The Self as Activity

Abstract

The self is a complex and heterogeneous phenomenon that is often described through its subcomponents (e.g., self-control, self-esteem, self-compassion). The entity that unifies these subcomponents is more elusive and difficult to access, at least with standard psychological methods. In the current inquiry we set out to illuminate and extend the understanding of the self by exploring the differentiation of the self as a "content" versus a "process" (e.g., self-schema vs. self-activity). We also differentiate the "self" from the "I," exploring characteristics of a 3rd-versus a 1st-person perspective to this core psychological entity. We pursue an empirical 1st-person inquiry that is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing on concepts from both psychology and religious studies (in particular the "essential" or "core" self in psychology, as well as the "real" or "ideal" self in religious studies in the form of the "I Am" statements in the Gospels). Our approach illustrates how a consideration of phenomenological, 1st-person qualities of selfhood allows for an enriched, empirically based understanding of crucially important but subtle dimensions of I-ness that remain inaccessible to 3rd-person exploration.

Dualistic and Trichotomic Approaches in Psychological Enquiry

“…Insteadand based on our previous researchwe argue that upon entering the immersive mindset described above, we get acquainted with a conceptual activity of its own accord (cf. Weger et al, 2018aWeger et al, , 2018bWeger & Herbig, 2019 for more details). It remains to be explored how this activity relates to the activity or vitality we perceive in the sense-world.…”

“…He speaks to them, ‘I Am’.” In the original (ancient) Greek, the “I Am” (ἐγώ εἰμι – ego eimi) normally requires a predicative extension, just as it does in English (e.g., I am he ); however, this extension is missing in the Greek, so the translation is more accurately translated without the predicate (cf. Weger & Herbig, 2019). When reading a statement like this, a state of incompletion is experienced: a slight irritation occurs – a moment of ambiguity that is not resolved; but in this openness lies also a potentiality that points to an understanding of the true self as an individual “I Am” in its open-ended potentiality or universal character.…”

“…When we say “I,” by contrast, whoever uses the term inevitably refers to a different person, namely him- or herself. Because of the self-referential character in contemplating the absolute “I Am” sentences, one is referred back to one’s own core sense of self – like Moses was in the example with the burning bush (Weger & Herbig, 2019).…”

The Self in the Periphery

“…These careers may not (yet) have manifested and perhaps never will-but in principle, the potential to also take other directions and pursue other (professional) roles is there, although often impeded by outer and inner constraints (such as a given learning history). We have described this open potential that precedes the crystallizations into manifest biographical realizations or roles as the "activity" or "process" side of the self (Weger & Herbig, 2019). It has something of an overarching character that precedes and binds together the subcomponents of the self into a Gestalt-like whole.…”

Avoiding “False Alarms” and “Misses” in Psychological Theory Building: Complementing the Principle of Parsimony With the Principle of Tentative Affirmation

“…But when moving from reflection to immersion, from thinking in contents to thinking in processes, this successive sequence gives way to simultaneity—production and observation can now occur at the same time. Such a moment can yield the realization that in our thinking we are ultimately anchored in—and through—this very thinking: an immersive experience which we have called the “bird in stationary flight” experience (Weger & Herbig, 2018); or the moment of the producing witness (in the Germany original somewhat more poignantly: “der zeugende Zeuge,” Weger et al., 2016). We provide an in-depth illustration of such an experience in the “Results” section of a recent study (Weger & Herbig, 2018).…”