Up: [[Metaphor]]
Created: 2023-02-10
Greek origin of the word ‘metaphor’ is from the verb ‘to transform’
Metaphor takes the raw energy from the unconscious and transforms it into something we can consciously understand. So a metaphor transforms one kind of energy into another.
Jung referred to metaphor as “the healing symbol”; said it affects us at three levels
1. Mental — where we interpret/make meaning
2. Imaginative — this is where transforming actually happens
3. Emotional — feelings embodied in the metaphor
Metaphor brings the whole person together. Those three pieces, when they come together, give you a feeling of wholeness.
The message of a metaphor is unique to each individual. It’s a problem when religious metaphors are made so definitive; it kills the metaphor, kills the possibility of transformation.
Look for the metaphors that really hit you, really grab hold.