Carl Jung: The Psychology Of Dreams

The Spiritual Journey to a Higher Self

Today, we’re discussing something really close to my heart because no matter how much I want to base my approach on science and science-based tools, there’s a big part of me that is deeply spiritual. And that spiritual part of me exists only because I have to be open to the responsibility or, better yet, the necessity of opening the door to everything I can be.

So, I have this built-in capacity to envision a higher self and then move towards it. I have it, you have it, we all have it. What this means is that I will need to quit some of the things I do and take on the difficult task of doing the things that will move me towards that higher self I envisioned. And if you think about it and break what I just said into its simplest, purest form, you’ll see that this is exactly where all religious thinking comes from.

What else can it be? How else can this religious instinct so many people have be justified? If not on the premise of that lifelong adventure towards a higher self? You may call it Jesus, you may call it Buddha, you may call it Allah, Brahma, Shiva, Zeus, Yahweh, Odin; no matter what you call it, you are referring to that force which believes in the best self within you, and who also calls forth that best part of you to manifest in the outer world!

That’s where the concept of bearing your responsibility in the project of life comes from. The concept of each soul having to answer for its own deeds in the afterlife and whether these deeds aligned with that vision of your higher self. That’s our spiritual path. To strive towards that higher self who inhabits within us.

And this is where dreams come into the picture. Because, as we will see in today’s episode, dreams can be the most powerful tool on that path. A tool that has the capacity to guide us and show us things we might miss in our awakened state.

The Role of Dreams in Spiritual and Psychological Growth

Have you ever opened your eyes from a deep sleep and been totally in awe of what you dreamed? Or perhaps you’ve thought about your dreams long and hard because what you dreamed makes no sense to you.

Well, you’re not alone; dreams have puzzled humans since… well since the beginning of human existence.

They also puzzled Sigmund Freud who, as a neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis,  suggested that dreams were expressions or even secret wishes and desires we each have.

So here’s a question many of us are asking: Are dreams random? Or are they the result of the mind consolidating and expressing our true memories thoughts, desires, and even, perhaps, giving us a glimpse of the future?

In today’s episode , we’re going to explore why Carl Jung believed that dreams are vital and important to our mental and physical health. We’ll also look into how the art of dream interpretation can steer and revitalize our lives. And lastly, I’ll show you how you can start using your dreams to your advantage.

Carl Jung’s Perspective: Dreams as Windows to the Unconscious

First, let’s talk about who Carl Jung was… if you are not familiar with him, he was a Swiss psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and psychologist whose work was so profound and had a great impact on the field of psychoanalysis.

Living at the same time period as Freud, and the two even collaborated for a while. He then went on to found the School of Analytical Psychology.

He’s written numerous books, essays, and papers, and one of the things he is most famous for is his studies into dreams and their relation to the psyche.

In his Two Essays on Analytical Psychology, he explains how previous generations didn’t take dreams seriously. He argues that previously, people viewed dreams quite differently—as messages from the universe, clues to the future, or even divine communications. However, Jung started to see them as windows into our unconscious minds, revealing hidden truths and mysteries that our waking selves might miss.

Dream interpretation was central to Jung's therapeutic approach. He went deep into this realm, analyzing an impressive 80,000 dreams by his own count.

You see, Jung saw dreams as direct messages from the unconscious. He saw them as essential for understanding our psyche. In one of his lectures, he compared our consciousness to a ship navigating the vast sea of the unconscious, where the currents of life are subtly guided. Just as the sea hides treasures and dangers beneath its surface, our unconscious harbors positive and negative potentials. This ultimately shapes our psychological growth.

Here is where his findings and beliefs become even more interesting… Jung believed that integrating these hidden aspects into our conscious awareness enriches our personality, enhances self-awareness, and promotes psychological completeness.

He believed that enlightenment comes not from projecting images of light, but from confronting the darkness within.

He believed more than anything that dreams can facilitate this process as they act as a window into the unconscious mind. He said it in these words, “…the dream is a spontaneous self-portrayal, in symbolic form, of the actual situation in the unconscious.The dream is specifically the utterance of the unconscious.”

Paying attention to our dreams and digging into the depths of our unconscious can really pay off. It opens our eyes to insights that we might miss during the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Jung saw dreams as a powerful tool for shining a light on hidden aspects of ourselves. He believed that while we sleep, our soul becomes a stage for revelations that evade us in waking hours. It's like having a whole new set of eyes, allowing us to perceive things we couldn't grasp during the daytime.

Pretty wild right?

Dreams have this incredible capacity for uncovering insights that slip past our waking minds. Whether it's a gut feeling about someone's true nature, hidden blind spots that hold us back, or even those subtle intuitions we can't quite pin down in daylight, the unconscious lays it all bare in our dreams.

That's why Jung referred to dreams as truth-telling oracles throughout history. He described the unconscious as this shadowy part of ourselves that hears what our conscious ears miss and sees what our eyes overlook. It's like getting a playback of forgotten scenes, bringing to light what we otherwise wouldn't notice.

But dreams aren't just portals to our inner thoughts—they can also show us the state of our physical health. Our unconscious mind is also tied to our body's biology, playing a role in how our organs function. It's fascinating because sometimes, well before any symptoms appear, our dreams can give us a hint for underlying health issues.

Let’s take it a step further. Jungian psychoanalyst James Hall even noted cases where dreams foreshadowed medical conditions like an aortic aneurysm or gallbladder disease, long before doctors made the diagnosis. It's like our unconscious is trying to alert us, using dreams as a subtle early warning system for our overall well-being.

Have you ever dreamed that you were sick and then days later you became ill?

I’m sure after this episode  you’ll start really paying attention to what you dream about and what then goes on in your life. But  what about dreams and our future?

Dreams can give us a heads-up about where our lives might be headed. Jung believed dreams could forecast or caution us about future scenarios, especially those influenced by our choices and behaviors. So what we are talking about here is not some supernatural power. Instead, it’s how our unconscious mind picks up on subtle signs and patterns that our conscious mind overlooks. Think of dreams as a kind of early detection system. This system reveals hidden truths and nudges us to pay attention to what's brewing beneath our waking lives.

The Prophetic Power of Dreams: Can Dreams Predict Your Future?

Jung once shared a striking story that illustrates how dreams can serve as warnings. One of his colleagues, a very experienced mountain climber, told Jung of a dream he had where he ascended a mountain and felt exhilarated with each step higher. But upon reaching the summit, instead of feeling satisfied, he impulsively stepped off into thin air and woke suddenly. Jung interpreted this as a cautionary message from the unconscious, urging the climber to take extra care on future climbs or perhaps reconsider them altogether.

Unfortunately, the colleague didn't take Jung's advice seriously. Three months later, he went climbing again. A guide watching from below witnessed him literally step into thin air while descending a rocky slope. He fell onto his friend waiting below, and both met a tragic end. This tragic story emphasizes Jung's belief in the prophetic power dreams have, urging us to listen to their warnings, however cryptic they may seem.

So now let’s talk about dreams and creativity. Are those two related?

Dreams have influenced science, art, and literature for decades —they've been behind some of humanity's most profound discoveries and creative breakthroughs. Take Dmitry Mendeleyev, for instance, who dreamt up the periodic table's structure. Or August Kekule, who visualized the benzene ring's shape in a dream. Even Robert Louis Stevenson found the core idea for "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" in a dream.

And let’s not go far from Jung, as he himself gave  dreams credit for being  the source of his greatest insights, describing them as the raw material that fueled his scientific pursuits. He believed these inner experiences were the foundation of his life's work.

Dreams and Creativity: How Do Dreams Inspire Creativity?

Dreams have this incredible power to shake us loose from the mundane routines and narrow perspectives of everyday life. They're not just any dreams—these are what psychologists like Marie-Louise von Franz call "big dreams." These profound experiences can stay in our memories for a lifetime. Sometimes they become pivotal moments that shape our beliefs and understanding of the world. Those big dreams often carry a spiritual or religious weight. They giveus insights into life's deepest questions and challenge us to see ourselves and our existence in a new light.

Von Franz describes these dreams as almost otherworldly, like a manifestation from a realm beyond our conscious understanding. In ancient cultures and even today in some traditions, these dreams are seen as messages from gods or ancestors—signs from the unconscious depths that hold profound significance for the dreamer. Jung himself valued these transformative dreams immensely, seeing them as bridges between our everyday reality and the mysterious realms of the psyche.

Jung had one of these ‘big dreams’ back in 1944, right after surviving a serious heart attack. In the dream, he found himself wandering in the wilderness until he stumbled upon an old chapel. Inside, he discovered a yogi deep in meditation, sitting cross-legged with an uncanny resemblance to Jung himself. And from what we read in his letters, it was a bit unsettling for him.

As Jung stared at this yogi version of himself, he had this profound realization—it was as if this yogi was the one meditating on Jung's life. The dream shook him awake with the thought that maybe he was just a part of this larger dream the yogi was having. It was a moment of deep introspection for Jung, where he confronted the idea that his existence might be just a fragment of a larger cosmic consciousness.

So now you might ask how many ‘big dreams’ can one expect to have? Well, Jung believed each person only gets to have a handful of them in their entire lifetime.

Big Dreams and Compensatory Dreams: Understanding Their Impact on Personal Growth

Big dreams are like rare gems in the vast mine of our subconscious. They're the ones that stick with us, often leaving a deep impression that lasts a lifetime. On the other hand, most of our nightly journeys are what Jung called compensatory dreams. These dreams act like corrective lenses, addressing the imbalances or blind spots in our waking thoughts and behaviors.

According to Jungian scholar Marie-Louise von Franz, paying attention to these dreams sets off a natural process within us. It's like our psyche's way of fine-tuning our conscious attitudes. And this fine-tuning is what pushes us towards a more balanced and fulfilled life. These dreams serve as reminders to face up to the challenges we might be avoiding or aspects of ourselves we've neglected. They're not just random nighttime stories—they're crucial clues in the ongoing quest for personal wholeness and growth.

Let's break down what compensatory dreams are all about with a few examples. Imagine a man who's neglecting his role as a father; he might have dreams where his kids despise him. It's like a wake-up call, urging him to confront the fact that he's avoiding a crucial responsibility in life.

Or take a woman, for example, who deeply cares about her public image, her persona. She might dream of committing crimes or engaging in shady behavior. These dreams force her to reckon with the darker, hidden aspects of her personality—the stuff she hides, even from herself perhaps, to maintain her persona, the stuff she might not want to acknowledge but needs to integrate for a more balanced character.

Then imagine a guy hitting middle age, still leaning heavily on his parents. In his dreams he might see himself as a helpless child or he might even dream of situations that are suffocating. And what these dreams might be trying to warm him about is of the dangers of his dependency. And they might even try to push him toward the independence he needs to develop his character further.

As Jung pointed out, when we delve into these dreams and really work through them, they can be incredibly illuminating. They bring up memories, insights, and experiences that enrich our understanding of ourselves. They awaken qualities within us and shed light on the hidden dynamics in our relationships. It's like a mental cleansing that broadens our horizons and strengthens our overall well-being.

So, if dreams are that significant, why are they such a puzzle to decode?

Well, our conscious mind operates on logic and reason, right? It's all about making sense of things in a straightforward way. Imagine it like a garden where you are the gardener and you take care of it. But the unconscious? It's a whole different game—it's irrational, like a wild jungle. Chaotic, but still making sense in its own way.

According to Jung, our dreams speak in symbols, not in plain words. It's like our psyche's way of expressing itself in a language that's rich with meaning but not always easy for our waking self to understand. Each dream, in its own way, is a testament to this process of symbol creation, offering us glimpses into the deeper workings of our minds.

To break it down simply: our conscious and unconscious minds are like speaking two different languages. That's why dreams often leave us scratching our heads—they're communicating in symbols, not straightforward words that our waking self can easily decode. But here's the thing: even if we don't fully get what those dream symbols mean, they still have a way of steering our lives.

Think about it like fairy tales or ancient myths or even religion—they've been shaping human beliefs and behaviors for ages, even though they're not always logical or rational. Dreams work a bit like that too. According to Jung, they pave the way for our journey in life, quietly influencing us whether we fully grasp their language or not. They're like silent guides nudging us along our path, even in ways we might not consciously realize.

But here’s the kicker: when we do take the time to decode our dreams, it's like turning up the volume on our unconscious mind. Jung believed that understanding our dreams amplifies their impact on our lives. See, the unconscious has a way of speaking to us in subtle whispers, and if we don't listen closely, we might miss out on valuable insights and guidance that could steer us in the right direction.

I’ve been reading Jung’s Symbols of Transformation and here he explains exactly how symbols have shaped humanity from the dawn of time. It’s a great read if you’re interested in going deeper into the world of symbols and their meaning.

So knowing all of this about dreams and our psyche, how can we use this power and unlock dream interpretations?

What Is The Meaning Behind Dreams? Practical Steps to Interpret Dreams

Understanding dreams and unlocking their power starts with a simple habit: writing them down first thing in the morning. Dreams fade fast as we wake up, so capturing them right away is critical. When we stumble upon a dream that feels particularly important, Jung suggests diving into what he called dream amplification.

Amplifying a dream means really diving into it—reflecting on its symbols, connecting it to memories or situations in our lives, and letting our intuition run wild with possible meanings. Sometimes, it's about exploring whether the dream is pushing us to fulfill a neglected task or adjust an attitude that's not quite right in the real world.

For those big, impactful dreams, understanding them often involves drawing on myths and religious symbols that echo across cultures. These dreams tend to be rich with recurring motifs that hold deeper, more universal meanings. Jung believed we've hit the nail on the head with interpretation when it just clicks—when we feel we've truly grasped its significance.

Marie-Louise von Franz, who was a Jungian expert and actually knew Jung for almost 30 years, elaborated on Jung's approach, emphasizing how he didn't rush to decipher dreams but let them simmer within him. He'd weave new insights and experiences into his findings, without rushing, and therefore creating timeless research.

So now the question becomes, why should you care? Why does interpreting dreams matter so much?

Jung saw our disconnection from the unconscious as a root cause of many modern ailments—neuroses, mass delusions, and a troubling obedience to corrupt authorities. He believed dreams offer a direct line to our primal instincts and our innate wisdom. These are the parts of ourselves that are untouched by the distortions of modern life.

In his view, dreams are pure and natural, revealing truths we might overlook in our conscious state. They serve as a guide, bringing us back to our fundamental human nature when we've strayed too far from it.

Embracing Dreams as a Path to Self-Discovery and Fulfillment

By paying attention to our dreams, Jung believed we could reclaim this grounding and find the inner strength needed to navigate a world that often feels out of sync with our deeper selves.

So, have you got any interesting dreams to share? Leave a comment below this episode with an interesting dream you’ve had and let’s see if we can decipher it. Let’s see if we can reveal what that dream is trying to tell you or warn you about.

Till next time, make sure to always ask yourself: What is this thing within me that makes me do the things I do?

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I’m Dimitris and I share psychology-based insights and tools on how to design a well-lived life. I’ll see you in the next one.