Episode 461 - The Golden Self Within

Nov 12, 2025

This discussion delves into the intriguing split between the ego and the deeper self, exploring how this inner division affects our lives. The symbolism of golden balls in fairy tales represents our innate quest for wholeness. Listeners learn about the importance of dreams and creative inspiration as guidance from this deeper self. The chat highlights how suffering can activate personal transformation and the vital role of creativity in reclaiming our lost selves, ultimately leading to inner unity and a meaningful existence.

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INSIGHT

Collective Liminal Threshold

Humanity is in a collective liminal rite of passage between eras, creating widespread uncertainty and possibility.
Liminal states open a threshold where new ideas and visions from the unseen realm can emerge into life.

INSIGHT

Transformation Comes From The Deep Self

Transformation originates in the deeper self, not the ego, and aims to involve the whole self in change.
Healing the split between the little self and the deeper knowing self is essential for true individuation.

ANECDOTE

Iron John And The Golden Ball

In Iron John, a prince's golden ball rolls into a cage holding a wild man and leads the boy into the forest and a life-changing journey.
The golden ball and the pond that turns things to gold symbolize the deep self and its transformative power.

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As the world around us becomes increasingly divided into opposing forces, the tensions and conflicts within us also intensify. In psychological terms, the division most in need of being healed is the split between the ego or "little self" and the deeper, knowing self within us.

In fairy tales a golden ball often appears as a symbol of the inner unity and wholeness we felt, at least for a moment, as children. The old rule is that everyone has at least one experience of the presence of the deep self, typically felt as something golden within us.

This deeper self within knows why we are here on earth and what we are intended to do. Yet, the ego, with its fixed attitudes and pretensions of being at the center of life, stands in the way. At each turning point in life this golden self within tries to become more conscious as a source of grounding and centering, but also as a resource of genuine visions, big dreams and vital energies.

In a world filled with conflicts and great uncertainty, the guidance and centering power of the deeper self can save us from feeling anxious and overwhelmed. In order for both individual and collective awakening and meaningful change to occur, a deeper sense of self and soul must become more conscious and available to us.

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