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Love this comparison — these two are circling a lot of the same mountain from different sides. Here’s a clean table:
Advaita Vedānta vs. Carl Jung
| Theme | Advaita Vedānta | Carl Jung |
|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Reality | Brahman — nondual, infinite consciousness; the only true reality | The Self (archetype) — the totality of the psyche, including conscious + unconscious |
| Individual Self | Ātman = Brahman (your true self is identical with ultimate reality) | The ego is the center of conscious identity, but not the whole Self |
| Core Problem | Avidyā (ignorance) — mistaking the ego/body/mind for the true Self | Ego identification and repression of the unconscious create imbalance |
| Goal of Life | Moksha (liberation) — realization of nonduality | Individuation — integrating unconscious contents into conscious life |
| Nature of the Ego | Illusory construct (useful but not ultimately real) | Necessary psychological structure, but must not dominate the psyche |
| Unconscious / Hidden Depth | Not framed as “unconscious,” but Māyā veils true reality | Personal + Collective Unconscious containing archetypes |
| Archetypes / Universals | Cosmic principles expressed as deities, symbols, and myths | Archetypes are innate patterns of the collective unconscious |
| World / Matter | Māyā — real as experience but not ultimately independent | Psychic reality is primary in experience; psyche shapes how reality is lived |
| Method / Practice | Self-inquiry (“Who am I?”), meditation, renunciation of false identity | Dream analysis, active imagination, symbolic integration |
| Attitude to Opposites | Opposites dissolve in nondual awareness | Opposites must be consciously integrated (shadow, anima/animus) |
| End State | Realization: “I am not the doer; I am pure awareness” | Realization of the Self as inner wholeness, but ego still functions |
| Mystical Experience | Direct knowledge of unity beyond subject–object | Encounter with the Self often symbolized as mandala, light, divine figure |
| View of Death | No real death of the Self; only the body-mind drops | Ego may dissolve; deeper psyche (Self) not reducible to the body |
| Metaphysics vs Psychology | Metaphysical doctrine about reality itself | Primarily depth psychology, though with metaphysical implications |
| Final Liberation vs Wholeness | Transcendence of individuality | Transformation and completion of individuality |
Big Difference in One Line
Advaita: You are already the Absolute; realize it by seeing through illusion.
Jung: Become who you truly are by integrating the unconscious.
Big Similarity
Both say the ordinary ego identity is not the deepest truth about who we are — and both see symbols, myths, and inner experience as doorways to a larger reality.
If you want, next we can do “Advaita vs Kastrup vs Jung” — that triangle is 🔥
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