ABSTRACT
Becoming an ego involves a shift in perception: from participation in the Whole and in the non-dual world to ego-boundedness. This shift occurs gradually and involves a constant back and forth. The infant appears to be sprightly, as if this little person were “here.” Then it dozes off. In this states, the infant experiences the world differently than in waking consciousness. We can assume that, depending on the sleep phase, children and even adults once again become immersed in the liminal sphere to non-duality. The time spans during which the child participates in the Whole decrease as it develops, while ego-bound wakefulness increases. The infant experiences a unitary reality before and beside its waking inactivity. It is a oneness with the Whole (non-duality), and not merely with the mother. While differentiation continues, a second experience of being entails primordial warmth and security. We feel deeply nurtured and contained, and our primordial trust grows as a result. As clinical examples illustrate, being comforted by the Great Mother (C.G. Jung) is a typical metaphor of these experiences. This chapter also considers the phylogenetic perspective and presents symbols, experiences of music, and images of God/the divine that are typical of experiencing sheltered containment.
