In an elaborately decorated room with a male friend, who is seated in a high-backed chair in front of a large gold-framed wall mirror. I'm facing him, but at some distance away - I can see the back of his head and my reflection in the mirror. The door leading out of the room is slightly ajar and I notice several people - one of them my younger sister - walking the hallway and ascending the nearby stairs.

I suddenly am aware that my friend is smoking - two cigarettes at the same time. The room fills with smoke rather quickly and I'm anxious that the people in the hallway will detect the smell of the cigarettes.

I'm not upset with my friend, but I want to understand why he has taken up the habit of smoking. I kneel down in front of him (strange...this is the same exact posture I assumed with the male child in another dream, as well as the wolf character...the feeling is that I am wanting to be at eye level for the purpose of understanding their perspective). I ask my friend to give me the cigarettes, stating that he really doesn't need them anymore - he is not resistant and relinquishes them easily. I do notice, however that he retains one unlit cigarette in his left hand - I don't ask him for this one.

Have I encountered a 'shadow'...a darker side of myself that I'm not wanting others to know about...and maybe unwilling at this point to totally give up (as in the one unlit cigarette)?

Deedee

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 47

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

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Northwest US

Hi Deedee,
Jung is of the opinion that the 'shadow' is generally portrayed as the same sex as the dreamer. The opposite sex is the Anima/Animus. In your case the Animus (the 'Soul').

In your dream you said you were anxious about the smoking. Have you had an anxious experience in real life lately? If so, is the dream telling you something about yourself, with that situation, that you weren't consciously aware of. What do you generally think/feel about cigarettes? Where possible you should always attach personal assocations first.

Just lifted a quote from Marie Louise von Franz book on dreams. She says that the meaning of a dream can be formulated as follows;

1) A dream represents an unconscious reaction to a conscious situation.

2) It describes a situation which has come about as the result of some conflict between consciousness and the unconscious.

3) It represents a tendancy in the unconscious whose purpose is to effect a change in a conscious attitude.

4) It represents unconscious processes which have no recognizable relation to consciousness.

Cheers. Stephen G.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 46

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

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Sydney Australia

Thanks, Stephen...good points to consider, and I'll definitely do some more thinking as to how this dream might relate to real life instances at present.

I don't think I felt as anxious about the cigarettes, as I did about the drifting of the smoke into the outer hallway where it might be detected by others. And, I am often overly concerned with how those around me will perceive my actions.

I have no real aversion to cigarettes, although I am a nonsmoker and don't feel they are necessarily part of a healthy lifestyle. I'm a very non-judgmental person when it comes to the activities or persuasions of others.

There seemed to be a definite feeling of conflict in this dream. The initial attitude of the male friend when smoking two cigarettes at a time was "brazen"...somewhat uncaring. When I got down in front of him and asked for the cigarettes, there was more understanding and then surrender. Rather than a rebellious attitude associated with retaining the unlit cigarette, it felt more like security..."Here, you can have these two, but I'll hang on to one just in case." Just in case, "what", I'm not sure.

Thanks again, Stephen...you've been most helpful.

Deedee

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 47

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

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Northwest US

hi deedee,
the shaddow can appear in many forms,dark figures of the same sex among them,smoking in its basics,is a bad habit,not being a smoker yourself,do you tend to put up with other peoples bad habits,rather than say what you think,?,or are you being confronted by your own.
if you take away all the details,the facts,you are left with a theme,somebody,is doing something that you disagree with,and you know is wrong.
the handing over of the cigarettes,could represent a partial acceptance,recognition of the trait/habit involved.
getting down to eye level,wanting to understand ,reminded me of the grail quest,namely, the big question ,WHAT AILS YOU ?.this is an act of compassion leading to understanding.
i remember a story about jung and a little girl that had been a patient of freuds,she said that she lived on the moon,and freud couldn't help her,she was sent to jung ,he came down to her eye level and said,funny,i live on the moon to.what a great man.
just a few things to ponder.
regards steve.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 49-england

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

Hi Deedee,
The main question I feel I would ask,

why do you get anxious about people finding out that there is smoke coming from the room?

Has a part of you done something recently, habitually, that revolves around anxiety? You may not be aware of it consciously.

Watch out for what clicks.

Stephen G

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 46

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

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Sydney Australia