{"title":"Generational Individuation: Who Am I?","authors":"G. Morena","doi":"10.1080/00332925.2022.2119759","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Like a Zen koan, contemplating the question “Who am I?” is a lifelong journey of self-discovery that moves us forward along the path of individuation. In this paper, I considered the nature of my identity and explore the characteristics and attitudes that manifested through my family legacy for generations. My great-great-grandmother, Matilda Joslyn Gage, was an early suffragist and dedicated freedom fighter, and her daughter married L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. My family ancestry includes several individuals who have separated from the collective to express their individuality and make unique contributions to society. With the given name Dorothy, I have felt blessed and burdened in the shadow of these noteworthy individuals. This paper explores the genetic, epigenetic, and psychological fabric of my family lineage, and identifies inherited traits that suggest a generational transmission of resiliency, wisdom, and individuality. This exploration has led me to consider the possibility of “generational individuation,” a continuity of related individuals responding in unique ways to impersonal karma that manifests through family legacies and completes the unfinished business of previous generations. Considering the complexity of these ancestral relationships has enriched an understanding of who I am, exposed previously unexplored shadow material, and contributed to a deeper sense of meaning and purpose.","PeriodicalId":42460,"journal":{"name":"Psychological Perspectives-A Quarterly Journal of Jungian Thought","volume":"65 1","pages":"204 - 218"},"PeriodicalIF":0.1000,"publicationDate":"2022-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Psychological Perspectives-A Quarterly Journal of Jungian Thought","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00332925.2022.2119759","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHOANALYSIS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Like a Zen koan, contemplating the question “Who am I?” is a lifelong journey of self-discovery that moves us forward along the path of individuation. In this paper, I considered the nature of my identity and explore the characteristics and attitudes that manifested through my family legacy for generations. My great-great-grandmother, Matilda Joslyn Gage, was an early suffragist and dedicated freedom fighter, and her daughter married L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. My family ancestry includes several individuals who have separated from the collective to express their individuality and make unique contributions to society. With the given name Dorothy, I have felt blessed and burdened in the shadow of these noteworthy individuals. This paper explores the genetic, epigenetic, and psychological fabric of my family lineage, and identifies inherited traits that suggest a generational transmission of resiliency, wisdom, and individuality. This exploration has led me to consider the possibility of “generational individuation,” a continuity of related individuals responding in unique ways to impersonal karma that manifests through family legacies and completes the unfinished business of previous generations. Considering the complexity of these ancestral relationships has enriched an understanding of who I am, exposed previously unexplored shadow material, and contributed to a deeper sense of meaning and purpose.