Type and Spirituality: Using the eight mental functions in a guided reflection on our current state of grace. For me, the word ‘spiritual' acts as a question or an exploration rather than referring to a particular experience or belief. I think the word ‘spiritual' has something to do with love, and the psyche's natural inclination towards wholeness. The Jungian typology offers us a way to reflect on our journey to wholeness, to God. Each function can be a source of wisdom, a channel of grace. Because of our innate tendency to prefer and be more comfortable with some functions more than others, we over-use some sources of wisdom and neglect others. Reflecting on each of the eight functions orients us to where we are and suggests what we need to give our attention to right now. The typology helps us to own our uniqueness and offer our gifts, but it also helps us to acknowledge and work with our weaknesses and our unrealized potentials. It can assist us in coming home to our individuality and our interconnectedness with all life. After you have spent some time with the questions, perhaps you could wonder about the Transcendent Function, that aspect of you that is aware of and can integrate the disparate elements of your life into a deepening appreciation of the gift of life itself. Extraverted Sensing. How much contact do you have with nature? How does your body feel? How does it move? Do you take time to feel and listen to the wisdom of the body? How aware are you of what you smell, taste, touch, see and hear each day? What do you do to enjoy the life of the body? How are you responding to what is actually happening right now? How is the physical world touching you? What do you do with others? What is the work of your hands? How do you serve others? Introverted Sensing. Where do you come from? What do you know in your bones? What do you do with that knowledge? What do you remember that helps you now? How can you relate to your past in a healthy way? What is your relationship to the past, to history, to pre-history. Which traditions do you honour? Do you have routines that support you? What are your roots? Of what are you a guardian? How do you understand your place in the continuity of life on the planet earth? Where or when have you felt a sense of belonging? Introverted Intuition. How do you relate to the unknown, to vastness, to mystery? Where is there space in your life for dreaming, wondering, imagining? How can you open to what lies beyond your understanding? What place does the wisdom of symbol, metaphor and vision have in your life? How do you nurture your creativity? What are your deepest hopes? Who could you be if you suspended all your opinions and judgements about yourself? Can you make friends with chaos? Can you allow yourself to blossom? Extraverted Intuition. How can you cultivate the qualities of adventure, exploration, open-ness? When did you last do something new? What allows you to be spontaneous? Where do you go to learn? Could you go and meander for a day? How can you become more aware of the interconnectedness of all things? What are the patterns that help you make sense of your life? How do you join with others in playful, creative activities that feed the soul? What makes you laugh? What brings you joy? What do you do to have fun? Introverted Thinking. Can you sense the underlying order of things? Do you see the laws of cause and effect and how they operate in life? How can you include the power of logic in your thinking? How aware are you of the conceptual frameworks with which you view your experience? Are you willing to question everything and foster a genuine thirst for truth? Are you able to submit even deeply held ideas to investigation? Do you appreciate the benefits of the detachment and clarity that can come from objective observation? Extraverted thinking. What frees up your energies for constructive action? What would it take for you to get up and do what needs doing? What are the tasks that lie between you and a sense of accomplishment? What are the guiding principles of your actions? How much ethical integrity do you bring to your life? What are the consequences of your past actions and the likely consequences of your present actions? With whom can you work towards the goals that are most important to you? Introverted feeling. What do you care most deeply about? What is your mission? Which values does your life embody? Do you listen to your inner guide? Is there time and space in your life for what is most important to you? How does your life feel right now? Can you find compassion for yourself amidst the enormous challenges of being alive? Do you have a person or community with whom you can share your longings and be yourself? What do you trust? Where or what is your sanctuary? Extraverted Feeling. Can you make space for others to feel accepted and loved just as they are? Whom are you serving? What are the intentions that inform your actions? Can you listen carefully in order to discover what is truly needed? How can you build bridges between those who are in emnity? When do you feel most available for the work of love? Who are your companions and colleagues in the work of love? What can you do to nurture a caring attitude to all of life? Who do you need to forgive? To whom are you grateful? Caroline Jones was introduced to the MBTI by Katharine Myers in 1994. Since qualifying with Type Resources in 1998, she has been helping individuals and groups use Type to explore and deepen their personal and spiritual journeys. |
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