Three Levels of Understanding: Physical, Spiritual and Symbolic

The human mind understands things at three levels: the physical, the spiritual and the symbolic.

Behind all things there is a practical, rational meaning. But there is also a spiritual and symbolic meaning. In the modern world we are taught to observe life with the rational mind – thus we understand things better at the physical level. Which isn’t a bad thing, but this is only scratching the surface of true understanding.

What does a tree look like? What is its purpose? It takes in carbon dioxide and spits out oxygen.

Yet great thinkers like Jung understood that there is an important subconscious element of life.

All things, even the tree, bare a subconscious and symbolic meaning. Symbolically the tree represents life. This symbolic understanding of the tree connects us, at a subconscious level, with the energy of the divine itself. This is understanding things at a higher level spiritually.

Embrace the world around you, understanding the Physical, the Symbolic and the Spiritual.