Images

Does this image of the Ancient Chinese Terracota Warriors speak to you in any way?

Images can be a portal into the unconscious and a place to see our souls. As Henry Corbin said, “the image opens the way itself to what lies beyond it, toward what it symbolizes within.”

When I posted this photo from my trip to China, I was amazed at the reactions it got. I appreciate that the 8,000 life-sized soldiers, created 2000 years ago, are a spectacular sight, especially when one realizes that each has a unique face and hair. But the reaction to the image also made me wonder what it might symbolize within. What aspects of their own souls were people seeing in the photo?

For me, I love the excavation of ancient treasures, both objects, and ancient knowledge. I wonder what wisdom was buried that might be recovered along with the statues themselves. I also like that there was order in the statues, however, they are unique. The image held a sense of oneness and order between people, while still allowing differences and individuality. Perhaps my psyche and the collective psyche are trying to find a way to stand together given how chaotic and politically divided the world seems. I also think this image of alignment and diversity captures my inner state. I am in the process of trying to bring together all the different parts of myself.

Thus, an image can be a portal into the psyche if we take time to consider the aspects of it that resonate with us.