What do you think?

What do you think?
D

Don-NY

Registrant
Check out this picture first.

Yes, it's a trick. A mathematical, logic puzzle or riddle, but it speaks to me, a lot, and I wanted to share it and see what you think, because I think it speaks volumes about what happens to us as the result of trauma and what happens, again, during recovery.

Think of the larger triangle as you. Think of the 4 smaller figures as various parts of your personality or "mind". Now think about the "empty" space in the lower triangle. What's in there? Or maybe, What's missing? But then again, how can anything be missing, if the four smaller areas are unchanged?

Do these images say anything to you about yourself, about trauma, about perception and reality?

Sometimes I think of the upper figure as me before abuse, and the bottom one as after abuse. Other times, I see the top one as me before starting serious Recovery work, and the bottom one as me during recovery work. Then I see myself as back to the top figure again.

I mean, in terms of my self-perception, it has gone like this:

I was sexually abused and assaulted (with strong elements of denial and minimization)---> I am a Victim of sexual abuse and assault (acknowledgement)---> I am a Survivor of sexual abuse and assault (acceptance)---> I was sexually abused and assaulted (acceptance + perspective).

Let me know what you think, even if you think I've totally lost it.

Thanks,
Donald
 
Another way to look at this:

The empty space below the bottom triangle is what we had buried inside. The triangle on the top is what we want to be, all the hidden things are out, on the surface- no longer a barrier to our wholeness.


************************************************
Explanation of where the empty square went below
************************************************

If you look closely at the hypotenuse and adjacent angles of the two contituent triangles, you'll see that the angles are not equal, therefore, the hypotenuse of the larger triangle is not actually straight, but dips inward. Although the area of the shapes is equal, the space under the lower triangle has been divided into pieces along the hypotenuse of the upper triange.
 
Dewey,

Thank you for the explanation. Viewing them as two triangles of equivalent size was starting to freak me out a little -- how'd they get that extra little white square in there?!? -- but now you helped me see it.

Thanks,
John
 
Don
I think it's terrific that you see an analogy between this trick of the eye and the perceptions of your life, I guess it can be related to art therapies? Maybe post it on the Fam & Fri forum, I think Caetel is into art therapies and she might have something to say on the subject.

And even as an engineer I wouldn't have figured it out without Dewey's explanation ! :rolleyes:

Dave
 
Don,

I get mad at these things when I cannot work out how they are done, and will have to go back and work it out.

I guess the white square is me among society trying to fit in, that is the only explanation I can find.

ste
 
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