Dreams

Dreams are a huge topic. Obviously I will barely scratch the surface on this page. There are reasons, though, to pay attention to your dreams. They are the way that your unconscious mind communicates with you. In recent years there have been a proliferation of kitchen table dream books that give lists of common dream symbols. Using them to interpret your dreams, however, is rather akin to using the daily astrological forecast in the newspaper to figure out what kind of day you're about to have. There's truth in astrology, but you need to factor in far more than your sun sign to find it.

The same is true with dreams. A snake (or a lake or a waterfall) may symbolize something particular in your dream that it doesn't in someone elses. If you make a habit of writing down your dreams as soon as you waken, you will eventually find a pattern in them. You will find that you have certain types of dreams when you're particularly troubled; and other types of dreams when you are contented or feeling other types of things. Occasionally we have "big" dreams that symbolize the leading edge of major changes coming up.

It takes time--often years--to discern a pattern in our nightly imagery. But, it's well worth the effort you put into it. Of course, another option is to sign up for a few sessions with a psychoanalytic practitioner. Having someone like that walk you through a few of your dreams will often provide enough of a framework that you can figure out what your dreams are trying to tell you. Or, if you'd find it easier, Robert Johnson has an excellent book, Inner Work, that outlines a viable method for doing your own dream interpretation.

I've had many patients over the years talk about psychic experiences that link back to dreams they've had and vice versa. Depth psychology got its name from the fact that it delves down beneath the realm of the conscious mind into our inner motivations and yearnings. There is far more to our lives than running from home to work to the store and home again. We can choose to seek a deeper meaning. Dreams are one route to self transformation.

Be warned, though! Anyone who spends much time with their dreams will eventually come face to face with their shadow selves. These are the parts of us that hold things we'd rather not admit we had, like anger, fear, jealousy and a nagging desire for retribution. Becoming whole, though, means owning all of who we are: good and bad, shadow and self. One excellent book for women is Marion Woodman's Dancing in the Flame. It dissects the presence of the dark goddess in each woman's life, coexisting with the creatures of light we imagine ourselves to be.

If any of you would like more information about dreams or depth psychology, or more book ideas, just email me.