Homelessness, Part 3
“Homelessness is associated with dereliction, dispossession, instability, rootlessness, restlessness, emptiness and chronic longing. The Book of Symbols [1]
In considering the social pandemic of homelessness, it is interesting to explore the symbolism of houses and homes. Symbolically, a house often represents the container for the soul or the true self. In dreams, a house often represents our psyche. The exterior may symbolize how we present ourselves to the world, windows represent our view of the world from the inside, doors control our interactions with the external environment, and the interior symbolizes our inner life. A soul without a container has no protection from the outside world. When we dream of a current or former house, we often see rooms that have been rearranged or relocated, as well as rooms that were not present in our lived experience. The differences between dream experiences and those of waking consciousness often represent unrealized, unacknowledged, or repressed parts of our essential selves. The symbolic language of dreams differs significantly from the language of our waking world, so most dream images cannot be taken literally but must be analyzed in the context of one’s experiences and associations, as well as the archetypal associations of the imagery. Houses and homes are common themes in thoughts and dreams, the understanding of which may help us better ponder the psychological impacts of homelessness.
Symbols tap into deeper streams of shared consciousness than the singular experiences of individuals, communities, or time periods reveal. They exist as collections of patterns or images – archetypes – that both transcend and include all time periods, cultures, and events experienced by conscious beings. For example, the symbolic meaning of a house is similar across all times and cultures, even though the structural nature and appearance of houses differs significantly based on the time in history, geographic location, and the culture in which they were built.
While the terms house and home are often used synonymously, there are important symbolic distinctions. A house is a stationary structure that may be free-standing, an apartment, or a rented room. It symbolizes a physical barrier between a person and the outside world. A home, on the other hand, is an emotional construct, a sense of safety and comfort. For example, we can be physically housed but feel homeless in the same way we can be in the physical presence of others and still feel lonely. Home has strong emotional associations like, home is where the heart is, and feeling at home. Home may not always be a physical structure since some feel most at home in nature or in the presence of a dear friend. Houses are often transitory places that provide shelter and safety with little or no emotional attachment. Home is primarily an inner state of consciousness, where a house is an external reality. Both are vital to mental and physical well-being.
As we examine the challenges faced by homeless/houseless persons, a comprehensive view must include both physical and emotional, external and internal aspects. Houses provide a psychological and physical barrier to external threats, even when that barrier is porous. They provide a place for storage and, thus, allow one to accumulate resources for a more comfortable existence than what they can otherwise carry with them. Most houses provide areas for food preparation and storage, facilities for maintaining physical hygiene, a mailing address, and a place for a good night’s sleep. Houses provide a type of physical rootedness and privacy – a contained sense of self – while allowing a degree of control over one’s interactions with the external world.
A home, on the other hand, provides a sense of emotional rootedness where one feels safe, accepted, and even loved. Some of the symbolism of home traces to our days in our mother’s womb, where our needs were met in a warm, safe, accepting environment. Much religious symbolism of home points to a life-after-life – heaven perhaps – where happiness and love rule. Without a sense of home we feel emotionally vulnerable and on constant alert. As a general rule, it is difficult to establish a feeling of home without first having a house to shelter one’s existence. If the soul’s container is symbolized as a house, the absence of a house leaves the soul vulnerable and unable to establish or maintain a dependable connection with its maker, symbolized by home.
In more practical, non-symbolic terms, home-lessness – feeling emotionally adrift – is a more wide-spread issue and can result in numerous psychological and emotional maladies. House-lessness, however, is the more immediate threat to the health and well-being of individuals and communities and, in most cases, must be resolved prior to dealing with homelessness. Fortunately, as houselessness is successfully addressed, much homelessness decreases of its own accord.
This is the 6th in a series about The New-Old Social Pandemic. The opinions expressed here are mine. To engage with me or to explore contemplative spiritual direction, contact me at ghildenbrand@sunflower.com.
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[1] The Book of Symbols: Reflections on Archetypal Images, Taschen, Cologne, Germany. 2010, p. 556.
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