Associative Cards and the Power of Images: Discover Your Visual Projection

Have you ever wondered how a single image can reveal more about you than you might think?

Our inner world is rich with symbols, memories, and emotions that often elude verbal expression. Yet, images possess a unique power—they can unlock doors to our unconscious, helping us connect with our deepest selves.

In this article, I invite you to explore the incredible potential of Associative Cards and other projective tools. These tools use images to deepen self-understanding, express emotions, and boost creativity—leading you on a journey where images speak for you.

Using Images as a Tool for Self-Knowledge

You’ve likely experienced it before. Images can reflect our deepest emotions, thoughts, and experiences. Whether through art, photography, or other visual media, we can project ourselves, uncover overlooked aspects of our lives, and explore our inner world with fresh eyes. At ANDANAfoto, we use photography as a tool for personal development—a peephole offering a focused glimpse into our inner world, helping us see ourselves with greater clarity.

Projective Strategies in Psychology and Their Application

Psychology has long used projective strategies to access the unconscious and explore the hidden layers of our psyche. These strategies often involve interpreting ambiguous stimuli, such as images or words, to uncover thoughts, emotions, and internal conflicts that might otherwise remain hidden or unexpressed. These tools are widely used in therapy, education, and personal development.

Projective techniques suggest that when we engage with open-ended visual stimuli, we project our own history, experiences, and emotions onto them—much like uncovering hidden baggage we’ve been carrying without realizing it. As a result, we are free to explore our inner world without the pressure of finding a “right answer” when trying to articulate something that feels difficult to express.

Within this framework, specific tools guide us in exploring our emotions and personal history more deeply. Today, I’d like to tell you about one such tool: Associative Cards, also known as projective cards, which have become powerful allies for self-knowledge and introspection.

OH Cards: A Peephole into Your Inner World.

The story of Associative Cards begins with the creation of OH Cards, an innovative tool developed in the 1970s by Canadian artist and educator Ely Raman. Raman’s initial intention was to make art more accessible by taking it beyond galleries and giving people the opportunity to engage with it more intimately and directly. During a personal development seminar, he was fascinated by how participants spontaneously interpreted images drawn at random. Inspired by this, he expanded his creation by pairing the images with word cards, opening up new possibilities for emotional and narrative exploration.

The first OH Cards were published in 1981. Soon after, humanistic psychologist Moritz Egetmeyer discovered their therapeutic potential. Convinced of their value for personality exploration and self-knowledge, he decided to promote their use. When no publisher showed interest, Egetmeyer took matters into his own hands, founding OH Publishing in Germany in 1984 to ensure these cards reached more people worldwide. Today, OH Cards are available in over 15 languages and used in more than 36 countries by therapists, coaches, educators, and professionals across multiple fields.

The success of OH Cards inspired other creators to develop their own projective decks with different approaches. Some of these have had a profound impact in therapeutic settings. One notable example is COPE Cards, created by a team of Israeli psychologists led by Dr. Ofra Ayalon. These cards were used to support the rehabilitation of tsunami victims in Indonesia and Thailand.

Today, projective cards are used in various psychotherapeutic approaches, including Analytical Cognitive Psychotherapy, Gestalt Therapy, Psychodrama, and Narrative Therapy. In these contexts, they help explore mental states—how a person experiences and processes thoughts and emotions in a given moment—and reciprocal role procedures, the patterns of interaction shaped by past experiences and relationship expectations.

Beyond therapy settings, these cards are also widely used in education and consulting as versatile tools for personal expression and exploration. Each deck not only carries its own emotional impact but is also a small work of art thoughtfully crafted by talented artists—adding an aesthetic and creative dimension to its use.

How to Use Projective Cards

Projective cards can be used freely and flexibly, making them an ideal resource for both individual work and group dynamics. They’re especially effective for reflecting on and connecting with emotions more intuitively.

Here’s a simple exercise you can try with Projective Cards:

1. Mix illustrated cards with word cards (if available).
2. Randomly draw one illustrated card and one word card.
3. Observe the combination and ask yourself:
   • What does this image convey to me?
   • How does it relate to the word that came up?
   • How does this combination make me feel?
   • Does it connect to any current concerns or challenges?
   • What conversation might the elements in the image have?
4. Record your reflections, then revisit them 24 hours later.

This exercise is designed to help you connect with your inner emotions, engage in self-dialogue, and gain new perspectives on your experiences. The insights you uncover are unique to you and discoverable only through direct experience. We’d love to hear about it.

Other Associative Cards for Personal Exploration

While OH Cards are among the most well-known, many other decks use evocative images to support us in our process of self-knowledge. Here are a few worth exploring:

• Associative Cards. 2DOBOARD: 45 cards designed for training, workshops, and team development.
• Metafox Associative Cards: A deck of 52 images.
• Associative Photographs. School of Babel.
• Covisage: A collection of 96 photo-cards.

If you like the idea of working with images but prefer a more playful approach, consider board games like Dixit. In this visual interpretation game, players are encouraged to select illustrated cards to represent stories or concepts, fostering imagination and communication. These games are not only fun but also let intuition and creativity take the lead.

Dive Deeper with the Specialization Course on Self-Knowledge Through Photography

Images hold immense power in our lives. We think in images; they come first, they embody thoughts, and they have power. Creating, observing, and expressing through images are valuable tools for exploration and personal growth.

If you’re ready to delve deeper into using images as a tool for self-knowledge and explore practical strategies and activities to integrate them into your daily life, I invite you to discover our:

Online Specialization Course on Self-Knowledge Through Photography.

A course of discovery, a game, an adventure to explore and uncover your true self.

In this course, we explore how the images you look at, create and even imagine can guide you through a unique and enriching process of introspection.

Are you ready to discover yourself through images? We look forward to seeing you there!