Using Symbolism to Convey Meaning
Symbols are understood at an unconscious level. Just as words are the language of the conscious, symbols are the language of the unconscious. By communicating with the subconscious directly, advertisers can convey meaning to powerful effect.The conscious mind responds to events relatively slowly. The unconscious, however, makes split-second decisions in its interpretation of experience, before the conscious mind is aware of it.
This has been shown with studies that have found that one formulates an opinion of something within the first 500 milliseconds of awareness, indicating the speed with which the unconscious interprets experience.
It is precisely because of this preliminary nature of the unconscious mind that the conscious mind is always observing a composite creation of the unconscious. Rather than being aware of the experience itself, the conscious mind observes the patchwork interpretation of experience, already processed by the unconscious mind well before it passes into conscious awareness.
In order for the unconscious to be able to function so efficiently, it must discard vast amounts of information as being irrelevant. Therefore, the information that makes it to the conscious level is the considered to be the most important information for the conscious mind to know, according to the unconscious.
The criteria for what becomes conscious are determined by a combination of instincts and knowledge gained from prior experience. On an instinctual level, many criteria are hard-wired into our DNA, e.g. personal safety, sexual interest, etc. These instincts are combined with knowledge gleaned from past experience to form the criteria for what parts of any given experience become conscious at that time.
The result is that a select few elements of experience are deemed important enough to cross the limen into consciousness, while the rest are discarded as unnecessary.
But, where are they discarded to, one might ask?
It is my opinion that they are actually retained by the unconscious, and that this is evinced by the method by which one learns to speak as a child. One learns to speak a language as a child by the cumulative effects of hearing that language spoken. This fact supports the idea that ostensibly “meaningless” elements of experience are retained, rather than discarded. If “meaningless” elements of experience were simply discarded (i.e. forgotten), then a child would not be able to learn language through exposure alone. But, the fact that one does learn to speak in such a manner supports the idea that the unconscious retains information that is discarded as irrelevant to the conscious mind.
It is this retention of information by the unconscious mind that allows symbols to have such powerful effects. When exposed to symbols subliminally, the conscious mind is not aware of the symbol while the unconscious observes and retains it for future reference.
Jung has written that myth, symbol and imagery are the language of the unconscious. [1] Therefore, symbols can communicate meaning and be understood at an unconscious level without the conscious mind being aware of it. Through the use of symbolism, the unconscious mind’s interpretation of experience can be affected. Symbols communicate directly to the unconscious and are understood at that level, affecting the unconscious mind’s conceptions accordingly.
A given symbol is associated with the experience it accompanies, and this association causes one’s interpretation of the experience to be altered accordingly. Furthermore, one may hold multiple interpretations of the same experience at different levels of consciousness, i.e. the conscious interpretation of an experience may be mundane while the unconscious interpretation is extraordinary.
The reason for this is that the unconscious complements and contrasts the conscious mind. The unconscious mind’s interpretation of experience is not homogenous with the conscious mind’s interpretation, for if it were, it would be redundant and unnecessary. Rather, the unconscious interprets events in its own way, complementing and being complemented by the conscious mind’s interpretation of these same events. So, although the conscious may interpret an experience with disinterest or even disapproval, the unconscious mind’s interpretation of that same experience could be with keen interest.
Labels: symbolism