Why work with your dreams?
Dreams are messages from your unconscious mind. According to Carl Jung, the father of depth psychology, only by learning to communicate with the unconscious can we build a bridge to our authentic self. By making the unconscious conscious and integrating this powerful, creative energy field, we can gain a greater understanding of who we truly are and become more whole.
The unconscious speaks to us through compulsive behavior, imagination and dreams. The language it uses in imagination and dreams is symbolism. Interestingly enough, our intuition uses the same symbolic language to communicate with us. Therefore, one of the main objectives of inner work is learning to decode this symbolism.
While symbols are often perceived as having universal meanings (and this is true to some degree), we each have our own set of personal associations. A dog for example, is often seen as a symbol of loyalty and companionship. However, for someone who was bitten by a dog at a young age, the appearance of a dog in a dream is likely to carry a very different meaning. Consequently, when trying your hand at dream interpretation, it’s best to set aside dream dictionaries and discern what the dream means for you personally.
Holding the tension of opposites
Dream symbols are not to be taken literally. They represent parts of yourself and dynamics that exist within your inner life. Each of your psychological parts has its own independent center of consciousness as well as its own desires, values and point of view. Inner work is essentially a dialogue between these contradictory parts of ourselves which inevitably shines a light on our own inner conflict- inner conflict over needs, beliefs, instincts and morals that wage war within us.
Many people experience considerable resistance to inner conflict and would prefer to ignore or drown out the voice of the unconscious altogether. Instead, they carefully construct a kind of false unity and desperately clutch at the prejudices of their ego. If there are other parts of them with divergent urges or values, they don’t want to know about it.
However, if we are brave enough to illuminate the instincts and energies that lie beneath the surface, we almost always discover that they can transform into treasured gifts. And they need to be accepted, respected and lived in a positive and suitable way. Embarking on the journey of inner work means courageously embracing the inherent multiplicity and duality within and learning to hold the tension of opposites.
A dialogue with the unconscious
Dreamwork can often feel like a Herculean task when you realize that each dream communicates information that isn’t consciously known. It takes concerted effort and outside the box thinking to grasp what a dream is trying to tell you. Remember that you can always seek out the support of a Jungian analyst to support you through this challenging process.
One well-known analyst, Robert A. Johnson, suggested that the dream world is just as valid and authentic as our physical waking reality. He said, “the world of dreaming has more practical and concrete effects on our lives than outer events do. For it is in the world of dreaming that the unconscious is working out its powerful dynamics.”
The unconscious mind is larger and more potent than the conscious mind. You can visualize the unconscious mind as a vast, mysterious ocean upon which a single cork (our conscious mind) is bobbing along. And when you open yourself up to communicate with your unconscious, you can access the hidden riches within.
Sources:
Johnson, Robert A. Inner Work. Harper One, 2009.
