Definitions HQ

Inflation (n.) in ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠Jung's warning is the Westerner swamped and possessed by an unconscious he has repressed too hard, once Eastern techniques relax the ego's vigilance.

Inflation (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠what happens when the ego, fascinated by the hero or mana-personality, identifies with it — which is why some churchmen distrust the “inner Christ.”

Inflation (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠filling a space one normally cannot fill, by appropriating qualities that belong to someone else, to everyone, or to no one.

Inflation (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the ego identifying itself with the self to keep up the illusion of mastery — producing a nebulous superman with a puffed-up ego and a deflated self.

Inflation (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the great peril of individuation: the ego identifying with the self — Nietzsche with Zarathustra, Faust with Mephistopheles — the first step towards madness.

Inflation (n.) magnifies ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the ego's blind spot: the more you are assimilated by the projection-making factor, the less you notice how others react to you.

Inflation (n.) needs ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠no more than a flight of steps or a smooth floor to bring about its fatal fall.

Inflation (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the ego fancying itself exalted when in fact it is thrust into the background by something greater — the self; the ego almost needs the inflation to keep its footing, yet that is what lifts it off its foundations.

Inflation (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠confusing the ego with the self: the illuminated Gnostic identified with his own light and so felt superior to the darkness in him.

Inflation (n.) follows ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a wrong attribution: figures of superior insight belong to an unconscious component, and claiming them for the ego brings inward and outward disasters the layman cannot imagine.

Inflation (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠what happens when the uprooted gods come home to roost in man and he cries out: I am philosopher, demon, hero, god and everything.

Inflation (n.) comes ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠from identifying with what should be integrated: positive, it borders on megalomania; negative, it feels like annihilation of the ego — in alchemy, a king who drinks so much water he melts away.

Inflation (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the moral disadvantage of every gift: a feeling of superiority that needs compensating by humility — to rush ahead is to invite blows, and if not from the teacher, then from fate.

Inflation (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the analyst's occupational disease: told by patient after patient that he is a saviour, it tickles him, until he founds a sect and is lost to the profession.