According to K.G. Jung — (Transcendent function; Transzendente Funktion) — a mental function that arises as a result of tension between consciousness and the unconscious and supports their unification; connection function between opposites.
The transcendental function represents the connection between real and imaginary or rational and irrational data, thus bridging the gap between consciousness and the unconscious.
Jung viewed the transcendental function as the most significant factor in the psychological process. He emphasized that it appears as a result of conflict between opposites, but did not ask why this happens, focusing instead on the question why! He believed that this question could be answered in the language of psychology rather than with the help of the concepts of religion or metaphysics.
The transcendental function is an essential component of the self-regulation of the psyche. Manifesting itself mostly symbolically, it is experienced as a new attitude to life and to its bearer.
references
- Carl Gustav Jung «Transcendent Function»