So, what does penetrating the veil truly entail?

[3DMonkey]

Aha Well of course the symbols are not the "actual" reality, but they are "real". Just as the form-concept of an angel of course is not the "actual" reality, but this makes them no less "real". I quite agree with you, and I merely would wish to remind you that it is not invalid to use these things as tools to connect to points of one's own reality. You should be proud of yourself for seemingly going so far as to no longer need to use these tools to do so, but that doesn't mean they are not still useful to many others.

Thank you. I never meant to imply that others should not use them. In fact, I would say that, for many, it is necessary to use them. What I see is that it would be useful to remember that these things are real if, when, someone stumbles across a realization that what they placed so much faith in is not literal. It isn't, but it makes it no less applicable. (of course we have expressed our opinions on taking things to the literal extremes in other threads). It also helps when crossing borders of theological sects to realize one's concept will match another's under the surface of the symbols. .... It is very possible to pick any novel off the bookshelf and apply its contents to one's life as an entire archetypal structure, and it would correspond to a friend's understood structure derived from years of studying yoga. I believe my purpose is to champion the one who chose the novel as equally valid with no need to register the yogi study as an Actual existence for the benefit of the relationship with the yoga master.