Having little time I wish to have to truly express my thoughts and opinions on subject matters related to dreams and the psyche, I do wish to offer these thoughts on a vital subject gained from my experiences with dreams. The subject matter has to do with whether dreams are 'compensatory for the struggles of waking life'. James Hillman does not believe this to be entirely true. Rather, In Hillman;s view, “dreams tell us where we are, not what to do”. This is not to say Hillman rejected the theory of compensation as Jung set forth but thought it was more a synthesis of Freudian and Jungian theories {Death dreams: unveiling mysteries of the unconscious mind By Kenneth Kramer, John S. Larkin}. The dream is less compensatory as Jung stated and with a little more of a Freudian process.

My thoughts are dreams can do both. A 'for instance' is Hillman's example of the snake in a dream:

For instance, a black snake comes in a dream, a great big black snake, and you can spend a whole hour with this black snake talking about the devouring mother, talking about anxiety, talking about the repressed sexuality, talking about the natural mind, all those interpretive moves that people make, and what is left, what is vitally important, is what this snake is doing, this crawling huge black snake that’s walking into your life…and the moment you’ve defined the snake, you’ve interpreted it, you’ve lost the snake, you’ve stopped it.… The task of analysis is to keep the snake there.

I agree with Hillman's analysis that we can 'over interpret' the symbols give to much attention to archetypal possibilities {the devouring mother} as the sole symbolic reference to the snake. What I see as important is not the snake itself but the overall description of the snake in the dream oratory. Hillman's example used the words 'a great big black snake'. This description of the snake would call me to look at the deeper possibilities {deeper being a reference to deep emotional wounds or experiences that have a continuing controlling affect on the dreamer's life}. Often there would be associated symbols in the dream that would point to the possibility of a 'devouring mother', or having a strong emotional influence but perhaps less than archetypal, as a focus of the dream. As for the compensation I see that as the unconscious 'knowing' this to be true, the unconscious compensating the conscious mind with a truth.

But the snake were not 'a great big black snake' but instead a big snake then I would be less likely to look to the archetypal possibilities, or in my vocabulary 'the deeper meaning' of the dream. Words matter in a dream and the word big and black in combination often offer, in my experience, a need to look at the deeper possibilities. A 'regular' snake in a dream would suggest less a emotional connection, and/or, depending on the dreamer's age, a symbol related to a recent waking life experience {vs an experience/influence from the past that is still controlling the waking life in the present day}. Because the snake is a common symbol for sexual aspects, an archetypal symbol, we often confuse it with a less offending symbol in the waking life of the snake representing 'a person as a snake', or as a negative connoting, the person is a bad person. Of course it is within the context of the whole dream one must determine which is 'more' applicable. I say more because, as Jung tells us, it could be both.

I do agree with Hillman in it is the actions of the snake that often defines its application in the dream. We should never lose sight of the snake {The task of analysis is to keep the snake there} if it is determined to be a primary focus of the dream. But I don't think by interpreting the snake as a symbolic metaphor we have stopped the snake or lost its meaning. Determining what role the snake plays is where I determine its importance, and its primary meaning. Big and black are descriptive terms I would look to as important to the dream, not as archetypal image { a Naga snake of India mythology would be more likely an archetypal symbol} but a defining emotional event in the dreamer's life. A little snake would be less an emotional event, or perhaps even a descriptive adjective of a recent experience {if sexual perhaps the size a penis, of course with the emotional energy it possessed, s mall one}.

The above analysis is a general commentary on one aspect of Hillman's thinking and not an in depth review. That would require much more time and thought on my part and as stated that is not something available to me at the moment. And of course I would never try to compare my experiences to Hillman's brilliance. I would be destined to fall far short. And it would be comparing a pea to the size of the sun. The later shines with a brilliance of the oratory of the master, with the former but a drop of lesser knowledge wishing to shine on its own self.
But perhaps the planted pea can grow enough to better understand the brilliance of this powerful light, although extinguished in the body, whose soul shall continue to inspire for eternity.

I wish I had more time to express my thoughts on the dream. One aspect I wish to examine, and possibly counter to Hillman's approach if not to an extent Jung's, is the importance of early life experiences/influences on later life {something I have examined often in my own life as well as addressed often in my interpretations}. But at this stage in my journey I still have 'social obligations' to fulfill. My plan for early retirement sometime next year {could well be in co-ordination with the Mayan 12-21-12 event yeah! right} and with that the beginning of my final phase of enlightenment.

As for qualifications. I never forget I am but a layperson when it comes to the field of dream analysis but I do feel I have enough experience in working with dreams to possess a learned opinion {as well as believing myself to be a true 'INTUITIVE JUNGIAN'}. I know from the thousands of posted dreams, interpretations, responses and comments my experience has some merit. If not true there would be a lot of rejection to my interpretations. As it is, and anyone can determine this by reading the posted dreams, most often my interpretations are verified, if not in whole, in such a way to see I was on the right track. There is no doubt Jung got it right with his philosophies of the dream. Using that and my intuitive sense I believe I possess abilities to understand and interpret most dreams. Hopefully, after I retire I will be able to use these skills in an even more progressive way, obtaining more knowledge about the dreamer from face to face interactions {instead of merely knowing their sex, age and location} and providing more help in the person's inward journey. Not that I need to purchase a couch. Juts have more time to put my full mental facilities into my dream work. That is my ultimate goal, my true bliss.


Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 61 Murfreesboro, Tn

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

I really think that the author of that segment in wikipedia is either splitting hairs or has not quite chosen the proper wording. His reference for his point was the black snake. He emphasises, 'what is the snake actually doing?' It is naive for the writer to assume that a jungian is not as concerned with the context around the snake. He suggests jung would jump to a premature conclusion about the snake's significance without taking into account the rest of the imagery. In the process of trying to explain Hillman's problem with the idea of compensation, the writer levies the altogether different charge that jung doesn't use context. The two are not so related, yet there is some reason behind it. In effect he seems to be saying, 'a black snake in a dream is traditionally seen as something repressed forgotten or unknown and feared, but not always.'
I think Jung was full well aware of exceptions.
In a sense, the elimination of the idea of compensation would take away a cornerstone from dream psychology. What is the shadow, feeling, or any inferior function other than the bursting into our ego center of a balancing, deinflating, (or inflating) compensating instinct.
He suggests that jung skips the black snake and turns it into the serpent in the garden of eden, or some sympathetic system disorder, without focusing squarely on the snake itself. But if you make no associations at all, all you have left is a meaningless black snake and a meaningless dream.
To create a distinction between Hillmaan and Jung on the basis that one should stick to the dream itself is a pretty vague distinction. Granted Jung made wide use of analogies and associations, and led one sometimes quite far from the original focus, but I always found them to be of value and empirically relevent. Associations lead to a wider perspective, from the personal to the archetypal.
Saying that Jung said that dreams tell you what to do is also inaccurate. Jung said that if a person is attentive, they will notice that the dream is living out a person's imbalances without the censor of consciousness. An attentive enough person will recognize the glaring imbalance, and adjust accordingly to ameliorate the conflict.
I think you picked up on a problem that exists only in the mind of the supposed authoritative author of the article. He does present some problems within dream psychology in general, but I don't think he presents a legitimate problem between Jung and Hillman.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 34 Missoula MT

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

The later shines with a brilliance of the oratory of the master, with the former but a drop of lesser knowledge wishing to shine on its own self.

That is just beautiful.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 34 Missoula MT

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

just changing my avatar.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 34 Missoula MT

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

one more time.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 34 Missoula MT

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

Sam,
Are those fish in this avatar? Are you a Pisces like me? I use the photo with my black cat as symbology of my true self that has evolved from the unconscious feminine {the cat is my small female feline named sweets. I have had her since 2000}. Symbols mean a lot. I often look at the world in the form of symbol and metaphor. It seems to fit so well.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 61 Murfreesboro, Tn

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

Yes they are fish Gerry, and yes I am a pisces too. A few horoscopes say I'm an aquarius, but it seems that the popular opinion is that feb 19 is the last day of pisces. To me the fish is the unconscious, one of the more common symbols of it, that require little context.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 34 Missoula MT

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Male

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes