Jimmy,
Let me address my method of analyzing dreams and the phrases/actions and include the new knowledge about your schooling and going from the smart kid to one who has problems working hard to maintain good grades. What I have found is the words are not always straightforward in their suggested meaning and there must be a substituting of the word to maintain its symbolic intent {although the word{s} are true in what they mean but in symbolic form}. Take the phrase 'dangling over side of building'. My interpretation of this was 'oscillating off center of true self' {which looks to fit with what you state about being the smart kid early on in your education then having trouble later}. What I do when I have trouble finding a fit of a word or phrase is to look at synonyms and/or dictionary meaning of a word. As Jung stated the dream means exactly what it says but what it says is not only in symbolic/metaphorical language but also can use a different word but with the same origins/similar meaning to describe the intent of the action. Dangling is a symbolic word and when I read the phrase {within the context of the whole dream} I look for a word or words that would best fit the action {oscillating instead of dangling}. Much of my substituting words is from an intuitive mind, feelings/impressions from the phrase and dream that 'talk' to me. You have never dangled from a building {symbolic phrase with the building being you} but you may have oscillated from your true self {being who you are and pressuring yourself to be something other than that}. In your later schooling you had trouble making the good grades so you 'oscillated' from who you really are {and your true abilities} and tried to be something you were not. You are 'cursing' yourself for not being able to sustain the smart kid identity {general rule-actions such as this is directed inward toward yourself-they are metaphorical}. You are in control one aspect after slipping and falling {in your grades} but can not control not being able to maintain your grades {not in control of the other}. I would have to go back and analyze the whole dream again with the new knowledge you have provided about the difficulty with grades and self pressure to fully state it in an analyzed form {as I stated, I can only outline the possibilities of a dream with what little personal info I have about the dreamer}. Looking at the dream with this new knowledge I can see where the hidden issues are and there is a good chance this is at least one issue the dream is attempting to communicate. Another aspect would be what affect this is having on your current life since the dream would not be focusing on the issue unless it is still in conflict or is affecting who you are in the present. There are general rules I use in analyzing dreams but that is for another time to discuss since they are involved and would take a lot of time to address. You can get a general impression of the rules in my page How to Interpret Dreams {I plan to revise/update these pages to fit with my use of basic Jungian concepts instead of a strict adherence to them}.

What you state about your grades and relationship with your father does seem very plausible and a good possibility it is a part of what the dream is focused. If it fits your life {and possess emotional energies} then it is very likely a fit. As for having to fit your later life the binge drinking could have been related to the earlier life conflicts {especially if you were still having trouble working hard to maintain your grades}. Of course binge drinking is part of being in college for many students so you must consider that. There is still a unresolved conflict that must fit somewhere and it likely still has an influence on you in some manner. I believe it is as important if not most important to identify the origins of the conflict if you are going to discover the reasons for actions/feelings when you have a dream. The past is always a part of the dream but there has to be a continuing conflict when you have the dream for any discussion of what energies are in play. It remains an issue or it would not be a focus of the dream.

As for alleyways/rooftops. An alley is something behind the house or building {you}. Anything that is in the 'behind' would likely point to unconscious aspects, hidden away from the ego self {front of the house}. It could also point to 'what is behind' the reasons for an emotional conflict/issue.

Rooftops are at the top, the mental aspect being one application {there can always be several but always at least two-one major issue being represented by the images/action/symbol}. depending on the dream and the actual experiences it could also point to something literal {as could an alleyway}, there was an actual experience on the top of a building. This is usually less likely and is something only the dreamer will know {I see it as an outline, the mental aspect which will fit symbolically but will fit}. If it involves anything to do with structures, the different floors, the basement {dark places}, the kitchen, the roof top, then one application will be it is a part/an aspect of you the dreamer. The house is you. If it is your mother's house then it involves the relationship of her with YOU. If the dream statement is 'I was on the rooftop of my mother's house' then I would look to unconscious/mental issues related to the relationship with your mother {the dream is about your emotions-she is in relationship to those}. Using these general rules have proven very successful {as demonstrated in the dream posts at this Forum}. There are many general rules, many associated to basic Jungian concepts but more general than many dream analyst will admit to. My belief is, with having only the age and gender of the dreamer, the best a good analyst can do is give a general outline of the dream. Only when there is a indepth knowledge of the dreamer's emotional life can exact personal experiences/issue be named. But when this indepth knowledge is known it should be relatively easy to put all the pieces together and get to the depths of those issues that are in conflict. Of course repressed issues will take more time but the dream will point to repression if it is a part of the process.

You can see there is a lot of depth to understanding dreams and being able to properly analyze them. I have been working with dreams since 1992 and through experience {primarily from my Dream Forum} I have seen how dreams function. I started with analyzing dreams in a more strict Jungian fashion but found this worked but was so complicated to myself and to the dreamer {attempting to explain the difficult concepts involved} I turned to using what I 'felt' and a less conceptional fashion. Instead of looking for any 'shadow' components in a dream I instead concentrated on what was hidden {in the shadows} and didn't dwell on the shadow concepts as defined by Jung. The same goes with other aspects with the exception being the anima/animus, masculine/feminine aspects. The anima/animus is so prevalent in dreams, images of unknown/unnamed persons generally pointing to these inner qualities. Generality seems to work as well or better in properly and successfully analyzing dreams, so much so I am of the belief that the psyche is more attuned to the generalities than they are to the strict concepts Jung insisted on. How and why else could someone like myself { with at best an average IQ} be so successful in analyzing dreams? A well developed intuitive sense is very important in dream interpretation but not the strict use of the concepts. Of course Jung got it right when it comes to dreams {and the psyche} so it is his concepts we must look to to guide us on how the psyche/dream functions. Knowing Jung is having access to all that Freud knew as well as the other great minds that contributes to the process of exploring the depths of the unconscious and the dream world.

Jerry

A Message From Gerald Forum Host/Moderator/Analyst Help Me Spay & Neuter Feed & Care MY Neighborhood Felines My Dream Analysis/Interpretations Are A FREE SERVICE If you wish to show your appreciation please contribute to my Feral Cat Rescue Fund Help Me Keep My Services FREE The cost of maintaining the DREAM FORUM, my websites and my dedication to caring for my neighborhood felines strains my resources I NEED YOUR HELP Please Contribute $1.00/$5.00...Any Amount You Can Give Use PayPal {Donate Button} or mail contribution to: Gerald Gifford 1876 Baylor Ct., Cocoa, Fl. 32922 Secure Payment with PayPal Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 65 Cocoa, Fl Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Yes How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes Email   Nov 6th, 2015 - 9:29 AM Gerald Gifford-Dream Forum Host & Moderator Nov 6, 2015 - 9:42AM 184.88.104.209 Quote Reply Re: The Edge in Dubai Jimmy, About my cat. She has not returned home. I am hoping someone took her in as a pet. Of course being an indoor/outdoor cat she will come home if she is able. I am sure of that and hope to see her come through the kitty door soon. As for my back. It is much better. Only when I over do it physically, in particular a lot of bending, do I have problems. I had gotten away from my fitness routine {something that has been a part of my lifestyle for 37 years} because of my mother's death and having to build the cat enclosure for the feral colony I care for and that contributed to the pain. I have had severe back problems in the past greatly due to the physical nature of the fence construction business I owned {my son now has it in Orlando and doing well}. But a good diet and regular physical exercise pretty much took care of the problem. Any deviation from either and I risk a recurrence. At 65 {I am at 160 lbs} I consider myself fortunate not to have the health problems most my age experience. Pay me now or pay me later. Later has arrived and maintaining a proper routine in diet and exercise is most important more than ever. Proper physical, mental and spiritual health. Jerry Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 65 Cocoa, Fl Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Yes How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes Email   Nov 6th, 2015 - 9:42 AM Jimmy Nov 7, 2015 - 10:12PM 174.119.104.40 Quote Reply Re: The Edge in Dubai Jerry, Thanks again for your reply. This paragraph elaborating on the phrases/actions element is extremely informative and again I feel closer to understanding your method. I have one more question on my mind about your method. What do you do when you come across a word that is not in the dream dictionary like cable car for example isn't in all dream dictionaries so what would your approach be in such a case? Also I was wondering about something else in my work with images. Do you find any significance in the difference between suggested images and manifested images for example is their any difference in this dream when working with the image of the cable cart (which is actually a solid visual element in the dream) and lou salome who is merely suggested in conversation and is thus not actually a solid image only a suggested one? Should these images be treated equally or is there another way of approaching these differently? As for the ongoing dynamic that the dream is hinting at it is the same dynamic the same feeling that is at work in me now as was in university and school. I am still trying to overcome the same problem. Between my dream work and writing my book as well as my other activities and projects I'm engaged in I end up feeling like I'm not doing enough and I feel ineffectual and so frustrate my efforts somewhat. This is a powerful dynamic in my life and I still feel it affecting my work even now. And so this dream has a key ongoing importance. In further analysis of the dreams I keep finding that different levels make sense for different parts of my life. It is as you say the multiple meanings of the dream coming into play. I am finding the change of Australia dynamic at work within the dream especially with the rooftop to the ladder scene yet the rest of the dream is making a lot of sense in terms of this dynamic. Of course perhaps the same dynamic is at work? Hmm it is complex working with all these different layers. It is amazing how much work continues to emerge from working with one dream. It is hard to imagine working through all dreams when one can provide so much depth the longer it is worked at!! Thanks, Jimmy PS while I am sorry to hear that your cat is still missing I am sure you are right about her resilience. Cats are strong creatures and I am sure she is probably doing quote well. Still it would be nice to have a safe return. I am also delighted to hear about your back. Sounds like a delicate balance to be maintained in this care for its health but it sounds like you are in touch with what I requires. Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 23 now in canada (previously travelling Australia) but from Ireland Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Yes How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Absolutely! Email   Nov 7th, 2015 - 10:12 PM Gerald Gifford-Dream Forum Host & Moderator Nov 8, 2015 - 9:07PM 184.88.104.209 Quote Reply Re: The Edge in Dubai Jimmy, A brief comment {if that is even possible when I 'get on' about a topic related to dreams} to answer your questions and I will provide a more detailed response tomorrow. As for words {and even actions when in short phrases} I can not put a finger on without suggestions/help I use regular dictionaries to try and ascertain* the exact meaning/application within the actions, and the origins of the word if possible and needed. Often understanding its dictionary 'exact' meaning will provide insights. But I am of the mind that words, just as are archetypes {an original that has been imitated}, have origins related to the natural psyche. So is the dream, the natural psyche's tool to help resolve emotions issues/conflicts {just as the body has the immune system, the psyche has the dream}. In this context it is logical/plausible to believe the meaning/application of a word will always have associations to its origins. The meaning we find in a dictionary will always have several meanings depending on its intent in the dream. Depending on how it is used within an action, a word may be more applicable to its origins than it does the normal definition most people think of it as having. This is where the intuitive mind senses energies from the flow of actions in a dream and 'naturally' begins recognize patterns and the true intended meaning/application of the word {as it has to do with the dreamer and their emotions and fits firmly within that}. The context in which it is used is important because it must fit within the pattern flow but not get away from its meaning in relationship to the dreamer and the dream. As with a puzzle you can not force a piec that doesn't fit into a space that requires a true fit. *Note: why I use quality dream dictionaries-for good possibilities of their application-the two I use are pretty much Jungian based}. The question about whether the difference between suggested images and manifested images, I usually don't and usually can't always differentiate between the two since, as in the use of lou salome who is merely suggested in conversation, I know nothing more than what the dream provides and I work with that. There are personal associations to lou salome that only you can know and although I may get clues to what those are from other dream language {friend}, I don't look for the personal but instead look at him as being a male and a friend {anima/animus associations and rejected aspects that can become positive through self discovery in the word friend}. If I knew the actual associations you identify with in lu salome I could name personal experiences in my analysis as well as fit more pieces of the puzzle having that knowledge. I work with what i have and stay with Jung's dictate 'the dream means exactly what it says'. Of course the language of dream is symbol/metaphor, and there are so many twists and possibilities in the words and actions that must be deciphered, it does take experience and a good working knowledge of the basics to get really good at dream analysis. I've been working with dreams since 1992 and have the Dream Forum to 'test' and learn. Again I will state I have begun to use the basic outlines of Jungian concepts instead of the strict application academics use {goes for others also, Freud, Adler, etc}. I usefd to be more inclined to look at the strict concepts and of course have had good success with that. But the change to basics instead and with a bit different thinking to generalities as being as applicable than though {a house is the dreamer, not it that could be}. This is one aspect of my personal work I find most rewarding because I have developed a successful and what I think as a proven method of analyzing/interpreting dreams, derived from my own experiences in working with dreams. As with sensing the outlines of a dream, using the outlines that have been established as true {science}, I have developed concepts of analyzing dreams that seems to fit with how dreams do function, naturally. It is successful for me and I believe it can be for anyone who studies Jung in depth and has a developed intuitive mind. The proof of my success {as I have stated time and again} is in the posted dreams at the Dream Forum. I'll provide further comments tomorrow {Monday}. Jerry [preay] Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 65 Cocoa, Fl Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Yes How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes Email   Nov 8th, 2015 - 9:07 PM Gerald Gifford-Dream Forum Host & Moderator Nov 9, 2015 - 8:26AM 184.88.104.209 Quote Reply Re: The Edge in Dubai Jimmy, Another aspect of interpreting dreams is at a later date {even months later} you may realize other associations and meanings/applications. It is beyond fascinating dreams do have so many levels because they will use the same images to address the different aspects of the emotional energies. When a dream is dissected to its most minute parts you may discover the dream revealing aspects of personality and personal attitudes. Of course the primary goal is to discover the underlying reasons for personal attitudes and traits {almost all dreams are focused on the negative attitudes that need a correction}. Once those are understood you can see why a person thinks and acts as they do. The unconscious energies are motivators to personality and personal attitudes/traits and more often than not the person is totally unaware of them. They go through life guided by energies established early in life, imprinted on the psyche and the topic of dreams until there is a resolution to the energies. This was my experience. The lack of a father figure {especially in early years} causing me to develop an unconscious attitude to seek and find substitutes for what was not received as a child. This is a common pattern and is often the plot of mythological stories where the son goes on an adventure looking for their father {Luke Skywalker being a better known tale of this type search}. And often that search will reveal the shadow self, the developed pattern where the son has unconscious tendencies to follow the patterns of the father {Darth Vader as Luke's shadow}. It is not just by coincidence Star Wars used the familiar mythological themes, George Lucas pretty used Joseph Campbell's Monomyth to develop the characters in the movie {Lucas was a student of Campbell like myself and much of The Power of Myth was filmed at Lucas' Skywalker ranch}. And again this was how I lived my life, up until I was 42 and discovered Jungian psyche {via Joseph Campbell and The Power of Myth-Note: this link will take you to another page of the interview with Campbell}. Having married and divorced three wonderful women, I possessed an unfulfilled 'inner child' which 'prompted me to look for something outside me that could never fulfill what was needed by the inner self {I say prompt because individual experiences later in life often determine how these unconscious patterns play out}. Once I understood the energies I was able to reconcile why they did hold me hostage and eventually resolve the issues. The story of Luke Skywalker is my story, is a common story, not only in real life but also as archetypal patterns in dreams. Dreams and myth share the same archetypal energies {as well images/actions} and when there is an image of a mysterious 'shaman' or similar figure it usually comes when there is a new realization or major change in the dreamer's life. The dream pattern may even follow the patter of the mythical hero journey since the patterns as well as the personal experiences are shared. Fascinating to say the least, enlightening when realized, understood and applied to the personal life. Jerry Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 65 Cocoa, Fl Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Yes How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes Email   Nov 9th, 2015 - 8:26 AM Jimmy Nov 11, 2015 - 12:25AM 174.119.104.40 Quote Reply Re: The Edge in Dubai Jerry, Thanks again for the advice and tips with regard to your process. It is clearly an intuitive method you have developed yourself but I think I am slowly starting to get it. I also love this idea of returning to dreams months later and gathering more insights. It is actually exciting By the way what are the two dream dictionaries that you use? I've seen that you use the hyper dictionary but I couldn't find the link to the other one. Thank you also for sharing more of your story and your journey. I do love the identification of mythology and personal life. It is a great elevation for us and a groudning for myth I feel. And also I like the call for people to follow their bliss which results from this ideal realisation of our identification with the hero's journey. I like and respect that you have found and are living your myth. It is fantastic. As for what you are saying about the shaman figure I've started working on a dream of mine from a couple of weeks ago involving gandalf the grey from the lord of the rings who seems to be my wise old man. I'll post the dream up now I'd love your help and your insight on it. Thanks, Jimmy Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 23 now in canada (previously travelling Australia) but from Ireland Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Yes How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Absolutely! Email   Nov 11th, 2015 - 12:25 AM « back Return to Website  > Index stats from 7-14-10 to the present