Unmasking and Individuation

In my previous post I wrote about Unmasking - a term connected to how autistic and otherwise neurodivergent individuals like me journey towards their authentic self, daring to deviate from the social scripts and expectations they had internalized in order to ‚fit in‘.

But this process of ‚letting go’ - of shedding roles or identities we’ve taken on - also deeply resonates with what Carl Jung called ‚Individuation‘.

Individuation describes the process of freeing ourselves from the identity and self-image we‘ve built over a lifetime, shaped by the standards, norms and conventions held by family, friends, partners, employers, culture and society at large.

In short: the frightening, painful and daring journey away from the person we think we are - or ought to be - towards who we truly are - this deeper space of soul, spirit, unity and wholeness. 

It‘s the turning point all of us will encounter in some way or another - hopefully. Because if we don‘t, we may risk missing a deeper kind of growth - one rooted in authenticity rather than conformity.

Unmasking and Individuation are different concepts, but to me they speak of the same universal truth: that our deepest purpose in life is to become who we truly are. Our True, Authentic Self. 

Let‘s dare take on this journey - for our own sake - and for the sake of the individuals out there who can‘t, because their safety might be at stake.