We all know that the human soul is unitary and cannot be divided into some composite parts. So, what kinds of “parts” do we talk about in here?
The working of the psyche can be observed in many different ways, each of them being some aspect of the soul or a so called spiritual power. We have consciousness, feelings, willpower, and imagination. All these are aspects of the unitary soul, tentatively referred to as its “parts”. Speaking of spiritual life, we can try an imaginary ‘decomposition’ of the soul and examine each of its aspects as well as how all of them relate to each other. Lets have a look at these aspects.
Upon birth, the soul is probably a “sphere” of unconscious impulses and instincts (the need of food, etc.). This sphere is where the life and energy of the small person is believed to be.
Gradually, the Ego of the child makes its way to the surface from the original “ocean” of unconsciousness. The newborn is overwhelmed by parents and everyone around; the world shows itself forcibly, transforming the unconscious aspect of the soul. As a result, the unconsciousness grows thinner and cracks. The ego of the child sneaks in and connects with the world (all “things”, parents, adults, rules, taboos, teachings, etc.)
There are two main composite parts of the soul: the unconsciousness (the Id) and the consciousness (the Ego). At the core of the Ego is the Super Ego. The latter is a product of social norms, rules, prohibitions, ideas about proper and improper conduct, and morale. The unconsciousness is different in that it has multiple layers.
(By the observations of Pierre Daco) There are three It-s. It-1 reflects original life impulses and forms the bottom layer of the soul. It-2 represents our deeply held life views and common ideas of humanity (archetypes and symbols). It-3 stands for everything that we tried to wipe out or presumably forget: experiences, dissatisfaction, personal stories of grief, “forgotten” emotions and events, etc. The Super Ego censures these based on the rules of the society we are part of – the views of proper and improper, prohibitions, etc. This is the upper layer of the psyche or what is consciously processed.
The “parts” of the psyche interact in a constant dynamic and complex interrelationship, resulting in a variety of experiences and emotions.
When people undergo psychoanalysis, they may discover this spiritual dynamic, the interaction between the Id, Ego, and Super Ego, and some deeply hidden inferiority complexes. They show up as symptoms at the conscious levels (what we complain of). We cannot explain them, they look as if coming from nowhere, and feel painful. But again, if there are really parts of the soul, do we really know what happens in there?