Should symbolism be taken much more seriously, or am I nuts?

When I first looked at this, the things that sprang to mind were (not necceserily in this order):

Nazi Germany

Gothic Horror Films

Christian Religion

Rugby (don't ask)

Knights of Olde

Castles I have visited in Britain



After staring for a while, I saw a narrow, tower-like building with a cone shaped roof standing with a wall running behind it, two mountains in the distance, and all reflected below in a lake of water.

On the whole I'd say the symbol makes me feel nervous.

managed to grab it at last.

I realize I may be resurecting an old thread, but...

Has anyone watched The Da Vinci Code? "scotoma" is when the mind chooses to see what it wants to see. Coincidences appear to be more than what they are, yet they may/may not be a bigger pattern that any one person (or world) can understand or see. Humans are very limited creatures who are easily swayed and mislead. Two chipped teeth are nothing, but how many others gained chipped teeth on that same night? Did this act prevent your mate from getting hit by a car or some other disaster? Was he saved from seeing something horrific, or did it alter his life in a safe way? We will never know, but it may have been something.

If you meet a lady wearing a crucifix you should not take any chances on whether it is just a fad or means something more symbolic.

I think perhaps, that you are getting confused between symbolism, and karma...which are two separate things.

Symbolism represents 'something'. That something may be :
(a) an 'association' in your mind, or
(b) a representation (whether image, sound, or otherwise) of the way your mind works / moves as you think & live

Karma is a cause and effect paradigm. If you do an action, it causes reactions (whether internal, external, or both).

Symbolic associations in your mind have the power to move your mind, and the minds of others.

If you look into NLP, you'll find that you can 'change' the way your mind normally moves, by associating (let's say,) your emotions with an object (real or imagined - though imagined is easier) (the object is the 'symbol') and then manipulating the (image of the) object (symbol).

If you look into Yoga, and probably Tai Chi, you will find that their movement and stances (among other things) are symbolic of the internal movement of peoples spirit / lifeforce / chi etc.

Anecdotes, parables, sayings, analogies - all have elements of symbolism in them.

The problem as I see it with the OP, is that the literal symbolism of any particularly event/object/concept itself is about your internal journey. I could understand the discussion of particular symbols and ranges of symboles if it was studied as a degree...

...but even then - each 'symbol' is dependant upon your own unique associations (which makes discussion of them problematic), and your own internal movements of your mind - which is also unique, and usually unrecognisable to yourself without training yourself, and then the other person would need a similar grounding...and then the movements symbolised may not currently be within your habitual range (such is harder to grasp)...

...in other words - I would view symbolism (of specific events etc) more as a personal learning experience than as something to be often discussed, and certainly not in any depth or frequency with someone who is not aware of such or has no interest in such (ie it would be pointless)