The Ontolokey Cube: A Tactile Visualization of the Individuation Process According to Carl Gustav Jung
1. Introduction: Seeing and Touching the Psyche
From its inception, Carl Gustav Jung’s analytical psychology aimed not merely to describe the psyche, but to give it symbolic form—images and metaphors that touch both intellect and soul. The process of individuation, the path toward becoming a whole Self, cannot be taught through abstraction alone; it must be experienced. The Ontolokey Cube is a visual-tactile instrument that invites this kind of experience. It is a symbolic object, a psychological map, and a tool for transformation—all integrated into a form you can rotate, explore, and contemplate in your hands.
Each movement of the cube reflects inner motion; each color, each edge, each sliding disc represents a potential or a tension within the psyche. The cube offers a rare convergence of geometry, color, and Jungian function theory into one coherent model. And because it is physically manipulable, it allows the user not only to see the psyche, but to touch it—making psychological dynamics “graspable” in both the literal and metaphorical sense.
2. Physical Description: The Cube as a Handcrafted Instrument
2.1 Basic Structure and Components
The Ontolokey Cube is a three-dimensional geometric object, composed of:
- 8 vertices (corners), each representing one of the eight Jungian psychological functions
- 12 edges, connecting each vertex to three others
- 12 movable sliders, one on each edge, used to represent the degree of activation between two connected functions
Each corner of the cube is color-coded:
- Dark Blue – Introverted Thinking (Ti)
- Light Blue – Extraverted Thinking (Te)
- Dark Red – Introverted Feeling (Fi)
- Orange – Extraverted Feeling (Fe)
- Dark Green – Introverted Intuition (Ni)
- Light Green – Extraverted Intuition (Ne)
- Beige – Introverted Sensing (Si)
- Yellow – Extraverted Sensing (Se)
The edges of the cube are rounded rods, made of durable material—wood, resin, or aluminum—onto which sliders (small movable discs) can travel freely from one end to the other. Each slider is used to indicate how strongly the person uses one function compared to its opposite on the same axis.
The cube’s size is typically between 15–20 cm (6–8 inches) in length per edge—large enough for precise manipulation, small enough to be held or displayed.
2.2 Instructions for Artisans
To build the Ontolokey Cube:
- Use modular vertices (e.g. beveled wood or 3D-printed junctions) with sockets for three rods each.
- Connect each vertex to its three logical neighbors via interchangeable rods.
- Ensure 12 sliders move with smooth resistance and can rest mid-axis.
- Colors should be matte and distinct, easily recognizable from different angles.
- Optional: Label each corner with abbreviated function code (e.g. “Ti”, “Ne”) or symbolic iconography.
This physical model is intended not only for demonstration, but for reflection. Its construction is symbolic craftsmanship, bridging material and mental worlds.
3. How to Use the Ontolokey Cube
3.1 Rotating the Psyche
The cube is meant to be held, turned, and contemplated. Users are encouraged to rotate the cube to find the perspective that resonates with their current state. This act of positioning itself becomes a psychological gesture: the cube becomes a mirror of internal balance.
To assess a personality type:
- Identify the dominant function (e.g., Introverted Thinking – Ti).
- Locate its corner (dark blue) and note the three adjacent functions: these form the Tripod.
- Adjust the sliders between dominant and auxiliary, sibling, and toddler functions.
- Observe the opposite corner: this is the inferior function.
- Explore the “Shadow Tripod” built around the inferior function (with Anima/Animus, Golden Shadow, and Tertiary).
3.2 Understanding the Sliders
The 12 sliders represent the dynamic relationship between function pairs:
- Ti ↔ Te
- Ti ↔ Ne
- Ti ↔ Se
- Te ↔ Ni
- Te ↔ Si
- Fe ↔ Ni
- Fe ↔ Fi
- Fe ↔ Si
- Se ↔ Fi
- Se ↔ Si
- Ne ↔ Ni
- Ne ↔ Fi
By moving each slider, one can visualize how much a function is used (e.g. 70% Ti, 30% Te). The cube thus becomes a dynamic psychological map, adjustable according to type, situation, or inner development.
4. The Tripod Structure: Dominance and Support
Each corner of the cube is not isolated but supported by three others—forming what can be called a tripod structure. The dominant function is the “camera”, and its supporting functions are the “tripod legs”. These three legs represent:
- Auxiliary function
- Sibling function
- Toddler function
Example ISTP with Introverted Thinking (Ti) as dominant function:
- Te (Extraverted Thinking) is the sibling (functionally similar but extraverted)
- Ne (Extraverted Intuition) is the toddler (creative but immature)
- Se (Extraverted Sensing) is the auxiliary (pragmatic support)
These functions together stabilize the dominant function, offering flexibility and balance. Each psychological type has its own unique tripod configuration.
5. The P-Group and J-Group: Facing the Psyche
The cube’s surface also divides into two opposing planes:
- The P-Group (Perceiving): Se, Ne, Ti, Fi
- The J-Group (Judging): Te, Fe, Ni, Si
These opposing faces reflect a key psychological dichotomy:
- Perception (P): openness, receptivity, processing of data
- Judgment (J): structure, evaluation, decision-making
The cube’s edges that bridge these two faces represent axes of psychological balance:
- Ti ↔ Te
- Fi ↔ Fe
- Se ↔ Si
- Ne ↔ Ni
Each of these axes is crucial to understanding how one navigates reality: internally or externally, sensibly or intuitively, rationally or emotionally.
6. The Shadow Construction: Confronting the Unconscious
In Jungian psychology, the Shadow represents that which is denied, repressed, or unacknowledged in the psyche. The Ontolokey Cube gives the Shadow form.
The corner opposite the dominant function is its inferior function. Around it, three functions form the Shadow Tripod:
- Anima/Animus: the gendered inner “other”
- Golden Shadow: repressed talents and gifts
- Tertiary Function: a latent but accessible support
This Shadow Tripod, like the dominant one, forms a mirror. By adjusting its sliders, users confront what lies beneath their conscious personality—both challenges and hidden potential.
7. Unfolding the Cube: The Cross of Individuation
Perhaps the most striking function of the Ontolokey Cube is its ability to be unfolded along its edges into the shape of a cross—a universal symbol of transformation.
7.1 The Unfolding Process
To unfold the cube:
- Stand it diagonally, with the dominant and auxiliary functions at the top
- The base of the cube now contains the inferior and tertiary functions
- Fold out the toddler and Anima/Animus to the sides
- Expand the golden shadow and sibling function to the other sides
The result is a cross with these symbolic positions:
- Bottom: Dominant Function
- Top: Tertiary Function (transformed support)
- Left Arm: Sibling
- Right Arm: Toddler
- Center: Auxiliary function
- Upper tip of the inner diamond: Inferior Function
- Outer arms of the inner diamond: Anima/Animus & Golden Shadow
This unfolding symbolizes the entire individuation process: the descent into the unconscious and the ascent toward psychological integration.
7.2 The Royal Personality Type
At the culmination of individuation, the former inferior function becomes dominant, and the tertiary becomes the new auxiliary. This reversal reflects Jung’s idea that true wholeness only emerges when the psyche integrates its least developed parts. This “Royal Personality” stands at the top of the unfolded cross—complete, sovereign, and whole.
8. Myth, Alchemy, and Archetypal Foundations
The Ontolokey Cube is not only a tool for introspection, but a symbolic artifact rooted in mythic and alchemical traditions.
- Odysseus’s journey reflects the descent into chaos and return with wisdom
- Perseus’s slaying of Medusa mirrors the confrontation with paralyzing fears
- Parzival’s Grail quest embodies the search for the true self
- Lucius in The Golden Ass undergoes transformation through ordeal
In each of these myths, the hero faces a part of himself he does not yet understand. The cube provides a tactile map for such journeys. The cross, once unfolded, becomes the alchemy table, the hero’s road, and the compass rose of the soul.
9. Applications: Coaching, Therapy, and Education
The Ontolokey Cube can be used in various fields:
9.1 Coaching and Self-Development
- Typing clients using cube configurations
- Visualizing growth areas (e.g. underused functions)
- Guiding transitions in career or identity
9.2 Psychotherapy
- Mapping the Shadow in trauma work
- Tracking client integration over time
- Embodied metaphors for internal parts work
9.3 Education and Team Dynamics
- Teaching MBTI/Socionics with physical interaction
- Facilitating group exercises on complementary functions
- Clarifying interpersonal communication styles
The cube brings abstract typology to life, and invites reflection through movement, touch, and positioning.
10. Conclusion: An Invitation to Touch the Self
The Ontolokey Cube is not just a model. It is a symbolic artifact, an experiential map, and an instrument for inner dialogue. By engaging the hands, the eyes, and the symbolic imagination, it reconnects psychology to its roots in ritual, myth, and personal encounter.
It invites its user to rotate, to balance, to open, and ultimately to transform. In a world of increasing abstraction and disembodiment, the Ontolokey Cube offers a grounded, tangible experience of the psyche in motion.
Its message is simple:
The path to the Self can be held in your hands.
Ontolokey 
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