The Third Type of Hero: Energy Follows Awareness

Image: La Notte by Achille Casanova, circa 1894-1897

In depth psychology such as the work of Carl Jung there is an attempt to move beyond material explanations of mind by proposing that psyche may be rooted in the ‘objective psyche’ - a domain of transpersonal structures not reducible to individual neurology. His concept of archetypes as preexisting organising patterns of experience alongside the concept of synchronicity suggests a reality in which mind and matter may arise from a deeper underlying unity (unus mundus) where we can attempt challenging the assumption that reality is fundamentally composed of isolated parts. Be it in psychology, philosophy, religion or physics, taken symbolically this concept is worth spending time exploring as at the very end it is the base of many ancient systems our modern world is built upon.

Erich Neumann extended Jung’s theory through the concept of centroversion - the idea that psychic development is organised around a progressive movement towards an inner centre - the self-forming and individuating tendency of the psyche through which consciousness gradually organises itself by integrating fragmented or opposing aspects of experience into a more coherent and unified sense of Self. The centering tendency can be seen as a dynamic process through which fragmented psychic contents are drawn into greater coherence and wholeness. The idea of the centrovert emerges as a distinct psychological orientation alongside extraversion and introversion and it can also be understood as a ‘third type of hero’ as Neumann suggested in the mythological-psychological sense - not directed outwards towards conquest of the world (extraversion) nor inwards towards withdrawal and reflection (introversion) but oriented towards the formation of an integrated centre of consciousness that can hold both poles in relationship. So the centrovertic hero has the capacity to stabilise identity around an organising centre that mediates between inner and outer reality. It seems to be a recurrent theme in many myths - mythologically this figure often appears in stories of descent, transformation and return where the true victory is the integration of fragmented aspects of the psyche into a coherent whole and consciousness becomes capable of organising complexity without splitting into opposites.

So we can extend these psychological models beyond symbolic interpretation into a metaphysical question which sounds something like this ‘if consciousness possesses an organising tendency towards coherence as Jung, Neumann and many ancient scholars and mystics suggest then the psyche may be more than just a byproduct of biological processes’. So the movement towards psychic integration described through centroversion can be understood through concepts such as underlying unity across different domains of knowledge. And here we start building the conceptual bridge between depth psychology and contemporary physics where both disciplines confront the possibility that apparent separateness may emerge from more fundamental interconnected fields or organising principles.

Modern science has largely been built upon a materialist framework in which consciousness is assumed to arise from neural activity. And of course the unity concept does not necessarily suggest otherwise as the unifying principle could emerge from either within neural activity or from the outside of our physical selves. Unless we move to the ideas of Jungian universal and shared unconscious. Then we can imagine to extend beyond what can presently be demonstrated empirically and some new ideas previously unfamiliar might surface that makes one question materialistic framework which is especially common between people studying ancient traditions, meditating or experimenting with psychedelics. Johns Hopkins have documented mystical-type experiences characterised by ego dissolution, profound interconnectedness, transcendence of space and time and a sense of encountering a reality more fundamental than ordinary waking consciousness. Participants frequently rate these experiences among the most meaningful events of their lives questioning how subjective meaning and transformative insight arise from neural activity. DMTx research programme with researchers Andrew Gallimore and Christopher Timmermann explores the possibility of maintaining extended DMT states through continuous intravenous administration aiming to investigate what occurs when individuals remain immersed in these altered states for prolonged periods which creates a unique opportunity to study the structure, consistency and phenomenology of extraordinary conscious experiences under controlled conditions. Encounters with seemingly autonomous intelligences, immersion within coherent alternate realities and the perception of accessing dimensions beyond ordinary space and time invites different reflection on the nature of consciousness and reality.

One concept that sits at the centre of this discussion from physics point of view is zero-point energy which refers to the lowest possible energy state of a quantum system. The quantum vacuum is understood to be filled with fluctuating fields and transient particle activity suggesting that space itself possesses an intrinsic energetic structure. Zero-point energy is a concept in physics which models suggest that what appears to be empty space is a dynamic and foundational component of the universe which naturally raises important philosophical questions about whether this underlying field might also play a role in consciousness. Some researchers propose that consciousness can be more accurately described as interacting with the brain much like a signal interacting with a receiver.

Several fields of research question whether consciousness is entirely produced by the brain. Near-death experience research such as Pim van Lommel and Bruce Greyson documents recurring reports of vivid awareness, out-of-body experiences and life reviews during periods of extreme physiological stress leading some researchers to propose models of non-local consciousness. Studies on terminal lucidity such as work by Jimo Borjigin have found unexpected bursts of organised neural activity near death suggesting consciousness-related processes may be more complex than we think. And then quantum consciousness theories developed by Roger Penrose and Stuart Hameroff propose that quantum processes within neurons may contribute to conscious experience. Other researchers such as Rupert Sheldrake, Dean Radin and Nassim Haramein have explored ideas involving morphic fields, psi effects or vacuum-based models of consciousness by challenging purely reductionist accounts of mind keeping open the possibility that consciousness may involve principles not yet fully understood.

The controversial work of Nassim Haramein offers an approach to linking fundamental physics with consciousness by looking at the structure of space at the smallest scales proposing that the vacuum contains an extraordinarily high density of energy which is organised through fractal and holographic geometries. In his paper Quantum Gravity and the Holographic Mass (not peer-reviewed) he argues that the properties of matter can be derived from the energy dynamics of the vacuum itself and that larger structures emerge from a deeply interconnected field rather than existing as isolated entities. So in his view it is possible that consciousness might also be related to or embedded within this structure. This possibility also resonates with other non-local interpretations of consciousness which suggest that awareness operates through more fundamental aspects of reality. This idea whether taken super symbolically or more with a critical but open mind of a scientifically minded thinker invites to consider a new view of the universe picturing it as an interconnected system. I stumbled across Harrasim’s work only recently and I have to honest I do wonder sometimes if it is possible that some scientists and thinkers support him because nobody fully understands what exactly he is talking about but it seems to fit in nicely with some of the consciousness ideas. But once again, I do personally support the view that consciousness is fundamental and underlying all even though mainstream science does not currently support this view. The little scientist to be in me keeps reminding me of rigorous scientific testing too as the very end this the ‘language’ we have chosen for ourselves in this time and age. So we have to find a way to answer these hard questions but this can be done only by staying open minded as scientific progress depends not only on scepticism. History shows that breakthroughs often emerge when researchers are willing to question prevailing assumptions whilst remaining committed to rigorous evidence. No scientific community is entirely free from social influence and even the most respected institutions can become attached to prevailing assumptions. Genuine inquiry requires willingness to follow evidence wherever it leads regardless of status, consensus or authority.

The basic principle of internal alchemy is that energy follows awareness which views individual mind as a localised wave within a universal ocean of awareness. It acts as a mechanism linking personal energy to foundational reality. It can be connected to ideas such as neuroplasticity, bioenergetics or quantum mechanics but also mainstream science does not currently agree that consciousness underlies everything however people actually practising and studying internal alchemy have a very different view… And I choose to stand in the very middle of it.

References

Gallimore, A. R., & Strassman, R. J. (2016). A model for the application of target-controlled intravenous infusion for a prolonged immersive DMT psychedelic experience. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 7, Article 211. 

Gallimore, A. (2013). Building alien worlds: The neuropsychological and evolutionary implications of the astonishing psychoactive effects of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Journal of Scientific Exploration, 27(3), 455-503. 

Gallimore, A. R., Hoffman, D. D., & Hermansson, N. (2026). Traces of the other: Are DMT entities real? DMT phenomenology in the framework of conscious realism (Preprint). https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/8qvgy_v2

Haramein, N. (2013). Quantum gravity and the holographic mass. Physics Essays, 26(2), 190-201.

Neumann, E. (1955). The origins and history of consciousness (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.). Princeton University Press.