Trapped by Divine Archetypes: The Limits on Independent Thought

The world of ancient gods, embodied in images, can serve not only as a source of inspiration but also as a trap for our consciousness. Initially, we literally absorb the ideas formed over millennia of cult traditions, and our thinking becomes accustomed to relying on already established archetypes. This approach soon begins to restrict the development of new ideas, as the mind becomes trapped within imposed images and loses its capacity for free creative exploration.

At the heart of this phenomenon lies a danger: if thought operates solely through the filter of cultural patterns, it becomes an incomplete process where the independent emergence of ideas yields to the repetition of tested models. This psychological mechanism, wherein external images exert dominant influence over perception, results in our thinking remaining only partial—fixed within established representations. The freshness and spontaneity of thought fall into the shadow of these preconceived images, preventing new conceptual horizons from fully unfolding.

In summary, although the images of gods possess powerful symbolism and historical significance, they risk confining our minds to long-established traditions. Liberation from these stereotypes and the pursuit of true freedom of thought require continuous renewal and a creative approach that allows us to break beyond conventional limits and open up boundless space for new, independent interpretations of the world.

Why, by creating images of wise gods, has humanity possibly lost its ability for independent thought? In crafting images of wise gods, people may inadvertently become trapped in fixed ways of perceiving and interpreting, where these images cease to be independent creations of thought and instead become mere conscious perceptions confined by imposed frameworks. Consequently, thinking becomes accustomed to relying on ready-made images rather than engaging in the free process of forming new ideas. As noted in one of the sources, "Images are nothing more than conscious perceptions. The independent element of thought cannot fully unfold in an image because the 'other' continues to remain something other and maintains its independent role. Being different for thought and at the same time conditioning that thought, the 'other' bursts into thought with all its unthinking and, therefore, meaningless element. Here, the unthinking and meaningless still continue to define and shape thinking, that is, to make it only partial thinking, only a degree of thinking." (source: 1273_6362.txt)

In other words, when thought becomes habituated to the images of gods, it is confined by the characteristics these images already embody. Such an approach can hinder the development of a complete, free, and independent thought process, as external, often stagnant images influence the very process of interpretation, preventing creative and limitless thought from fully emerging. This results in thinking that remains only partial, mediated, and always somewhat "tinted" by images created in the past.