Jungian "Tree of Life" (Wow!)

[SkyWalker]

WOW! I have "discovered" the Jungian Tree of Life! It is the graph of how the 8 Jungian functions are connected according to MBTI's table of function ordering.

It looks a bit similar to the Kaballah's Tree of Life.
(See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sephirot )

The logic behind the graph:
The distance between two functions is the number of paths/hops between them in the graph, similar to the distance in the table.

- Each function has 3 possible paths to 3 other functions.

- You can see 12 possible paths between the 8 functions.

The 8 Jungian functions are absolute/extreme points in the total spectrum of all human personality possibilities, which are represented by the paths.

MBTI is a categorization of this entire spectrum into 16 boxes.


Another way of drawing the tree is by drawing it in 3D, then you get a cube:

P.S. THE RULES: the dotted line can only be crossed as the 2nd path, 1st path & 3rd path is always a straight line. 3rd path is always in the same plane as 1st & 2nd. (And the last 4 shadow functions run in the opposite plane in counter direction)

Edit: I've updated this cube by adding the 16 MBTI types in the graph, see my post below.

 

[ApostateAbe]

You know, the original MBTI theory was speculative enough, kinda clustering people together according to whatever arbitrary personality traits out of many more to choose from. And now this, and I am not even sure what to make of it. It would really help if there were some explicit methodology for determining this sort of arrangement, because it really could be just another arbitrary arrangement designed to look pretty, from a reformulation of the old theory, diving further into the speculative rabbit hole, not designed to fit the actual evidence. If it could be put to the test, that would be even better. Or else, I mean, come on, maybe just an explanation of the causal model for why we should expect that the ISTJ has the greatest Si, the second-greatest Te, yadda, yadda, yadda? For example, is that the design of natural selection to ensure the survival of the human genome?

 

[Cogwulf]

What does it mean?
What does it do?

 

[thoumyvision]

I think what you have here is an interesting bit of synchronicity. Yes, it works. Yes, it's interesting. But what is it good for? You still have to know the cognitive function relationships in order to use it. For instance, if I don't know anything about cognitive function order I can use either of these diagrams to connect Ne-Fi-Se-Ti, which is nothing, but I don't know that. I will say it's kinda fun picking a type and tracing out its function order, at least the first 4 anyway.

You also say "It is the graph of how the 8 Jungian functions are connected according to MBTI's table of function ordering.", but using these diagrams it's only possible to connect the first 4 in order. Taking INTP as an example you can connect Ti-Ne-Si-Fe, but Fe does not connect to Te, which is the first of our shadow functions.

 

[SkyWalker]

I added:
P.S. THE RULES: the dotted line can only be crossed as the 2nd path, 1st path & 3rd path is always a straight line. 3rd path is always in the same plane as 1st & 2nd. (And the last 4 shadow functions run in the opposite plane in counter direction)


Then it follows that from each of the 8 functions, only 2 paths can be chosen as the first path (each has 3 paths of which 1 path is a dotted line, which is not allowed as the first path).
thats why we have 8 functions x 2 first paths=16 MBTI types.

---


And what its good for? Its good for understanding the damn thing. I'm dissecting it. Looking at the clockwork inside and representing it graphically

 

[SkyWalker]

Talking about synchronicity, check out these kaballah paths (from the "workofthechariot" website)... I am trying to decode them, I think they represent personality types.

 

[Da Blob]

There are quite a few videos on the subject - check out the sidebar on this one...

YouTube - Jungian Archetypes in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life

 

[SkyWalker]

New version with the 16 MBTI types in it. They represent the first path, the first path makes the type. (if you follow the P.S. rules)

 

[Meer]

Hmm..that's kind of cool. Recently, I was thinking about a past relationship with an INFJ, and how we supported (or whatever) each others Ti or Fe, while our intuiton and sensing contrasted. You can kind of visualize it with the last cube..

It would be reallly cool if there was a little flash thingymajig that would 'trace' the function path of a type when the type was moused over, nah meen?

 

[Kuu]

I love simple diagrams, and always wanted to make one to easily map all the mbti functions. You, sir, win an Elephant of Approval +20.



Btw you don't cross the paths, you follow them, damnit!

 

[SkyWalker]

Btw you don't cross the paths, you follow them, damnit!

Shit sorry, true, don't know why I wrote "crossed" haha

thanks for the elephant

 

[SkyWalker]

MORE "SYNCHRONICITY"?
On the internet I viewed a lot of so called "spiritual" crap about a stellated tetrahedron, a.k.a. double tetrahedron, a.k.a. star tetrahedron, a.k.a. "Merkabah". (google it up or see youtube videos).

This "Merkabah" is supposed to "make you fly" by 2 (conceptual) counter rotating tetrahedrons around "conceptual you":

Now it comes....

Since such a stellated tetrahedron fits perfectly in a cube:

And since, in my cube, the path of 4 shadow functions runs counter to the 4 main functions on the opposite plane of the cube.....
I think there might be a connection here.
This "counter rotating fields of the Merkabah" crap seems to be old/ancient/lost/perverted personality knowledge. (Jung dug it up from his alchemy related studies.)

As for the myth of flying by counter rotation of "your merkabah":
We would certainly "fly", compared to normal operation, if we could just activate our missing shadow's "counter path" as strongly. (But I dont think anybody achieved that yet.)

P.S. I dont know yet how useful this Merkabah post was, maybe that will fall into place later, but I do like this crap somehow. Just trying to see what pops up here, that's why I post it.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

Thanks for this Luke. I never thought to try a cube(-oid), it all makes sense now. I'm still thinking about the double tetrahedron and how the 8 functions fit into the Tree of Life.

I'm curious about the "Merkabah" too.



The problem I have with the Tree of Life is that the meanings overlap many times. None of them are completely distinguishable.

As for the myth of flying by counter rotation of "your merkabah":
We would certainly "fly", compared to normal operation, if we could just activate our missing shadow's "counter path" as strongly. (But I dont think anybody achieved that yet.)

P.S. I dont know yet how useful this Merkabah post was, maybe that will fall into place later, but I do like this crap somehow. Just trying to see what pops up here, that's why I post it.

Superman??

 

[preilemus]

The way your cube is set up now, each tetrahedron is composed entirely of either introverted, or extroverted points.

In line with the idea of the "Merkabah," to me it would make sense for the functions within any particular type to correspond to the tetrahedron's points (with the shadow functions comprising the other tetrahedron), but as far as I can tell from attempting to set it up like that, it only works half of the time, requiring two different set-ups to encompass all possible types.


Anyway, I think this is good work. If I get access to a proper computer later on then I'll try and get a few diagrams up.

 

[Abraxas]

It seems that the Keter (Heaven/Paradise) of INTP would be the Malkhut (Hell) of ISFP and vice versa.

 

[SkyWalker]

It seems that the Keter (Heaven/Paradise) of INTP would be the Malkhut (Hell) of ISFP and vice versa.

Could you explain that?


Btw about kaballah: I think the 2 extra functions (10 sephirot, while just 8 jungian functions) are about 2 directions of mental organization: centralization (form/predictable, hierarchy, death/usurption) vs. decentralization (formless/unpredictable, p2p, life/generation). Centralization would make you more a type (more formed). Decentralization would make you more a 'general' (less formed). P.S. I hope this is understandable, this is not very common language here.

 

[Abraxas]

Could you explain that?

Just an idiot trying to understand this...
I just thought that the other has the other's inferior as the primary function. And maybe for instance INFPs' personal "hell" would have something to do with their least developed function, introverted thinking, since in most cases they're uncomfortable using that function.

 

[nexion]

The third and third paths represent functions that will be present together (extroverted rational + introverted irrational or introverted rational + extroverted irrational) while the second path represents functional duality (duality of functions as hinted at by Jung).

It's just a graphical form of it with easily visible relations.

 

[Da Blob]

I am all for the creation of models, for they are simple representatives of more complex structure that allow one to understand some aspects of the complex by bringing the simple into focus.

While the models above can be used to explain the personal identity generated by the variables that compose the MBTI, what about a model for the social identity?

I was introduced to the MBTI as it is used in Human Relations, per Organizational Psychology and there the concept of Team Roles was given primacy. It seems to me that while the crystalline/atomic form of the models above are good, what about the molecules formed by teams/groups of people. It seems to me that any model of the individual most show how the individual "fits' into a group.

It seems to me that the models presented show an inert 'noble' gas type of personality with no orbitals willing to 'share electrons' with an Other (?)