Institute for Expressive Analysis of N.Y.- Sharyn VanSant, ATR-BC, LCAT

Psychoanalytic Expressions:
A Journal of Art and Words.

All of our writers and artists are members of the IEA community.

The Mandala Form
Sharyn VanSant, ATR-BC, LCAT

The mandala is an ancient circular form that has been carved, etched, drawn and painted for thousands of years in many cultures. It is said to mean magic circle in Sanskrit. The Jungian usage of the mandala helps explore internal processes that reveal "the state of the self".

Jung was interested in the spontaneous creation of mandalas by his patients and kept journals of personal mandalas for his own processing. Many believe this is a containing and healing form that acts as a channel for the soul. It can be a symbol for centering and wholeness.

Most of the creative arts therapies have incorporated the mandala form in some way. It seems to be a natural for bridging the visual, body, sound and dramatic realm.

This mandala came about after meditating. The sensuous curves and rhythms create forms within forms and the hot emotional shape wants to dominate. I can remember wanting containment and resenting confinement at the same time.

Sometimes, a mandala surfaces when I draw my counter-transference reactions to a client. My own hands seem to be warming but trying to contain this exploding furnace of a man. Perhaps the center is also my own fire. I can play with the dialogue between the fire, the exploding furnace plates and the hands.

I painted this mandala immediately after a session with the same client who has been addicted to heroin for most of his adult life. The breast-like forms of this mandala help me to see the drama of the client's absent and empty mother and the still glowing heat of the client's rage.