Introduction to Dream Interpretation (2001, 2005)

by Robert Winer, M.D. A useful introduction to dream interpretation from a Jungian (depth psychological approach of C.G. Jung) perspective. Dreams and dream interpretation identify our out of balance parts. Dreams bring wholeness and healing that might also change our direction or give us new insight into a situation. Dr. Winer uses dreams - dream interpretation - to work with the unconscious in therapy, psychotherapy, analysis, or psychoanalysis. Philadelphia and Delaware valley neurologist, psychiatrist, psychopharmacologist, and psychotherapist Robert I. Winer, M.D. uses a Jungian oriented approach in his clinical practice.
The Purpose of Dreams The Conscious and Unconscious Dream Interpretation Principles The Dream's Setting People in Our Dreams Emotions in Our Dreams Animals in Our Dreams Actions in Our Dreams

The Dream's Action

Our Shadow Parts

Objects or Symbols

Gender in Dreams

The Purpose of Dreams

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Some believe dreams to be mostly nonsense, while others blame indigestion, or worry. I'm of a much different mind on dreams and believe that they can be understood in a dualistic framework that includes ideas expanded from Jungian theories of the unconscious process and spirituality. In addition to a purely psychiatric way of looking at dream material, I feel that they are a blessing from God that may be used to help us grow toward inside wholeness. Therefore my approach is holistic, linking the psychiatric and spiritual together. To me, dreams can be a revealer of inner thoughts, both those known and unknown to the dreamer. And I'm convinced that if we take our dreams seriously they are sure to greatly benefit us. I've listed several purposes of dreams, yet any list just touches on the myriad of positive benefits. Dreams may have/show: A conflict between unconscious and conscious drives, motivations, and desires. The origin of a deep-seated fear, immaturity, or conflict.

Areas where we are wrong, not-adapted, or out of balance. Us important information, clarify emotions, or even provide an analysis of a situation. May warn us of the possible consequences if we continue on in our current direction. Areas of meaning or offer us a glimpse into the plan and calling of God for our lives. Help you pray more effectively or take upon yourself a burden that's on the heart of God. Can challenge us to a higher level of personal and spiritual maturity. May speak to us in a similar manner to prophecy as being predictive of current or future events regarding people, situations, organizations, regions, and nations. Recurrent dreams or nightmares may point toward an unresolved area which we are ignoring. So they continue until we act to resolve what the dream reveals about us.

Understanding the Conscious and Subconscious (Unconscious)

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Conscious Process I understand the conscious processes as: 1. Perceptual function (sensing and intuition) which tells us that something is both statically (right now) and dynamically (in the realm of present possibilities); 2. Recognition and evaluative processes which are needed for a mature decision-making function (thinking or feeling-preferred) that tell us both what a thing is (definition) and what is its value to us; and 3. Orientational function that bears upon our preference to see the world from the standpoint of being the subject or object. These conscious processes conform to the common definitions of ego, thoughts (mind), feelings (emotions), and desire /decision-making (will). Together these probably correspond to man's soul and clearly make-up and include elements of our personality and temperament. (For more on this see my article "explanation of the four letters used in temperament typing.") Unconscious Process The unconscious is that part of us that is generally poorly known or unknown to us. I find no superior definition to the ant--definition of the unconscious being "that which is not concious." In the normal course of life, psychiatrists assert that speech mistakes (so-called Freudian slips), other unwilled intrusions and

emotions, and dream content are the most common manifestations of the unconscious that we all experience. Some would also place drives and instincts in this category. Another way to look at the unconscious is through a spiritual grid -- the concepts of spirit and heart (combines both spirit and will together). It is true that we sometimes become aware of the previously unconscious forces that have driven us into action (words, deeds, and decisions). I understand the concept of "will" or "human will" to illustrate this motive force leading to action in the outside world. It can also be credibly argued that any choice we have made whether it results in some outside action or inside resolve is an act of the will. Therefore I consider an instinct (inherited, uniform, and regular behaviors which neither the motive or aim is known to the actor) as part of the unconscious. A drive, like an instinct, begins without conscious thought, but later may be perceived by the actor. Another similiar process, what Jung and others have called the "transcendent function or process" remains unconscious until one acknowledges and embraces the validity of its existence. I reject Jung's idea of a collective unconsciousness whereby he understood what I call and is generally known in Western thought as the "spiritual realm." Some might argue that this a shallow representative of Jung's work in this area. I understand the concept of "spirit" or what others call the "spirit man" to be an example of the transcendent function common to all mankind. It also seems accurate to say that our potential transcendent or "spirit" function generally remains severely underdeveloped, particularly in Western society. Dream Interpretation Principles
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General Guidelines Here's some common sense rules: 1. Never force a dream interpretation. It is the dreamer, not the interpreter, that ultimately knows if the interpretation is correct. 2. Generally the most natural interpretation is the correct one. Since dreams reach deep within a person to reveal secrets of the heart, we must always be willing to let go of our ego defenses to look at our real self as shown by our dreams. 3. The scenes, symbols, and people represents in our dreams are most often subjective (that is, they refer to the dreamer's inner personal thought, feelings, and life). For example, when you see your accountant fall off a cliff in your dream, don't call him right away to warn him (taking an objective view of the dream). First consider the accounant as a symbol of something relevant to you or your life (for example, money). 4. Don't judge the importance of a dream until it's been interpreted. Even a

dream that can be described in a single sentence may have profound significance. 5. On some nights we may have two or three different dreams that we can record. Check to see of all of the dreams on the same night are saying the same thing but using different symbols. Successive dreams can also tell a story, as one would do with successive chapters in a book or scenes in a movie. Interpretative Layers I've found that dreams rarely have a single interpretation, even to the dreamer. I call this "layers" or "levels" of interpretation. The two most common levels of interpretation are: What the dream means for me; and What it meant for some other individual or group of people.

Thus most dreams have a dualistic interpretation. Some dreams have impact on three or four levels. For example, a dream might have meaning to: 1) ourselves; 2) our family; 3) our spiritual congregation; 4) the city we live; 5) the region we live in; 6) the nation we live in. If this were the case, that particular dream could be interpreted on 6 levels or layers. Each level might different degrees of impact on individuals or groups, different time frames before being fulfilled, and diverse prayer and spiritual burdens that result from the each level's meaning. Application When the interpretation impacts groups of people, I call this a "corporate interpretation or application." Examples of corporate application are dreams that affect: congregation, organization, job, family, or extended family. Dreams may have a geographical application (local, city-wide, state, regional, national, international). Taking Your Dreams Seriously Unless you take your dreams seriously a few things generally happen: You won't have very many. It seems that the more you pay attention to your dreams the more often they occur and the impact of an individual dream is much greater. You won't remember the dreams you do have. The most important thing to do is to record your dreams, without thinking about their meaning. I suggest you do this immediately upon awakening, for the dream "trace" is soon lost if we engage in our thoughts or activities. Sometimes a dream will reoccur till you give it your attention. Instead of dreading reoccurring dreams, as many do, perhaps it would be more productive to see it as a repeat urging from God to look at a specific area

in your life. Some dreams require us to make a response or they will reoccur again. However we can't rely on this happening. I always recommend that you take seriously any dream that you feel has a personal or spiritual significance. Sometimes a dream's significance is not immediately apparent. Unless you record your dreams, there won't be a possibility for you to later receive the interpretation and experience the positive impact of the dream. Sometimes dreams rely upon other dreams to provide the key to understanding their full significance. I've had series of dreams, each of which give some facet of a solution to a personal situation or problem. You may lose opportunities to bless other people. I've found that people are impacted positively by a vigorous and vital ministry of dream interpretation. People seem very eager to hear about the significance of their own dreams. They also are positively impacted by hearing the dreams of others along with their interpretation and application.

Practical Tips Keep a pad and paper at your bedside. Upon awakening from a dream, record it immediately, preferably while you are in bed. Avoid any thoughts about your day, about the meaning of the dream, or what you need to do in the morning until after you get your dream down on paper. You need not seek to interpret the dream immediately. Jot down a few sentences about the dream's setting (see the next section for more information on this).

The Dream's Setting

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By setting, I mean the dreamer's life situation or internal situation at the moment of the dream. Every dream has a setting and it is vitally important to determine what that setting is. The dream's setting gives us the clues to its interpretation. Sometimes the dreamer will know the setting immediately; sometimes through the dream itself; or more typically through quiet meditation on it. Ask yourself the following questions to determine the setting of your dream: Are there any immediate situations, problems, or circumstances that you find yourself?

Are there any long-standing situations, problems, or circumstances that you find yourself? What is your current emotional state? Is there a great desire you have? How do you feel about it's current state of being fulfilled, partially fulfilled, or unfulfilled? Are you suffering from unhappiness, depression, anxiety, tension, etc.? Do you have a specific need for information to solve a situation, problem, or circumstance that you find yourself in?

The Dream's Action

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There are an infinite number of actions possible in a dream, just as there an infinite number of symbolic objects in a dream. Perhaps some of these questions will help: Who is doing the action in your dream? If you are visibly recognizable in the dream, then generally your actions as shown in the dream are somewhat superficial actions, generally of a conscious nature. If you consider them at face value, you'll probably understand that they relate to something you are actually doing at present. If you know you are acting in a dream, but do not see yourself, it generally means a deeper level of action, sometimes conscious, sometimes not. For actions of animals and other people, see my notes in these sections.

What is the movement of the dreamer portrayed in the dream? Does the movement in the dream parallel the movement of the dreamer in real life? For example, movement away from something or someone may be related to fear. A dream may show ambivalent or conflicting emotions by expressing movement and it's corresponding ambivalent emotion. For example, the dreamer may be approaching someone but showing fear on his face. Sometimes the dream portrays no movement in a situation when one would expect it, suggesting that the dreamer has been "paralyzed" through unconscious factors such as being emotionally

blocked. Suppose you dream of a plane having trouble taking off. Ask the question: Is there a direction in my life that isn't getting off the ground? Suppose someone is chasing you in a dream. Consider that this might be a call to embrace or to accept another side of yourself or a particular emotion that you might be feeling.

Objects or Symbols
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Dream speak in symbols, like a cartoon or a caricature would. Though we might wish it were true, there is no universal symbol dictionary. I believe that the meaning of the symbols in our dreams is specific to and known only with certainty by the dreamer alone. When symbols are used in a dream, such as a person representing a side of your own personality, some call this a "subjective dream," as distinguished from an "objective dreams" that speaks into the actual events that are portrayed in the dream. Our dreams contain an infinite number of symbols and an an infinite number of meanings to these symbols. Even for a particular dreamer, the same symbol can have different meanings across dreams or in the same dream. Let's take the dream in which you see a policeman, or find a person know to you dressed in a policeman's uniform. Ask yourself what does a policeman represent to me? To most a policeman is a symbol of authority. Next ask yourself if there are any issues in your current life situation that relate to authority, either accepting it, rejecting it, or being ambivalent about it. In generally, clothing in dreams represent a very important aspect to the dream's meaning. Just as a policeman's uniform may represent authority, a nurse's outfit may represent a helping situation. When we're naked it may represent some aspect of feeling exposed, either in a particular situation or emotionally. Here's a dream Riffel describes: Alone in my car I was following a bus down a dirt road. The bus threw up so much dust in the air that I could hardly see where I was driving. In the US, driving a car generally relates to a conscious issue of control. The one driving is in control of their choices. A car may represent something specific about a person's choices. Buses, because they contain many people, may relate to activities that one does in conformation to group pressure, societal norms, or as part of an organization. Dust, in the context of this dream, obscured the ability to see.

So the evident meaning was that in the particular situation the dreamer found himself in, if he were to follow "the crowd" his way forward would be obscured. This dreamer took the dream as an encouragement to withstand group pressure and move forward in a particular endeavor that was not particularly acceptable to his immediate community of friends and significant others.

A Few Specific Symbols 1. Oftentimes, dreams in which there is birth, such as a chicken laying an egg, or a baby is prominent may relate to a new idea, action, or speak of a creativity situation. 2. A house in a dream generally speaks of one's psychological house, the house of the "soul." We often see different homes that we've lived in. Ask yourself, if the home in your dream is a childhood home, or a current home. Each of these may have different meaning that relate to an overall sense of what you were like or struggling with at that time. 3. Water and the bodies that contain it such as rivers, lakes, and streams generally relate to the Spirit of God or the transcendent in a situation or person. This is particularly true in those who are more spiritually conscious and motivated. 4. Common symbols such as a mountain, a log, or a closed door all share in common the ability to prevent entrance or movement. They are obstacles and as such may point to obstacles, both real and emotional, that "block" our development or progress toward a goal. 5. Clothes may reflect an inner feeling, as when what we wear tells others about how we'd like then to see us. Clothes may also reflect how we are relating to people. If we appear naked, it simply might mean that we are feeling "exposed" in a particular situation. An Example Here's a two short dreams that a dreamer had in one night followed by a dialogue with a dream interpreter: In the first, he saw his left leg badly inflamed and swollen, with red veins like dark lines running down it. In the second picture, he saw a very poisonous spider sitting on his briefcase. To draw out the meaning of the dreams, I asked him for what purpose he used his leg. He said, "To walk, of course." Then I asked, "Is there something wrong with your walk -- your behavior or manner of living?" He was shocked and later admitted that he had a messy situation in his life, but thought he had kept it hidden.

Then I asked what the briefcase represented to him. He said, "My profession," whereupon I suggested that even his work would be affected by his behavior. As a result he stopped his wrong behavior. Before the dreams, he had rationalized that his behavior was not that bad.

People in Our Dreams

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Introduction People are a common occurrence in dreams. Generally, people in dreams reflect the inner life, sometimes showing the various parts of the dreamer's personality. Those unfamiliar with dream interpretation, usually assume that when they "see" another person in their dreams that the dream was meant for that person. Then there is an eagerness to tell the other person about it. Before you consider doing that, understand that when you do this, that the majority of people seen in dreams are a subjective representative rather than an objective one. In an objective representation, some believe that the following test is helpful: Are the details in the dream very specific and corresponding to something that the person is actually doing? My best advice here is for you to check the dream out with someone with expereince in dream interpretation or in discerning spiritual prophecy. Accuracy People attributes in our dreams may represent : Accurate perceptions Inaccurate perceptions: These may be ones that the dreamer is either unaware of or which he is unwilling to recognize.

Number of People A dream may fuse multiple attributes of a single person into one person or sometimes another visual form such as an alien / monster / mythological figure or even an animal. For example, a person may be portrayed as having a head of a lion and the body of a dog to represent boldness combined with playfulness. Likewise a dream may separate different people-attributes that exist in a single person into multiple people. For example, a tearful young man having a conversation with an older sage-like man. The Dream Analyst The analyst may appear in dreams, almost always in human form, but somehow

altered reflecting the dreamer's thoughts or feeling about the analyst or the process of analysis. Look for a symbolic representation of the office setting to identify this as a possibility. The content-reaction to the analyst-representation may reveal important feelings that the dreamer has about their specific situation or the therapeutic relationship. Ask the Key Questions Whenever you encounter another person in dream, ask yourself these two questions: What is a single word that describes my current opinion of the person? What is the person doing in the dream that I am doing in real-life? The person is chosen in the dream for their symbolic representation. We all come to associate certain people with certain actions or characteristics. If they are known to you, consider what the dream is saying about that person as a reflection of a part of you. There also may be emotional considerations that come through the dream's choice of a particular person. For these, ask these questions: Are there parts of that person that I admire, that I envy, that I am jealous of? Are their parts of the person, or the person's action that I disagree with, think unwise, think unholy, think is unrealistic behavior? What is it that I feel for the person in dream? Dream Consideration: A while back I had a dream of a bearded Catholic monk. As I thought about the monk in the dream, I realized that I felt compassion for the monk. My consideration of the monk, related to the setting in my life at the time: rejection by loved ones because of my faith. As I considered it further, I viewed the monk as someone on the fringe of society, an outcast. Also a monk is not part of society at large. They are joined with a separate and small community. They are accepted in that small community. Yet while the monk is an outcast from society, they are part of something big, because the Catholic community is big. Within their own community there are accepted and embraced. The monk presents a paradox, an outcast who is at the same time revered by some and fully accepted within their own community. What you're trying to get at is a realistic opinion of what you think of the person right now. And that's why the single word description is important. For example, if my overall impression of the person is that they are walking in a fantasy, the dream may be speaking about areas of my life that are not realistic. If my

impression of the person is that they are bad with money, that may point to a situation where a money decision has created some type of emotional tension. Our Shadow Parts
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Jung or his followers puts forth the idea that each of us have parts of our ego that we have rejected because of our upbringing environment, family, and parental influence. The shadow theory asserts that during development these rejected parts for an unconscious alter-ego. Furthermore it is suggested that since these are parts of ourself that were "potentially ego" they need to be explored and integrated once we have sufficient maturity to do it. Because the shadow was split off early in ego development it may represent those parts of us that are ignored, underdeveloped, or even despised and hated. The incorporation of shadow parts is considered a sign of emotional health and is urged as a step toward a more integrated personality. However since the shadow was split off at an early stage, the idea and process of re-integrating some or all of its parts can arouse significant anxiety, particularly when done prematurely. When in a dream you encounter another person whose identity is unknown to you, perhaps they represent the parts of your personality that are underdeveloped, not wanted, or areas that you are not consciously aware of. These may represent your "shadow" or "hidden" parts. I find that this is different from when you see yourself in a dream, as this often represents those parts of yourself that are known. For example, you might see yourself acting angry in a dream. As you consider this, you understand that this is part of yourself that you already know about, your poor control over your temper. Generally, your known parts are under some degree of conscious control. The same is true when you are driving car, representing the control side of your ego. Sometimes, the faces of people or the dreamer is not seen in a dream. This may be how the shadow is represented. Also the person's visual image being blurred, unrecognized, or absent. Jung and others suggest that the shadow is typically the same sex as the dreamer and generally the shadow's attributes are not consciously known. Since our shadow parts are often the exact opposite of what we think they are, Von Franz suggests the following to identify your shadow parts: Whenever we are tired or under pressure, another personality often breaks through ...You suddenly see their shadow side coming through ...We all have our favorite enemies, our best enemies, so to speak. They are generally our shadows. If people do some harm to you, then it is natural that you hate them. But is somebody doesnt do special harm to you and you just feel so madly irritated every time that person enters the room that you could just spit at him, then you can be sure that is the shadow. The best way, then, is to sit down and write a little paper on the characteristics of that person. Then look at it and say, Thats me."

Regardless of our perception or lack of perception of some of the people in our dreams, the shadow part is a very real phenomena. There are parts of yourself that you do not consciously recognize and understanding these parts is an important step toward becoming whole. I agree with Riffel and urge you not to hate any part of yourself, but integrate the good from those parts that perhaps you feel are less desirable. An example of this is a compulsive gambler. Though this certainly is not a productive lifestyle, there is a good side to the gambler. He is an adventurer. He is a risk taker. But his weakness is that he lacks discipline and risks too much. The challenge is to keep the adventurer side while one acquires the discipline to be whole. Likewise the one who drinks excessively may be seeking freedom but in the wrong place. The thief may want to find good things, but you won't get that by taking things. The jealous person wants good for himself. The one who hates despises evil as he sees it. The person who has a problem with lust is attracted to beauty. In most of these examples it is the way the person "takes" or "seizes" what is not theirs to take that is wrong. When an emotion such as lust is not dealt with, it will come into our dreams. Lust is the desire for immediate gratification by taking what is not ours to take. It is normal to be attracted to a person who has the same qualities that we are seeking or perhaps lacking. So though we may, on some unconscious level want to take something in an infantile desire to incorporate it into ourself, this is both a fantasy and a wrong. You won't get the characteristics you lack through real or substitutionary stealing. The legalist may give the advice to the one unable to overcome their lusts to avoid looking. While this isn't bad advice, in my experience this does not solve the problem. Avoidance places a band-aid on the wound but full healing awaits the development of the qualities that we're attracted to. Honestly look at the qualities that you're looking for. In our dreams we may try to "kill" these areas of our live that we are conflicted about. Yet until the understanding of what this means is made conscious, we'll seldom get victory. In regard to the parts of ourselves that we don't like or hate, Riffel suggests that oftentimes they relate to how we process information or make decisions. He suggests that the shadow part of a thinker may be their despised feeling part. Gender in Dreams
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Jung and his followers identified an unconscious gender-specific side of people which he called the animus (male) / anima (female). Jungian theory asserts that males have an unconscious female side and females have an unconscious male side. In addition Jung asserted that there was a hierarchical schema to the unconscious and used it therapeutically to bring some order to the healing process. In a nutshell, he viewed the following as parts of the unconscious proceeding from the more superficial to deeper layers: the persona (partly

conscious as well), shadow, male-female pairs (szygy), and finally the self (representing the God part of man). It seems to me that, in practice, this hierarchical schema does not hold, in an orderly fashion, however as a dynamic schema it holds heuristic value as well as being a guideline for a progressive reintegration of unconscious parts. People in your dreams may also represent a side of your personality that you regard as having the opposite gender characteristics of your self. There is a definite cultural and generational aspect to this area of dream symbolism. There are many characteristics that we associate with a particular gender, such as empathy being female. It is normal and natural for this to be manifested in the dream as a woman talking to you, but it is inaccurate to describe empathy as your female side or anima. Another example is strength. Are you a person who regards strength as a male characteristic? What about gentleness, is that female? Here's what I suggest: if you are woman, ask yourself if there are characteristics that you associate with maleness. Do the same if you're male. While I agree with the general principle that for greater personal wholeness, it is important not to reject opposite gender attributes I reserve that the exact relationship to one's contrasexual attributes should remain a process defined and fleshed out in therapy. Emotions in Our Dreams
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Some dream analysts point out the primacy of identifying the dreamer's underlying emotional state in regard to fully understanding the dream's meaning. The emotion may be symbolically represented or experienced in the dream or later on in the form of the emotions the dream experienced after awakening. Animals in Our Dreams
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Generally, animals in our dreams represent one of the following: Our emotions, such as fear, hatred, jealousy, lust, pride, ambition, or anger. A personality or character trait, such as a lion representing bravery or a fox representing slyness, or serpent or snake representing craftiness. A particular animal that has some special meaning to us, such as a family dog.

In a dream, the use of animals occurs according to the meaning they have to the dreamer. Many have found that while the symbol of animals is important, they are not as deeply held or as specifically defined as the symbolic value of people in our dreams.

It's important to observe what the animal is doing in the dream. Being chased by an animal is quite common and should prompt the question, "Is there anything or emotion I'm afraid of right now?" This should be followed by the consideration of whether the dream is suggesting that you accept this particular emotion. Some have found that fear-provoking, charging animals become friendly when we accept their message about our inside state. Facing our fears can be done by confronting the animal of our dreams upon awakening and asking, "Who are you?" Also consider what the animal is doing. For instance, a cat under water, may represent feeling you have that "just under the surface." Seeing rats running in your home's basement may represent evil ideas or thoughts that entered the "lower areas or levels of your life." Dream Example In a particular dream, I was preparing to eat chicken. In the dream I was looking for dark meat but could not find it. Instead I chose shrimp. Relating to my particular life situation at the time, the most likely meaning of "preparing to eat chicken," was that I [probable a fairly superficial part of myself, not a deep unconscious fearful part, since I was visible in the dream] was ready to make an upcoming decision despite fear about it. The "looking for dark meat and choosing shrimp" perhaps meant that I still had ambivalent feelings about embracing my fear. Perhaps I was looking for an excuse not to eat chicken. The dark meat was an excuse, a way of covering up my ambivalence on not confronting my fear.

Actions in Our Dreams

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Sometimes your actions in a dream are done secretly, with fear of being caught. Ask yourself, are their areas of my life that I fear might be exposed. Let's say that there are actors in your dream. Does their presence in the dream mean that in order to get something or become something you need to put on an act or where a disguise? Sometimes there are problems in your dream. Ask yourself or the problems that faced with the dream? In a particular dream, my plane would not take off. My daughter, a child, recognized the problem, while an adult, the plane's pilot, either didn't know what was wrong or was covering it up. The pilot is one who has authority over the plane. Maybe I should listen to the child side of me, rather than the authority side.

Sometimes the height of something can signify its position in your subconscious mind. Sometimes flying refers to fantasy, or new thoughts, ideas, or relates to the spiritual realm. Falling often indicates that we are "not on firm ground" psychologically speaking. There are areas of our life that we are not dealing with. If you are hanging onto something to keep from falling, it may indicate that you are barely hanging on to a bit of growth that has taken place in your life.