The House That Self Built

Photo: VANK_NGN

A “house” has been part of our symbolic and metaphoric vocabulary for centuries; in literature, visual arts, and psychology.

Introduction

In his architecture article; “House as a symbol of self”, Weerasekara writes:

Human is an identified individual living creature in the existing world. The mental notion of a man has about its physical, psychological and social attributes, as well as its attitudes, beliefs and ideas, express him or herself in an existing society. The most [social] built-form is the house which entails the maintenance of balance between an individual’s inner and outer self which he becomes a part of it. People have to satisfy their physical needs as well as their psychological needs for survival. The macro context also is a factor that defines a habitable space. This situation generates an impact on “Self’ and “House”.

We are sensory beings.

As the amniotic fluid is a greater sound carrier than water, our sensory environment begins in utero. As well as being able to hear, the developing fetus can smell, taste, touch, and experience movement. After birth, our experiences continue to be shaped, formed, and influenced by our senses. Ornstein writes in his book, The Psychology of Consciousness, that the experience of an infant is a confusing sensory cacophony. Our Central Nervous System is continuously perceiving, sorting, choosing, and responding to information received through our sensory system.

Over the years, we collect and store these experiences. We construct and form memories. Dr. Sawyer makes the provocative claim that great creativity is based on great memory.

Imagination

One skill that we acquire early on is the ability to imagine. According to Michele and Robert Root-Bernstein, imaging is the most important thinking skill we acquire for creativity. They define imaging as the ability to recreate sensory impressions and feelings in our minds in the absence of external stimuli.

We can alter, combine, synthesize, and otherwise manipulate sensory images to form images and ideas of things never perceived in reality.

We are conscious beings.

While all this is happening, we are developing an awareness of a sense of self. This awareness varies over time and is directly influenced by the conscious and different levels of consciousness, including the subconscious, unconscious, dream states, and other altered states of consciousness. According to S. Howard (2012), a non-linear model of consciousness and unconsciousness, offers a way of understanding why human experience is variant and patterned, regular and irregular, constant and changing.

Meaning is created by the interactions between our internal and external environments. This is the ground work that is laid for choices we make in the future, both consciously and unconsciously, as we continue to interpret and associate the information we receive.

Language and metaphors.

Our awareness of self and the meanings we attribute to our experiences are all expressed and communicated through language. Our first language is non-verbal. It is our "mother tongue," and so we carry it with us as we develop our verbal language.

Michael Michalko states that creativity requires looking at the world in a different way. When we think metaphorically, we utilize our ability to imagine. Our imagination is given expression through the non-verbal and verbal language of metaphors. The metaphor is "out there" to make it possible for us to sense and experience things in an unexpected way.

According to Lakoff and Johnson, metaphors permeate human thought and action. As such, becoming conscious of their use and applying this language in a stimulating and meaningful way will provide thinkers with the means to creatively express their thoughts, ideas, and solutions to the problems being addressed.

Back to the house.

“I hold a ring of keys. The ring and keys are made of iron, totally blackened with age, large and heavy. They are constantly making sounds as they strike each other every time I move. I receive my schedule and instructions for the day every morning in the same way; a note appears on my desk in my room sometime during the night, and I see it when I wake up. I try to stay up or pretend I am sleeping just to see how the note gets there or who places the note on my desk. But I have never managed to stay awake to catch the person in the act. Then I awake….”

This is “Judy’s” dream. When we first meet, she tells me that she has this dream on an average of three times a week. She feels stuck.

I offer to “move” her experience through music. I guide Judy in a Guided Imagery and Music session. I use her dream as the narration before her music experience. As she begins to describe being in her house, I ask her to let the music support her to be where she needs to be and move when and where she is ready to do so.

Afterwards, she writes:

“The schedule tells me which room I have to be in and at what time. Each room is a different part of my life; there is the room which is my school, a room where I am visiting with family or friends, a room for my appointments, and so on. All this takes place in the house, I never leave the house, there is no way out. I am living inside myself with life from the outside world.”

Judy’s childhood experiences designed and structured her house, her self. Now, she was going to become the architect and build her own house.

Judy begins to draw her blueprint. The house is made of brick with lots of windows and an oak solid front door with a pathway leading out. It has three floors with beautiful staircases leading from floor to floor. It includes open spaces and closed storage areas. There is a kitchen filled with lots of good food at different stages of preparation. There is a sun room filled with light and warmth. There are other rooms yet to be designed.

“I have only one key; it belongs to the front door. It’s small and shiny and fits nicely in the palm of my hand. I can move throughout the house and choose where I want to spend time. Most importantly, my movement from inside to outside and back again flows smoothly and easily. I am myself. “

“Symbols tend to call for interpretation, however, and in my experience, interpretation rarely brings about significant change, recovery or relief. On the other hand, metaphors generate description and multi-layered meanings rather than a single interpretation; when it comes to really helping an individual make progress, it’s the metaphoric experience of art expression that sets the stage for emotional repair and insight.” – Cathy Malchiodi PhD,

Judy was in that metaphoric experience. She used her art expression and set the stage for her emotional repair and insight.