Okay, Let’s Pack Up and Go Deep Sea Diving!
Today, we’ll start a new phase of this series on dreams.
First we’ll clean house, then pack, and then I’ll introduce you to the dream we’ll be considering during the coming weeks. Let’s pack light. We’ll just bring the gear for delving into symbolic dreams.
What shouldn’t we bring on a deep sea diving trip?
Well, for now, we won’t need the consideration of the several other types of dreams I’ve recently outlined for you. When I travel, I like to clean the house before leaving so it’s nice to return to. So, I’m going to organize the dreams we recently worked with neatly so they’ll be easy to find later..
I’ll give you a concise list/summary/review. But if you want to go back and read about the types of dreams very different from symbolic dreams, you could start at Post 10 of the series:
https://dreamtherapyminneapolis.com/dream-series-part-10-literal-exception/
Consciousness . . . must always remain the smaller circle within the greater circle of the unconscious, an island surrounded by the sea; and, like the sea itself, the unconscious yields an endless and self-replenishing abundance of living creatures, a wealth beyond our fathoming.
— Carl Jung
Posts 12-14:
Prodromal Dreams (Post 12)
https://dreamtherapyminneapolis.com/dream-series-part-12-prodromal/
In this post, I focused on Marc Ian Barasch’s work to investigate dreams that inform or warn the dreamer of a health problem.
In a series of many interviews, he compiled many accounts of people who’d received symbolic messages that correlated with the early stages of an illness.
Objective Dreams (Post 13)
https://dreamtherapyminneapolis.com/dream-series-part-13-death-in-dreams/
By considering Abraham Lincoln’s famous dream prior to his death, we looked at a dream warning about potential physical death, which in this case was the type of dream that speaks to the dreamer in a somewhat literal manner. This is called an objective dream.
Relationship Dreams, Part 1 (Post 14)
https://dreamtherapyminneapolis.com/dream-series-part-14-relationship-dreams/
This post described how some dreams depict a scenario almost identical to an everyday life situation, but usually with some odd details. The key to working with relationship dreams is to review how you were feeling—at a deeper level—in the everyday life experience.
Consider the different details in the dream symbolically. Contemplate how their meaning amplifies for your deepening awareness of your feelings in relationship to a person or event.
The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation. The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace. ― The Awakening
Posts 15 & 16:
Relationship Dreams, Part 2 (Post 15)
https://dreamtherapyminneapolis.com/dream-series-part-15-hidden-feelings/
This post included the example of Ashley’s dream about the general contractor, Lee. We looked at how greater awareness of feelings in relationship can create a better working relationship; steady progress toward a goal; and development of greater self-mastery in interpersonal situations.
Collective Dreams (Post 16)
https://dreamtherapyminneapolis.com/dream-series-part-16-collective-dreams/
These dreams show the psychological interconnectedness of people: One person receives a dream for a whole group. In my experience, these are rare. The post discusses the example of a woman who brought collective dreams to a dream group, and also a series of visions and dreams of C.G. Jung that anticipated the outbreak of World War I and offered a message of hope.
The symbolic dream we’ll be working with in the coming weeks is a portal.
By the time we’ve uncovered some of the symbols, I think you’ll feel why. Today, I’m going to share the dream with you, and next week, I’ll share more about the deep sea diving approach.
In the meanwhile, if you want to consider the dream, see if you can spot some of the outstanding symbols. Consider how you feel after you’ve read the dream. Remember to treat the dream like a person.
The dreamer, whom I’ll call Brent, gave me permission to share and discuss this dream.
I must be a mermaid, Rango. I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living. ― Anais Nin
Here it is:
I’ve recently moved and don’t even know my address, and I’m trying to find my way home. I live in the city in an apartment. I’m wandering around in indoor malls (like a rat in a maze). I’m not alarmed but aware that I can’t find my way, and walk on, looking for something familiar.
I wander into an old apartment with really high ceilings. This would be a great place to juggle when the weather is bad. I go to find the owner to ask about this. The place is huge and cluttered with antiques.
I find the owner. He seems very eclectic. I like him. I tell him I’d like to rent time in his apartment to juggle. He says we can work it out. There’s a small community of people who share this space for similar purposes.
The place is full of weird, fascinating old stuff. He tells me I could do repairs in lieu of payment. I say I used to own houses, so I’m used to doing repairs. There’s an old TV I want to turn off. It has the old-fashioned knob you have to twist to click off.
I find a room of couches that would work well for juggling. I notice that the ceilings are not as tall as I had originally thought. I have a sinking feeling I miscalculated.
I tell the owner I’m trying to find my way home and I need a good landmark I can use to find my way back home. He points to an eagle—an emblem carved in cement at the top of a building. He says “I would use the eagle.”
I say that’s perfect. I can always Google that and get the address. As I leave, I notice that the eagle is actually alive and moving and this must be its nest.
That’s it! Next week we’ll return and delve into this dream!
References
Chopin, Kate (2008). The Awakening. MobileReference.
Greene, Liz (1977). Relating: An Astrological Guide to Living With Others on a Small Planet. Samuel Weiser.