What I think I know about dreams (so far)
For the past five years, I’ve been exploring dreams. In fact, I saw a Jungian Psychoanalyst before and after my mom’s death. Perhaps it was intuition. On some level, my body knew that a major life event was occurring. For those who don’t know, Jungian Therapy, like Freudian analysis, includes analyzing dreams. If dream interpretation sounds a little out there, that’s because it is; why we dream is ultimately unknown. Nonetheless, I remain faithful to dreams, recording them, considering them, and then, perhaps most of all, analyzing them to the best of my ability. I do this because dreams offer a window into the unconscious.
Why look at the field of dreams
While the function of dreaming is contested, a few things remain: they come from within and they occur from without conscious control – in other words, they’re involuntary. Whether an organ or an active operation, dreams, put another way, naturally happen. For example, I didn’t intend to parasail or think about parasailing over a city as I crashed into and jumped from brownstone to brownstone while a rickshaw below pulled me through narrow streets in a dream. Instead, the dreaming was unconscious and natural.
Unconscious nature
It is because dreams are both unconscious and natural that I’m curious. I’m interested in dreams because I am curious and interested in understanding my self. Who am I? Why did I do that? How did I end up in this situation? To untangle such questions, to deepen my self understanding, I stand on the nature of the “self” as more than ego. Without going too far into dream analysis psychology, Freudian Theory (of which I am mildly familiar), or Jungian psychoanalytic dream theory (of which I am an enthusiast), the nature of the self – as in the sum total of a person, in other words – is more than what or who that person THINKS they are. Being more than thoughts, a person is both consciousness AND unconsciousness. This unconsciousness part points me back to dreams.
From part to full – dreaming with your eyes wide open
Knowing your unknown – that’s the purpose of dream interpretation. Making the unconscious conscious – that’s another dream interpretation intent. To be clear, I do not mean an overt code where a house equals X and a snake represents Y. No. People are more nuanced and complicated than reductions. Dreamers too (which, by most accounts, all of us are) are more nuanced and complicated than reductions. Therefore, it is up to the dreamer to consider their dream and decipher their own personal meaning.
How to start your own personal dream interpretation and analysis
If dreams offer a glimpse into the wellspring that bubbles up from the unconscious, then dream analysis is an opportunity for the dreamer to glimpse the unconscious consciously. This is why I consider my dreams.
What your dreams might be saying about yourSELF
Everyone dreams. The question is: what to do with yours? Doing nothing is a fine answer. Jung offers a warning on dream analysis that’s worth attention. Put simply, what you learn might not be what you want to know. It’s like digging a well and finding a volcano. That’s why I recommend working with an expert if possible. If an expert isn’t an option but you still feel curious about the unconscious messages in your dreams, below are a few steps. Everyone dreams. The question now is: what might yours be telling YOU?
- Start by remembering your dreams. To do this, write your dreams down, even if you only remember fragments. Do this first thing in the morning. Research suggests that writing your dreams helps you remember them. So start writing! Remember, the writing is less about the content and more about the practice. Recording your dreams bolsters reinforcement and recall. Again, do this first thing in the morning.
- Once you can recall your dreams, start making associations with the content. Who appears? What appears? Look at all of the pieces of your dream individually. Take the images, people, places, and moods, and then ask yourself: what does this remind you of? Let your mind wander and see what comes up. The associations might be seemingly nonsensical. That’s okay. Write a few down. If you have the space, jot these associations in the margins of your journal.
- Consider the pieces and expand your dream. Truthfully, the scope of dream analysis is much bigger than this writing. From Freudian Dream Analysis to Jungian Dream Theory and beyond, there are VOLUMES dedicated to the subject. For now, keep it simple. What does your expanded dream – your dream images plus their associations – suggest? What impressions do you get? Here are two important takeaways to help you: (1) all aspects of the dream are YOU. (2) The total dream is like a Magritte painting (such as Time Transfixed) where the objects are normal but the composition is unordinary. Take my example above. If I am the totality of my dream, then a part of me was driving the rickshaw while the other part held onto a string, clutching to life while narrowly escaping smashing into buildings. This already gives me something to work with. What part of me is driving the rickshaw? And what part is holding on? Plus, if I now expand the dream, the rickshaw reminds me of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. That was my first association. One interpretation might then be that my childhood self (or sensibility) was taking my present self for a dangerous ride.
There’s so much more to consider, but this is a start. If you’d like more context, here’s a great piece from another blog on the topic of Understanding Your Dreams with Jungian Dream Interpretation.
Most of all, start by paying attention, then associate, and THEN consider the expanded dream. What you have to gain is more of yourSELF.
Parting thoughts:
- Here’s a past post inspired by dream analysis.
- Here’s a starter book on Jungian Psychology.
- Here’s a podcast on Jungian Theory and Dream Analysis. There’s even an episode on dream interpretation using AI.
Never forget: you are so much more than you think.
