This dream begins on the beach. I am on the beach and with a few people, who I can't particularly remember now, but there are some awfully big waves hitting the shore and the waves are going further and further up the sand.... there is quite a large beach... I notice a huge wave coming, one that will engulf me if I do not get away from it. I turn away from the water and am trying to go up the beach to safty. For some reason I feel like I am knee deep in mud, I can't move quickly at all and the wave is coming, I do just make it to safty the wave crashes and water comes all the way up to where I made it... It surrounds my ankles... I turn and watch as more waves come. I am suddenly at my grandmothers house, who's house is atop a hill, which is probably 200 ft above sealevel... you can see the bay from her house. Still waves, huge waves are comming in, but there is one that is obsurdly large, it seems monsterous and I tell everyone to look... It crashes and comes up and the water is rising and rising. The wave comes through my grandmothers yard, but there is only about 6 inches of water as the wave has reached its peek........ hum? After the wavehas retreated I look ou the window out over the bay, on the other side, apx 2-4 miles away. there is a large bear... monsterous... a couple hundred feet high... I run to get my camera and am thinking holy crap I can't believe thisis really happening.... and I was thinking and I KNOW I am not dreaming,... Whats with this?

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James,
What is your age? Knowing your age effects a better understanding of the dream symbols. If you would respond with your age it would be greatly appreciated.

Off hand this seems to be addressing waves of emotions that become increasingly difficult to manage with reference to a higher feminine aspect, your grandmother, as a resolution. The giant bear has archetypical implications. The camera would be used to record for verification that this is 'real'.

Please respond with your thoughts & age if possible. Interesting dream & would like to look deeper into this dream.

Thanks,
Kathy

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 43 Central OH

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Hi James,
Thank you for your email response & for the additional information. In response to your questions you may find the following background information pertinent. Then following that is a possible interpretation.

In psychological terms emotions, nurturing, intuition etc are typically feminine qualities, the anima. Rational thought, competition, aggression, etc are masculine qualities, the animus. The anima is the feminine component, the animus the masculine component, of the Psyche, the whole of the inner Self. Society has long taught, even demanded, males exhibit extreme control, actually repression, of emotions in order to fit into the societal definition of ‘a Man’. In this many men do not learn first, that emotion is a natural part of Self and two, a positive mode of expressing emotion. Therefore, when an intense emotional situation arises he has no positive background or learning to draw from to deal with and express his emotions. This is where the anima plays into the dream theatre. In male dreams often times a female character is an anima aspect. His source or store of feminine traits. In a difficult emotional situation a male’s anima can show him an appropriate and healthy way to accept and express emotion. (It can also show an unhealthy way if the female influences in his life were/are negative.) In your dream finally arriving at your grandmother’s, searching for safety from the waves, all seem to point to emotion and needing to reach a higher level of understanding, acceptance and healthy expression of emotion (the large, threatening waves ending in the largest - a destructive tidal wave). By definition a grandmother is, usually, female, much older, wise (denoting a store of life experience from which to draw on) and a matriarch (oldest mother of a large extended family) so therefore viewed as a ‘higher’ feminine aspect. Of course, if specifically a person’s grandmother is highly negative in characteristics, this could point to the opposite. Dreams are exceedingly personal and the meaning of dreaming the same symbol could be completely different to two dreamers.

Use the links to the left for in depth information about the Anima/Animus and Archetypes.

Regarding an Archetypical possibility many times the human Psyche, the unconscious, holds a deep connection of the Self to the traits of the animal. From the beginning of time humans, animals, Nature have been all interconnected to each other. (I supposedly can atest to this as I have been told by my daughter umpteen times that I’m so old when God said let there be light I was there to turn on the switch…just kidding about attesting to, but not my daughter) The bear as an Archetype, especially pertaining to Native American and ancient European beliefs, is a mystical symbol of power, force, healing and wisdom.
For more in depth information about Archetypes click here for the MDS Archetype page - http://www.mythsdreamssymbols.com/archetypes.html

As always James, a dream interpretation must ring with the dreamer. Using Jung’s model we can sometimes look into dreams and see probabilities and connections but it’s the dreamer who must feel the interpretation is there or not. Please feel free to respond with your thoughts. It is through this interchange I learn a great deal about the message of dreams and of the soul.


Interpretation:
Possibly showing your conscious meeting or becoming aware of unconscious emotions, power or determination, attitudes that are hidden that want to be made conscious. Perhaps there is something within your unconscious that the conscious mind needs to acknowledge, coming to consciousness in a forceful manner. These inner emotions are encroaching more and more on the outer conscious mind. Are you feeling overwhelmed by emotions, allowing them to impact on your life in a destructive manner, perhaps trying to escape from these because you see them as threatening? Yet you try ignoring this sea of turbulent emotions by retreating to your learned acceptable mode of dealing with intense emotions, or looking to the rational, conscious mind for support and safety. ‘Knee deep in mud’ could reflect feeling stranded, alone or perhaps you are feeling weighed down by or stuck in a situation, problem, or relationship. Are you feeling any depression or ‘the blues’? Could you be seeking refuge in the conscious mind but find this does not stop these turbulent emotions? Perhaps you must seek a new direction or approach (ankles) that will address and resolve rather than evade. Your grandmother could be a wise old woman aspect, or it could be showing you the way to address this emotional issue is to look to and adopt a wise, mature feminine outlook as this aspect or method can view the emotions on a whole & place them in proper perspective of the whole (her place looks out over the bay). Again, probably denoting these turbulent emotions have become increasingly difficult to manage or repress, “they keep rising and rising”. The number 6 could point to 3, 6 is a multiple of 3, possibly indicating that what is lacking in you can be supplied only by some part of your unconscious self that you find too frightening to acknowledge and use” although can resolve the issue. The monsterous bear may symbolic of your true self, a nature of emotions being ‘bearish’, pessimistic or negative, overly aggressive and forceful. OR could be a symbol of large healing, power and wisdom within you that you must find and utilize in resolving the conflict. The camera could be authenticating this as a real internal issue, (record as proof), showing your conscious the ‘monsterous bear’ is a part of you or even pointing to something in the past that needs examined.


Thanks ever so much,
Kathy

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 43 Central OH

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Kathy,
Your interpratation gave me a oh, no duh type of feeling. The last few months have been rather stressful and I have been struggling with the realization that my ideal self is not my real self. The past few weeks I have been consciously trying to accept what I have to and change what I have to. Currently I am 21 and am spending my first year away from home (west coast) and am living overseas in the Czech Republic. I have indeed been overwhelmed by emotions. It was hard for me to even get out of bed a few weeks ago (maybe symbolized by me being knee deep in mud) I flew home for the holidays and began to contemplate moving back to the states to avoid a relationship that has somewhat fallen out (my best girl friend). Running from my problems has always been my way out and I have been struggling to fight against the urge to keep running. My grandmother in real life is someone I respect more then anything or anyone. I still am unsure of how she fits in, unless just being at her house (this could have been your idea, or mine I’m not sure if you mentioned it and if that’s where I got the idea, or if it just came to me) but if just being at her house was seeking refuge from my currently stressful situation. I do love spending time up at her house, it feels like a place that I can escape. She always cares for me (makes me meals and makes sure that I am not doing anything but relaxing). Anyways this is all that I can think of to respond. Again thanks for you time and effort.
James

James,
Dreams often communicate what is really going on in our lives. What our inner self knows yet the conscious mind can not, or will not, see on it’s own. Your realization is one many of us face. You are not alone in your struggle as you may gather from the number of people in Self work through the Myths-Dreams-Symbols site & Dream Forum.

Possibly look at what it is about your grandmother’s personality that you hold in such high respect. This may give you clues to what it is your inner self needs to integrate and would be helpful in resolving both the emotional difficulties and the behaviour you wish to change.

And I encourage you to seek counseling. Experiencing difficulty rising from bed is a significant issue that may require the knowledge and experience of a trained professional. I know we all experience a down day now and again but your situation could be indicative of something more serious than what can be addressed here at the Forum.

Thank you for your posts and responses.
Kathy

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 43 Central OH

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Wow, James. I have dreams about large bears like that all the time. I also have dreams about being on beaches and such a lot, i'm sure i've had a dream thats almost exactly like the one you've described. Very interesting.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 24, portland, OR

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