self-system Corey deVos February 5, 2017 A third-person descriptor for the overall self. The self-system is the locus of identification, will, defenses, metabolism, and integration (i.e., balancing the various levels, lines, states, and types of consciousness). Related Articles: Ready, Steady, Grow! The Art and Science of Vertical DevelopmentThe Psychology of SplittingWhat Feels Right: An Embodied Perspective on the Ethical Line of DevelopmentInhabit: Your AwakeningCore Concept: Stages of Development