E-Book of Articles - World Federation of Music Therapy

Bonde, Lars Ole: Analogy And Metapher In Music Therapy Theory ...
(b) tension between two interpretations: between a literal interpretation
that perishes at the hands of semantic impertinence and a metaphorical
interpretation whoese sense emerges through non-sense;
(c) tension in the relational function of the copula; between identity and
difference in the interplay of resemblance. “ (Ricoeur 1977, p. 247){3}
Ricouer’s understanding of the difference between symbol and
metaphor leads him to the following statement, which has profound
meaning in a psychotherapeutic context:
“It appears as though certain fundamental experiences make up an
immediate symbolism that presides over the most primitive metaphorical
order...symbolic experience calls for a work of meaning from metaphor, a
work which it partially provides through its organizational network and its
hierarchical levels. Everything indicates that symbol systems constitute a
reservoir of meaning whose metaphoric potential is yet to be spoken. And,
in fact, the history of words and culture would seem to indicate that... this
deep layer only becomes accessible to us to the extent that it is formed and
articulated at a linguistic and literary level since the most insistent
metaphors hold fast to the intertwining of the symbolic infrastructure and
metaphoric superstructure.” (Ricoeur: Interpretation Theory..., quoted
from McGaughey 1992, p. 425).
McGaughey suggests in his attempt to distinguish metaphor and symbol, that
one must speak about ‘the narrative symbol’ as of ‘the semantic metaphor’
(p.427). This leads us to Ricoeur’s understanding of Mimesis, the key
concept of the narrative - be it of a novel, a life story - or a therapeutic
journey. His concept of mimesis is threefold:
Mimesis1 is the originary pre-understanding of action/praxis (prefigured
temporal aspects)
Mimesis2 is a midpoint of mimetic action or ‘structuration’: the narrative
(mediator: the time of emplotment; configuration of temporal aspects)
Mimesis3 is a subsequent action/praxis of application in understanding [by
the reader] (refiguration of temporal experience)
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