Images and Symbols: The Glue of Habit, The Lubricant of Change

CHAPTER SIX

How Symbols Are Created

BY ARLENE F. HARDER, MA, MFT

Chapter - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13

While images may represent our experiences much as a shadow represents the object that casts the shadow, symbols represent ideas.

Let’s now look at another product of the right brain: symbols. The word "symbol" is derived from the Greek word symbolon. In ancient Greece it was a custom to break a slate of burned clay into several pieces and distribute them within the group. When the group reunited, the pieces were fitted together to confirm whether the members belonged to the group.

From this beginning evolved our use of "symbolism" to mean an object or sign that stands for something else. Just as the “image” of a gift and smile support the relationship between gifts and love, the gift itself can represent love. Wedding rings have long been promoted as symbols of love. The deeper the love, the more profound is the meaning we assign to the ring. The more complexity there is within a symbol, the more layers of meaning can be found there.

An example is the capitol building in Washington , DC . It is made of stone, concrete, steel and wood, as are thousands of other buildings. Yet it represents much more than the sum of its individual parts. That's because it's the place where members of the Senate and House of Representatives — the people WE have elected — meet to debate and to create the laws that govern us. Thus it embodies the idea and, even more, the "ideal" of our system of government, as flawed as it sometimes is in practice. When we see a picture of the capitol building, we respond to the symbolism inherent in how the building is used.

Similarly, in all countries the buildings that represent the government take on a symbolism of authority and common ideals. In totalitarian countries, of course, government buildings can symbolize oppression and pain for many of its subjects.

Often we acquire associations with symbols without being aware that we are acquiring them. When we talk to others, when we read a book, when we write a story, when we sleep and dream, or when we engage in almost any activity, we will be faced with meanings that are there naturally and unavoidably. Our minds continually process these symbols, for they give meaning to communication and to understanding who we are and how we are related to the world around us.

Commonly understood symbols play a significant role in communicating ideas, experiences, and concepts. For example, consider the universally shared symbol of wisdom, the owl — never mind that owls are one of the least intelligent birds around! Advertisements use any of thousands of symbols to remind us of a quality or experience connected with the product being sold. Flags equate patriotism with purchase of a car made in the United States. Happy crews on sailboats imply freedom of spirit.

Other symbols are part of affirmations and metaphors that catch our attention because they resonate with our experience. One of my favorite comes from a poster that simply had a turtle with the words, "Behold the turtle. He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out."

Personal Images Can Become Potent Symbols

While there is power in universally shared symbols, there is perhaps greater power in those that grow out of personal experience and the images that arise from imagery exercises. I can illustrate this with one of my own symbols.

For many years I had flying dreams. If I were outdoors when I left earth's gravity, I would float over the landscape and look down on beautiful, dark green trees. Why these dreams no longer occur, I don't know and I miss them. But there was another kind of flying dream I'm glad I no longer have. In these I would be inside when I started flying and often there would be other people watching, and perhaps pursuing me, as I gracefully flew higher and higher in the building. Almost always I would want to leave, but would be prevented by a locked iron grid or bar over an exit door or skylight.

When I explored the meaning of this dream, I realized that I had given to others my right to freely make my own choices, to move where I wished to go. Understanding this was another step on my path to becoming a recovering perfectionist. The first people to whom I turned over the key were my parents and teachers. I was sure they knew what was best for me. Then I let anyone who I thought would judge me, which I felt was just about everyone, determine how I should act or what I should believe.

How could I get past the locked doors and windows? Easy. Use a key! So a key was the symbol that reminded me I had the power to go through the exits that previously blocked my way, and out to where I wanted to be. So for several years, I hung a large old iron key over my desk to remind me that I had the power and right to make my own choices.

You, too, can learn to access your own internal storeroom of thousands and thousands of powerful images and the symbols that are associated with those images. In Part Four of this manual I describe how to use those symbols.

You can use them to represent a goal toward which you are striving or a quality you want to achieve. And even though the object may hold no significance to anyone else, if it resonates with you, it can serve as a powerful reminder of a path you want to follow.

© Copyright 2008, Arlene Harder, MA, MFT