A representation of one idea or object by another, symbol.
In psychiatry, process of representing an object or idea by something else.
The process of representing an object or an idea by something else. Typically an abstract idea is represented by a simpler and more tangible image. Psychoanalytic theorists hold that conscious ideas frequently act as symbols for unconscious thoughts and that this is particularly evident in dreaming, in free association, and in the formation of psychological symptoms. According to this theory, a symptom (such as difficulty in swallowing) might be a symbolic representation of an unconscious idea (such as a fantasy of oral intercourse).
The unconscious substitutive expression of subconscious thoughts of sexual significance in terms recognized by the objective consciousness.
A mental state where the individual perceives events or objects as representations of their own thoughts.
Assigning a meaning to something beyond its literal interpretation.