Dream Interpretation

Carl Gustav (C.G.) Jung was born in Switzerland in 1875. He started out studying archeology, before eventually switching to medicine and psychiatry. An early cohort of Sigmund Freud, the two men worked together for several years in Vienna before going in completely different directions.

Whereas Freud was a reductionist,breaking things down into basic elements, Jung evolved a more wholistic approach, joining together to build a total picture. Jungs dream analysis therefore involves a synthesis.

Jung divided the human psyche into three major parts, which included the ego, the personal unconscious, and the collective unconcious. The concept of collective unconcious was his most controversial, since it borders on the mystic and unscientific. However, it is in the concept of the collective unconscious that I believe Jung made his greatest contributions to the study of dreams and psychology.

Central to Jung's approach to psychoanalysis and psychology is the concept of the archetype, which he felt is a fundamental and powerful symbol shared by all humans through the collective unconcious. An example of such a symbol would be the "mother" or "father" archetype. Jung was especially interested in studying the archetypes found in religion and mythology.

Jung felt that dreams are important pathways to the unknown parts of ourself. He believed that dreams are expressions of the personal unconcious through the archetypes of the collective unconcious. In otherwords, dreams speak to us in the symbols of the archetypes. If we can learn and understand these symbols, then we will have personally relevant and important information to help us in living productive lives.

In Jungian dream analysis, the individual's dreams are thoroughly analysed in order to detail the archetypes represented and to try and determine and amplify the message being conveyed through these powerful dream symbols. Individuals are encouraged to brainstorm all the symbolic associations found in each part of their dream. These would include personal, cultural and archetypal associations.

Jung felt that the dream was a direct message from the unconcious. A dream about birds, for example might be associated with freedom, or being caged.

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Key to Jung's ( pronounced Y-u-n-gs) ideas on dream interpretation are the archetypes (pronounced ark- a- types). Jung observed a series of repeating patterns of thought and action that continue to appear among all groups of people, across all cultures and time. He felt that these common patterns were representative of some main archetypes. These main archetypes do not relate to the personality type of the person, but rather all of them are passed on and possessed by each individual at birth. The main, universal archetypes are, the "Shadow," the "Anima," / "Animus," the "Syzygy" (Divine Couple),the "Child" and the "Self."

The "Shadow" is the most common archetype. Jung felt that the shadow reflects deeper parts of our "psyche" (soul, personality). He felt that this part is often repressed and split-off and that it is experienced as shadowy, dark, unknown and troubling.

It represents chaos and wild behaviors. The shadow tends not to obey rules and may plunge us into warfare (negative), or discovery (positive). The "Shadow" may feel disturbing or fascinating to the individual. In mythology it is often represented as a wild man, a dark enemy, or mysterious warrior. I think the character of Darth Vader, in the mythology of Star Wars, is a great modern example of the "Shadow."

We readily see the "Shadow" in others, but tend to repress (deny) and project (blame others) the affects of the "Shadow" in ourselves. It is possible to reintegrate the "Shadow" successfully with the "Light" of the "Real Self."

The "Shadow" appears in dreams, or musings (day dreams) as someone, or something bad, or fearsome. Encounters with it are thought to be an aspect of deeper subconscious thoughts or fears. It may also make an appearance at times and take over direct physical action, such as when a person is confused, in shock, or drugged (alcohol).

One of the goals of dream interpretation in the Jungian view is to foster personality integration and reintegrate the rejected side ("Shadow") of our lives into the total life experience and to take responsibility for it.

The next major archetype is the "anima"/ "animus," or the Soul. This is where the individual meets their inner opposite. For the male, their "anima" and for the female their "animus."

The anima may appear in our dreams as a weathered old hag, or an exotic young dancing girl, for example and is thought to depict the current needs or condition of the male soul. Wicked witches abound in our stories and legends.

To the female, the animus often appears as a sensual young man, or a grouchy old man, such as the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz story. Another great example of the animus, is the Superman Story. Here Superman is represented by Clark Kent the inferior and shadow side of superman, who is more ordinary and who is of no interest to Lois Lane. Lois Lane is in love with Superman the hero, which represents her animus and the masculine completion of her personality. Similarly, Wonder Woman represents the anima in the male personality.

The successful completion of the "Anima" and "Animus" is known as the "Syzygy" or "Devine Couple" This is the archetypal symbol of integration,completion and wholeness.

A successful coming to terms with the previous archetypes of the "Shadow" and the Soul ("anima/ animus")also represents a union or marriage between the inner and outer life. This is a symbol and archetype of great power and is represented in religion, for example, by such "Syzygy" images as, Christ and the Church, or God and Israel. The term "Syzygy" (pronounced si-ze-gy)is a Greek word used to denote the alignment of the planets. I actually prefer the term "Divine Couple" better, as it seems more modern and meaningful in English.

Jung felt that in coming to terms with one's "Shadow" and "Soul" (anima/animus)archetypes, one would encounter the "enchanted castle" with its King and Queen, as symbols of the "Divine Couple" archetype.

The "Divine Couple" archetype also represents a perfect partnership between man and woman, where their respective anima/animus are as compatible, as are their physical forms. Thus they have achieved the union of true "Soul" mates. Finding a soul mate match for our other half (anima/animus)is a lifetime search, and few are successful in this quest. The love of another individual represents an actual, perceived, or hoped-for closure in finding this soul mate.

Following the "Syzygy" (Divine Couple) archetype as a major archetypal pattern, is the "Child." The "Child" archetype represents, hope, promise and a new beginning.

It is often symbolized in dreams and in cultures by images of golden rings and balls, circles and flowers. The symbol of the New Years Babe is another common example. In religion, the birth of the Christ Child, uniting heaven and earth, is a very powerful archetypal event, exemplifying the "Child" archetype.

The last of the major archetypal patterns is that of the "Self." For Jung, the "Self" archetype does not just relate to 'me', but to God as well. It is the spirit which connects all and is one with the universe.

Further he conceived it as the totality and coherent whole which unites both consciousness and unconsciousness.

The "Self" archetype is found in such principles as that of Nirvana, or ecstatic unity. Jung believed that the creation of the "self" is a process of individuation, whereby all aspects of the individual are brought back together as one. It is in this case like a rebirth or returning to the original wholeness of birth, before we began to split ourselves into many seperate parts.

There are many examples of the "Self" archetype in religion and mythology. One of the archetypal "Self" dramas is found in the legend of Sir Galahad, whereby he obtains the Holy Grail and ascends with it to heaven.Sir Lancelot on the other hand, fails in his quest to obtain the Holy Grail, which means he also fails to discover his "Self."

Symbols of the "Self" archetype are often represented by vehicles, such as chariots or cars. An example of this is found in the bible, where Enoch is taken up in a chariot of fire.

As you can see, these basic archetypes share a relationship with one another and build upon one another towards total personal and spiritual integration. A key to understanding your current individual need, in terms of full integration and enlightenment, is provided to you by the symbolic messages found in your dreams.

(Continued)

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We have previously reviewed the main Jungian Archetypes consisting of:

*The Shadow

*The Anima/Animus

*The Divine Couple (Syszygy)

*The Child

*The Self

In summary then, and again for the sake of simplification and usefulness for the average person, I believe the following represents a Jungian perspective on archetypes and their importance in dreams (please excuse me if this comes across as more philosophical than psychological, but with Jung, the two are entwined):

The main archetypes reflect the stage we are at, in progressing on our "quest," towards achieving total psychological and spiritual union. This journey or "quest, as I like to think of it, is the quest of the hero/heroine, and in this case the hero/heroine is you!

The main archetypes reflect the stage we are at, in progressing on our "quest," towards achieving total psychological and spiritual union. This journey or "quest, as I like to think of it, is the quest of the hero/heroine, and in this case the hero/heroine is you!

Everyone embarks upon this quest from the time they are born to the time they die. For you see this quest is built-in at birth and handed down through human history. Few will ever achieve the total unity of the Self, but all will struggle in their own way, towards this goal, whether they are consciously aware of it or not. Naturally, the more aware, the better chance at achieving progress towards the ultimate goal and perhaps in reaching milestones along the way. Throughout history there have been people who have achieved the Self and spiritual knowledge, and here we have the archetype examples of the "Saints", the "Buddha", the "Tao."

Other Common Archetypes found in our dreams:

Along the way in our life quest, Jung identified many more archetypes that represent features of the Main Archetypes, as well as aspects of support and interference in our journey towards individuation.

These other archetypes are also very common types that often reflect different roles in our lives and society:

Common story archetypes include:

*The hero, the champion, rescuer

*The maiden, pure, desirous

*Wise man, guidance, wisdom

*Magician, powerful and mysterious

*The Earth Mother, nature, powerful

*The witch or sorcerer, dangerous, threatening, malicious

*The trickster, deceitful, cunning

Common family archetypes include:

*The father, powerful, controlling, stern

*The mother, nurturing, feeding, soothing

*The child, birth, beginnings, salvation

*Some common animal archetypes

*The faithful dog

*The enduring horse

*The devious cat

There are many, many more common types of archetypes that have been identified and these presented are just a very few common ones. Very often the meaning of a particular archetype to an individual may be very different then that of common attribution. For example, a bird may represent freedom to many, but for a particular individual may represent being "caged", or the very opposite of freedom.

The symbolism behind dream analysis and interpretation is a very individual road map and the individual himself/herself is always the best guide!

Now that you understand some basic ideas represented by the archetypes and what types of symbolism they may represent in your dreams, it is time to take the next step, which is to keep a detailed "Dream Journal" and begin the job of actually documenting the various archetypes and symbols found in your dreams. It's important to remember Jung's belief that the dream is a meaningful message being conveyed to you symbolically, from you unconscious self. Any and all details and aspects of the dream may be important to its ultimate meaning and importance, so take copious notes.

Please take note! If your dreams are disturbing or threatening to you in any way, or if you are experiencing a great deal of stress in your life at the present time, I strongly advise you to seek the help and assistance of a competent mental health professional and get the support you need, rather than to wade into deeper waters here. It is a real asset to have the support of someone when doing dream work. Preferably, this would be someone who is trusted, a good listener and can be unbiased, supportive, not to mention discreet.

Another note here: dreams often come across as a strange mixture of jumbled people and plots on a surface level, that's okay. You will be writing it all down and assigning symbols and meanings later. You just need to capture the cast of characters and behaviors. Also don't be judgmental about what you dreamed, just attempt to capture it and be honest. Watch for repeated characters and plots, as these may carry a more significant message.

(continued)

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Copyright 2008, All Rights reserved, gmarlett

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So you have been keeping a dream journal by your bedside and have been able to capture a dream or two through your notes, upon awakening. If you're a busy person with lots going on in your life, it has been a difficult struggle, waking-up and remembering to take down lots of notes and descriptions, while they are still fresh (and perhaps emotionally charged as well).

Perhaps you have small children demanding your attention, or a job to travel to. In any case, congratulations, you have done well in recording even one dream as completely as you can. It is a difficult task for most people.

Another issue in recording the dream fully is your inner self-censor which is telling you that in the light of day, your dream is foolish, absurd, unworthy of you etc. Simply ignore this inner dialog and write it down anyway, even if it is embarrassing, nonsensical or seemingly ridiculous in your fully awake and conscious mind.

The next step following the transcription of the dream in your journal, is to review the script carefully and thoroughly. I would suggest that you put the journal away for a few hours and go back to it. Make sure you have some peace and quiet and definitely, some privacy while doing this.

Reflect on the images and symbols you find and pay particular attention to anything which stirs your emotions. Try to reflect beyond the obvious. For example, your dream may have a person in it, who is familiar to you, such as, a spouse, parent, boss, coworker, friend etc. Rather than dwelling on the identified person reflected in the dream, think about what role this person plays in the dream scenario. Likewise, what does this person symbolize or stand for in you dream?

A dream is more likely to use the character of someone known to you, as a symbol, rather than as anything having to do with that actual person. Let's say that your father appears in your dream, this could be a symbol of love and support (nurturance), or on the contrary, of conflict and domination, based on what your relationship with him has been. What feelings, if any did he evoke in you, during the dream? This is very important to detail in your jounal notes.

Are their shadowy characters, without a specific identity in the dream? Again, what emotions if any do they elicit during the dream, or even now in the cold light of day. Oftentimes, these figures can symbolize fear, apprehension, or even annoyance and anger.

After identification of the various entities in the dream and their symbolism, you need to look at the environment and other types of features in your dream, as well. For example, I once had a very powerful dream, in which I was in a valley trying to cross a small river. On the other side of this river, it was very beautiful, sun shining etc. and there was an encampment of people over there, who I very much wanted to meet! The symbols in this dream are seemingly pretty transparent and brought to my full attention (graphically) at the time, a very important conflict I had been consciously avoiding dealing with.

Once you start to closely analyze your dreams from a symbolic perspective, you will be amazed at how powerful some of the messages are, even from the most simplistic and concrete of scenarios. It is important to remember that a dream speaks to you through the language of symbols rather than through spoken language and plots. You may have a very simple and or seemingly stupid dream, from the point of view of the action and plot, that can frighten you or evoke other types of strong emotion. That's because the symbolism of the dream somehow conveyed a personal message of fear etc.

You may review your dream journal notes multiple times and continue to pick-up meaningful messages from your subconscious. I had one such powerful dream 15 years ago, that I still go over in my mind periodically and discover additional insights. It can be a very profound and exciting activity.

Do not look at so called dream dictionaries and other resources as an authority for the interpretation of your dreams, but rather look at what that particular person, entity, activity represents to you. You are the ultimate guide and dictionary of the specific meanings and symbols of your dreams. You can look at the major Jungian archetypes as your framework or foundation, but much of what you'll find in your actual dreams will be very personalized and personally relevant. Afterall, you are a very unique individual, who's conscious and unconscious self may communicate differently and use different symbols than that used by the next person.

Once you have gone over the dream and developed a sense of the meaning and message, I would then review this message in the overall context of the Jungian archetype hierarchy. In other words is this a message of fear or apprehension from a "Shadow," unknown or dreaded figure? If so, then you are dealing with conflicts over split-off parts of yourself. These are usually scary, repetitive types of dreams. This type of dream message might indicate the need for the assistance of a mental health professional for assistance, especially if it is disturbing to you, reoccurs frequently and is longstanding.

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Copyright 2008, all rights reserved, gmarlett
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(to be continued)

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