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Elephant fighting grizzly bears

In my dream, I was awakened by the sensation that the room was swaying back and forth violently. With much effort, I woke up my bunk partner (some young man with glasses that I identified as Billy), then my best friend from childhood, and then the other people in the large room, maybe 30 or 40. I felt an urgent need to get out. Next, we were all mounted on various animals in a large, closed-in field. Although some animals were mounted by people, others were not. I especially recall seeing lions and bulls. I remember feeling sorry for the lions. We were all being attacked by tremendous grizzly bears. My bunk partner and I were riding a white elephant (maybe my childhood friend was on the elephant too). When a grizzly bear would come to attack us, the elephant would rear back on his back legs and kick the grizzly bear with his front legs. While the elephant did get injured (I noticed blood on its legs), it did manage to vanquish all of the bears that attacked us. Finally, a man opened a gate at one end of the field and we escaped through this gate. I don't know what happened to the other people and animals. That's it -- any interpretations????

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 41, Austin

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Re: Elephant fighting grizzly bears

I should add that I am a 41 year old female that has been in spiritual/emotional transition for about five years with a heavy emphasis on the last year. My dreams of late have been quite vivid. I am familiar with some of Cambell's works.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 41, Austin

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Re: Elephant fighting grizzly bears

Renee,

Thank you for providing personal information along with your dream. This practice is a great help to those looking at possible meaning of dream and dream symbols.

As always, a dream interpretation is only a possibility. It is the dreamer who defines and ultimately interprets their dream. The following may have relevance…

Perhaps during your spiritual transition you’ve undergone drastic changes. Your conscious of animus, bunkmate, in your journey. This spiritual aspect was once confined to one aspect of Self. Perhaps this practice or belief was developed through or drawn from childhood experiences, societal indoctrination, parents, etc. The time between 30 and 40 years of age is the time people enter and become aware of mid life. It is also the life stage when many hear the ‘call’ to spiritual awareness and Self development, Jung’s Individuation.

Perhaps the ‘urgent need to get out’ is the spiritual aspect. It desires outer expression due to past confinement to internal experience. The animals could symbolize creation. That Creation aspect of the spiritual Self. The closed in field may be the physical side (field) of life. Again, confinement is apparent. Perhaps the physical aspect of life is one you have yet to reconcile in your spiritual journey, of being in the world.

Lions could be feminine with bulls representing masculine. Grizzly bears may be that aspect that works to divert you from your spiritual journey and experience you seek. Bear(ing) could be a pun for direction. The white elephant may symbolize your spiritual Self making a stand without changing bearing (the pun). As many times symbols hold meaning within meaning this white elephant may also point to animus or ego issue. From Hyperdictionary:

“A white elephant is a supposedly valuable possession whose upkeep exceeds its usefulness, and it is therefore a liability. The term derives from the sacred white elephants kept by traditional Southeast Asian monarchs in Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. To possess a white elephant was regarded (and still is regarded, in Thailand and Burma) as a sign that the monarch was ruling with justice and the kingdom was blessed with peace and prosperity. The tradition derives from tales in the scriptures which associate a white elephant with the birth of Buddha.”

The dream may point to Animus, or masculine aspect, as an inner issue. The open gate may symbolize to become open to power and change turning them to advantage. However, following the masculine, perhaps waiting for the masculine to rescue or lead, may again be an inner Self issue. Perhaps look at information about the anima and animus on MDS (to the left). In addition Aspects of the Feminine is a good section to explore. These may help in determining if this is an animus issue.

Again, this is only one possible interpretation. It takes into account your experience of Campbell’s influence in your journey. If this seems to fit with your current life perhaps learning what is meant to continue by looking to the real conditions and contexts through searching the clues may be appropriate. With this pause, process and go forward. Sometimes inaction is necessary. Movement for the sake of movement is response to pressure. Pressure itself can not be maintained indefinitely. Action and inaction are contained within cycles of Self development, whether a cycle is spiritual transformation or resolving unconscious issues, etc.

Please respond with your thoughts on the dream and interpretation even if the interpretation isn’t close. This is a learning forum with many of us in various stages of Self work. Your response will aide those seekers who travel their path of Self exploration.

Kind regards,
Kathy

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 44 Central OH

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Re: Elephant fighting grizzly bears

Thanks Kathy for your insights. I also interpreted my bunkmate as my animus. It is interesting to note that he appeared as a young man - in his early 20s. I clearly wanted him to go with me because I had a feeling that he would know what to do. Also, when we were on the elephant, I didn't see my bunkmate, I only felt his presence and somehow understood that he we in control (e.g. seated before me). The childhood friend I interpreted as my childhood - one that I am still carrying with me (the need to wake this friend up personally), but one that I am trying to disengage from - I wasn't sure if she was on the elephant or not -- not a clear presence. I had been experiencing self-care issues where I had wanted others to take care of me - my parents, my partner, etc. I have consciously been trying to take care of myself and depend on myself for emotional/physical/spiritual care for a while now. I interpreted the grizzly bears as my mother in particular. I had been wanting her to take care of me, but had known that it would not be good for my growth and in fact would be detrimental and dangerous. As I have been backing away from my mother, she has become angry. At the same time, I have been feeling guilty about this and I think that is the pity I felt for the lions, also a mother aspect. My mother wants to take care of me and does not like be cut off from this role. I feel bad for this need of hers but recognize that it isn't doing me any good. I saw the elephant as power (and probably also male) and clearly felt this power and I was calm on his back as we fought the bears. I couldn't see the face of the man who opened the gate - he was standing with his back to me, but seemed to be wearing a beret and a striped shirt (I remember thinking he might be French and now I wonder if he was representing something like the French underground who helps people navigate through dangerous territory.) The masculine-feminime demension is certainly one to explore. I have usually seen myself as left-brained oriented (logical, rational, etc.) and had really played down the right-brain aspects -- sometimes with much conscious force -- but have been feeling a huge, unavoidable need to explore intuition, creativity, spirituality, etc. for at least five years. About a year ago I injured my right foot which is just now beginning to heal. I started to consider this injury which has limited my mobility and has really compelled me to actively get in touch with the emotional, spirtitual self as related to all of this animus/anima and growth (from childhood, etc.) issues.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 41, Austin

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Re: Elephant fighting grizzly bears

seems like you may be going through a great deal of trouble to battle loneliness. You may also unnecessarily be putting up fronts to appear better off than you really are as you await for something to happen.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 42 bronx ny

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

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Re: Elephant fighting grizzly bears

Renee,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. Your detailed response is greatly appreciated.

As your relationship with mother and animus continue to change and evolove it will be interesting to see what dream form(s) your Psyche chooses as symbols. Changing the nature of parental relationship, and Self, can be difficult due to the long history and deep emotions involved.

Regarding Individuation Jung saw most, if not all. dream characters in dreams of mid life to be representative of aspects of Self. With your thoughts the dream emphasis may be mother centered perhaps looking into the mother archetype would lend additional dimension to your dream and interpretation.

Many thanks,
Kathy

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 44 Central OH

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

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