Roberto Assagioli (Venice, February 27, 1888 – Capolona d’Arezzo, August 23, 1974) is the founder of Psychosynthesis and the first Western psychologist to define an overall map of the human psyche incorporating spirituality. Assagioli describes psychosynthesis as an inclusive approach to the psyche which began from the premise that the whole is. It follows that we do not make ourselves whole, we are already whole. Hence rather than stubbornly dealing with our separated identities, trying to disentangle ourselves from the capriciousness of the ordinary reality, Assagioli invites to shift the attention to the core wholeness of who we in actual fact are. His approach focuses on reawakening our true potential and is based on a deep trust regarding the capacities of the human psyche. In developing his method Assagioli drew abundantly from astrology, esoteric psychology, the work of Alice Bailey and shamanism.
One of Assagioli’s techniques involves the connection with an Inner Guide with whom the patient connects in order to receive direct guidance. In this context the therapist simply operates as a facilitator with the client asking the questions as well as receiving the answers from the Inner Guide, who is indeed the client’s Higher Self. This allows the clients to retrieve and reawaken their power, to be autonomous and not dependent on an outer authority, to tap into their inner resources and unfold them. Assagioli was also very pragmatic and realised that several patients were not able to connect with the Inner Guide. In these cases he employed techniques to strengthen the personal will, as a way of accessing the spiritual will.
Roberto Assagioli was born with Sun in Pisces, Moon in Virgo and Ascendant in Cancer.
“We are dominated by everything with which our self becomes identified. We can dominate and control everything from which we dis-identify ourselves. In this principle lies the secret of our enslavement or of our liberty. Every time we ‘identify’ ourselves with a weakness, a fault, a fear or any other personal emotion, we limit and paralyze ourselves. Every time we admit ‘I am discouraged’ or ‘I am irritated’, we become more and more dominated by depression or anger. We have accepted those limitations; we have ourselves put on our chains. If, instead, in the same situation we say, ‘A wave of discouragement is trying to submerge me’ or ‘An impulse of anger is attempting to overpower me’, the situation is very different. Then there are two forces confronting each other; on one side our vigilant self and on the other the discouragement or the anger. And the vigilant self does not submit to that invasion; it can objectively and critically survey those impulses of discouragement or anger; it can look for their origin, foresee their deleterious effects, and realize their unfoundedness. This is often sufficient to withstand an attack of such forces, disperse them and win the battle.” (Roberto Assagioli)