I dreamt I was at some sort of camp - for children I believe, or possibly adults. At one point I was part of the camp and at another point I was a one of the counselors. We were all instructed to go and play in the ocean and it was night time. I had already done so so and was waiting on the porch and watching everyone play in the water.
At this point a gigantic killer whale was seen swimming in the water - too close to the shore
and very close to everyone swimming. We were all startled as this was rather abnormal. We quickly realized the whale was following his own baby whale - that was swimming up to shore with a dog in his mouth.

The baby whale came all the way to the beach and dropped the dog off, seemingly unharmed. There was still a feeling of foreboding in the air, though,
as someone informed us that killer whales usually come to the shore in a pack of 7, and often stalk their prey before attack. (I don't believe this is true of actual killer whale behavior) I think someone warned the people but don't remember if anyone got out of the
water. As I watched them play, I knew they were in danger but felt oddly calm.

My alarm woke me before the dream's conclusion.

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Gretchen,
Do you have any repressed or forgotten emotional experiences from childhood that involved your mother? If not your mother some other emotional experience. You may had counseling over this experience. Look at the age of seven in particular. Some recent event or experience may have stimulated past memories. And it could be you have not realized the full impact of the experience.

Jerry

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I can't really think of something in particular that would go along with your interpretation. I recently just started an experiential training for therapists (I'm a therapist myself). I think the dream may have more to do with my ambivalence about beginning the training and delving into the unconscious with a bunch of people I don't know. I will keep thinking on it though, and thank you for your interpretation.

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Gretchen,
It could very well have something to do with the new training. Such explorations can be disturbing and bring about emotional response that the dream attempts to resolve. But your dream is about you and my sense is it is ALSO addressing something within your unconscious, morethan just the recent experiences you mention. Have you explored your childhood to any degree? In Jungian psyche there are at least two interpretations or applications to every dream and often to a symbol. Dreams of someone your age do often tend to address current waking experiences {The new training and delving into the unconscious of others, one application}. But the dream would also be addressing your own deeper unconscious contents {the second application}.

Current experiences of a young person or young adult are hard to determine since they do involve literal recent waking experiences. An older person's dreams would tend to be mostly symbolic and metaphorical and would address the past {older adults have accumulated a lot of emotional baggage whereas young adults are still in the process of creating such 'baggage'}. Your recent experiences working with others deep psyche was disturbing. Such an emotional response would require a resolution to any conflict involving those experienecs and that is a primary function of our dreams. To resolve emotional conflicts.

As for the second application. Something has come or is attempting to come 'close to shore', or become conscious or into the subconscious. Oceans are often symbolic of the very deep unconscious. What you are seeing 'swimming' within that unconscious is the symbolic killer whale> whales can symbolize the mother. But since it is a killer whale it may represent something that at one time {being in the deep unconscious} that has been repressed or forgotten. The baby whale would represent something 'not grown' but in its infancy. That could allude to childhood. The dog could be represent a repressed part of the psyche. This is what is being brought to shore and dropped off {SEEMINGLY unharmed}. Something is still foreboding, something within the unconscious that is still stalking.

Looking at the dream, and taking in account your age and recent experiences working with others exploring their deep unconscious I can see that connection. But being a dedicated Jungian and from my years of experience {several thousand interpreted dreams} dreams do not normally address such recent experiences without also addressing something deeper within the unconscious. Your dreams are about you and what it is saying are experiences you have had.

In the dream you are both the child and adult, part of the camp {one who is counseled} as well as the counselor {which you are in your current position}. You are instructed to play in the ocean {exploring others deep unconscious}. Having already done so, played within your own unconscious, there is this large 'killer whale'. Determining what that symbolizes, and it is symbolic of something, would lead to what it is in your unconscious that is threatening. Watching others play with their unconscious is coming too close to shore for your unconscious. What the 'killer whale' is following is its own baby. From experience the mention of a child in a dream usually is a direct comment on something from childhood {for reference to these experiences I suggest you read the posted dreams, interpretations, and very important follow up responses}. Children and a baby, a formula that would usually suggest something early in the dreamer's life.

Because all dreams do {this is Jung's discovery} address at least two aspects of the dreamer's life it is often important to determine which aspect the dream is most focused. The new experiences, dwelling into other peoples deep unconscious, may be the primary focus of the dream. Such explorations can be frightening. 'Killer whales' being abundant in the 'abnormal' minds you may have examined. But the secondary aspect, the search of your own deep unconscious would also be a part of the dream. This is standard stuff in Jungian psyche. The last part of the dream usually provides clues to what the dream is attempting to communicate to the dreamer. Your dream says, "I think someone warned the people but don't remember if anyone got out of the
water. As I watched them play, I knew they were in danger but felt oddly calm.'.
Addressing the second application of the dream, the warning would be from your unconscious. Watching them play would be watching yourself. At this stage in your life it is not threat, or seemingly so. The calmness would be from not realizing what it is within your unconscious that is 'swimming around' and seemingly threatening to your well being.

I asked if there were any recent experiences that may have stimulated past memories. We know of your working with others. There is that connection. What is it that is from your own past, and it need not be so severe to be traumatic, that is yet to be realized {early life experiences/influences help shape your psyche as an adult and discovering those can be illuminating}. One possibility could be inherent aspects you and your mother both possess. That was an original sense I got from the dream, something both child and adult have experienced {camp for children and adults, both camper and counselor}.

Give it more thought, those childhood experiences/influences. Sometimes it is a long while after a dream that it comes to you what the meaning of the dream was. As I stated earlier your dreams are about you and your life. And there are always two aspects/applications to every dream. The obvious current experiences of exploring other peoples psyches {something only you would know} is one aspect. My experience is there is also something deeper. And this is a constant experience from working with dreams as well as what I have learned from the 'master' Jung.

Dreams are fascinating. They are also a direct link to the unconscious. Being therapeutic {the body has its immune system the mind ha the dream to help work through emotional conflicts} they can be a great source of determining what it is that is in emotional conflict within the person. From working with dreams and using Jungian psyche I feel so confident that he got it right when it comes to dreams. Symbolic, metaphorical, therapeutic, frightening but illuminating. What is true about a person is reflected in their dreams.

Jerry

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