What is MARI©?

from http://maricreativeresources.ca

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MARI© (Mandala Assessment Research Tool) is a Jungian psychological assessment based on symbols and colours. It is a whole-brained instrument that provides a literal snapshot of the psyche. The inner truth of a person is revealed and the MARI© suggests further paths for integration.

MARI© is based on the drawn mandala. Carl Jung spent his life trying the understand the subconscious. When he discovered the mandala, Jung said that “as an expression of self, [he had] found the ultimate tool.” The mandala passes beneath the radar of the ego and the filters of the subconscious to reveal the psyche as it really is.

Aspects of MARI©

1. SYMBOL/MANDALA

Symbols predate culture, language, and even time. They are so much a part of us that we make mental connections with them that are not often conscious. An upward pointing triangle, for example, is typically chosen by people who are beginning something new – literally or symbolically.

2. COLOUR

The individual is then directed to choose, from a pool of 45 colour cards, the colour that they feel “goes with” each of their chosen symbols. Art therapists have long recognized the connections between colour and the psychological associations that are typically made on an “other than conscious” level. These colours add dimensions that may be emotional, physical, cognitive, or spiritual to the chosen symbols.

3. STAGE

The sets of symbol and colour cards are then placed on a template that is comprised of thirteen developmental stages that are arranged sequentially. In addition, there are not just one, but three symbols at each stage of the MARI©, to reflect differing aspects of that stage.

4. RELATIONSHIP OF SYMBOL, COLOUR AND STAGE

This template of developmental stages, known as the Great Round, is where the visual picture of the psyche is revealed. As we consider the choices of colour and symbol at each stage, and as the client begins to explore the individual parts, they begin to see and experience wholeness.

Through the simple act of drawing a picture and picking a few cards, you can become aware of and better understand your subconscious processing. And having then SEEN your psyche laid out in front of you, a shift in your brain occurs. No longer are your inner processings an abstract concept. You are now FULLY AWARE and this is where you become empowered, as you are now at the helm – consciously aware of how to continue living your life.