Written as Amanda Barncord Doerr - requested by Robin Wiley:
Se - Extraverted Sensing
Totalling absorbed
Sensing current physical surroundings
Searching for data
Si - Introverted Sensing
Internal comparison
Memory-based differences found
Referencing history
Ne - Extraverted iNtuiting
Hidden meanings
Threads of thoughts brought to light
Woven into patterns
Ni- Introverted iNtuiting
Unexpected inspiration
Surety from depths of the unknown
Creating solutions
Te - Extraverted Thinking
Empirically based
Theories and research referenced and organized
Contingencied planned
Ti - Introverted Thinking
Catagories refined
Must find the precise term to describe
Include everything
Fe - Extraverted Feeling
Grace unbounded
Openly friendly and socially approachable
Conversation starter
Fi - Introverted Feeling
Beneath the surface
Sensing the undercurrents in the gut
Values upheld
Showing posts with label jung. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jung. Show all posts
Monday, February 08, 2010
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Symbolism and Imagery
Sources:
Rituals of Healing: Using Imagery for Health and Wellness by Jeanne Actherberg, Ph.D., Barbara Dossey, R.N., M.S., FAAN, & Leslie Kolkmeier, R.N., Med.
The Power of Symbols by A. "Mandy" Doerr, http://ldsconnections.livejournal.com/277.html
Okay, I'm going to be a little lazy here. I am going to reprint what I wrote years ago in The Power of Symbols because after rereading it, I realized that I would be hard-pressed to improve it. (Though I have added a clarification or two as a footnote.) After the essay, I will write a few paragraphs on the technicalities of imagery.
Simply said, a symbol is something that represents something else. The letters you are reading now are visual symbols (or physical symbols if you're using a Braille reader) of verbal words which in turn are auditory symbols of concepts, ideas, objects, actions, people, etc. Numbers symbolize relationships and amounts. Individually, letters and numbers are very simple things, but put them together in patterns and manipulate them and you have the ability to communicate the depths of the soul or discover the secrets of the universe.
Carl Jung would probably have cringed at my discription above, for I included what he termed mere "signs" in my definition of a symbol, in addition to his definition of a word or image that "implies something more than its obvious meaning." (From Man and His Symbols.) I do this because my inner engineer sees no point in the distinction when she is manipulating concepts. My inner poetess does agree with Jung, but finds what the inner engineer comes up with very intriguing and will rarely protest. The inner matriarch, however, will put her foot down if she thinks the other two are getting out of control.
So despite what my inner engineer thinks, it is still a very good distinction to make. While signs relay only information, symbols affect us on a much deeper level. Quoting from Man and His Symbols again, I give you Jung's explanation:
It has a wider "unconscious" aspect that is never precisely defined or fully explained. Nor can one hope to define or explain it. As the mind explores the symbol, it is led to ideas that lie beyond the grasp of reason. . . . Because there are innumerable things beyond the range of human understanding, we constantly use symbolic terms to represent concepts that we cannot define or fully comprehend.
About this time my inner poetess smiles in smug triumph and my inner engineer goes, "That's what you think, buddy." At which point the inner matriarch gives them both cookies and milk and tells them to be quiet for a few moments.
The point is - a symbol carries not only a meaning, but a set of related meanings, some which may not be apparent at first. Furthermore, there are different sets of meanings that exist for a symbol depending on the context it appears in - just as there are different means for many phrases depending on the context surrounding them. Alter the context just a little and new connections become apparent. Alter too much and it all becomes meaningless.
"But how can one be sure of the correct context?" asks my inner engineer. To which my inner matriarch answers, (after smacking the back of the engineer's head for talking with a mouth full of cookie crumbs), "By finding the symbolic constants and manipulating them until everything falls into place." My inner engineer then takes a large sip of milk and starts talking excitedly about mathematical atomic models and how they progress over history, until they become better and better at predicting atomic behavior. My inner poetess sets down her cookie and asks, "And how do you know when you have reached the truth of what an atom is really?"
My engineer blinks and says, "Well, it's impossible to know what an atom is really like because we can't see it. We can only construct mathematical representations that explain the behavior we see through experimentation."
"Then Jung was right," my poetess says. "Man cannot understand everything. Even you must relinquish the concrete for the symbolic."
My engineer shrugs. "I'll give you that, but it does show that signs can work the same way as symbols."
"I think the mathematical signs you're referring to could also be considered symbols," return my poetess. My inner matriarch hushes both up again before they get into an argument.
There are symbolic constants that exist through the collective conscious of humankind. They are called symbolic archetypes and we have only begun to meticulously identify them in the past century or so. Many psychologists are rediscovering the power in them and more personal symbols in the transformation and maturing of self - knowledge once widely accepted among ancient cultures. After discovering that man is made up of atoms and their bodies planned through DNA, we are just now starting to appreciate that the human mind is a symbolic entity.
This should not come as a surprise. The cornerstone of intelligence is the ability to make connections and identify patterns. That is what a symbol is - a concentrated module of connections and patterns. Some of us have just set that part aside in the pursuit of the concrete. Because of the concentrated nature of symbols, they can be very powerful things if used just right. They can explain processes, sway opinions, give direction and even predict certain events.**
In its own way, science has stumbled across the dual nature of man. The carnal, concrete being and the spiritual, symbol-driven one. Through the use of symbols, we learn to access our spirit - to either use it or abuse it at our whim. Properly harnessed, the spirit is stronger than the body. Studies on survivors show that the factors that determines who will survive and who will not is not their physical attributes, but their emotional and mental ones.
We as individuals are very much like symbols - we too are much more than what is obvious at first glance.
** When I refer to predictions, I mean as a mathematical model predicts behavior. Those who have been keeping track of the recent fMRI research or read the science headlines, have probabling already seen the articles about areas of the brain becoming activated when it anticipates needing those areas. Also, many IQ tests rely on our ability to predict the next symbol in a series. In fact, some people insist that prediction is a major part of intelligence. Probably a really good example of what I am talking about is one of the basis of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, specifically the concept of psychohistory as a mathematical science.
Okay, now on to the terminology and such of imagery in a healthcare setting. I must apologize, but after reading everything, I decided I would be better served with a vocabulary list, then an essay on imagery. I sort of consider imagery as the practical application of symbolism. I could share some of the data I've found in the past on the effectiveness of visualization exercises and such, I suppose. However, this is already pretty long.
Carl Jung would probably have cringed at my discription above, for I included what he termed mere "signs" in my definition of a symbol, in addition to his definition of a word or image that "implies something more than its obvious meaning." (From Man and His Symbols.) I do this because my inner engineer sees no point in the distinction when she is manipulating concepts. My inner poetess does agree with Jung, but finds what the inner engineer comes up with very intriguing and will rarely protest. The inner matriarch, however, will put her foot down if she thinks the other two are getting out of control.
So despite what my inner engineer thinks, it is still a very good distinction to make. While signs relay only information, symbols affect us on a much deeper level. Quoting from Man and His Symbols again, I give you Jung's explanation:
It has a wider "unconscious" aspect that is never precisely defined or fully explained. Nor can one hope to define or explain it. As the mind explores the symbol, it is led to ideas that lie beyond the grasp of reason. . . . Because there are innumerable things beyond the range of human understanding, we constantly use symbolic terms to represent concepts that we cannot define or fully comprehend.
About this time my inner poetess smiles in smug triumph and my inner engineer goes, "That's what you think, buddy." At which point the inner matriarch gives them both cookies and milk and tells them to be quiet for a few moments.
The point is - a symbol carries not only a meaning, but a set of related meanings, some which may not be apparent at first. Furthermore, there are different sets of meanings that exist for a symbol depending on the context it appears in - just as there are different means for many phrases depending on the context surrounding them. Alter the context just a little and new connections become apparent. Alter too much and it all becomes meaningless.
"But how can one be sure of the correct context?" asks my inner engineer. To which my inner matriarch answers, (after smacking the back of the engineer's head for talking with a mouth full of cookie crumbs), "By finding the symbolic constants and manipulating them until everything falls into place." My inner engineer then takes a large sip of milk and starts talking excitedly about mathematical atomic models and how they progress over history, until they become better and better at predicting atomic behavior. My inner poetess sets down her cookie and asks, "And how do you know when you have reached the truth of what an atom is really?"
My engineer blinks and says, "Well, it's impossible to know what an atom is really like because we can't see it. We can only construct mathematical representations that explain the behavior we see through experimentation."
"Then Jung was right," my poetess says. "Man cannot understand everything. Even you must relinquish the concrete for the symbolic."
My engineer shrugs. "I'll give you that, but it does show that signs can work the same way as symbols."
"I think the mathematical signs you're referring to could also be considered symbols," return my poetess. My inner matriarch hushes both up again before they get into an argument.
There are symbolic constants that exist through the collective conscious of humankind. They are called symbolic archetypes and we have only begun to meticulously identify them in the past century or so. Many psychologists are rediscovering the power in them and more personal symbols in the transformation and maturing of self - knowledge once widely accepted among ancient cultures. After discovering that man is made up of atoms and their bodies planned through DNA, we are just now starting to appreciate that the human mind is a symbolic entity.
This should not come as a surprise. The cornerstone of intelligence is the ability to make connections and identify patterns. That is what a symbol is - a concentrated module of connections and patterns. Some of us have just set that part aside in the pursuit of the concrete. Because of the concentrated nature of symbols, they can be very powerful things if used just right. They can explain processes, sway opinions, give direction and even predict certain events.**
In its own way, science has stumbled across the dual nature of man. The carnal, concrete being and the spiritual, symbol-driven one. Through the use of symbols, we learn to access our spirit - to either use it or abuse it at our whim. Properly harnessed, the spirit is stronger than the body. Studies on survivors show that the factors that determines who will survive and who will not is not their physical attributes, but their emotional and mental ones.
We as individuals are very much like symbols - we too are much more than what is obvious at first glance.
** When I refer to predictions, I mean as a mathematical model predicts behavior. Those who have been keeping track of the recent fMRI research or read the science headlines, have probabling already seen the articles about areas of the brain becoming activated when it anticipates needing those areas. Also, many IQ tests rely on our ability to predict the next symbol in a series. In fact, some people insist that prediction is a major part of intelligence. Probably a really good example of what I am talking about is one of the basis of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, specifically the concept of psychohistory as a mathematical science.
Okay, now on to the terminology and such of imagery in a healthcare setting. I must apologize, but after reading everything, I decided I would be better served with a vocabulary list, then an essay on imagery. I sort of consider imagery as the practical application of symbolism. I could share some of the data I've found in the past on the effectiveness of visualization exercises and such, I suppose. However, this is already pretty long.
Types of Imagery
Receptive Imagery - images the come into the mind of their own accord and not consciously created.
Active Imagery - images consciously and deliberately created.
Concrete Imagery - technically correct (or real-life) images. Sometimes referred to as biologically correct imagery.
Symbolic Imagery - images that represent something else in a symbolic way.
Process Imagery - imaging step by step to the final goal. Often uses concrete imagery.
End State Imagery - images that represent the final healed state of the individual.
General Healing Imagery - images that are involved in the healing process without being part of the process or end state imagery.
Preverbal Imagery - images that have more of a connection with the physical body than language can express. Can include other senses such as touch and hearing.
Transpersonal Imagery - images that represent connections to other people or another power outside of one's self.
Package Imagery - imagery created by someone else to use in an exercise.
Customized Imagery - imagery created specifically by the person using it, which is unique to them.
Chapter 5 and 6 of Rituals of Healing cover things like relaxation exercizes and and creating your own imagery. On pages 77 and 78, it discussed the Imagery Assessment Tool (IAT) for determining the dynamics of a patient's imagery. There is also a list of conditions where imagery often becomes of limited usefulness, such as an inability to concentrate because of depression, pain or medication being taken; lack of motivation and/or time; or an intense need to please others with the images, instead of accepting what comes to mind.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Art Therapy Presentation Outline - III. Techniques
Just a word of note, what is posted here is an intermediate draft - not the final one.
III. Techniques
A. General
1. The illumination of indistinct and unconscious expression is large part of psychoanalytic technique. (Fuller 1984)
2. An art therapist using the behavioral approach would use art to adjust cultural and social norms. (Fuller 1984)
3. An art therapist can use two and three dimensional materials for flexibility in art therapy. (Fuller 1984)
4. According to Dalley (1984) there are two stages of art therapy:
a) The client creates a piece of art. During that period of time the client may isolate themselves and withdraw into their thoughts and reflections
b) The client talks about their art production, any feelings they have, how that art is a reflection of those feelings, and how the making of that art reflects their state of being.
5. Basic approaches: directive or non-directive. (Dalley 1984)
6. Group Art therapy creates powerful group dynamics using projective art groups. Themes are introduced for a shared foundation that each group member adds their own personal meaning to. This method encourages both personal and group examination of problems. (Dalley 1984)
7. A family based art therapy approach exemplifies a client’s view of his or her role within the family unit. (Dalley 1984)
B. Specific
1) Free associative art - "Letting the painting paint itself" or portraying dreams with artwork, while writing down or otherwise noting other associations that come to mind while doing the art. (Allen, p 53-55, 61-63)
2) Scribble Drawings - Tape a large white piece of paper to a wall, close your eyes, take a pastel of any color and let it meander in overlapping lines. Draw loosely, from the shoulders. Open your eyes. See what image is there and then add what is needed to make the image complete or come to life. (Allen, p 55 - 59) This technique is good for personal problem solving. (Allen, p 136)
3) Active Imagination - Developed by Carl Jung. Taking a dream or a dream image and letting a story unfold from it. Alternate imagining, recording in words and drawing the images. (Allen, p 76-83)
4) Masks - Masks can represent "faces" of ourselves. (Allen, p. 81-82, 113-114) Similar to some primitive cultures, making masks of deceased loved ones helps to deal with the grief. (Allen, 127-140) Masks can also help resolve issues with long deceased relatives. (Allen, p.165-167)
5) Found sculptures - client creates three dimensional art using objects that they have "found" around them. A nature walk or on a trip to a junk store can provide suitable materials. These objects should be things that either delight, intrigue, confuse or repel the client. It is up to the client to figure out how these pieces should go together and be fastened. (Allen, p. 33-35)
6) Collages - Using images from family photos, magazines and other sources can help a client connect and/or explore their personal history and the connections with family and society. (Allen, p 144-145)
7) Mandalas - Creating circular drawings helps to symbolize "wholeness" or the intention to be whole. It is often a very calming task. (Allen, p. 192) Releases tension and gives a holistic way to examine inner conflicts using Jungian principles. (Fincher, p. 24-32) Also allows the client to focus themselves mentally. (Fincher, p. 175)
8) Art journals are a useful way to keep track of creative works and writing down any associations that come with them. (Fincher, p. 29)
III. Techniques
A. General
1. The illumination of indistinct and unconscious expression is large part of psychoanalytic technique. (Fuller 1984)
2. An art therapist using the behavioral approach would use art to adjust cultural and social norms. (Fuller 1984)
3. An art therapist can use two and three dimensional materials for flexibility in art therapy. (Fuller 1984)
4. According to Dalley (1984) there are two stages of art therapy:
a) The client creates a piece of art. During that period of time the client may isolate themselves and withdraw into their thoughts and reflections
b) The client talks about their art production, any feelings they have, how that art is a reflection of those feelings, and how the making of that art reflects their state of being.
5. Basic approaches: directive or non-directive. (Dalley 1984)
6. Group Art therapy creates powerful group dynamics using projective art groups. Themes are introduced for a shared foundation that each group member adds their own personal meaning to. This method encourages both personal and group examination of problems. (Dalley 1984)
7. A family based art therapy approach exemplifies a client’s view of his or her role within the family unit. (Dalley 1984)
B. Specific
1) Free associative art - "Letting the painting paint itself" or portraying dreams with artwork, while writing down or otherwise noting other associations that come to mind while doing the art. (Allen, p 53-55, 61-63)
2) Scribble Drawings - Tape a large white piece of paper to a wall, close your eyes, take a pastel of any color and let it meander in overlapping lines. Draw loosely, from the shoulders. Open your eyes. See what image is there and then add what is needed to make the image complete or come to life. (Allen, p 55 - 59) This technique is good for personal problem solving. (Allen, p 136)
3) Active Imagination - Developed by Carl Jung. Taking a dream or a dream image and letting a story unfold from it. Alternate imagining, recording in words and drawing the images. (Allen, p 76-83)
4) Masks - Masks can represent "faces" of ourselves. (Allen, p. 81-82, 113-114) Similar to some primitive cultures, making masks of deceased loved ones helps to deal with the grief. (Allen, 127-140) Masks can also help resolve issues with long deceased relatives. (Allen, p.165-167)
5) Found sculptures - client creates three dimensional art using objects that they have "found" around them. A nature walk or on a trip to a junk store can provide suitable materials. These objects should be things that either delight, intrigue, confuse or repel the client. It is up to the client to figure out how these pieces should go together and be fastened. (Allen, p. 33-35)
6) Collages - Using images from family photos, magazines and other sources can help a client connect and/or explore their personal history and the connections with family and society. (Allen, p 144-145)
7) Mandalas - Creating circular drawings helps to symbolize "wholeness" or the intention to be whole. It is often a very calming task. (Allen, p. 192) Releases tension and gives a holistic way to examine inner conflicts using Jungian principles. (Fincher, p. 24-32) Also allows the client to focus themselves mentally. (Fincher, p. 175)
8) Art journals are a useful way to keep track of creative works and writing down any associations that come with them. (Fincher, p. 29)
Art Therapy Prestention Outline - I. The Foundation of Art Therapy
What I put together from my partner and my notes. She's doing the Powerpoint slides.
I. The Foundation of Art Therapy
A. Reasons for Development.
1. As a means to further psychoanalytical analysis. (Kahn, ¶ 4)
a) Because of the resemblance of aesthetic creations to dreams, art therapy has traditionally fitted well with either analytic psych of Jung or Freudian psychoanalysis. (Reich 1960)
2. As a means to communicate what cannot be spoken clearly by the client. (Ulman, 1961:II)
B. Summary of the History. (Fuller et al, 1984)
1. ADRIAN HILL started art therapy, turned to his own paintings as a release from boredom and stress while in a tuberculosis sanatorium during WWII.
2. The term: "Art Therapy" coined in Britain during 1940’s, in 1980 criteria for the professional training of art therapists were founded.
3. In a state psychiatric hospital, Netherne, first art therapist employed in 1946 was EDWARD ADAMSON.
4. Art therapy gradually moved in direction of psychotherapy in 1970’s, totally separating from art teaching.
5. In 1980, according to the Dept of Health and Social Security (DHSS), art therapy officially separated from occupational therapy.
C. Key Theorists.
1. SIGMUND FREUD
a) "For there is a path that leads back from phantasy to reality- the path, that is, of art." (Freud 1973: 423).
b) "Nothing takes place in a psychoanalytic treatment but an interchange of words between the patient and the analyst." (Freud 1951:17).
c) Latent meaning, a concealed psychodynamic, might rhetorically "manifest" itself in a behavioral expression. (Freud 1951:17).
2. CARL JUNG
a) Developed active imagination technique. (Allen, p 76)
b) Introduced mandala drawings to modern psychology. (Fincher, p 19)
3. D. W. WINNICOTT
a) Suggested that there is a need for third area of human experiencing that is a combination of "subjective fantasy" as well as "objective knowledge".
b) "If only we can wait, the patient arrives at understanding creatively and with immense joy, and I now enjoy this more than I used to enjoy the sense of having been clever. I think I interpret mainly to let the patient know the limits of my understanding. The principle is that it is the patient and only the patient who has the answers. We may or may not enable him or her to encompass what is known or become aware of it with acceptance." (Winnicott 1971:102.)
4. FRITZ PERL
a) Exposure and self-revelation. "Dare I reveal my true self to the world?"
b) "Take responsibility for your every thought, your every feeling, your every action." (Perl 1978)
5. EDITH KRAMER
a) Used art with institutionalized children. (Allen, p xv)
b) Suggests "that art as a form of therapy has arisen to fill a void created by the depleting nature of contemporary work in tandem with the demise of the participatory folk art tradition and the rise of spectator recreation." (Allen, p xvii)
6. MARGARET NAUMBERG
a) Worked with institutionalized clients. (Allen, p xv)
b) Her sister, FLORENCE CANE, created methods to help her art students access authentic personal imagery, which Naumburg adapted to her own clients with mental illness. (Allen, p xvii)
7. WILHELM REICH (1960)
a) Stressed upon value of catharsis, or the dramatic release of powerful emotions.
I. The Foundation of Art Therapy
A. Reasons for Development.
1. As a means to further psychoanalytical analysis. (Kahn, ¶ 4)
a) Because of the resemblance of aesthetic creations to dreams, art therapy has traditionally fitted well with either analytic psych of Jung or Freudian psychoanalysis. (Reich 1960)
2. As a means to communicate what cannot be spoken clearly by the client. (Ulman, 1961:II)
B. Summary of the History. (Fuller et al, 1984)
1. ADRIAN HILL started art therapy, turned to his own paintings as a release from boredom and stress while in a tuberculosis sanatorium during WWII.
2. The term: "Art Therapy" coined in Britain during 1940’s, in 1980 criteria for the professional training of art therapists were founded.
3. In a state psychiatric hospital, Netherne, first art therapist employed in 1946 was EDWARD ADAMSON.
4. Art therapy gradually moved in direction of psychotherapy in 1970’s, totally separating from art teaching.
5. In 1980, according to the Dept of Health and Social Security (DHSS), art therapy officially separated from occupational therapy.
C. Key Theorists.
1. SIGMUND FREUD
a) "For there is a path that leads back from phantasy to reality- the path, that is, of art." (Freud 1973: 423).
b) "Nothing takes place in a psychoanalytic treatment but an interchange of words between the patient and the analyst." (Freud 1951:17).
c) Latent meaning, a concealed psychodynamic, might rhetorically "manifest" itself in a behavioral expression. (Freud 1951:17).
2. CARL JUNG
a) Developed active imagination technique. (Allen, p 76)
b) Introduced mandala drawings to modern psychology. (Fincher, p 19)
3. D. W. WINNICOTT
a) Suggested that there is a need for third area of human experiencing that is a combination of "subjective fantasy" as well as "objective knowledge".
b) "If only we can wait, the patient arrives at understanding creatively and with immense joy, and I now enjoy this more than I used to enjoy the sense of having been clever. I think I interpret mainly to let the patient know the limits of my understanding. The principle is that it is the patient and only the patient who has the answers. We may or may not enable him or her to encompass what is known or become aware of it with acceptance." (Winnicott 1971:102.)
4. FRITZ PERL
a) Exposure and self-revelation. "Dare I reveal my true self to the world?"
b) "Take responsibility for your every thought, your every feeling, your every action." (Perl 1978)
5. EDITH KRAMER
a) Used art with institutionalized children. (Allen, p xv)
b) Suggests "that art as a form of therapy has arisen to fill a void created by the depleting nature of contemporary work in tandem with the demise of the participatory folk art tradition and the rise of spectator recreation." (Allen, p xvii)
6. MARGARET NAUMBERG
a) Worked with institutionalized clients. (Allen, p xv)
b) Her sister, FLORENCE CANE, created methods to help her art students access authentic personal imagery, which Naumburg adapted to her own clients with mental illness. (Allen, p xvii)
7. WILHELM REICH (1960)
a) Stressed upon value of catharsis, or the dramatic release of powerful emotions.
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