((Junerain))) i really like what you've said about self -actualization, i dont know if i would have put it in exactly those terms and im glad you did, it opens up my minds door into thinking about the terms of self and actualization..

self we can pretty easily understand, a spiritual self is something we can imagine too... and self seems so.... selfish, doesnt it? i spose thats where the spirit aspect comes in, its hard for me to imagine a selfish spirit... spirit is the essence of a thing, substance, person, idea... it is a self of itself but also, always a part of a whole outside itself, making it 'non' selfish....

and so we have self, and actualization... actualization to me means to activate... we are activating a self then when we activate a symbol or image...

it feels to me like i connect to this essence, this energy, more than i become it.. the image or icon has an ability to connect to a higher idea than its own and funnel that energy into and through me... maybe its hard to describe..

essentially i think im saying that for me, an avatar is a tool, and a beautiful one.. as a tool, it would be changeable...

the symbolism might have different spiritual significances for me than another...

in my current avatar, i have a blue sky, a light, a mountain, and an American flag... these are all symbols which have personal meanings for me and provide me with a notebook of feelings, thoughts, and information at a glance...

i think you are right Junerain that the superficial attempts to replace the super-real.. it is something that happens easily and without our conscious awareness at times.. i remember the day when we only had one name brand of something and in time the replacements became just as ordinary and then nothing seemed better anymore..

remembering the origin of things is important if we are to retain some sense of balance and foundation

images are an old form of self connection as well as spiritual connection for those who are able to tune into that type of source..

ive learned that for me, to use imagery in an unhealthy way produces an equal measure of ill health accordingly...

blessings to all