How did Karl Jaspers use ciphers as symbols of transcendence?

For the German philosopher Karl Jaspers, the concept of the cipher serves as a philosophical tool to represent transcendence without relying on fixed metaphysical or religious systems.1

Jaspers viewed ciphers as symbols—such as persons, doctrines, or poems—that reveal transcendence through their interpretation. These symbols are particularly significant when they relate to "limit situations," which are experiences that highlight the boundaries of human existence. When these situations provoke the total "shipwreck" of human possibilities, they allow an individual to feel the presence of absolute transcendence.23

By utilizing ciphers, Jaspers sought to free philosophical thinking from attachments to transient worldly objects. This approach allows for a common ground among diverse systems of thought, fostering greater tolerance and enabling free communication among mankind. Ultimately, for Jaspers, reading these ciphers in nature, history, and human experience is a way to perceive the transcendence that lies beyond the world.13