The Interplay of Human Selves

We humans are very multifaceted and multifunctional creatures that are "composed of" multiple interrelated layers, which have an influence on our verbal and nonverbal behaviour.

According to William James, the founder of neuropsychology, there are at least five different kinds and layers to our own self, which are essential when dealing with people around us and understanding ourselves.

The five-folded depiction of our “self” is briefly presented below:

1. Our “Self”: This is the inner feeling of our being every morning we wake up. All psychological processes are rooted in this perspective of the “neuro-self.” This layer of the “self” is discreetly, continuously, and incessantly present in all the other layers of our “I” (Knowles & Sibicky 1990).

2. The Biological “Self”: This is our biological, physical self, which is embodied in our ancestors' heritage, our DNA. The construction, outer figure of our “self,” and all the interrelated psychological processes form our biological “self." This unique “ship” carries us until we pass away from this real world. Our biological “I” can be viewed as the multiple composition of our real “I."

3. The Real (Material) “Self”: This layer encompasses all the objects the individual identifies as composites of his/her self, such as mother, father, sister, brother, husband, wife, children, grandparents, relatives, friends, etc. This means that the house you live in, your family, and your friends all emerge into your “real self.” The more a person identifies another person as identical with him/her, the better they become part of his/her “self.”

4. The Social “Self”: We happily or indulgently or not so happily get involved in the roles that life and fortune grant us. One and the same person can have a number of different roles, thus having diverse social “selves.” These “selves” may be consistent or may change and be variable depending on the situational context. According to James, to act appropriately means to find the according social “self” that corresponds to the needs of the aroused situation (Frager & Fadiman 2006, p. 21-26).

5. The Spiritual “Self”: This is the subjective inner essence of the personality. This element is coexistent and prevalent in all other layers of our “selves.” James very much wanted to find out why we consider ourselves as something prior to the sum of all the other existing things surrounding us; thus, as a result of his investigations, he found out that it is some kind of “spiritual power.”

James (1889) was not fully assured of the definite existence of the “soul” of human beings, but he supposed that individual identification is not all. He explained from his own experience that as a constant continuum of cosmic consciousness from which our individuality is separated by inconsistent layers where our other selves are kept as a boundless sea or reservoir.

When speaking about the “spiritual self,” it is notable that Pope Francis has declared the Armenian monk St. Gregory of Narek (950-1003 A.D.), a mystic and poet revered in particular by Armenian Catholics, Doctor of the Church. The title is reserved for people whose writings have greatly served the benefit of the universal church.

All these layers do not exist in isolation but are very tightly intertwined and interrelated, making our human existence valid and harmonious in coexisting with other humans.