“The Necessity of Sacrifice for Consciousness: Attitude and Meaning.”

Here is the abstract for the article, which you can find in Psychological Perspectives, Volume 56, issue 3.

Sacrifice is more than the act of giving, it is the forgoing of any claim on reciprocation or result and most often entails an experience of profound loss. Jung said “Nobody can give away what he has not got,” meaning that to be conscious of what one is relinquishing one has enough self-knowledge to surrender any claim. This article explores the meaning of sacrifice, the relationship of ego as sacrificed, Self as sacrificer. As Jungians we place deep value on these painful times, taking the perspective that such a death is necessary for rebirth – or the emergence of another god/archetypal image to enter and have participation or reign in our wider consciousness.