"...not the Freudian, "psychoanalytical" method, which dismisses
the manifest dream-content as a mere "facade," on the ground
that the psychopathology of hysteria leads one to suspect incompatible
wishes as dream-motifs. The fact that the dream as well as consciousness
rest on an instinctual foundation has nothing to do either with
the meaning of the dream-figures or with that of the conscious
contents, for the essential thing in both cases is what the
psyche has made of the instinctual impulse. The remarkable thing
about the Parthenon is not that is consists of stone and was
built to gratify the ambitions of the Athenians, but that it
is - the Parthenon."
-C. G. Jung [CW 9 p2, Footnote
63 on par. 316]
"The Analyst . . . must consider any dream interpretation
invalid that does not win the assent of the patient, and he must
search until he finds a formulation that does. . . . The doctor
should regard every dream as a new departure--as a source of information
about unknown conditions concerning which he has as much to learn
as the patient. It goes without saying that he should hold no
preconceived opinions based on a particular theory, but stand
ready in every single case to construct a totally new theory of
dreams."
-C. G. Jung [Dream Analysis]
One ‘Traditional’ Outline of Dream Interpretation *
1. State the dream in terms
of structure, examine for completeness.
2. Establish the dream context,
the situational material in which the dream is imbedded.
The context is composed of:
a. Amplifications of the
dream images, which may include
(1) Personal Associations,
(2) Information from the
dreamer’s environment, and/or
(3) Archetypal parallels;
b. Themes interconnecting
the amplifications, and
c. The immediate and long-term
conscious situation of the dreamer;
d. The dream series in which
the dream occurs.
3. Review the appropriate
attitudes to bring to dream interpretation:
a. Nothing can be assumed
regarding the meaning of the dream or of
specific images.
b. The dream is not a disguise
but a set of psychic facts.
c. The dream probably does
not tell the dreamer what to do.
d. Awareness of the personality
characteristics of the dreamer and the
interpreter.
4. Characterize the dream
images as objective or subjective.
5. Consider the dream’s compensatory
function.
a. Identify the problem
or complex with which the dream is concerned.
b. Ascertain the relevant
conscious situation of the dreamer.
c. Consider whether the
dream images and the psychic development of the
dreamer require a reductive
or constructive characterization.
d. Consider whether the
dream compensates by opposing, modifying, or
confirming the relevant conscious
situation; or
e. The possibility that
the dream is non-compensatory: prospective,
traumatic, telepathic, or
prophetic.
6. Hypothesize an interpretation
by translating the dream language in relation to the
relevant conscious situation
of the dreamer, test it against the dream facts, modify
where necessary, and state
the interpretation briefly.
7. Verify the interpretation
* [from Mary Ann Mattoon,
Understanding Dreams, p48]
Your Dream Journal
The important point is to - Write down your dreams.
Set your alarm clock ten minutes earlier and have your dream journal
handy. When writing your dream do not edit it in any way, write
it as it happened. It is best to write out the entire dream right
when you wake up, but if this is impossible make a few notes that
will remind you of the dream, its plot and symbols. When you write
down a dream, give it a title, write down the date and a brief statement
about what is going on in your (inner & outer) life.
It is important to write down
your dreams not only so that you don’t forget them, but also to
objectify the dream content, to give it a form that you can then
analyze consciously. Another important aspect of this is to draw
or paint the images (even if you "can’t draw"). Also draw or map
out the aspects of the dream which are relevant.
Associations
Even though your dream may have other people that you know
in it, it’s your dream and so it is about you. In order to get at
what a particular dream symbol means to you, you need to bring into
consciousness your associations with that symbol. Though there are
many common associations (i.e. bed => rest, sleep, sex, etc.) and
this is where some dream dictionaries come from, you are better
off creating your own ‘dream dictionary’ for each dream.
Ways of doing this:
The Radial method: write down
the name of the dream symbol and then, on lines radiating from the
name (like sun rays), write what comes to mind in association.
The Positive/Negative method:
write down the name of the dream symbol with two columns bellow
it. Draw a ‘+’ sign over one, and a ‘-’ over the other, write down
positive aspects under the former and negative aspects under the
latter.
Dream Mapping
This is a very thorough dream analyzing method that I have
put together from other methods. Use a large piece of paper and
map out the flow of the dream. For example: you start at you house
in your underwear, then go to work where no one notices. At the
first point you would write down the description "at house in underwear"
and also the associations you have of your house, your underwear,
etc. Then you would draw a line to a second point where you would
write the description "at work in underwear no one notices" and
also your associations for work, the people you see in the dream,
etc.
This method keeps the narrative,
the symbols, and the associations together making connections easier
to see. The next phase would be to actually map each point on the
flow chart, however this would only be done if relevant, such as
wandering through a city with an odd structure, or swimming in a
lake in an old neighborhood on a hill in a city; Situations where
the structure seems meaningful, and especially when you have a sense
of the structure without having ‘seen’ it in your dream.
Compensatory & Archetypal Dreams
By far the most common type of dream is the compensatory
dream. This refers to its function, which is compensation by the
unconscious for the conscious state - showing you ‘the other side
of the coin.’ An example would be looking down on someone at work,
and then seeing them elevated, literally or figuratively, in a dream.
More rare are the other types
of dreams, such as the archetypal. These are the "big dreams" of
indigenous cultures, they represent not a personal situation, but
a transpersonal one from the collective unconscious. These can be
both overwhelming and transformative, and it would be wise to write,
draw, and bring as far into consciousness as possible.
© -1997 Troy W. Pierce
