In today’s world, where reason, rationality, and linear thinking are idealized, the value of symbolic languages in understanding human dilemmas has largely been forgotten. Kikan’s presentation, “What If Art Can Help? Using Symbolic Perspectives to Relate to, and Heal, Human Suffering,” seeks to remind us of these time-honored ways of knowing.

Throughout history, human beings have used stories, myths, art, dreams, visions, rites and rituals to connect, face challenges, and find answers. While these are metaphoric languages, they have helped humanity navigate innumerable peaks and valleys of life. The modern era’s focus on efficiency, productivity, and continuing growth, however, has abandoned such intuitive approaches and we are collectively faced with a pandemic of emotional, mental, and physical suffering. The helping professions have been tasked with addressing this widespread pain and trauma, and sometimes find that talking and understanding alone are not enough.

Kikan has found that cultivating symbolic perception is astonishingly meaningful and transformative for clients. It is already an innate faculty of the human psyche and not difficult to bring back to function. Symbols are masters at building connections in myriad ways and simplifying complex issues. Putting on symbolic glasses facilitates access to the collective unconscious as well as the imaginal realm. This is where our human nature coexists creatively with our spiritual nature.

Art is a particularly powerful conduit for reviving symbolic perception. It can open new worlds, both inside and out, much like a symbol can serve as a key to unlock the inner world and trigger constructive ideas for the outer one. Human beings are wired for images; they process, order, and deliver staggering amounts of data to the brain in ways that literal language cannot.

During this presentation at the Global Exchange Conference, Kikan will introduce her book, “The 12 Steps, Symbols, Myths and Archetypes of Recovery,” and share practical ways of using art and symbols. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how symbolic perspectives can complement literal facts and rational understanding, ultimately aiding in the healing of human suffering.