Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 4, 2025

Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
Published on: February 16, 2011
The symbolic and non-symbolic aspect of image: clinical and cultural reflections
1Kyoto, Japan.
Abstract:
It is fundamental for analytical psychology to understand images symbolically. However, Jung was aware of the non-symbolic and direct appearance of image in synchronistic visions and dreams. Therefore, there are two aspects of the non-symbolic: literal and synchronistic. Firstly, the pathology of the non-symbolic was explored in psychosomatic syndromes, trauma, borderline syndromes and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Then the historical and cultural considerations show that dreams were shared and understood directly and non-symbolically in Japanese medieval times. Historically, the symbolic aspect emerged through the loss of this directness and is characteristic for the modern, western, and adult consciousness. However, the increasing prevalence of ASD and ambiguity between reality and virtual reality show that the contemporary world is again dominated by directness and the non-symbolic, which can be called 'postmodern consciousness'.
Related Concept Videos
Jung's Analytical Theory
Structuralism
Titchener's approach to structuralism was unique. He...
Therapeutic Communication
Verbal communication depends on language or a prescribed way of using words so that people can share information effectively. The critical aspects of verbal...
Patient-centered Care
Dreaming
The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison

