The Self is not your ego; it is the larger center the whole psyche circles around
What we usually call “I” is the center of consciousness — the ego that thinks and decides. But Jung held that within the whole psyche, conscious and unconscious together, there is a larger center. He called it the Self.
The ego centers consciousness; the Self centers the whole
The ego is the waking “I”: it perceives, judges, and chooses. It is the center of consciousness.
The Self is larger. It is the center and ordering principle of the entire psyche, conscious and unconscious. The ego is only one part of this larger whole, though it often assumes it is the whole.
Individuation is the ego renewing its relation to the Self
Individuation, for Jung, is not the ego becoming stronger or more in control. It is more the ego slowly admitting: I am not the whole of the center; a larger center is also at work.
This relationship tends to show itself through dreams, symptoms, and strong moods — reminders to the ego that something wants to live beyond the me I assume I am.
Start with one small question
Is there a recurring pull in my life that points somewhere other than what I think I want?
If I do not rush to control it, does it seem to invite me toward becoming more whole, rather than more successful?