Abstract Phenomena

Ally Bremer
Aug 7
4 min read

How accurate are interpretations of abstract phenomena? Is there psychological, verifiable truth in finding symbols in indefinite shapes found in nature or art? How does the Roscharch Test reflect one’s inner reality?

The answer runs deep within the veins of our human nature. Humans have always imbued meaning onto ambiguous patterns. Think about the constellations in the stars. People of the past used star clusters for different purposes; whether it be to orient themselves in space, utilize specific stars for navigation through the nighttime, or to associate star and planetary events with mystic or esoteric happenings; the people would project their own human experience onto ambiguous star arrangements. Why did humanity agree upon leo, scorpion, centaur with a crossbow, or man stepping on fish as definitive constellations? These constellations are backed by mythology of the ages- stories that were so intricately representative of human nature that people found value in retelling them. Archetypal figures that have stuck around through millennia all serve an important function- to organize a sense of order within a chaotic universe.

People naturally think associatively. They look at a cloud and shout, “It looks like a turtle!” as if their subconscious mind has been looking to externalize archetypes that already exist within the unconscious world. We project what the unconscious mind has not revealed within the conscious mind. The turtle could hold deep significance to an individual; their goals are materializing quite slowly. However, the longevity and durability of a turtle is undeniable. The observer might conclude that their manifestations are meant to come in slowly and steadily; if it came in too fast, it would be too large to integrate into their current life circumstances without causing instability. This is my own interpretation, which undeniably reflects my own reality! I cannot truly create an example I have not seen or understood in my own experience- for understanding is a function of relatedness.

As object-relations theory suggests; relating to objects and people in our environments is one of our earliest mental activities and survival strategies. Before we conceive that the people around us are human beings; we perceive them as objects and assign value to those objects by the way they make us feel.

It is worth noting that objects we assign any value to- whether it be positive or negative- are projections of inner aspects of ourselves. For example, if we have a negative opinion over some symbolic reference or abstract concept, this inner repulsion is a sign that we have disowned this aspect of ourselves or our experience. I had a client who vehemently hated paradoxes. They dismissed and rejected paradoxical concepts- a response that initially perplexed me. It took some contemplation for me to understand that a paradoxical parental relationship had traumatized my client so deeply that they had grown to view paradoxes as amoral and threatening. Their relationship to their maternal figure was manipulative- using “love” as a permission slip to excuse unsafe relational behaviors. In developing years, my client viewed love as paradoxical. Instead of their loved one exhibiting safe, warm, and typical loving behaviors, my client understood love to be a difficult, cold, and unpredictable concept, ending in total abandonment. My client understandably grew to feel fearful and distrustful of paradoxes in both theoretical and actual areas of life. However, not all paradoxes are harmful. They are defined as self-contradictions that hold deeper truths. Work needed to be done to process such a difficult and central traumatic theme in the clients life in order for them to understand that paradoxes are not harmful in and of themselves. It is just as valuable to examine negative, repulsive, and offensive reactions towards certain symbols as it is to examine interesting ones.

How does this all relate to therapy? Abstractions exist in all life circumstances. Creating and interpreting abstract art is one way to find symbols that carry meaning to us. No one else besides the observer could truly define what these symbols mean in the context of their own universe. I often have clients create geometric lines and shapes to start a piece of artwork. Waves, lines, and shapes often remind the artist of simple or more complex symbols- eyes or animals may spontaneously appear within the artwork. Somewhere in the process of creating ambiguous shapes and curves- the client creating art saw the outlines of a human eye and decided to complete this symbolic representation. Eyes are symbols that are full of many meanings. Eyes can represent a level of alertness, awakening, dissociation, exhaustion, etc. The meaning of the eye and the client’s relationship to eyes in general is completely their own experience and up to them to define.

Another simpler example could be a color exercise- where a client can choose what emotion each color represents. One person’s red could represent anger, while another could represent love. The association is usually based on a combination of color theory and a client’s personal experiences. The association could even evoke an early memory where the association was created. Analysis of associations in artwork could be an easy and fun warm up exercise or could be tied to a deeply personal transformative memory. Both levels of examination hold therapeutic value in art therapy.

Outside of art, we can often see the patterns that repeat in our environment as symbolic enactments that reflect deeper psychological experiences that are calling for our attention. Therapy is the perfect space to discuss life circumstances and become consciously aware of these patterns.

Why would we want to understand our subconscious experiences? Bringing light into the subconscious or unconscious mind through awareness is empowerment. Knowledge is power. If we know why things are happening, we can stop feeling victimized by our life circumstances in order to make necessary changes and live a life we actually desire.