[46] poem^a, can never be opened up in any other way than by a poem. The same is true with those levels of reality opened up by music, for instance. Music is not only an expression of an emotion, but through the sound something which is hidden in reality, comes to us. Then it does something which the other symbols^b also do--all symbols do-- it opens up a level in our own being. All symbols have a subject-object character. They open up a level in the encountered reality which otherwise is never attainable. And they open up a level in our mind^c--or I would like to use the word "soul^d" here--because unconscious elements also belong to it. This dimension of our soul never comes into action except through the symbols which open it. So symbols have a double side of opening-up: they open up reality, and they open up the soul. And in the encounter of reality and mind, both experience something which cannot be experienced in any other way than through these symbols. And I think this is the most important part of it. Genuine symbols have revelatory character. And ALL revelation^e is correlate between an objective structure and [a] subjective one. And so also, therefore, is all genuine symbolism: it is always objective and subjective at the same time. It has "encounter^f" character. Now I return to what I said before: culture^g is based on man's encounter with reality; all languages^h are based on such an encounter. This encounter also produces symbolsⁱ, and if a symbol is produced, reality has revealed a dimension of it which otherwise remains unrevealed. And the soul^j or mind^k is opened in a special respect in which otherwise it would not be opened. Therefore we enter the realms in which symbols are used, expecting them to give us something they otherwise would not have. Why do we go into a museum and look at pictures? (I speak now of artistic symbols^l). Why is the political system full of symbols? Because otherwise the reality which is meant can in no way be experienced. Now we have, therefore, the most important characteristic of symbols: they disclose (if you prefer that word) something which is otherwise cut off, which we cannot reach in any other way.