The Contradiction of Mystical Reality
This function I find utterly fascinating precisely because my primary function is its opposite. Not surprisingly Jung was mystified because his primary function was intuition. It is hard to come to grips with a function which is the one buried most deeply in our unconscious.
The sensation types are defined as irrational because to them logic is not important. They simply register the reality of perceptions. It is necessary to consider that statement for a moment and then it because clear that such a position is outside logic. They see what happens but there is no critical assessment. Unless of course you are a couture designer.
Most Difficult to Define
Who are these people? The sensation type is actually a multitude of different types. They may be people who are markedly conventional and adhere to the basics of a rigid reality. As such they may be highly conventional. At the same time, they may be gourmands who focus ever so strongly on the wonders of the taste sensations. In that instance they are not confined to a narrowly defined reality. The wonders of taste are open to them. Again, there is the word sensation. Think then too of the person who wonders at the beauty of the world in all its, yes, sensations. And then too they may be focused on fashion with all the wonder it holds.
Then Add in The Attitudes of Introversion and Extraversion
With extraversion these people are the supreme realists and they experience life uncritically. They desire the strongest sensation and seize the sensory moment. Being around them may prove wondrous or decidedly superficial. Beauty in this instance is in the eye of the beholder.
With introversion they turn back to an inner focus. What they see is shaped by them and inside they may collide with myth. Imagine being lost in an inner world with a collage of sensations, inner truths, and the myths of humankind. It could be a wondrous or fearful place. Do you see how these collections of personality have such important dimensions?
A Diverse Collection
Looking at this type from the standpoint of another type it is easy to lose focus. There seem to be such vast differences. Take for a moment the focus on sensation. Everything from color to form to gastronomy to passion may hold sway. No wonder it may be hard to define them. At least to me I see a collage which is hard to define.
A Moderator Variable
Some people see a personality type in which the person is merely conventional and focused on ordinary reality. But I see something else. I wonder, for example about whether someone like the couture designer may suggest a very different form of the sensation type. Such designers focus on sensation whether it is color, form or movement as they shape the image of a woman. It suggests they may be colliding with their opposite function of intuition as they soar in the world of design melded with function. I wonder if in this type we aren’t seeing the indication of what is called a moderator variable which has not been identified. That variable would affect the functioning of the sensation but also define how it may be applied widely and more variably. That is not a pure definition but it gives a hint. There is something about this type that makes me wonder, yes, wonder about the possibilities. And then, of course, if you are an intuitive type like Jung, you have to wonder who these people are and would inevitably find them hard to define.
Do you now perceive the sensation types in your life?
Creating Characters and Plots by Roger B. Burt
Whatever Happened to Community Mental Health by Roger B. Burt