How Does Metaphor Communicate Meaning?

The Spanish Philosopher José Ortega y Gasset once wrote:

The metaphor is probably the most fertile power possessed by man

He was referring to the role of metaphor as machine, which like a lever (the simplest machine) allows a mere human to move the weightiest of ideas. Such word pictures allow the mind to fathom the deepest concepts using parallelism and the intuition of lived experience. I hope the metaphor of the cracked vessel used on the cover of The Science and Spirituality of Addiction helps the reader do some heavy lifting of their own, but I fear that without some explanation the symbolism will not achieve its full impact. I hope this blog entry helps clarify things. The primary parallels are as follows:

• The vessel as a holder of water
• Water as a slaker of thirst
• Water as a resource needed for the preservation of physical and mental health
• The cracked vessel as wounded individual
• The cracked vessel’s inability to retain water
• The constant need to replenish the vessel
• When filled, the vessel will soon be empty again

These points illustrate many attributes of the addiction experience. No matter which resources the individual uses to fill the void within, be they substances or behaviours, they quickly escape through the cracks whose presence persists unremittingly, as does the thirst for more. The cracks can represent trauma, loneliness, shame, insecurity, alienation, loss of meaning, learned coping strategies, neurobiological vulnerability, chronic stress, or simply needs we never learned how to meet sustainably.

The metaphor extends beyond resources over which an individual has personal control and into the communal realm where other people become the drug of choice. A narcissist might fill their empty vessel with the adulation of others (narcissistic supply) around their real or supposed standing, talents, capabilities and accomplishments. But even here the relief provided dissipates through cracks in the shield of invulnerability with which they surround themselves and further affirmations must be repeatedly pursued. This is no less a manifestation of addictive behaviour than any other habitual fixation. In each case, the craving for more mimics the thirst we feel during hot and arid times.

What Can the Desert Teach Us About Recovery?

This brings us to our second metaphor – the desert, where water is scarce and that scarcity gives the pursuit of water immense importance. In a situation where the emotional resources we need for mental wellness are unavailable, our pursuit of solutions can be intense. It is sad that our search for love, healthy self-esteem, safety and peace often lead us to chemical and behavioural solutions that either satisfy our cravings or distract us from them. Those strategies that slake our emotional thirst do so because they mimic our body’s own chemical messengers (stimulants), the pleasure inducing ones that normally flow when life conditions are good. Some prefer sedatives, substances and behaviours that minimize pain rather than masking it with feelings of well-being. In each case there is a manufactured internal perception of fruitfulness, while outside the desert remains.

The problem here is twofold - it is not merely the arid environment that afflicts us but the cracks that prevent us from remaining full. The arid conditions make the hunt for satiation more urgent and the pressure to find alternate solutions more intense, but a cracked vessel will never remain full even when water is abundant. Relocating to a more fruitful environment provides a healthy supply of water, but it does not change the nature of the vessel. Condemning the vessel for losing its contents is unhelpful, but exploring what caused the cracks to form in the first place can promote their healing.

The question of who performs the healing is what distinguishes recovery coaching from therapy. Coaching is a modality for facilitated self-directed change rather than prescriptive guidance. A coach maximizes the coachee’s motivation using their own strategies for stemming the leakage, which for many brings more persistent and effective outcomes than being told what to do.

The missing piece in this discussion is perhaps the elephant in the room. Relying on external resources is the fatal flaw in our struggle to fill an internal void. The most effective remedy is in developing a state of maturity and self-trust that fills us from within. This is not easily accomplished without first healing the cracks, as the pain we seek to control through chemical and behavioural means stems from these wounds. Developing such an internal locus of control, where our strength is derived from within, leads to a highly rewarding and pain free existence that can be maintained despite our life conditions.

Healing the Cracks While Also Preserving Them

The Japanese art of Kintsugi

The Japanese art of Kintsugi provides a final metaphor for the addict’s healing mission. This tradition of repairing broken vessels using lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver or other materials emphasizes the vessel’s history of breakage and healing rather than treating the cracks as defects to be erased. This gives the vessel a new kind of beauty, precisely because it was once broken. This is what prompted me to write The Science and Spirituality of Addiction, so that the evidence of my healing might inspire others to explore their own path to recovery.

Recovery does not require us to become the people we were before addiction, as though the years of struggle could somehow be erased. Like the Kintsugi vessel, we carry the evidence of what has happened to us. The cracks remain, but their meaning can change. What once testified to brokenness can instead become evidence of healing, resilience and transformation. We may not be able to undo the journey that brought us into the desert, but we can mend the vessel we carry through it—and perhaps discover that its cracks have become part of its beauty.