Although it is possible to go in for transpersonal work at any time in one's life, Jung thought that it is more appropriate in the second half of life, when there has been time for the other levels to develop fully. Certainly it seems that it is safer to postpone any very deep entry into this realm until the real self has been contacted. Otherwise there is a danger of projecting mother stuff, father stuff, womb stuff, birth stuff, shadow stuff and so on, into the spiritual world, which can lead to frightening experiences. Taken at the right time, however, the transpersonal can be one of the best experiences in this whole field. One point which Wilber makes, and which again helps to clarify all this, is that when we repudiate a previous stage, we do not lose it.
Psychospiritual development is like a set of Russian dolls, one within the other.
We do not lose the mental ego, we simply do not let it run our lives or need its image any more. We do not lose the real self, we simply do not take it for granted, and we do not need our self-image any more. We do not lose our soul, we recognise that it does not have to be central, and we do not need our soul-image any more. Much of the talk in this realm about losing the ego is quite confused and unhelpful. It is never lost - rather it is questioned in one way and expanded in another.