Christ Consciousness: A Psychological Perspective on the Death and Resurrection of Jesus

Mystical ✨

Apr 20

“On the cross hung the most conscious person the world had ever known. In him the mind of God was exemplified and revealed… By dying on the cross the grain of consciousness in Christ was sown in the psyche of humankind.”
—John A. Sanford, Mystical Christianity

Lotus flowers grow out of the mud in dirty water and swamps. They open their petals with the rays of the sunlight and close their petals at sunset. In Eastern cultures, it is held as a symbol of purity, enlightenment, righteousness, and rebirth, meaning sacred. The *loto* is a symbol of resurrection.

There is a sacred rhythm at the heart of the Christian faith—a death that leads to life, a descent that births ascent, a crucifixion that resurrects the world. But what if we dared to look at the death and resurrection of Jesus not only through a theological lens, but also through a psychological one? What if the cross is not just history—it’s a map?

In Mystical Christianity, Jungian priest and psychotherapist John A. Sanford offers a profound insight: Christ’s death on the cross was not merely a historical transaction to balance cosmic scales—it was the conscious act of sowing a new awareness into the very soul of humanity. A grain of consciousness, he says, was sown—echoing the words of Jesus Himself: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24).

Here, we find the hinge between the spiritual and psychological: death as the necessary surrender of ego, of false self, of illusion. Resurrection as the arising of true Self—Christ in us, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

From a psychological standpoint, the cross is the ego’s undoing. It is the confrontation with the shadow of death, the full exposure of unconscious drives and defenses laid bare in the presence of Love’s light. Jesus, the most conscious human to ever live, willingly enters into this death not only for the salvation of souls but to seed a new paradigm of being—a consciousness grounded in Love, compassion, union, surrender, and the Spirit of Truth.

In modern terms, we might call this Christ Consciousness. Not some New Age abstraction, but the deep, mystical truth Paul pointed to when he wrote, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). It is the awareness of the indwelling Spirit, made accessible through Jesus’ death and found in the death of the false self.

Sanford suggests that just as trauma can ripple through generations, so too can transformation. Jesus’ death wasn’t simply a substitutionary act—it was the planting of divine awareness into the soil of collective human consciousness. His agony was not just for our forgiveness but for our awakening.

This has enormous implications for how we live. Every time we surrender our pride, forgive an enemy, or choose Love over fear—we participate in this resurrection. Every moment we become more conscious—more aware of Christ within and around us—we echo the mystery of Easter morning.

So, let us ask ourselves not only “What do I believe about the cross?” but “What must die in me so Christ might rise?” The journey of faith is not merely about affirming a creed—it is about embodying a consciousness. Christ’s consciousness.

And that changes everything.

Reflection Questions:

What part of your ego or identity feels like it needs to be surrendered or “crucified” right now?
Where in your life do you sense resurrection trying to break through?
How might you live differently if you believed the consciousness of Christ is already being formed in you?

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click through a link and make a purchase, it will earn me a small commission, at no additional cost to you! See our disclaimer for details.