Symbolic Latency: Images of Transformation Across Space and Time

Abstract

Following extensive work on the symbolic dimensions of experience (The Symbolic Growth Experience), the author turns to the romantic poetry of William Wordsworth and his concept of “spots of time” from Wordsworth’s work. The author develops the concept of symbolic latency, identifying those powerful images and emotions of youth and childhood that remain latent in their meaning until brought to fruition through additional experience and emotional readiness. Wordsworth informs us that this interval of time, this “latency,” allowed him “fair seed time” for development. This article introduces Wordsworth’s “Spots of Time,” explores the related phenomenon of symbolic latency, and presents four important examples to illustrate its significance and the rich variety of forms such transformations may take. The author also examines the critical relationship that exists between the perceiving subject and the object of perception, concluding that the most reasonable theoretical position in understanding these transformative experiences is to be found in the unifying forces of synchronicity, the interconnectedness of all phenomena.