Hi Gerard,

Thanks for the follow-through on the 'River Street' dream and the suggestion to post others. I definitely would love to add a recent dream that has stayed with me over the last month. I'd love it if you had some thoughts which might help to shed some light.

'Man with no Muscles'

There was a man who had phoned my house persistantly saying that he needed to speak to me at great length regarding what was about to happen. It seemed to have to do with a number of young boys.

I stood looking out my window and saw my neighbour all covered in charcoal black face paint. He was smoking a black cigar. He had a hooded coat on and was apparently unable to handle the light.

Shortly after I left the window there was a knock on the door and it was the neighbour, but he no longer had the blacking on his face. He was an energetic, 30-40something, apple-pie male wearing a pair of black horn-rimmed glasses. He began to collapse and fell to my feet. He was laid out flat on his back and I understood that he was in danger, having lost all his muscles. He needed protection.

Do you have any thoughts on this one?

Thank you.
Angela

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 39, Canadian living in England

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Angela,
This dream once again seems to be addressing masculine aspects. This masculine aspect seeks to communicate with you. The young boys could be under developed masculine qualities.

The black painted face, the black cigar could also be masculine energy but to Freud it would be a phallic symbol. Unable to handle the light may indicate the conscious mind is unable to confront unconscious contents.

The last paragraph seems to be pointing to masculine self that is capable of being energetic and positive. But looking into the unconscious there is that lack of recognition and threat of diminished masculine self.

Unless there is something in your life that you have yet to confront involving waking experiences and men the dream again may be addressing animus qualities. What needs to be determined is if there are those past waking experiences. If the deep unconscious holds something you have repressed then the symbols could be addressing that. If not the animus qualities would seem to be the message of this dream as well as your other dreams. It may merely be addressing childhood experiences involving your father. If he possessed weaknesses then that may be the determining factor.

Were there any traumatic experiences as a child that may be repressed? Any sexual contacts? We can see your dreams are full of masculine qualities but to what extent is what needs to be determined.

gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 58 Murfreesboro, Tn

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Angela,
Let me take another look at your dream in the morning. I believe I have mistaken your dream with another post. There are definitely masculine aspects in play but I want to examine it closer along with your other posts.

gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 58 Murfreesboro, Tn

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Hi Gerard,

Thank you for taking a look at this to this point. I could see another posting was getting mixed into the response, but of course there would be some areas that would cross-over or need clarification anyway. I can address those straight away.

As far as I know, there is nothing related to childhood repression for me. I had a particularly good, playful and innovative relationship with my father.

However, when I was 20, I was drugged while travelling. There was definitely sexual abuse due to my condition when I came to, but I have no memory of it at all. The rape drug, aside from erasing memory, does relax all the muscles(!)... But that was nearly 20 years ago and there weren't any obvious long-term effects. Without memory, I was easily able to dust myself off and move on. I had some emotions around it at the time and many years later, so I do feel my psyche has fully dealt with the incident itself.

The idea of the blacking and Freudian cigar (sexuality) would be a perfect 'blackout' analogy to what I cannot see in myself. That the coal dust has come off when the neighbour is at the door intrigues me. Do you have any thoughts on that?

There does seem to be the area of waking life connectivity to the dream, but since it has been dealt with, I'm thinking that the male is my animus trying to get my attention. But it's leaving me confused because I have strong masculine roles in my past -- a business and real estate with moderate success. Now I take on both the feminine (household/nurturing) and some of the masucline (practical/driving) roles in my household with the exception of breadwinning, which I'm more than happy to reliquish to my husband.

The neighbour's face, when exposed, does remind me of someone from a tv series I saw recently (horn-rimmed glasses too). He inspired an entire school of boys, against all odds and conventions, to form a choir. It was a beautifully moving and collective endeavour.

Just a few things to add to the pot...

Angela.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 39, Canadian living in England

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Angela,
Sorry I didn't get to your dream yesterday morning. Unexpected projects kept me from my usual early morning sessions.

The dream apparently is addressing masculine aspects but to what extent is the question that needs to answered. The second paragraph seems to indicate something that is unable to 'handle the light', perhaps something within the unconscious that the conscious mind does not to see. Have you resolved the abusive experience when you were 20?

Putting it all together I sense there is a breakdown or fear of a loss of those strong masculine qualities you possess. The energetic 30-40 something {at 36 you are in between the ages 30 & 40} male could be that strong masculine self but for some reason that aspect is in danger of losing its strength {He began to collapse}. Perhaps the man from the first paragraph who needed to speak to me at great length regarding what was about to happen is that inner masculine self. The number of young boys may indicate a need to develop new masculine attitudes.

Could it be that the experience from age 20 still has a need for deeper examination and resolution? Some part of your masculine self needs protection, perhaps an indication your strong masculine self {dealing with the abuse at age 20} has lost its ability to protect you from that emotional experience {having lost all his muscles} and there is a need to develop new and stronger masculine defences because of that {young boys}. There could be other waking experiences where you have lost or feel you have lost control of. Your need for control {Sally from your 'River Street' dream} may be in response to that abusive experience at age 20. That may be the primary message of this dream, a need for control due to the abusive experience. I can see where the River Street dream could also be addressing this issue. The damage to Sally's apartment could be the damage from the abusive experience. Other symbols with the River Dream also could fit with that need for control, which would stem from the sexual abuse.

What do you think?

gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 58 Murfreesboro, Tn

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Hi Gerard,

Wow! I have a lot to think about here. I've started to work on this more deeply, but I don't have enough time to respond properly at the moment. I'm going away for a few days, but I hope to be back on the weekend to give this the attention it deserves.

Thank you once again for your probing and very effective response.

Angela.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 39, Canadian living in England

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Hi Gerard,

Finally, I'm able to get back to this.

Hmmm! Yes, there is a huge connection here, indeed! Muscle-less would certainly look like lack of control. That is so right! So, my unconscious is using this muscle-less man as an analogy to places in my life where I feel lack of control. That would fit in a lot of areas.

I'm actually 39 -- so much closer to that 40 mark. Hmmm...Mark? (The old mentor in River dream.) Mark actually disappeared at a vulnerable time for me when he was 40. And it was Sally, from the same dream, who withdrew her support when the rape occurred. When I returned to the lodgings that night, she pretended to be asleep. In the morning she claimed no memory of anything, despite having left me with a group of males. It has not been uncommon for me to have to be my own support system.

Lack of support could also be symbolized by no muscles. Nothing to hold me up...

If I'm in a situation where I'm feeling out of control, I can see that it's possible that my masculine-support/strength quality could be abandoning me purely from unconscious reactive methods. Perhaps it is stuck on the unconscious memory of being unable to help in that rape situation. It's learned to 'black out' and collapse as its way to protect me. It looks like I'm in need of having 'that discussion at length' with my inner males!

Thanks again, Gerard.

Angela.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 39, Canadian living in England

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