This will be my first entry in my Dream Journal

I received a phone call early this morning from a young man of 18 yrs for whom I did not get a name or location but who was obviously distressed. There was a bad connection so it was difficult to understand everything he was saying. But after speaking with him for some 30 minutes I was able to get what was bothering him. As it turns out this was my first experience in the role of counseling others on emotional issues related to their dreams.

In our conversation he hold the story of where he recently spoke to a woman {from Haiti?} by telephone who was supposedly a professional adviser on how to be successful in business {he apparently had an interest in business success}. Somehow the conversation ended with a criticism of his decisions in going forward in his career {again, the phone connection was bad and I missed some of what he was saying}. He was upset at this because he took it this person was someone who was going to provide a boost to his esteem about his endeavors in the business world. He was so distressed he had a dream about the woman and her attitude. This is why he called me {I am not sure how he came upon my telephone number since it was my home phone and usually not one I advertise}.

After determining there was indeed a lot of stress associated with this experience and his dream I first provided him with some insights to Jungian dream theory. So few of the general public are even aware of Jung let alone the importance of understanding their own dreams. I explained the generalities of Jungian dream psyche, that dreams spoke in a language of symbol and metaphor, that his dreams were about his emotional life, and dreams were nature's way of helping the dreamer work through emotional conflicts {much like the body's immune system, the dream is the psyche's way of helping resolve emotional disabilities}. A quick lesson to educate him on how the dream and psyche function

My summary advice to him was his dream was about the emotional conflict he had because of his experience. Being so young and impressionable I gathered his dream was obviously addressing the actual waking experience and the related stress. Because of the woman's negative attitude I suggested the dream was pointing to the emotional conflict as a response to a sensitive personality, his. It was a waking experience that was 'traumatic but must have been much more to have the experience enter into his dreams {dreams often reveal/address personality traits}. This seemed to be an agreeable possibility for him {he was obviously an intelligent young man}.

I pressed the point that the experience may have had deeper issues to address. Because the woman was a person not related or endeared to him I proposed she was an aspect of his own feminine identity. An aspect of his 'shadow' feminine self where there are inadequate grounds that affect his emotional self {his distress coming from the experience, a waking experience and also a deeper unconscious experience}. It was obvious there were stress withe waking experience but the deeper issues seemed to working its way to the surface during our conversation. I decide to go in that direction and explain what I meant about his 'feminine' qualities being a part of the experience.

Jung tells us there are at least two interpretations to every dream. For this young man the recent waking experience was a stressful event and the dream was addressing those issues. But why was it this woman left such a strong impression beyond the actual waking event. Could it be there were early life experiences to do with 'feminine' aspects that the dream connected with the experience and this woman? I offered that suggestion to him, that possible early life/childhood experiences were likely a part of the reason for his dream. The dream would have little to do with this 'real' woman and a lot to do with his own 'inner woman/feminine' qualities, and/or actual early life experiences to do with another 'real' woman {the early life experience affecting his animus}. I mentioned his mother as a possible candidate but did not press that point since I had so little to go by {and did not have the actual dream to work with}.

In our conversation I also presented him with the contributions of Joseph Campbell to understanding of dreams. The 'Follow Your Bliss' factor in a meaningful life for which dreams intentionally or unintentionally work to help us resolve. Doing that thing in life you love doing most so life blossoms and allows a full, meaningful life. We have two opportunities to discover and follow one's bliss, the first being at the age of this young man, 18, and the second when I discovered my path, at mid-life {I was 42}. The subject of 'meaning in life' was a part of my 'presentation' and how following your bliss gives meaning to life. Taking the opportunities to discover and understand early in life the consequences of ones actions and the 'Karma' affect that goes with those actions. We control what occurs in our life with fate having only a minor contribution to how life is lived.

We must have spoken for about 30 minutes and when the conversation came to an end his response was 'warmingly' positive. His words were 'I have learned so much' and I felt he just had a truly positive experience. But it was also a positive experience for me at a time when I need to work toward 'being all I can' in my endeavors to influence others about the 'Jungian' philosophy towards finding wholeness and harmony in their life. If I am to have an impact on others I must be able to articulate not only what I have learned and experienced from my journey but also provide information on how to approach the path I advocate. But the later may be the easy part since I have so many great teachers to guide me. To quote Campbell from the Monomyth.

"The trick in returning is to retain the wisdom gained on the quest, to integrate that wisdom into a human life, and then maybe figure out how to share the wisdom with the rest of the world'.

Nothing could better fit the position I find myself in my journey, and the quest to be relevant to the hero path of others.
Jerry

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