Abstract: Metaphor is a common linguistic phenomenon. Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) assumes that metaphor is not only just the language we use to communicate: it reflects a cognitive character that sensorimotor experiences and concrete concepts serve as the foundation for the development of more abstract concepts. According to CMT, the sensorimotor information should be an integral part for representing abstract concepts and the sensorimotor experiences also can be activated as the way of abstract conceptual processing. A growing body of work has found that the processes of abstract concepts are linked to the physical experiences that describe them metaphorically. These studies involve spatial metaphor, thermal metaphor, clean metaphor, haptic metaphor and so on. Future researches should focus on the effect of multiple metaphors on conceptual processing, determine how the unidirectional relationship and bidirectional relationship are shaped and develop the application of CMT.

Key words: Conceptual Metaphor Theory, embodied cognition, scaffolding, abstract concept