Jungian Dreamwork
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" Dreams are impartial, spontaneous products of the unconscious psyche, outside the control of the will. They are pure nature; they show us the unvarnished, natural truth, and are therefore fitted, as nothing else is, to give us back an attitude that accords with our basic human nature when our consciousness has strayed too far from its foundations and run into an impasse "
C.G. Jung Vol 8
"The dream shows the inner truth and reality of the patient as it really is: not as I conjecture it to be, and not as he would like it to be, but as it is. "
C.G. Jung Vol 16
“It is characteristic that a dream never expresses itself in a logically abstract way but always in the language of parable or simile”
C.G. Jung Vol 8
About Christina
Services
Poetry and Stories
Contact
" Dreams are impartial, spontaneous products of the unconscious psyche, outside the control of the will. They are pure nature; they show us the unvarnished, natural truth, and are therefore fitted, as nothing else is, to give us back an attitude that accords with our basic human nature when our consciousness has strayed too far from its foundations and run into an impasse "
C.G. Jung Vol 8
"The dream shows the inner truth and reality of the patient as it really is: not as I conjecture it to be, and not as he would like it to be, but as it is. "
C.G. Jung Vol 16
“It is characteristic that a dream never expresses itself in a logically abstract way but always in the language of parable or simile”
C.G. Jung Vol 8
What are dreams?
Dreaming is a universal experience. It has happens every night regardless of whether we remember them or not. Carl Jung had an unique perspective about the place that dreams have in our psyches. For Jung, the purpose of dreams is to reveal the larger reality of the psyche i.e. the inner truth of the individual.
Dreams are a natural product of the psyche and they are characteristic of a certain objectivity that goes beyond our ego wishes. Dreams come from the unconscious and reflect something that we don’t know, They are part of the natural regulation of the body psyche. Like the body that constantly regulates itself to ensure that it is in a state of balance, dreams provide a compensatory function – that is, they provide another picture or compensate for the limited view or perspective of the ego.
Dreams are about the dreamer primarily. Every aspect of the dream – the characters, the action, the symbols and the relationship among the elements of the dream are aspects of the dreamer. It is too easy to treat the images in a dream literally, relating specifically to some outer event or person in a concrete way.
Symbols - The Language of Dreams
The language of dreams is metaphors, symbols and images. Dreams take the events and the experiences of daily life to create images that need to be understood and deciphered. The story and concepts of the dream are embedded in the imagery. Thus they reflect an allegory that must be translated into rational concepts and verbal language.
A way to understand this language we can look to idioms in language or terms of phrases which are symbolic in nature. Abstract thoughts will be portrayed by a concrete image for example - - - embarking on a journey might be the metaphor for starting a new relationship or job, crossing a bridge would be an image a psychological transition, flying in the air might reflect feelings of elation or inflation, dreams of animals symbolic of the instinctual life of the psyche. This example was reported by Jung when his client a business man dreamt that his hands were covered in dirt. He had “dirty hands” arising from a fraudulent business deal that he was involved in. This particular individual had a guilty conscience and at some level knew that what he was involved in was suspect.
Story of the Dream
Jung wrote “ a dream is a theatre in which the dreamer is himself, the scene, the player, the prompter, the producer, the author, the public and the critic”
The psyche naturally reveals itself an an unfolding drama and every dream has an unfolding action, a development. Predictability, most dreams have a 4 act dramatic structure
Exposition – setting of the theme is revealed in the opening lines of the dream. This unlocks the context, the situation about which the dream is talking and reveals how the dreamer is being - attitude, behaviour and actions - in this particular context.
Development - The next part of the drama reveals the movement, the trends and the dynamics that arise out of the initial situation or issue.
Crisis – this is the culmination of the drama. In this part of the narrative, something decisive occurs or there is a significant change that reveals an opening. This event could be favourable or not.
Lysis or the conclusion – In most dreams, psyche gives a hint as to how to resolve the initial situation. In the most positive aspect, the lysis will reveal potentiality or an overall direction that are inherent in the psyche. It could also reveal the outcome if the dreamer continues on his or her present course and in this case, the dream will present a warning serving to wake up the dream to the place that he or she is currently in.
How to get the most out of your dreams?
● Have a paper and pen beside your bed. This will allow you to capture whatever is there before it is lost with the activity of the day.
● Keep a permanent record of your dreams in a dream journal – either electronic or in a journal. Dreams are a history of your inner life.
● Write down your thoughts and the context from the previous couple of day. Dreams often make comments on what the dreamer has missed during daily life, and must be looked at in the context of what is going on your life.
● Write down your associations to the symbols and figures in the dream including a description of them i.e. size, age, colour, activity. The dream chooses images and symbols precisely and meaningful to the dream. Keeping track of your associations helps to understand why the dream chose these particular images and people to convey its message. In your associations, what are your feelings related to the images – fear, love, hatred, happiness or joy. Do you like or dislike the people in the dream? And what aspects of them do you like or dislike?
Media Interviews with Christina on Dreams
Nightmares and Work-Related Dreams
Pay Attention to Your Dreams - City Centre The Moment
Good Use of Bad Dreams - Now Magazine
Find out more how Christina can help you understand your dreams through psychotherapy, and Jungian Analysis. Email cj@cjbecker.com or call 416-483-4317 to set up an initial consultation.
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