A lot has been said on the transformative power of stories and metaphors, in many places by many people, with so many examples. They are powerful tools of healing and connection, interwoven with human civilization as far back as is recorded, and likely even longer before. In recent times I had been inspired by such examples in Singapore as Playback Theatre, and Psychodrama. I took part in an introductory workshop to Playback Theatre a few years ago, and it was such an absorbing fun eye-opener!
In this post I am giving brief examples on how so-called spiritual or occult tools, actually use the power of metaphors to convey their punch. Metaphors carry living forces that connect humanity to its essential truth, and are an indispensable tool in facilitating the direct experience of these living forces. This is especially important in an era where it is far more common to dismiss metaphor as mere imagery or superficial imagination, compared to the concrete practical thinking of the conventional scientific paradigm, or to be made use of in influencing consumer habits for commercial purposes.
Myths and legends of the past in all human cultures, existing or extinct, are metaphors that convey timeless truths, shared experiences that define the particular culture, and provide valuable inspiration that keep the individual moving on despite the difficulties faced. In modern times, Carl Jung put metaphors back on people's radar, with the concept of the collective unconscious, often depicted as the unseen bulk of the (metaphorical) mental iceberg that lies underwater, with the use of metaphor and imagery to access that. I had a taste of this doing MindScape, a system to access the subconscious potential of your mind, from the Bodytalk system of healing. Mindscape works primarily with Jungian archetypes, and a whole world of potential opens through that. The use of astrology in the Clairvision school of meditation, whose methods I have been practicing for the past six years, uses the language of planetary forces as a metaphor to describe consciousness. I would even contend that all forms of oracular reading, whether looking at the clouds above or leaves below, employ the power of metaphors one way or another.
Let me recount a recent experience that happened about 2 weeks ago. My Filipino domestic helper showed me the above picture one evening. It was taken from her cousin's Facebook post, where he saw the cloud formation as he walked out of his house, and he was so awed by its beauty that he took its picture with his mobile and posted it. My helper sort of knew that I meditated and looked at the stars and had an interest in astrology, so she thought I could interpret what the cloud formation meant.
My first reaction was a mental facepalm. "It's just clouds, you know, water vapour condenses, then falls as rain, the natural rain cycle, nothing mysterious or occult there." On hindsight it was interesting to note how I labelled her question negatively as having an "occult" implication. I was going to brush her off and dismiss her question as coming from someone who understandably sees all things she cannot explain as having a supernatural dimension since she was raised in just such a rural area in the Philippines.
But something in me told me (or my logical discursive "left" brain) to shut up, and listen. Perhaps it was my recent Mindscape course, or my meditation experiences, that helped. I looked at the picture, more closely and with a far more open heart, felt what it meant to me in silence as I peripherally summed up the situation and what she had said. I then replied, "It's beautiful. There is a lot of hope. Whatever major project or undertaking he wanted to do, now is the time to start. This is a sign to bravely forge on despite the difficulties. New beginnings." The message obviously resonated with her, and she was satisfied. But I am not sure I was. And that part of me went WTF-where-did-that-come-from.
Today morning I recalled that incident, and asked her more about it, in which more details emerged that I was not previously aware of. Actually the picture of that cloud formation took place in the morning when her cousin walked out of his office building, awestruck by what he saw. When he posted it on FB, many people commented that it was a sign of good luck. My helper posted to him saying that her employer (me) said it was a good sign and boded well for beginning something new. He did not reply her after that, so she does not know what he thought of that.
Maybe I had tuned in and caught the flavours of hope and well-wishes from the many that replied his FB post. Maybe it was just my inner aesthetic that responded with that encouraging message to him. Maybe I was reading my helper's own expectations and resonating with that. Whatever. It felt good, and totally sincere, to have said what I had without the usual filtering of my discursive mind.
Does this prove anything? Did this change anything? These are questions the discursive logical mind would ask, and its role (and right) to be sceptical has its use. What was important to me in that experience, was to trust my feelings and connect to the picture, thereby hopefully connecting to the person (or people) who are meant to hear what I had to say. And I believe that itself already makes the world a better place to be in.
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