EBOOK Symbols of contemporary culture

Symbols have accompanied humans for centuries. It seems that almost from the dawn, even of pre-history, symbols were present in the human mind as images, memories, thoughts, ideas, which later evolved into specific intellectual structures. Once present in the mental dimension, symbols demanded materialization. They obtained a graphic form over time, complemented (or in some cases replaced) by colour, gesture, sound, melody, and composites of sounds, in the end, more complete and coherent manifestations. Symbols are all around us. […] Diversity of symbols explored by the authors in different fields of culture: architecture, literature, shamanism, politics, theology, proves that symbol still constitutes important feature of our lives. Let us look how various forms and places are being picked by symbols for their existence and functioning in the broadly defined postmodern culture.