A dream I had last night, by Gerard
I was in a gymnasium looking for an open spot to shoot some basketball when I am confronted by this very attractive woman who shows a great interest in me. My mother is present with me at the gym and as the attractive woman approaches me from behind, my mother approaches me from the front. As I stand facing my mother the attractive woman entices me to sexually play with her with my hand, out of sight from my mother. I begin at first to oblige the attractive woman but soon refrain because of the fear my mother would see what I was doing. The attractive woman goes into another room adjacent to the gym and even though she leaves I know she wants me to follow. My inclination is to do just that but I am reluctant because of my mother standing in front of me. End of dream.

Background
#1. I have not been in a serious relationship since 1994, and although there have been times I have thought about this I have not done so seriously because of my dedication to my creative spirit {a feminine aspect of the highest order}. Also being so much removed from the material world as I have been the past ten years I know it is quite difficult to find a good match with who I am and my peronsal beliefs. Most women my age are still stuck in the ego-centered world and material endeavors, something from which I am far removed and so very comfortable with. This has kept me away from any serious thinking about finding a match, either for dating or a serious relationship.
#2. As a part of my physical fitness routine I shoot a lot basketball to maintain my dexterity and flexability. I often go to the local public fitness center to do this and try to get there before school lets out and the kids overtake the gymnasium.
#3. I watch for a brief time {I've seen the movie before} on TV the Austin Powers movie 'International Man of Mystery'. In the movie was a female character Alotta Fagina.
#4. I recently was presented with the possibility of dating someone I had never met, someone who seemed to have a lot of common interests.

The interpretation

My mother represents my highest feminine aspect {which is the true aspect}, my creativity and my sometimes desire to completely indulge myself into that creative self. She is constantly with me, confronting me whenever I tend to focus on the 'worldly' aspects. In my waking life I have a very caring mother who is often worried about my well being. She is a religious woman. I am not religious, but spiritual. Although our spiritual beliefs differ she still represent the spiritual aspect. The spiritual aspect is a feminine quality.

The setting in my dream is quite clear when the background is understood. In waking life I go to the gym at a certain time to avoid the crowds. This was the setting for my dream/ Most dreams involve experienes from the previous days prior to the dream. This is a natural fit for the interpretation for the setting for the dream.

The attractive woman is that unconscious desire to quinch the heart, find someone compatible to date, or perhaps even a serious relationship. I put a lot of emphasis on how one takes care of their body {physical fitness has been a part of my routine for the past 25 years} so the attrcative woman would fill the bill along those lines.

My mother standing in front of me {not an imposing figure, just there} is my creative self looking me in the eyes and reminding me of my deepest love {my mother is still living and we have a wonderful relationship}. Since I am single she would naturally symbolize the greatest feminine love in my life. Metaphorically she symbolizes my greatest inner love also, my creative self. She also represents the spiritual aspect, an important part of who I am and the principles I live by day to day.

The attractive lady standing behind me {she is a desire but not my greatest desire at the moment} represents that desire to open up to finding someone to date, someone who I find compatible {attractive physically, spiritually and mentally}. I have put these desires behind me much of the past ten years so to concentrate on my spiritual/creative journey, thus she is shown as being behind me in my dream. Her going into another room would represent my having to leave my world of constant creative expansion and go to another place within myself, the natural desire to fullfill the heart.

The character Alota Fagina. What I was doing behind my back with my hand was stimulating the attractive woman's vagina {I mention this because it is true in the dream}. The overpowering desire of Freudian sex may be a natural stimulus for this action but I believe watching the movie and the female character in the film was the real stimulus. The fact that attractive woman was enjoying my actions lead me to believe this is something I am ready to do {start dating again}. I must follow her to another place within me, a natural place that I have consciously neglected.

Summary

The dream has presented me with a waking event {the presentation of someone who may be compatible to date} and also an inner desire {the heart}. It also shows my present true state of being {my creative self} as the controlling agent in my life. But this controlling agent {my mother in my dream} is not threatening or demanding, she is merely but constantly there. Mothers are someone we naturally love and could not give up that love for any reason. But she wants and allows us to love other positive things.

The fact that the attractive woman {a part of me, my AMOR} is enjoying my actions and summons me to follow her indicates this is something I am ready for, and should not turn my back on the possibilities {one date isn't a commitment}. The dream has presented an aspect of my life I need to confront, and it has also has given a solution. Often it takes a series of dreams to give a solution to an aspect that needs confronting, if it in fact does so at all.


In mythology the hero {in the eyes of Joseph Campbell} has a set of stages in which he/she progresses {see The Hero's Journey to earn more}. The last stage is the return, hich consists of 3 parts. The first is the Refusal of the Return, somethin that I have perhaps done often over the past few years. Campbell tells that we must return to society and share the knowledge we have learned from our experiences in the spiritual search. This return would involve anything to do with the social demands and rituals.
This could be part of my 'Crossing the Return Threshold', but only a part. Dreams are intent on providing knowledge of where you are in life, and where you are in your journey. For those who are not aware of their inner journey, life can be a real ******

Also let me make it clear that the stages set out by Campbell are meant as a outline and not a literal way of going about your inner search. Every person is different. And even at the other stages in the journey you may be confronted by what I consider mini stages within the larger stage. Confusing I know. But the inner life, when realized, has it way of knowing. You don't concentrate on what stage you are at, it is merely a guideline. The inner search itself is the journey and each individual has to overcome the obstacles in their life. And with that comes the rewards. Life is a series of tribulations and rewards.

If you have thoughts or questions about my dream please post them. I would love to hear them.
Gerard

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Gerard,
A reminder I'm still learning this method of dream interpretation as I've been using other models until of late. My thoughts follow:


The male aspect may be ‘looking for an open spot’, a way in, to confront, encounter, further integrate, a feminine aspect that wants to be developed more deeply, ‘shows great interest in’, into your psyche. An aspect you consciously/unconsciously desire to further incorporate in your whole self.

The attractive woman could be another side of your feminine self. Its possible your feminine emotional self is interested in moving closer to you however must approach from behind due to the high development of your creative & spiritual self in the forefront of your psyche. As the emotional self it may be indicating a desire of emotional intimacy.

Enticing you could be encouraging or calling you to further develop, or engage in, that aspect.

Oblige could be a service/favor or indebted/grateful or something you feel you must rather than want to do. Do you feel any of these definitions are in tune with your feelings in the dream? By leaving to go into another room adjacent to the gym this feminine self, or emotional intimacy, may be indicating you need to go to another part of yourself, apart from the masculine and the highly developed creative self, to locate & further develop, or allow,it.

Your reluctance to follow could be the more developed creative feminine self desiring to maintain its position, defense, in your psyche. Or an intuitive sight that this emotional part may need more evaluation for level acceptance or incorporation as being overly emotional can hinder, or block, creativity. Inclination to follow could be actually ‘allowing’ or giving your self license to pursue and examine the aspect.

From reading your post I sense a hesitancy to engage in deep emotional intimacy for fear it will delay, or interrupt, your journey progression. And possible ‘ghosts’ of past relationships. (We all have those 'impressions' that come to the conscious mind in working towards similar situations as past lived.)It could be that in your journey it is the one aspect, the emotional joining of the two in the physical world, you’ve held back from. Emotional intimacy would further your progress in a positive light allowing you to fully realize a successful Return. Everything is composed of levels. Perhaps this dream, as your post stated, is telling you it is time to begin, one step at a time. And that your committment to stay the path of your journey will in course lead you beyond.

Two favorite quotes:

"A mind that has been stretched will never return to it's original dimension." Albert Einstein

"Now is a rushing river. There are those who would hug the shore, but there is no shore. Push off into the stream. Hold your head above the frey. See who else is in the midst of things, and celebrate." Native American saying

With peace,
Kathy

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To me these two women represent positive (mother) and negative (woman behind) aspects of the anima. Your mother on one level, symbolizes your inner guide and mediator both in matters of love and in your quest to move towards a higher, more spiritual form of life.

The woman behind you reminds me of one of the Greek Sirens, symbols of fatal attraction, Odysseus was forced to tie himself to the mast to prevent himself from yielding to their seductive summons. In one sense she symbolizes the real physical and emotional need for love and companionship; a descent into the unconscious in order to set free a supressed desire, and yet she also represents the potential dangers and traps set by passion and desire and fears that the dreams of love and happiness are unreal, things that lure men away from reality.

Do you refuse the call...or cross the threshold?

"Just follow the yellow brick road"

-The Wizard of Oz

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Mitch,
The first part of your interpretation is partially true. But whereas the woman could represent a negative it would be so only if I were to neglect the positive, and only if my higher feminine aspect {my mother} provided some emphasis that she was a negative. What makes me believe this to be true is because the positive fits more so than the negative. Normally I would look at something behind me as a possible negative, as you did. Jung tells us when interpreting a dream one way to know if it is right is if it fits.

Your interpretation of the woman behind me being a fatal attrcation would be true if not for my many experiences in the matter of love. This is something I have spent much time analyzing, it being a part of my shadow self. Of course you did not knwo this thus limiting your insights to the dream. This is one rason why I ask for a followup on my interpretations. Often the second post contains personal iunformation that shines even more light on the dream. To properly interpret a person's dream requires much more than a simple post. If I could supply a couch for the dreamer to lye on, well, dreams are a psychological process.

I have in the past refused the call, much as Percival did in his journey. But I believe myself to be at that threshold and ready to cross over. I await the helping hands of fate to provide that final push.

But oddly, the last obstacle in Percival's search was overcoming sex. Joseph Campbell tells the story of Percival's quest in his book 'The Power of Myth'. The Grail traditions are rich in the metaphors of love and the quest for the true self. I recommend all read this book {or better yet see the video}.

I do appreciate your input and insight.
Gerard

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Kathy,
Excellent insights. What you write is definitely a part of who I am. Your description about my creative self fits my inner being very well. Your statement about emotional intimacy for fear it will delay, or interrupt, my journey's progression has great merit. Possible ‘ghosts’ of past relationships are definitely experiences I have given great thought to, and they guide me in my actions today. They are a positive aspect, learned from experience and guided by my spiritual desire not to make other mistakes that may hurt others.

Thanks for your insights. I hope you and others will apply your skills to other posted dreams. I have a great bunch of talent 'Jungians' and I encourage you to be a part of the Forum and share your insights.
Gerard

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jerry ,looking at your dream and the mention of the parsifal myth,reminded me of the rough home spun garment that was given to him by his mother which in the myth was a symbol of his mother attatchment, it was part of his journey to get rid of this garment (mother attatchment)i couldnt help but notice these symbols in the dream and wonder if perhaps you still have an attatchment of sorts that is not allowing you to have a meaningful relationship with the female whoever or whatever she stands for.or perhaps, mother knows best!
regards steve.

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Steve,
An excellent observation and could easily fit as a metaphor for the symbol. But even though my relationship with my mother is close there is not a mother attachement. That would be something evident if it were true, something that would have presented itself in past dreams or in my own self examination {'Individuation Process'}. My main focus as far as parents was the non-relationship with my father, which in later life was played out in sexual substitutions for the love and acceptance I never received from him.
Thanks,
Gerard

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Hi Gerard,
Thank you for your response & kind words. I believe I need a few more months of study before I'm comfortable examining and commenting on other people's dreams. Still learning & although I've made the most progress with my dreams since utilizing the MDS site, and your assistance, I still struggle with finding the meaning. I find I usually must examine a dream several times over a few days before getting 'it'.

Won't hesitate to give it a go when I've got the subject in hand.

Thanks,
Kathy

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