Carl Jung’s process of individuation (self-realization) can be usefully recast in “mythical–dramatistic” terms in which human development is seen as an exciting story of a trapped and disintegrated “cosmic person” who struggles to reassemble him or herself in us over time. This article describes the four stages of self-realization from the point of view of the unfolding of this primal person. The article then considers six central benefits of the mythical–dramatistic perspective for humanistic psychology: (a) a shift toward the use of personalistic versus abstract terms in human development; (b) a focus on inner dialogue in promoting growth; (c) an appreciation of the role of story as an ideal vehicle to express the embodiment of the eternal person over time; (d) an appreciation of the role of voice, vocation, and mission as key terms in psychological development; (e) a distinction between ego versus self-based psychological problems; and (f) a focus on the humanities in the training of clinical, counseling, and developmental psychologists.
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