On Meanings

Sergey Morgachev

...But we're walking blind in strange places

And all we have is joy and fear.

B. Grebenshchikov.
Sitting on a Beautiful Hill

To the question of which one of the concepts characterizing the mental world is the
most fundamental and most appropriate as the initial category in the system of
psychological categories (which does not exist, but which would be good to build), it
would be appropriate to answer: “meaning”. In psychological life, meaning is ubiquitous;
everything begins and everything ends with it. Meaning is a comprehensive concept, a
wide generalization encompassing different modes of mental being depending on both
the aspect and the degree of specificity: from life-like images of physical life (people,
things) at one end of the spectrum to blurred non-verbal sensations at the other.
Meaning can be an archetype, an idea, a remembrance, a thought-image, an
experience, a word... One can also use such equivalent terms as the meaning element
and meaning formation.

1. Functions of meanings

Let us try to characterize the notion of a meaning element from the perspective of what
functions it fulfills.

1.1

First and foremost: in the traditional dualism of spirit and matter, meaning formations
are on the side of the latter, while on the side of the spirit, the objectless self is found.
No matter how “subtle” the meanings may be, even if they are utterly “ghostlike” non-
verbal sensations, they are still forms, and forms (including non-physical forms) are
known to be not nothing; they are something, they are objects, entities, and matter.
Further, in the dichotomy of light and darkness, meanings fall into the realm of
darkness, precisely since they are something that displaces light, which by its nature is
transparent and objectless.

Unlike light, which is responsible for dispersion and scattering, meanings are
compactions of mental tissue. It is something that should be felt. They are like sand or
stones in the kidneys or liver, depending on their concentration, but in this case, this
refers to the soul. Meanings are a kind of spasms of the soul and body, unlike light,
which always gives relaxation. Meanings are attributes of earthly existence; by the time
a person gains (after birth and childhood) some consciousness of his/her own, he or
she is already filled with initial meanings, which he or she will have to carry throughout
his/her entire life.
Substantially, life implies living through both innate and acquired meanings. As long as
the meaning is not lived through, it will require living it through – taking corresponding
actions and creating appropriate situations. Ultimately, the meaning, as a product of
darkness, is evil; however, it is an energy resource for earthly life. When all the
meanings are lived through, life can end at any moment, because energy comes to a
person through meanings; what will it come through when no more meanings are left?

1.2.

The meaning element is the carrier of energy and activity, as well as desires and intents
for action. It lives a life of its own. Thought images emerge without asking one’s
permission, they are followed by emotions and impulses, and all this just happens,
discovering the unpredictability of the behavior of the meaning element, as well as its
alienation, outness in relation to the inner self.

It has long been noted that the activity of meaning elements encompasses elements of
both unpredictability and regularity: it tends to change in a cyclic manner, moving from
“aggravation” to “remission” (or, put it otherwise, from great deeds to stagnation and
misery). Besides, meaning elements have a habit of changing their sign to the opposite
one: love turns into hate, admiration into disgust.

In the formation of the picture of meanings, there are also other regularities: for
example, the principle of their pairwise formation, like elementary particles in physics
(according to the principle of opposition). The most significant contribution to the
research on this topic was made by Lao Tzu in the Tao Te Ching and Carl Gustav Jung,
for example, in The Transcendental Function. As for everyday life, even that limited
knowledge in this area that humankind has is usually ignored, because it is inconvenient
and often unpleasant, it is better not to recall it.

1.3.

Each meaning element forms a section of the boundary between light and darkness –
the boundary of the individual world. One can “see” the meaning element in the mind’s
eye, one’s gaze as if is fixed on it, but what is behind it? One cannot see it (one can
only assume). Here is the “end of our universe” in this direction.

Essentially, the individual mental world, from the first-person perspective, is a certain
space, in the center of which is the one who looks, thinks, and does, that is, the inner
self. The walls of this space are formed by mental images and constructs – objects that
the inner self looks at, thinks about, and does something with. The source of light that
illuminates the inner world is connected with this central self. The world begins with this
source of light – and what else could there be at the beginning of the world but the self?
– and ends with objects, because they have density and represent, in a greater or
lesser degree, darkness.

Meaning elements thus constitute the individual mental world. They enclose it. This
picture more or less corresponds to the image of a stained-glass lantern with painted
walls and a candle inside (Ill. 1), where the candle is, of course, the inner self.
This image somehow reminds of Joseph Brodsky’s poem:

Don’t leave the room, don’t blunder, do not go on.

If you’re smoking Shipka, what good is the Sun?
Outside, all is meaningless, especially – the cry of joy.
To the lavatory and back straightaway, old boy.

O, don’t leave the room, don’t call for a cab, my friend.

Because Space is a corridor that will end
with a meter. And, if your dear, delight expressing,
walks inside, kick her out without undressing.

…Don’t be a fool! Be what others weren’t. Remain.

Don’t leave the room! Let the furniture have free reign,
blend in with wallpaper. Bolt the door, barricade in place
with a dresser from chronos, cosmos, eros, virus, race.

The space of the individual mental universe is curved because it is enclosed (ended) by
objects, some of which are close (to the center) and others are distant. In the mental
realm, close is something that is individually important (“close people”, “close ideas”,
“close ideals”), and distant, respectively, is something, which is of little importance (“all
this is so far away from me now!”).

1.4.

Meaning formations intrinsically contain energy: it is the energy of meaning. One or

another object or phenomenon of reality means something to a person, and it should
always be implied – for this specific person.

However, there is much more to be said about the energetic processes connected with
meanings. Due to the fact that things mean something, they attract the energy of the
spirit – the light of the above-mentioned candle. The language indicates this with
constructions like “I am attracted to this”, “I am drawn to that”, “I am drawn to that”, or “I
was called by that”.

Energy moves from the “candle” to the meaning images: the candle “nourishes” them.
Let us refer to language again: one can “nourish” sympathy, hope, contempt, hatred,
“tender feelings”, but all these are semantic formations. Besides, language
unambiguously indicates the subject of this process: “Who nourishes hope?” – “I”.

Having passed through the meaning element, energy acquires the shade corresponding
to this element, returns to the psyche, and is dissipated/consumed (Fig. 1). This is the
energy circuit of our “internal combustion engine”.

Speaking of combustion, this analogy is very close to the heart of the matter. The
“substance” of the meaning “burns” in the presence of the spirit, which it consumes for
this combustion like oxygen. This “burning” is perceived as an experience of meaning.

As the meaning element “burns out”, it begins to burn less brightly and diminishes in
size. The flow of energy through this channel weakens down to zero. This phenomenon,
like everything in the world, has its beginning, blossom, decay, and end. The “burnout”
can be related to the problem of energy deprivation, when energy stops flowing through
the usual channel.

1.5.

The meaning performs the role of commonality. Each human psyche is connected with
a lot of others by an incessant number of common elements – images, ideas,
knowledge, instincts, incentives, and experiences, not to mention languages – this is
trivial. Meanings are shared with other people. This is the only reason why
communication between people is possible. The issues of commonality concern both
relationships with one’s near and dear ones and inclusion in humanity as a whole.

In the meantime, commonality is a channel of communication, a docking unit, virtually a

“pipe” through which information can flow, as shown in Fig. 2. Studying meanings-
commonalities as linking elements provides an opportunity to develop the theme of
archetypes and their constitutive role in the structure of the “world soul” – Anima Mundi.
In particular, this sheds light on the issue of synchronicity posed by Jung. If the world
soul exists, why cannot information spread within it – through its internal united spaces
– from one person (group of people) to another person (group)? It would be rather
strange if such dissemination were not observed.

1.6.

Meaning elements, being included in the structure of two or many psyches (for which
they are common), can generate a common meaning impulse.

It has long been pointed out that at a certain time point, great social forces tend to
awaken suddenly, come into motion, and begin to move actively in a certain direction –
whether in the geographical sense, as happened in the great migrations of peoples or in
aggressive wars of great empires, or in the mental sense, when the masses of the
population are seized by some super-idea (as in the emergence of religions –
Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam), or a new world perception (as in the change of art
styles and the development of, for example, Gothic, or Renaissance art, or Baroque).
This is how the activity of common meaning formations is manifested (Fig. 3).

1.7.

Meaning formations are aggressive in nature. What causes it? Nothing. It is simply a
law of life – at some stage of development, things possess passionarity, intention to
increase and expand (and then, at some moment, lose this intention, but that is not the
point now). The tendency to invade and take possession of the psyche is a very
important characteristic of meanings.

It is essential that meaning elements, while expanding, carry out aggression and
invasion in all directions – i.e., in the territories of all the mental worlds they unite: at
least two or more than two. The invasion of meaning is always a supra-individual
process.
It is necessary to dwell on this characteristic of meaning elements in more detail,
because this, in the author’s opinion, is the most important thing to know about the life
of meanings, and it is one of the central points of the present study.

Let us remind that meaning is always a commonality of someone with someone,

someone with something. This has been discussed above. Meaning is a common
element in two or more psyches. As soon as it is formed, all its further metamorphoses
concern all the psyches it unites. At the same time, its activity is seen from the first-
person position, “from oneself”.

If this element is activated (perceived as “one’s own”), it invades another’s soul aiming
to take possession of it; a person can even be aware of this and aspire to it (“I want to
take possession of her heart”). However, with its other side, this figure invades one’s
own soul, gets into its depths, penetrates into its sacral core, and takes possession of
its space and energy. The same happens if one tries to master a certain field of science
or art: one penetrates and conquers them, while in the background this (one’s own, but
at the same time common with someone/something) aspect of personality penetrates
and conquers oneself; it remakes the whole structure of one’s soul in its own way and
puts its potential at its service. In essence, it becomes a vampire object, a black hole in
the psyche. It is a painful process.

Aggression (offensiveness, passionarity) in relation to the external world turns into

aggression toward oneself. This is a two-directional, double-edged, mirror process. Its
existence requires remembering the golden rule: be a bit “lighter”, calmer in relation to
the rest of the world, do not come down upon it and do not remake it “for yourself”, not
only in material reality, but also in your soul – perhaps you will remain intact...

The scale of these (mirror) invasions is essential. To some extent, it is just a part of life:
a person is caught up with something or someone, what is wrong with that? It is normal.
Without it, life would lose its colors. Literally, it would lose its meanings. The problems
begin when the invasion becomes massive and deep and approaches the sacral inner
zone filled only with the energy of emptiness – or, which is worse, seizes this zone
(compare Figs. 4 and 5). The intrusion of the meaning element into the sacral central
light cavity (violation of its integrity) is, in essence, the cause of psychic suffering.
Anxiety, fear and, with further development of the process, psychic pain are symptoms
of the invasion.

The overactive (passionary) meaning element is a problem, and it is a subject of interest

for psychotherapy and even for psychiatry. Moreover, it can also be somatized. It
means that for a certain affect (for example, the sensation “I can get to know the secrets
of the universe”, or something more prosaic, such as the obsession “I want to be with
this girl”), there may be a somatic experience that is difficult to describe in words. It just
“turns on” along with this affect: “something nips” or “tingles”, “becomes stiff” or “numb”
in a certain part of the body. Such “tingling” can be quite noticeable.

1.8.
The presence of darkness, or, what is the same, of meanings, in the mental world is the
cause of human suffering. Darkness is inherent in the earthly world, because it is
constitutionally built on it, and thus suffering is also inherent. The only difference is the
scale: small meanings – small suffering, great meanings – great suffering. Any meaning
is care and need; it infringes the heavenly lightness and carelessness inherent in light; it
is withdrawal from light, an embarrassing obscuration that light stumbles upon. Specific
care is the manifestation of a human’s existential concern as his/her inevitable
companion on earth.

In proclaiming a “middle path” to eliminate suffering, Gautama Buddha showed himself

to be a reasonable and practical psychological counselor, but a poor, or more likely, just
plain disingenuous philosopher, a populist. Certainly, the “middle path”, i.e. the way
between the extremes of “holiness” and wickedness, enables one to stay within a
certain corridor of the norm in terms of experiencing life – not to strain oneself too much;
not to be insensitive, but not to waste away with grief either. This is the best that is
achievable on earth; it makes life full, but not traumatic, socially acceptable. Buddha’s
formula of the four noble truths1 is also socially acceptable, because it basically tells
people that everything will be all right if one follows certain rules. This formula was
accepted with enthusiasm, therefore his followers grasped at it! However, it is wrong in
its third point (there is cessation of suffering) and fourth point (there is a path to the
cessation of suffering). It is a philosophy for the poor (certainly, not in the sense of
material prosperity, but in the sense of moral courage and precision of reasoning).

Christ's formula – “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome
the world”2 – is more honest. Since the world is so organized in such a way that there is
darkness in it, it can only be escaped in another world. From an academic, consistent
perspective, Jesus is right: in his teaching, he went to the end and did not fool his
disciples with a comforting half-truth.

2. On the meaning of meanings

If one recognizes the existence of the world soul, the existence of a common mental
world should also be recognized. Common meanings really exist, people “see” them
from different sides (each from his/her own); therefore, there is a certain global mental
“landscape”. Not all the mountains, cities, and oceans in this landscape are accessible
to everyone; some are accessible to some, others to others. This is understandable: for
it is the same with geographical landscapes.

Coming into the world, one finds oneself in some valley of unasked meanings, and then,
with each new turn of the path, new unexpected meanings open up. Everyone walks
through the valleys of his/her own challenges and trials, and sees... What does he/she
see? Various things – both some quite identifiable objects and something completely
incomprehensible, which has no name yet – approximately as depicted in the paintings
by the artist Victor Filippskii (see, for example, Fig. 2).
1
“There is suffering, there is the cause of suffering, there is cessation of suffering, and there is a path to the
cessation of suffering”.
2
John 16:33.
The ultimate question that can be raised with regard to the mental world is what it is as
a certain “thingness”, objectiveness. After all, it is “something”, isn’t it? It is not an empty
space. It has both contents and forms... Nevertheless, it seems that there is no answer
to this question. Here comes the limit of destruction. As in physics: it answers not so
much the question “What is it?” as “How does it work?” One can hardly determine what
the nature of the mental world is. Meaning is simply what is experienced as meaning.
And it is.