Four Pathways to Your Authentic Self

By Therese Emmanuel Grey

One of the best ways to understand  why you do what you do – or why your significant others, your in-laws and even your favorite celebrities do what they do – is to explore the universal archetypes people print from birth that influence their behavior.

Carl Jung first introduced archetypes as important insights into human behavior. Archetypes convey an energy, a thoughtform that describes an aspect of our psyche.

In 1990, Canadian psychologist Caroline Hanskte teamed up with Brian Emmanuel Grey, an intuitive who through near-death and out-of-body experiences, was given the gift to hone in on a person's specific psychological strengths and weaknesses – their 'program,' so to speak.

Together, Brian and Caroline identified the four primary archetypes everyone functions through at some level of their being, be it the conscious mind, the subconscious mind, the superconscious mind or the unconscious mind. These four archetypes are simple, yet extremely powerful. They have, over the last fourteen years, dramatically helped thousands of individuals and businesses, including multinational companies and government agencies.

Over and over again, Caroline and Brian have watched people come to grips with the most difficult issues in their lives and in their work teams, dramatically improve their relationships and express their full potential by unfolding these archetypes.

The four universal archetypes or energies that Caroline and Brian work with are known as our inner family archetypes, because they are best described through the concepts of Father, Mother, Boychild and Girlchild. Each archetype has a light side and a dark side. Through their light side, these archetypes allow us to express our highest soul potential. They connect us to the four principles of Spirit known in the West as the Father, the Mother (or Goddess), the Son (or Christ) and the Holy Spirit; and in the East as Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Shakti. When people yield to the dark side of the archetypes, the opposite occurs and we experience rebellion, fragmentation, pain, isolation, and ultimate soul destruction. Everyone uses their four inner family archetypes in a conscious, subconscious, superconscious or unconscious way, albeit through different patterns. The specific pattern we print from birth influences how we think and feel, what we aspire to and what we reject.

Someone who thinks through a Boychild conscious frame of reference, for example, will be very enterprising. This is different from people who think through a conscious Mother frame of reference and want to have all of their bases covered before making a move. Now someone who feels through a subconscious Girlchild frame of reference, for example, will be highly sensitive. This is different from people who inherit the tough underbelly of subconscious Boychild.

A person with a superconscious Mother archetype aspires to teach and nurture life. A person with superconscious Father, on the other hand, pursues grids and blueprints in an impersonal way. Knowing which archetype governs your unconscious is also key because that archetype represents your rejected self, and you project it onto others. People who have Boychild in the unconscious, for example, often draw 'bullies' to themselves, whereas people who have unconscious Mother tend to magnetize abandonment.

Generally, people who function from a strong Father archetype pursue the law. They tend to have strong boundaries and seek to download a blueprint for every situation. When their Father energy goes out of balance and becomes unloving, they can become harsh and critical toward themselves and others.

People who express a strong Mother archetype live to nurture life. They love to guide and teach others, and provide stability in any given situation. When they are threatened, they respond by either going aloof or by smothering those around them with a spoiling mechanism. Either way, they avoid further giving of themselves.

People who have a strong Boychild archetype are go-getters in life. They are highly competitive and do whatever it takes to reach their goal. When their archetype goes negative, they become overcompetitive, aggressive, and tend to run over others.

People who have a strong Girlchild archetype go with the flow. They experience life through serendipity. They are highly creative, caring and intuitive. When their sensitivity is trampled, however, the unloving side of Girlchild takes over. They become victim-martyrs, prosecutors who ultimately feel superior to their persecutors.

The more familiar you become with your four inner family archetypes, the more you will recognize which archetype you patterned at the conscious, subconscious, superconscious and unconscious level. You will also learn to transcend the dark side of each archetype and overcome the limitations of your specific pattern. This is liberating and empowering. It will allow you to relate to your loved ones in a more authentic way so you can strengthen your relationships. You will understand what trips you up and where other people are coming from. You will have empathy and bring out the best in yourself and in others. You will truly know who you are and express your highest self.

Therese Emmanuel Grey is a journalist who writes about personal growth and facilitates The Inner Family Archetype Model.To order the book, Why We Do What We Do: Four Pathwaysto Your Authentic Self, please call 1-877-WHYWEDO or visit your local book store.