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Jungian Dream Interpretation
From: Jung's Theory of Dreams
Jung vs Freud
Like Freud, Jung believed that dreams are important gateways to unknown
parts of ourself. After this point of agreement the approaches of the two men differed considerably
in their theories and approaches to dream analysis.
For Jung dreams are an expression of the personal unconscious
through the archetypes of the collective unconscious. Whereas Freud believed
that dreams were frequently distorted in a subconscious attempt at repression, Jung
believed that any such distortion was usually unintentional. The dream was a direct
message from the personal unconscious.
Amplification
Freudian analysis was based on free association, a technique that led ever further
from the original dream. Jung preferred to stay with the dream symbols
themselves and analyse each one in detail - a process of amplification. The dreamer was encouraged to
"brainstorm" all the different symbolic associations for each aspect of the dream.
These would include personal, cultural and archetypal associations.
As an example, say a dream included birds. Possible associations with this symbol would be
flight, freedom, cage, etc.
Active Imagination
Another stage of Jungian dream analysis is active imagination. Here, the dreamer
mentally evokes a character from the dream and asks it questions. Through this
approach the unconscious can be questioned directly.
The various symbolic associations would then be examined and the most important ones
combined to give a holistic view of the dream's meaning as related to the individual's
personality.
IMPORTANT: Dream analysis and free association can be traumatic.
This is not a medical site. If you suspect
you have a medical problem or serious emotional disturbance you should consult your doctor.
Back to: Here Be Dreams - Psychology of Dreams
All original material Copyright © Trevor Mendham 2003-2009. See home page for contact
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