Hello,

I had a very scary dream the other night. I'm pretty sure I have the main meaning down, but would like some additional input.

In the dream, I live in a beach house and am walking along the sand by the water and pass a jetty. (basically a pier made out of big rocks/stones) I see a glimpse of a woman in the water, by the jetty. I pause, not sure if I had imagined her or not. I decide to swim out into the water to make sure that she is really not in trouble, even though I know that swimming by the jetty is very dangerous because of the strong currents.

As I'm swimming, I get swept away by the undertow. I'm not scared and I let the current carry me. I know that eventually the stregth of the current will subside and that I will be able to swim to the surface soon.

However, the current begins taking me to a hole in the ocean floor beneath the jetty and now I am scared at this point. As I get to the hole, I use all of my stength not to go inside. I know that if I go into the hole, then I will never come back. I begin to swim, straight up, using the rocks to climb to the surface. This works, and I am making progress to the surface b/c I have left the strong part of the current.

Just before I get to the surface, the current moves and tries to pull me back down. I know that currents don't normally move like that, and am very scared again. Still, using all of my stregth, I manage to get to the surface and climb out onto the jetty. I'm crying hysterically b/c I know that I almost died.

There are 3 fisherman on the pier who are comforting me. I tell them that the water washed away my contacts and that I couldn't see them very clearly. I tell them that I will go back to my house and come back b/c I want to know what they look like.

Then, still distraught, I go to my neighbor's house. The neighbor is an old man who I have befriended. He invites me inside to talk, and I notice a picture of a woman on a table that I haven't noticed before. He tells me that the woman is his wife who died a long time ago. The woman in the picture is the woman that I saw on the pier. The dream ends.

I know the hole represents some part of my unconscious that I'm scared to explore. Maybe, I have willingly begun to explore it, by entering the water in the first place, but am not quite ready to go that far. The fisherman are the other parts of myself, but why can't I see them? And what is the significance of the woman in the picture? Another part of myself that I have forgotten?

A little background - I have always had an interest in exploring the psyche and developing/opening my chakras,etc. I have paid more attention to doing this recently. Perhaps I'm trying to move quickly?

Your thoughts are appreciated. Many thanks.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 26 - Texas

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Note: drshell is a regular contributor to the Dream Forum and is also very much aware of her inner journey. I am familiar with her case so some of the comments I make are because of that familiarity. This dream has a lot of mythological symbolism which may be reflective of drshell's knowledge and previous explorations of her inner life and journey.


dr,
Of course the woman you see in the water is you. Since you are in the water {unconscious exploration} you are probably trying to determine if there are any hidden aspects that you are not aware of {you are consciously aware of your personal journey, have explored the inner world enough to realize the different and sometimes unrealized aspects within}.
You live in a beach house, and that is living with an awareness of conscious and unconscious influences. Because of this awareness "you know that eventually the strength of the current will subside and that I will be able to swim to the surface soon".

But there is that fear of exploring the deep unconscious, perhaps finding something you may not be aware of. Because you are aware of the importance of this exploration you are not afraid {"I'm not scared and I let the current carry me"}. It is dangerous stuff, this inner exploration, but there is even more danger if you do not confront the unknown.

The undertowe is power of the deepest depths of the unconscious. You are reluctant to go to the deepest depths, the currents {what you may find there}could be too strong. But you have the strenght to overcome these currents and are able to enter that dark unconscious world and return to the surface {the conscious life}.
{This has the familiar ring of the hero journey, the descention into the depths and the ultimate return}.

Note: In Christian mythology the example would be Jonah being swallowed by the whale. George Lucas uses this motif in his Star Wars epic where the group is caught in the trash compactor. Joseph Campbell cites this as a universal motif found in all cultures. more about this motif.

The scene with the hole in the ocean floor and the fear associated with it could possible represent some unknown aspect about yourself that you are afraid to acknowledge. But it also could represent the dangers of assuming the unconscious exploration as the ulitmate journey, giving too much to exploring the collective depths instead of exploring those personal depths that have to do with your life. One is an inner search, the other is going down to the deepest depths and not being able to return. Much like the mana personalities that overwhelm the conscious mind and take control of the unconscious life.
An exmaple Campbell used is in the African tribal
ritual where the boys are entranced in the unconscious world brought about by the ritual. If they do not wake up from the unconscious journey they they will die. And it is a real death not metaphorical.

3 Fishermen
Fish is a common symbol for fertility and personal growth. This is what the hero/heroine journey is about, discovery the true self and thus expanding personal growth. The symbolism here suggest that you are not completely seeing the true self, or more precisely some aspect of your true self. Because they are fishermen it may have to do with some masculine aspect. Going back into the house {the house is you} would indicate a further investigation to discover what this aspect is.

The old man in the neighbor's house {this house is another aspect of yourself} is most likely the animus, the wisedom of the animus. It takes note of some feminine aspect that you were not aware of, an aspect that has been neglected, forgotten or repressed {she died long ago}. This is the woman {part of yourself} that you were trying to save {the woman you saw on the pier}.

Summary
I think you are right about your conclusions of perhaps moving too quickly {exploring the psyche, the chakras}. Not that it is the wrong thing to do but that you may put too much emphasis on the details and not the metaphors. Getting caught up in the philosophies can lead you astray. The focus should be on the metaphors and how they lend themselves to your life, not that they should become your life. This is probably the message within the dream of being swept by the currents of the hole in the ocean floor.

{Cult members are swept into the hole and lose their self identity because they give it to someone who is
thought of as being divine such as Waco's David Koresh or Jonestown's Rev. Jim Jones}

But the dream also seems to be addressing a feminine apsect within that has been neglected or perhaps even repressed. The confrontation with the 3 fishermen may provide clues to this aspect. And the old man. You need to identify the woman {a part of you} that you saw from the pier. Any ideas to what this aspect may be?

Let me know your thoughts. You may want to examine past dreams to search for clues to this unknown woman, someone that is real or imaginary {not sure if I had imagined her or not}. Perhaps she is merely someone you wish to be.
Gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 55 Murfreesboro, Tn.

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Gerard,

Thanks for your comments. You have put a lot into perspective for me.

I'm inclined to think the woman is someone that I'm looking for, not necessarily a part of myself. I think that I like to entertain the idea that there is something for me to "discover"...something really grand too...like a past life or some kind of special knowledge. I think the dream is a warning that I need to be careful and not get carried away "into the hole". Maybe I'm not seeing the whole picture like you said.

But then again, if the woman is supposed to be something about myself that I need to recognize, I have no idea. The only impression I got from the picture was that the old man and woman had loved each other very much, and that she was wearing a dress.. orange, I think.

Anyway, thanks again for your thoughts. I will continue to think about this more.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 26 - Texas

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dr,
Perhaps the clue is that the old man and woman had loved each other very much, and that she was wearing a orange dress.

The impressions of the dream are as important as the dream itself.
Gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 55 Murfreesboro, Tn.

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