Think of an Apple
Let's look at why this creates such a sense of disconnect and struggle.
Your mind is fantastic at sensing energy. It can coordinate between all of your physical senses and analyze the information against a lifetime of memory instantly. Don't believe me? Think of an apple, a specific one. Describe it. I'll wait.
Make some notes here. Describe the details that come to mind.
So, how did your apple look? What color was it? Can you recall just how many 'apples' you thought of before you decided on an answer?
Try it again. Think of a red apple.
How many memories did you experience when you thought of a red apple?
Is it a real apple you ate, or a plastic toy from your childhood?
Was one of those memories of a magnet, or maybe even a picture from a classroom wall?
Did you see any of these in your mind's eye as the questions were asked?
Did you skip any of these questions? What are you avoiding?
You may notice some energies from memory are grouped by how you feel about them. More than any logical organization, personal preference plays a huge role in the memories you choose to create your reality (e.g., 'green apple' or 'plastic toy').
That's the trick. One might even call it a trap.
Sometimes we get attached to how we think a symbol looks to other people. We want that story our minds tell us to repeat the same every time, taking comfort from the familiar, without considering how our subconscious sees the energy changing. This simple disconnect is the root of our struggle in this day in age.
We want our memory to behave like textbook knowledge, a scientifically repeatable definition of what can be experienced repeatedly. We develop complex communication rituals and receive great comfort from these predictable habits. Over time, the collection of these energies from patterns becomes the basis of a culture, a dependable structure to how these rituals can predictably exchange energy between people.