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J Sym & San Therapy > Volume 3(1); 2012 > Article
Journal of Symbols & Sandplay Therapy 2012;3(1): 95-107.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12964/jsst.120004
The lotus: Rebirth of the self
Mi-yeon Eom
Mara Child Counseling Center, Seoul, Korea
Correspondence :  Mi-yeon Eom ,Email: eomji33@naver.com
Received: June 7, 2012   Accepted: June 17, 2012
Abstract
In this study of the symbolism of the lotus used in sandplay therapy, I aim to explore symbols of the lotus based on my personal experiences from a range of angles, thereby identifying the various meanings of the symbols to individuals. A symbol does not have the primary universal meaning of an object itself. Instead, it is significant in that it can unify opposite poles and their inherent tension by projecting its archetypal energy. In this study, I determined the general characteristics and archetypal meanings of the lotus, and provided an understanding of its symbolic meanings in mythologies, stories, and religions. I also analyzed the similarities between the lotus, as represented as the center of each chakra, and the individuation process in Jungian psychology. In many cultures and religions, the lotus has been considered to be sacred and connected to the birth of a god. It also symbolizes birth, creation, richness, rebirth, feminine, and sanctity. Thus, in this study, I reached the conclusion that the lotus is the archetype of the self that has been sent with the purpose of uniting one’s mind, which is likely to be separated from the unconscious by unilateral consciousness, and that the lotus to me meant the birth of the feminine and served as a symbolic medium of the emergence of a new self.
KeyWords: lotus, chakra, individuation, the self, rebirth
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