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I
came upon a heavy door, and opened it. Beyond it, I discovered
a stone stairway that led down into the cellar.
--C.G. Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections |
Dream analysis
is one of the tools used by depth psychology. However, in
contrast to Freud's notion that the dream is censored, a disguised
wish-fulfillment, Jung thought that the dream is a natural
product of the psyche, which speaks straightforwardly. However,
it speaks in a language of images, not words or linear logic,
so it takes special work to learn to understand this language.
The purpose of the dream is to compensate, balance and complete
our one-sided view of ourselves by providing the other side
of the story.
Again, interpretation is a very individual matter. If two
persons have the same dream, while the symbols might be universal,
the meaning of the dream will be different for each person,
depending on their stage of life, typology, and present situation.
 And
more than a single dream, a series of dreams can present a
clearer picture of what the psyche is trying to say. They
can repeat a message over and over when a person is stuck,
and transform as the message is understood and integrated.
Working with one's dreams can be a very profound experience.
Intensely personal, and yet partaking of the universal patterns
of humankind, dreams are what Jungian Anthony Stevens aptly
terms “private myths.”
A
dream that is not understood remains a mere occurrence;
understood, it becomes a living experience.
--C.G. Jung (CW 16:252) |
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