What is the origin of standing in shallow water representing an internal (or similar) world

Question

In Netflix's Kipo, the scenes where she mutated and lost control, it shows Kipo standing in a place that seems to consist of shallow water, but nothing to the horizon. Sometimes able to look out into the world, other times able to see the Jaguar she's mutated into.

This seems to have strong parallels with Naruto, where when he interacts with the nine-tailed fox imprisoned in his body, it also shows this happening with both him and the fox standing in shallow water.

Both those cases are about there being two "beings" in one body, and representing an internal world where either one goes when the other is in control, or where they communicate.

But there are similar instances in other places too. In Stranger Things, for example, when Eleven reaches out to spy on people, it's depicted in a very similar way: Shallow water and nothing except the two subjects.

I think this is also similar to the Soulworld in the MCU. Whenever anyone obtains or uses the soul stone, we see them in a place that is shallow water to the horizon.

Is there some cultural origin to this imagery?

Answer 1

I don't have an explicit answer; more of a working theory.

Along the lines of standing in shallow water, there is a common trope of a person falling into water when they lose (or are separated from) consciousness. Where I believe this comes from is the connection and symbolism of water and consciousness:

Symbolically, Water represents all that lies below the surface: Water represents Our Subconscious. Our Subconscious is the limitless creative ocean of our Divine Nature which has direct access to The Great Subconsciousness of Creation.

Water is the realm of feelings, dreams, imagination, and intuition. It is the realm of Spiritual and Mental Creation at the most subtle, sensitive and sentient level.

Source

So, using the trope of an uncontrolled passage into the subconscious mind (generally their own) by falling into water, from there we can see the connection of a controlled passage into the subconscious by never actually entering the water itself; but still coming in contact with it - either by way of walking on the water, or just walking in shallow water.

I do remember there being some instances (I can't really name any off the top of my head) where the character that is controlling their passage in the subconscious mind loses that control, which is represented by them falling into the water.