ABSTRACT
S. Freudian psychoanalysts have differed from their Jungian counterparts in their regard for symbols because they have been increasingly narrowing their focus on to individual experience. The idea that symbols might have some cultural relevance, giving access to a collective unconscious, is of little interest to many of the Freudian persuasion, be they classical Freudian or followers of one of the post-Freudian pioneers. Development of the concept of symbolism has taken place within the different meta-psychological frameworks as they have emerged. The psychoanalytic setting is uniquely suitable for observing the creation of symbols and for developing an understanding of what it is that they seek to communicate. Symbols come in many forms, but the iterative nature of the psychoanalytic process allows the parties concerned to experience the repetitions of process and gradually bring the meaning of the symbol into focus.
