What is the Meaning of Self Realisation?

What is the meaning of self-realisation? Becoming who you truly are. Life is a journey of self-realisation, of understanding and discovering who we truly are, and of maximising our potential. While this might be a life long journey, one can be closer or further from one's true self.

This video analyses self-realisation from a philosophical and psychological perspective. Starting from the father of existentialism, Søren Kierkegaard, where we’ll discuss the self, despair and the leap of faith. Sigmund Freud as the father of psychoanalysis, Carl Rogers’ self-concept and Abraham Maslow’s self-actualisation.

We’ll then discuss some aspects of eastern philosophy and their notion of self (Buddhism, Taoism, Advaita Vedanta), concluding with Carl Jung’s analytical psychology and process of individuation.

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📚 Recommended Reading

▶ The Sickness unto Death - Kierkegaard
▶ A Theory of Human Motivation - Maslow
▶ On Becoming a Person - Rogers
▶ Tao Te Ching – Taoism
▶ Man and His Symbols - Jung
▶ Memories, Dreams, Reflections – Jung
▶ Modern Man In Search of a Soul – Jung

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⌛ Timestamps

0:00 Introduction
0:15 Søren Kierkegaard: The Self
1:00 Søren Kierkegaard: Despair
4:10 Søren Kierkegaard: Leap of Faith
4:48 Sigmund Freud: Psychoanalysis
5:40 Carl Rogers: Self-Concept
7:11 Abraham Maslow: Self-Actualisation
7:40 Abraham Maslow: Hierarchy of Needs
8:40 Abraham Maslow: Self-transcendence
9:58 Eastern philosophy: Buddhism
10:50 Eastern philosophy: Taoism
11:22 Eastern philosophy: Advaita Vedanta
12:02 Carl Jung: The Self
13:30 Carl Jung: Individuation
15:38 Carl Jung: Shadow & Persona

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📝 Sources

- Man and His Symbols by Carl Jung
- The Sickness unto Death by Søren Kierkegaard
- The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker
- Dimkov, P. R. (2020). The Concept of Self in Eastern and Western Philosophy. Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences

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🎶 Music used

Music (by Kevin MacLeod)
1. Mesmerize
2. End of the Era
3. Anguish
4. Dark Walk

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

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Thanks for watching, I appreciate it!

#selfrealisation #individuation #selfactualisation

[Eternalised]

*“What I really want is to be clear in my mind what I am to do... to find the idea for which I can live and die.”* — Kierkegaard

[sandracairney]

The personality and programming is much the same but at 44, I see I have been many selves. The self is a ephemeral as life itself. We constantly change and from one year to the next our self can be as different as the seasons. My eternal search for inner reflection to find myself was what led me to push all human influences away for the necessary artistic freedom to go within and then articulate the mysteries and questions that live there, waiting to be painted and written.solitude is a blessing for the artist trying to self realise.

[phil]

Solitude is the key for many, i was locked up in solitary for 6 months as a young man, i had to learn to deal with my inner demons with no distractions or destroy myself, im older now and still i can enjoy my solitude and am still learning, its not a mystery to me why people live on top of mountains or deep in the forests by themselves.

[mateussouza]

What a profound video, congratulations! You make a difference in people's lives with your videos. Keep up with the great work!

[erraticchromatic]

I cannot get enough of your material. It's basically a summary of all the great works I have been drawn to over the years, and a nice introduction to the academic pathways I am yet to embark on. I am currently studying towards a degree in counseling, and your content is a comprehensive and stimulating component of my extra curricular activity. Thank you so much! My fascination for these subjects only grows stronger the more I learn!! Keep up the great work. God bless

[tygeulmi]

I do believe philosophy is undervalued. Thank you for these informative and inspirational videos.

[musselchee]

Ditto to all the agreeable comments here. Accordingly, given the amount of self development I undertook since 1987, I can state confidently that I am nearing emancipation from my lifelong demons, nirvana and nearing the end of what Jung called the "process of individuation". THANK YOU for the leg up.

[Lambert]

this was good, because I realized how much of this is all just words and concepts, in other words, "almost real" things, so that "being your authentic self", is not so much a place to go to (and stay there), but a result of being open to what you experience here, and are aware of, and recognizes (the words "authentic self") more core aspects of your being (that you deeply associate with and feel, are really part of you)
after a long life, what I find the process to be is quite a few conditions of being, - I am the conscious now, but that conscious now can be different, some times more immersed and caught up in some normal state, sometimes higher and whole, not influenced by conditions on the earth - one experiences these different states over and over again, gradually becoming more aware of the differences: then there is "being awake", where you are specifically aware of "being awake", and "being alive" where you experience "life" flowing through you - all of these different experiences help you to see and understand more clearly what we associate with being who we are, and then there is of course, "something beyond that", thank God :)

[KajiCarson]

This is truly some Evangelion-level shit. I really, really like it. Thank You.

[ws]

06:15 - 06:32: about self-esteem:

"The neighbor's grass is always greener elsewhere": trust me, stop comparing your life to others, you will feel much better about yourself.

[thomashelliger]

Very well summarized. The density of these 17 min is unbelievable.
Thank you for this.

[reasonablyabsurdtheatre]

Jung’s theory of the shadow self is always fascinating.

[hidekitojo]

“He cannot release himself from the trivial obligations that give him no value.”
Wow

[danpiller]

Wow, thank you for your profound understanding! your videos are so well put together. Your work is one of the best I’ve come across, it gets on many many levels of great intensity, so great!

[shoesncheese]

"become who you are"
it sounds so simple, doesn't it?
great video - I've only recently discovered your channel and it has become one of my favorites to listen to when I have the time and inclination to pay full attention.

[Ismailz]

a human being is not a spirit anymore. it is the mentality, the psyche. the psyche is us. what psyche have? goals, connections with others, immortality... you have to shape your life within these three

[DragonBornOfTheSun]

I believe many take a leap of faith every day in the fact that they face what they know is not what should be. The inner self must die only to be reborn again. Having faith in GOD or what one best understands GOD to be is the beginning of the inner self journey. Being focused on a positive path for growth encompasses most Western ideologies and some Eastern as well.

[honeyspoonbeewrangler]

Being told how to think who I am on a "deeper" worded note... becareful.
Its in the stars, and so are you. You are more than you've been led to believe.

[WrapMasterLLC]

This video should be shared around the world so we can all be better than we are now.

[WeAreAllOneNature]

10:58 According to Taoism, the self is an extension of the cosmos. The perfect man has no self. The ideal of Taoism is the lack of self.

13:42 Jung proposes shifting from the ego to the self by bringing one's unconscious contents into consciousness (wholeness of personality).

14:25 The best way to interact with the unconscious is through dreams.

16:22 The persona is the mask which conceals one's true self.

17:15 Life calls, not for perfection, but completeness. Without suffering, there is no progress.