Creating reality & community: Confucius "Signs and symbols rule the world", E Halas: "groups exist only on the ground of common symbolization .... create a social order, D. Balaganapath: Culture & Identity are "determined by... established common sym

Symbolism: 1. Confucius: "Signs and symbols rule the world" 2. Elzbieta Halas: "groups exist only on.. common symbolization...create a social-moral order 3. D. Balaganapath: Culture and Identity are determined by common symbolic expression." Karl Mannheim stated, "It has become extremely questionable whether, in the flux of life, it is a genuinely worthwhile intellectual problem to seek to discover fixed and immutable ideas or absolutes. It is a more worthy intellectual task perhaps to learn to think dynamically and relationally rather than statically." Alessandro Casale 'Dream theories-interpretations create a model of the nature of the universe!' Similarly, Rappaport states "Few if any societies break the world into the more or less distinct systems distinguished by Western science. Not all of them, surely, distinguish environmental from social relations. Moreover, these understandings and principles, which in the Maring view, account for the structure and state of the world and invest the world and actions in it with meaning, Emile Durkheim: "The forces before which the believer bows are not simple physical energies, such as are presented to the sense and the imagination; they are social forces," Historically, "The craft of weaving among the T'boli is a sacred spiritual tradition. Designs are believed to arrive from Fu Dalu, the spirit of the Abaca [material for cloth] (p.214). For perspective, The T'Boli and Blaan tribes once were joined. The Blan are actually the most numerous indigenous tribe in the Philippines (in which there are roughly 182 distinct ethnicities). Perspective from Lyssa Dinglasa, a 3rd year Blaan College student on Blaan-T'boli t'nalak dream weaving: "Dream weaving is not only a form of divine inspiration but also an outlet for community unity. The act of weaving illustrates the interdependence of members of a cultural group, supporting Halas' theory that symbols construct social order and guide action. T'nalak weaving is an example of how dreams are realized into concrete forms of identity, uniting the spiritual with the practical. The use of abaca fiber and natural dyes reflects indigenous ecological awareness, combining Durkheim's model in which social forces influence collective behavior. The materials employed in dream weaving are not random they are part of an older relationship with nature, showing the combination of nature, tradition, and symbolic meaning. This merging is consistent in Reyes' suggestion that the moral and social order covers all the aspects of living, such as spirits, ancestors, and earth itself. Though dream weaving is highly religious, it also became a cultural resource as a source of livelihood for weavers and even a means toward the preservation of indigenous culture. Be Lang Dulay's achievement is a testament to the ability of tradition to be preserved with improvement for greater recognition, proving that symbolic practices can simultaneously be honored and functionally applied. This is in line with William James' view of pragmatism—where meaning and belief are validated through their applicability. Every design holds ancestral knowledge, acting as a symbolic text that communicates communal history and indigenous philosophy. The unique motifs is like an unwritten vocabulary, giving insights to indigenous communities' ways of organizing knowledge and passing traditions to every generation. If I were to ask, from a linguistic perspective, dream weaving is not only a cultural activity but also a symbolic communication." - Karl Mannheim Alessandro Casale observes: "Indigenous societies in North and South America have dream theories and interpretations that reveal a philosophical order about the nature of the universe." Symbol–Meaning Creation: Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself! - George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950 Nobel Prize, Literature in 1925) In a sense, it doesn't matter "what it is", it matters what you do with it. "Leslie White (1995) defines a symbol as a thing whose value is bestowed upon it by those who use it. This implies that meaning of the symbols is derived from and determined by the individuals who use them. The creative faculty of human beings makes them bestow values upon things freely, actively and arbitrarily, driving them towards symbolization. This symbol-making tendency is innate in man." "Devereux (1979:28) highlights the fact that "symbolization helps to hold man's segmental capacities together and fosters a broader direct involvement with the situation'. A symbol reduces the enormous complexity of communication by using a concrete sign as a kind of shorthand for a complex of interrelated concepts, ideas, and values systems." Symbol–Meaning Creation: Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself! - George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950); Nobel Prize, Literature in 1925) It doesn't matter "what it is", it matters what you do with it. "Leslie White (1995) defines a symbol as a thing whose value is bestowed upon it by those who use it. This implies that meaning of the symbols is derived from and determined by the individuals who use them. The creative faculty of human beings makes them bestow values upon things freely, actively and arbitrarily, driving them towards symbolization. This symbol-making tendency is innate in man." "Devereux (1979:28) highlights the fact that "symbolization helps to hold man's segmental capacities together and fosters a broader direct involvement with the situation'. A symbol reduces the enormous complexity of communication by using a concrete sign as a kind of shorthand for a complex of interrelated concepts, ideas, and values systems." Synthesis-Consensus of William James, Viktor Frankl, and Carl Jung: As William James observed in 1902, spiritual experiences can create a "sense of reality" Through art, music, and spirituality - as well as cognitive analysis people create reality. That is what spiritual processes did for tens of thousands of years - for better or worse – Creation of human reality and truth. Michael Steger emphasizes: "meaning is, at its heart, an integrating factor for people. Meaning pulls together people's ideas about who they are, the kind of world they live in, and how they relate to the people and environments around them. Meaning incorporates these elements into people's aspirations and overarching aims. (Quest p. 169)" So, "meaning" and consciousness are not static abstractions found on bookshelves, but a dynamic ongoing process of creation.