Psychological inflation implies an exaggerated sense of self-importance, accompanied by an unconscious feeling of inferiority. For Jungians, it involves identification with an archetypal energy. When the ego starts to feel that it IS an archetype, rather than feeling awed by it or in contact with it, this can be dangerous psychologically.
Negative inflation occurs when a person feels entitled and special because they are suffering, perceiving themselves as unusually and interestingly hard done by. They feel they are owed help from others to solve the problems they are experiencing.
We all have experience of dealing with people in the grip of inflation. The word itself gives us an evocative image: the inflated person is puffed up by the oxygen of their own self-importance. They come across as pompous and presumptuous, because they feel more than human. Psyche seeks balance, so we’re also likely to observe that underneath the unbearable arrogance lie feelings of inferiority, terror of mortality, or awareness of weakness and vulnerability – all the aspects of the human condition that the inflated person seeks to deny. These are also people who can be subject to outbursts of rage, frustrated by the failure of reality to conform to their sense of omnipotence and entitlement.
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The inflated person is not always an unattractive figure. Living in identification with an archetype can impart charisma, and susceptible individuals may fall under their spell. We can look to the example of the cult leader, identified with the archetype of prophet or wise man, to see this in action. Followers feel the power of the archetype and are swept up into an energy that may prove intensely damaging.
Inflation at one point or other will come for us all, and it is not always destructive. When we consider individuals who have accomplished great things in the arts, politics or science, we will often find that a degree of inflation has allowed them to reach for and grasp new possibilities.
The second half of life offers us the possibility of surrendering to something greater and experiencing the relativization of the ego, essentially a deflationary process. If we do not surrender to this new humility, and find a way to be in service to something larger, we may stumble into darkness.
Join us this week as we circumambulate the concept of inflation, drawing on examples including Kanye West, Elizabeth Holmes, Icarus, Prometheus, and the fairy tale of the Fisherman and his Wife.
Here’s the Dream We Analyze
I was in the living room of a house that I am not familiar with in waking life. It felt somewhat small, though cozy, and had yellow walls. It was the end of the day, with the sun setting, and becoming darker outside. I turned to notice that a giant bear was at the window and was standing on its back legs looking in. It pulled off the screen from the window, like a human would. I walked to the hallway to get out of the way of the bear, which I realized was coming in through the window. But then instead of the big bear, a baby bear entered through the window and approached me curiously. This is when I felt the ping of fear, knowing that I was now standing in between the baby and mama bear. I turned to find a way out as I anticipated the mama bear would attack me upon entering.
Resources from the Episode
- John Carreyrou, Bad Blood (on Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos).
- Edward Edinger, Ego and Archetype
- The Grimm Brothers, “The Fisherman and his Wife” fairy tale.
Related Episodes
If you enjoyed listening to this episode, you might also like:
- Promethean Inflation: Will Our Creations Destroy Us?
- The Dark Triad: Tracking Wolves in Our Midst
- Contagious Corruption
- Narcissism
