Theos-Talk Archives (July 1997 Message tl00424)

At 01:20 AM 7/28/97 -0400, Mark wrote:

>I don't think it's so much a heretical issue of comparing us to animals.
>It could be some sort of vestige or remnant of animal group psychology.
>We are sooooo much animal, in ways we often take for granted to be
>human, it's not funny. Formation of healthy personality and true
>individuation of ego vis-a-vis self, is a process that has not
>completely occurred, by and large. We are still very much in it. 

I agree. There also seems to be quite a bit of overlap between
(theosophically speaking) the human and animal kingdoms, especially with
nonhuman primates, IMHO. (Biologically, of course, we're considered part of
the animal kingdom.) Could we perhaps be seeing the beginnings of
individuation among chimpanzees? Unlike other animals, chimpanzees
recognize an image in the mirror as being themselves, which suggests a
humanlike awareness of self/not-self. (Even human babies don't develop this
awareness until ~6 months of age.)

BTW, Mark, when you speak of ego, are you speaking of it as psychologists
use the term, as the threefold personality, or the soul (with self
referring to the highest principles? I just want to make sure I understood
you correctly.

Lynn
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Lynn Moncrief
(techndex@pacbell.net)
TECHindex & Docs
Technical and Scientific Indexing
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