intuitive knowledge

The Psychology of Dreams
   Myths-Dreams-Symbols

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Why Is Age & Gender Important? Why Is Location Important?

> Method of Interpreting Dreams Dreams are Therapeutic and Have Purpose

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Myths-Dreams-Symbols Dream Forum
Dream Forum Guidelines
It's Easy & It's FREE
What is required to post a dream?

All interpretations are FREE Your age and gender {Male or Female} Your location {the country and/or state you live in} A follow up response to the interpretations {not required but is appreciated} We learn something new from every dream. Your reponse adds to that learning What is helpful but not required The dream exactly as you remember it. Detail can be important. If you don't remember all the details then provide what you can Any waking life associations that you 'feel' fit with the dream. If it is a guess that may cause confusion. Just those feelings that come natural Your feelings upon awakening. Often those feelings carry over from the dream and represent your true feelings although you may not be consciously aware of or admit to them

Have a question or comments? Ask Gerard

Why is Age and Gender Important?
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Age is important because most dreams of different age groups will address different stages of experience of a dreamer's life. A younger person's dreams {adolescence to mid-30s} tend to deal with the outer waking life, the ego and personality, whereas an older person's dreams focus more on the inner condition. For a younger person the focus in life is ego building, family, career, the everyday events that are at the center of importance in a life. An older person has already experienced these stages and the focus tends to be inward, reflecting on the past, who they are, finding meaning in life. This is a rule of thumb with each dream needing an individual evaluation to determine what aspects of the dreamer's life the focus of the dream is directed.

Gender is important because we all possess masculine and feminine aspects and the association of a man to a woman and a woman to man in a dream usually have a different meaning. Every man has a feminine component in his psyche; every woman has a masculine component in hers. This is known in Jungian psyche as the Anima/Animus aspects. When a woman appears in a man's dream is most often symbolizes feminine qualities possessed by the dreamer. When a man appears in a woman's dream it usually symbolizes masculine qualities.

The Anima is the inner feminine side of a man.

The Animus is The inner masculine side of a woman.

Examples:

The most prevelant symbol of the anima is an unknown woman in a man's dreams. Often these tendencies depict the compassionate, caring, intuitive aspects of a man {or a lack of}.

Some archetypal {universal symbols that usually occur during major transitions in a person's life} symbols of the anima are the cow, a cat, a tiger, a cave and a ship. All of these are more or less thought of as female figures. Ships are associated with the sea, which is a common symbol for the feminine, and are womb-like insofar as they are hollow. Caves are hollow and womb-like. Sometimes they are filled with water, which - as we have seen - is a symbol of the feminine, and are the womb of the Mother Earth or vaginal entrances to her womb.

The most prevelant symbol of the animus is an unknown man in a woman's dreams. These masculine tendencies often depict a woman's authoritive side, her will to fight, a demonstration of her masculine aspects {or a lack of}.

The archetypal animus can be depicted in a dream by an heroic or spiritual male figure, by her brother or father, a giant, a lion or bull. The animus can be wonderfully creative or powerfully destructive, depending upon ones relationship with it. Cultural symbols one may use are of leader figures from either national or religious backgrounds; a male dwarf; a medicine man such as a shaman, or a man the woman is marrying.

The Four Major Archetypal Aspects of Jungian Dream Psyche For More Info Click on Different Aspect Aspect One: The Shadow Aspect Two: Anima/Animus Aspect Three: Mana Personalities Aspect Four: The Self Source: Eric Ackroyd

I don't usually look for archeytpal associations in dreams unless the dream 'speaks out' about such possibilities. More often anima/animus figures in a dream are addressing normal masculine/feminine aspects of the dreamer. The same applies to other major aspects of the psyche listed above. The shadow is most always the same gender as the dreamer but I don't look for 'shadow' figures as an everyday aspect of the dreaamer even though there may be associations to the shadow. Often these major aspects are seen in dreams when major transitions in life are occurring or deeper psychological influences are present.


Why is Location Important?
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Sometimes cultural aspects of the dreamer will influence the meaning of a dream. Someone who lives in Asia may have a cultural influence that is different from someone who lives in America. For instance:
Snakes, serpents, or dragons in India are usually looked upon as positive, whereas in America they often have more of a negative connotation. Often these perceptions have to do with religion and mythology.

more about Snakes, Serpents and Dragons

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Method of Interpretation
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Jungian dream psychology is the primary method for interpreting dreams at the Dream Forum. The following is a brief outline of Jung's approach to dream interpretation. Jung was a one time student and protege of Sigmund Freud but went separate ways over the Freud's emphasis on sexuality alone as the dominant factor in unconscious motivation. Jung is readily known for his personality theories which included classifying personalities into introvert and extravert types. Jung estimated that he interpreted over 80000 dreams by the time he retired in his 80s.

• Click here to read more
• Carl Gustav Jung was a scientist, who assigned more importance to dreams and dream work as perhaps no other of his colleagues. His father studied theology due to financial problems, which is why he later began to have doubts as to whether the knowledge he was passing on to others was true or not. Therefore the father influenced on his young son Carl so that he soon started to deal with metaphysical questions. In his writing Jung showed the close parallels between ancient myths and dreams. Jung explained the relationship between the unconscious and conscious in his original way and proposed the now well-known idea of collective unconscious. "Ultimately Jung believed that by understanding how one's personal unconscious integrates with the collective unconscious, a person can achieve a state of individuation, or wholeness of self." (Vered 1997)
  
  Dramatic structure of dreams
  The majority of dreams are composed of four parts or phases, pretty much like in drama. Firstly, we need to figure out the scene and time of dream as well as dramatis personae. In first phase, which can be regarded as the exposition, the initial situation (setting) is represented - already pointing at central conflict expressed in dream. The second phase is the plot and contains something new (essential change), which leads the dream in the third phase: the culmination. In this phase the most critical things happen, which bring the dream to a closure: the fourth phase or denouement. Jung attributed extraordinary significance to the end of dream. The end of dream is so important, Jung held, because we cannot consciously influence on the outcome (i.e. change the end), and dreams so reflect the real situation. "Nature is often obscure or impenetrable, but she is not, like man, deceitful. We must therefore take it that the dream is just what it pretends to be, neither more nor less. If it shows something in a negative light, there is no reason for assuming that it is meant positively."
  
  According to the end of dream, he discriminated between favourable and unfavourable dreams. If we were to reverse the well-known proverb, then for dreams we may say that a good end makes a good beginning. Favourable dreams have quieting effect and direct us to the most constructive ways of solving problems. On the contrary, unfavourable dreams contain a warning of, perhaps life important, negative changes. Hence dreams can be said to have a prospective function; they warn us about bright or dark future. Favourable or unfavourable end of dream, however, must not be taken as a final and absolute meaning of dream. This can be done only after several interconnected dreams.
  more about Carl Jung
  

  Link: Jung's Personality Types Extraverts/Introverts - Personality & Identity - Personality Test - Personality Types

  
  

Dreams are Therapeutic and Have Purpose
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Dreams are mental activities occurring during sleep. Most dreams occur in conjunction with rapid eye movements; hence, they are said to occur during REM-sleep, a period typically taking up 20-25% of sleep time. Carl Jung saw the dream as the unconscious which contains all we need to know about the causes of our psychic troubles.
Dreams can:

Reveal conflicts between unconscious and conscious drives, motivations, and desires

The origins of a deep-seated fear, immaturity, or conflict

Aspects of our lives where we are wrong, not-adapted, or out of balance

Provide us with important information, clarify emotions, or even provide an analysis of a situation

May warn us of the possible consequences if we continue on in our current direction

Can challenge us to a higher level of personal and spiritual maturity, including the creative aspects

Recurrent dreams or nightmares may point toward an unresolved area which we are ignoring or have repressed

Provide deep insights to out true personality, our true self

more on The Purpose of Dreams



4-24-08