It is now 2017 and the Dream Forum has 4500+ posted messages and thousands more responses and comments. I have gained great insights from the interactions with the dreamers. And using basic Jungian concepts on dreams {primarily symbol and metaphor, just like mythologies} I sincerely believe, based on what I have experienced from the dreams I have analyzed, proper/correct interpretation of dreams is no longer the great mystery. From working with dreams I have come to realize they are like everything else, a product of nature. With a language of symbol and metaphor {just like mythology}. So naturally it is not hard to understand why we do dream. Unresolved emotional energies that cause internal conflict that influences/affects the decisions/actions as adults. Nature provided us with an immune system to protect and heal the body, dreams serve the same purpose for the psych{ology}/soul.

When I analyze a dream I see the soul, the true self {unbiased, unlike the conscious ego with its set perceptions}, wanting to communicate a message. Understand first, dreams are about the dreamer. Everyone else is in relationship to the dreamer, and unknown persons aspects of the dreamer's person/psychology. The house is the dreamer, and what goes on in that house is/has gone on in the dreamer's life. They come from experiences in life that possessed strong emotional energies which are {primarily negative experiences or influences} stored in the unconscious mind {ie, as a child there was psychological or/and sexual abuse, later in life traumatic experiences that deeply affects the person}. There is emotional conflict because of these energies and many, based on experiences, childhood included, have the ability to influence/affect not only personality and personal attitudes but also decisions and actions in adult life {many that can be/are destructive}. These emotional conflicts need resolution and dreams, by nature, are attempting to help resolve/heal the conflicts. Without this natural mechanism life can never be as whole and complete because of the unresolved issues. Later in life they are you, driven by unconscious unresolved emotional energies, unfulfilled and seeking answers on the outside when going inward {dreams/self psychology} is where the answers reside.

More thoughts later as I look back at the beginnings of the Dream Forum in January, 2005.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 67 Male Cocoa, Fl

Analyzing dream symbols and actions

If you have an image of {a person} going in a house and shuttering himself/herself in it could very well be the action represents repression of some aspect of the dreamer's life {example: abuse earlier in life or some other traumatic experience the dreamer does not remember or wants to confront because of the emotional pain}. The house is the dreamer {a universal symbol representing the dreamer} and going inside represents psychologically turning inward, away from the experience. The images are the person {the dreamer or an aspect of the dreamer} and the house {also the dreamer}. The action is 'going inside' the house {the dreamer's unconscious psyche}.

Also consider another possible representation of going in that would define an aspect of the dreamer's personality. The inside could point to an introverted personality {the outside would represent extroverted}. We all are born with an innate temperament, introvert or extrovert and how that plays out personality wise is influenced by nurturing in early life {personality is established by age 9}. I often see personality traits in dreams and when I do I make ita part of my analysis so the dreamer can respond to it {and most often verified by the dreamer}.

Which would be correct. Possibly both. The personality trait could be true along with the repression representation since all dreams have at least two meanings/applications. Beyond the two possible representations above, one aspect of dreams is also focusing on recent emotional experiences while another is in some way/always focused on early life foundations. Early life experiences form the basic foundations of who we become later in life. We know {from research the first three years of life are most important because the developing psyche 'takes in' the outer experiences {those with emotional energies such as parents arguing} and stores them in the unconscious. What is experienced when the brain is developing becomes the concrete force for personality traits {even influencing the inherent personality from birth}.

I stated above I know a certain symbol or action fits because the dreamer confirms my analysis. This is how I 'know' many things about dreams. The dreamer verifies specifics of my analysis in their response. Science is all about proving a concept or theory. Jung laid out the basic concepts of the dream and I have found them to be true and applicable in analyzing dreams. Confirmation of what I believe from the thousands of analyzed dreams is for me proof. Scientific proof.

It is why I call my approach to dreams the psychology of dreams. Psychology is a science.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 67 Male Cocoa, Fl