide. One can access the Self through learning the language of symbols, which exists in dreams, mythology, the arts, and rituals, any activity that opens one to a connection to a world beyond ego.