Hello dream interpreters. I would be grateful to hear your thoughts on two powerful dreams I had recently on two consecutive nights:
1st Dream: I am living as a boarder in the dark, drafty house of a woman who vaguely resembles a distant cousin -- but is not quite her. This woman inherited the house from her father; she has alluded to legal conflicts surrounding the ownership/history of the house but has not explained clearly what they are. The house is old, decrepit, and sparsely furnished with floor-to-ceiling windows that are barely covered by flimsy, grubby curtains. There are two floors connected by a wooden staircase; aside from a salon-like room with a couple of upright wooden chairs, the functions of the house's large, open rooms are not specific. I do not recall seeing a kitchen or bathroom in the dream. Outside, the night is dark and the landscape is cold and barren; there is a post-apolcalyptic feeling that pervades the interior of the house from the outside. The dream is atmospheric and nothing really transpires. My interaction with the woman who owns the house is minimal and distant -- we appear to have a polite landlord/boarder relationship --- and I quietly shift between the house's two floors feeling cold (it is drafty) and uneasy. This is all I remember from the dream. I awoke with a sense of dread.

2nd Dream: I am sailing the vast ocean in a small sailboat; onboard are one or two others whose identities I cannot remember now. (One, perhaps, is my 18 year old son who - in real life - is about to move abroad to attend university.) It is a clear day; the ocean is relatively calm but my small boat must navigate the large, rolling waves that sea vessels encounter deep in the ocean. There is another larger, yacht-like boat that is navigating the waves alongside us in this desolate stretch of ocean; onboard this boat are extended family members, including my late father's second wife -- a woman whose dark, abusive nature has caused my siblings and me much grief. There is some kind of party happening on the larger boat, and I can hear music and chatter. Curiously, I am observing the scenario - the ocean, rolling waves, the different vessels - from a third person POV yet simultaneously experiencing it in first person onboard the wee sailboat. (Only in dreams are we afforded such narrative luxury.) A huge rolling wave appears on the horizon; I am terrified, momentarily, that it will swallow us, but - as a third person observer - I watch the wee sailboat surf it nimbly. The larger boat takes the wave sideways - perhaps the captain didn't see it coming - and is on the verge of capsizing. I awoke feeling both anxious and...I don't know...hopeful, empowered.

Any thoughts?

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Marie,
Your first dream. Ill provide an analysis of the second dream in a separate post.
The boarder is a temporary resident in a house {the house is you}. This may point to temporary inspections of your unconscious psyche. The dark aspect would indicate unconscious aspects. The draftiness may indicate uncomfortable aspects related to part of yourself.

The resemblance to your cousin would indicate aspects you possess that are similar to her. The inherited aspects from the father is what you may have inherited personality wise from your father. You may not own up to these qualities are perhaps recognize them {look at his personality/life and compare inherent traits you possess}. The condition of the house would fit with your emotional self and possibly to you actual life. Remember the house is you.

The two floors would point to two aspects of yourself {on one level conscious/unconscious}. The salon part is pointing to appearances {are you concerned about appearances, not only your own but how people see you?}. The upright position of the chairs {positioning yourself consciously as opposed to unconscious reality} may be about honesty to yourself. These are connected {staircase} and may be automatically controlled by unconscious aspects {wooden-resemblances}. You may not know what your function in life is because of inherent and unconscious traits/motivations.

There is no visible means for personal growth {kitchen where nourishment is prepared} nor an ability to eliminate the negatives in your psyche {bathroom}. Your conscious life {outside} is dark {controlled by unconscious aspects}, cold and barren. Subconsciously you have an apocalyptic view on life that flows from the inside {unconscious aspects/motivations}. Nothing positive seems to happen in your life. The relationship with the woman who owns the house {you} is one of minimal recognition of the inner to the outer {unconscious to the waking conscious life}. The shifting between the two floors is emotional shifts in your life. This makes life very uneasy.

The dream is addressing either a recent experience to do with what I have provided or your entire life {it could be both}. My sense is your life is unconsciously motivated by early life experiences that have associations to your father. Your cousin may have had similar experiences. Look at your life from top to bottom and see what you come up with. A response may help in understanding the unconscious aspects and motivations.




Jerry [meditate[pray]

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 64 Cocoa, Fl

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Marie,
Analysis of your second dream.

The vast ocean is symbolic of the unconscious. The vessel is you and may indicate a small part of your emotional self {that this dream is focused}. The larger yacht-like boat would be your whole emotional life. The small emotional aspect {sailboat} may have to do with your son moving abroad {fears and anxieties}. The extended family members would be your 'extended' emotions and that is related to your early life and the experiences to do with your step-mother. These are influences that are likely related to the first dream {father/step-mother relationships}. The third person you see is the dream view of your unconscious and your emotions. Being able to nimbly navigate the waves would have to do with the 'small sailboat' emotions {son's move} and the broadside the larger boat takes is your whole emotional self. Taken together the total emotional strain may be pushing you to your limits.

The waking feelings are important. The anxious feelings would be obvious {related to your emotional self}. The empowerment would be the human condition of being your strongest when your back is against the wall. Humans tend to find strength that was absent when there are no other alternatives but to face the problems head on. You either sink or swim and the natural inclination is to cling to life. This may point to your survival instincts, having to fight against the odds all your life.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 64 Cocoa, Fl

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Jerry, I don't know whether you received my previous reply -- it isn\'t it posted on the thread. Thank you for your thoughtful analyses. Both dreams had a strong emotional impact on me, the first overwhelmingly negative and the second mostly positive.

It rings true that the house dream speaks to unconscious drives associated to my father. He was a powerful, controlling man who kept many secrets and divided children/wives against each other. Ten years after his death, we (siblings & I) are still suffering the damage he left behind. Your interpretations leave me with two painful questions: have I unconsciously replicated his approach to life? Am I stuck in the house I have inherited from him -- is there no way to grow or move on from his negative legacy? My feeling upon awakening from the first dream was dark and despairing; the second left me feeling strong and rather exhilarated. Considered together, these dreams reflect deep truths about my life and where I am going.

Again, many thanks your insights.

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Marie,
It is very possible if not likely your experiences as a child in relationship to your father are unconscious motivators as an adult. My life took that course and I never knew it until I discovered Jungian psyche some 22 years ago. After years of deep and continuous self examination i began to realize I was duplicating many of my father's actions in my adulthood {my father left my mother and 4 children when I was 5 and was never again a participant in our lives}. We now know that children, even in infancy, take in their environment and it becomes an unconscious fixture in the foundations for future growth.

As for moving on and be able to grow despite these influences, there are remedies. My path to wholeness and personal growth came from Jung's Individuation Process. Instead of professional therapy I was able to connect intuitively with Jung's concepts and identify my shadow aspects. Once that was achieved I began to understand the emotional energies that were controlling my conscious life and little by little remove them.

But there is always more to this therapy than just finding ones true identity. There is a realization of the greater possibilities in life, discovering the meaning in the individual life. The great thing for me was the intuitive connection not only led to the resolution of the deep motivators but also began my education into dream analysis. I do not have any formal training in Jungian psychology but I do possess an intuitive understanding of his concepts. From 22 years of working with dreams, especially from my work at this Dream Forum {which has been on line since 2005}, I've discovered I do have the ability to understand and interpret dreams {as many people do who use Jung and have an intuitive mind}. During those early years of learning Jung I also self taught myself to design websites. These sites were/are my way of expressing my true self, as well as a tool for sharing what I have learned. Although the primary goal is to resolve the underlying unconscious issues in life {which most often stem from early life}, there is also the issues of finding meaning in life as we age. Jung, as well as my spiritual mentor Joseph Campbell taught we find true meaning and wholeness when we discover our spiritual and creative aspects {spiritual is not religious but a connection with the divine in nature}. My websites are my outlet for creativity. The muse is our natural connection to the greater 'metaphysical' properties in life. 'Follow your bliss', that thing in life you love doing most. By doing that you put yourself on a level of higher consciousness where society doesn't dictate how you live life. By giving from the soul, the muse within, we are sharing with others. That is a spiritual endeavor in itself. It is a process that requires discipline and personal bravery {you are confronting the inner demons, the real devil in life}. Few people realize this but those who do and {ad}venture the hero path undergo a true birth and resurrection {the metaphorical symbolism of Jesus death and resurrection}. It is a transformation of the highest order where you are released from the bonds of unconscious motivations and freed to explore your highest potential. I have experienced this from Campbell's tutelage as has George Lucas, Linda Ronstadt, Jerry Garcia and many others who heard the call to adventure.

Visit the links I have provided and see if you 'get turned on' by them.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 64 Cocoa, Fl

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