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What Do Dreams Mean and the Symbols in them?

Time Machine of Dreams

Last night, I embarked on a journey through my past, reliving all the emotions and sensations that once were.

Just as I was settling into my nostalgic trance, time snatched me away, whisking me off to a linear path that mirrored my life's journey.

My subconscious desires played out like a wild ride, taking me through different dimensions, places, and eras.

Suddenly, I found myself standing before an ancient temple, filled with forgotten memories from times long gone.

In the blink of an eye, I was transported to a futuristic landscape, both unfamiliar and strangely alluring.

Within my dreamworld, I felt at peace, free to explore every corner of my inner realm without any constraints.

When I finally emerged from my time machine of dreams, the present welcomed me back, fully replenished and refreshed.

Nina Banday, 6/5/2010

The dream above, "Time Machine of Dreams," was jotted in my journal one morning in my then home in San Jose, CA. I had not run into Carl Jung yet, that would be three years later. This dream was an omen of my future reality, exploring symbols and dreams. 

In my journal one morning in my old home in San Jose, I had a dream that inspired me to explore the symbols and meanings of dreams. It wasn't until three years later that I discovered Carl Jung and his Model of the Psyche. Jung believed that dreams were a conversation between our conscious and unconscious selves and could even serve as warnings of future dangers. To interpret the symbols and meanings of our dreams, we must understand the difference between a symbol and a sign. A symbol is not consciously constructed, but rather invokes deeper feelings and ideas from our unconscious.

Symbols can be found everywhere in movies, books, and in our dreams. I have been following Jared Chan's video on Carl Jung's nine rules of dream interpretation, which have helped me to understand my unconscious realm better. These rules are not dogmatic, but flexible, and have been helpful clues in understanding the symbols within my dreams.

One of the most crucial rules is to take dreams seriously and as fact. We must not dismiss them as meaningless or try to impose our own interpretations on them. It is also essential to establish the context of the dream by keeping close to the dream images and to take a dream series over a single dream. By tracking your dreams in a journal over a period, you will notice common themes and symbols. Still, it's crucial to remain open to constructing new dream theories and to consider new information and knowledge.

Interpreting dreams requires knowledge of the status quo, both conscious and unconscious. It's vital to know what's happening in the dreamer's life, their challenges and struggles, and what they are doing in real life. By understanding all the facts, we can make better interpretations and assimilate the unconscious and conscious. So, take your dreams seriously, and they will reveal their true meanings and insights. As Carl Jung said, "Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate."

Chan's Nine Rules Are: 

  1. Take dreams as facts: Dreams are not what we want them to be, but they unveil themselves as they are. If we say, "It doesn't mean anything," that rejection is subjective. The dream is real, and it happened. 

  2. Dreams become blurry, so remain humble in their presence. The unconscious is more potent than we think. When we are working with an analyst, we must trust they are not entangling in the process by adding their interpretation. The unconscious has a way of strangling the analyst in their theory. For me, this humanized all therapists, coaches, psychologists, etc. and I take it as a reminder to be humble in all self-work undertakings for myself, and when I work with others. As mentioned above, take the dream for what it is. Try not to think there is something beyond what the dream and the symbols that reside in it are saying. The point is to stay present in the symbolism being shown in the dream. 

  3. Reach mutual and joint agreements on dream interpretation: This is also in the context of working with a therapist or dream interrupter. There must be a mutual resonance with the interpretation between the therapist and the dreamer. It is easy for the therapist to project onto another's dream, but it is the dreamer who had the dream. It is very dangerous and one-sided to prejudge a dream. So take note, if anyone tells you, they know exactly what your dream meant, be wary.

  4. Remain open to constructing utterly new dream theories about your dream. Don't be dogmatic: A dream journal is advisable to track your dreams. It is essential to do this over some time, preferably years. There will be common themes that you will notice when keeping track. However, as mentioned above, our dream is a conversation with our subconscious. Just as in real life, we have to consider new information we learn on a topic, and update our beliefs on that topic. The same applies to dreams.

  5. Establish the context of the dream by keeping close to the dream images. We have to stop for a moment, and not free associate a symbol in the dream. An example Chan uses, if you were to see a poker table and think, that reminds me of my desk at home; stop, you are free-associating. Instead, consider what a poker table symbolizes, and the actual meaning of a poker table.

  6. Take a dream series over a single dream: The dream is a conversation with the subconscious. We cannot stick to one dream as the end-all of all dreams. We must take a new dream as a fresh new, updated conversation that is the next series of a past dream. 

  7. Take dreams seriously: As with rule number one, we must take dreams as fact and take them seriously. It is vital to heed the advice of our unconscious. The conscious mind is not the whole picture of things. Dreams are tools to help us integrate and assimilate the conscious and the unconscious.

  8. Interpretation requires exact knowledge of the status quo. We must know what is going on in the conscious realm and the specifics of the dreamer's life. What are they doing in real life? What are their challenges? The unconscious part of the dream is compensating for what is happening in real life. If we know all the facts, we can make a more informed interpretation of the dream and what it means and a way forward, a cure. We need to understand the specifics of the person. 

  9. Gain an understanding of mythological and archetypal images. Mythological and Archetypal images can tell us a lot through symbolism. Dreams help us both understand the unconscious in ourselves and the collective unconscious. The previous rule helps us analyze our personal unconscious. This one allows us also to explore our collective unconscious. The other day a Reddit user requested other users to share their dreams. As a dream analyst, he wanted to see if there was anything in them we can learn from COVID-19. This type of dream analyst done by Charlotte Beradt predicted the rise of the Nazis and the horrors to come. 

"Yesterday's dreams are today's reality" - My Unconscious

If we have the curiosity to track and interpret our dreams and the symbols they contain, we can learn a lot about ourselves. So, my dear friend, stay curious and keep exploring the dream world. See you there.

Contemplation:

  • What symbol holds a special significance in your life, and what is the reason behind it?

  • Consider starting a dream journal to explore the depths of your subconscious. How long have you been intrigued by the idea of keeping one? If you haven't started yet, what is holding you back?

  • Have you ever experienced recurring dreams? If so, try to observe if there are any variations in your upcoming dreams. Approach each new dream as a unique opportunity for conversation, with familiar characters in a new setting.

    Artwork by Salvia Droid

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