Thread: Burned up dreams

Originally Posted by Burned up

Is this how my anima feels just now?

not intending to sound stupid lol but whats anima?

Originally Posted by Moonbeam

What has caused this problem with your anima?

That's what I've been wondering too. Assuming that she was indeed one and the same. I have perhaps become a little complacent lately and have not been allowing myself to feel vulnerable (in an emotional sense). It's something I need to "keep an eye" on.

Originally Posted by mark

not intindeing to sound stupid lol but whats anima?

Jung's archetype (kind of DC that's present across all people - except that the woman's male archetype is called the animus). We feel whole by remembering that we have opposite-sex parts to our psyche, which start with our earliest memories of opposite-sex significant adults (eg mother or father) and are modified by experiences of the opposite thereafter. If we fail to engage with our opposite-side because we're too wrapped up in our own world (narcissism) then it becomes distant and less like us.

In our (male) dreams the anima could be a witch or old hag and we probably have a disrespectful opinion of women. On the other hand if we experience the opposite sex alluring and exciting and internalise that experience then the anima in our dream may be a highly sexualised woman such as a lap dancer. In my dreams she's a young homeless woman of basic needs who accepts me into her world, which suggests that my own projections of femininity are the qualities of love, strength and inner beauty.

Dreams featuring the animus are not exactly a gender-reflection of the anima. But the broad theme is similar. There's lots on the internet about anima/animus projections and Jung's other archetypes, especially the Shadow which is the part of you which you think you're not, as it were!

Many analysts think Jung's archetypal theories over-simplify the dream interpretation process and I would probably agree. Every DC has a meaning and if we have repeated experiences of the same DC then we can get to know a repressed part of us very well. That's what I think anyway.

Here's looking at you, baby

There was much more to this dream but recall seemed to slip from my grasp. What I do recall is being asked to hand in a passport sized photo of myself for a ski pass. I think I was in my old high school and I couldn't board a bus before doing so. I too an envelope out of my pocket and there were a few photos in there mainly of babies but none of me, or just me. I never did get on the bus.

I think some process from a couple of days ago is going on here. I didn't bother checking the coins in my pocket when going for the bus. Usually I have a feeling if you like for whether I have the right coins for the bus (correct change only where I live) but I got it wrong this time and had to buy something in a shop to get some change. The feeling in the dream was the same, that somehow my intuition had let me down as in the dream I knew I wasn't certain the envelope had a photo of me in it but I was reasonably hopeful. So one revelation of this dream is that I have a very unreliable part of me that I rely on for my logistics!

The other part of the dream concerns the photos. They were for a ski pass (skiing again!). The photos became baby photos, suggesting that I'm tapping into some kind of baby memory of things not being right. If I really was recalling a pre-verbal feeling then the dream is more remarkable that it first appeared.

Originally Posted by Burned up

The photos became baby photos, suggesting that I'm tapping into some kind of baby memory of things not being right. If I really was recalling a pre-verbal feeling then the dream is more remarkable that it first appeared.

wow that would be incredible! I would never have guessed that but it would make sense because surely those memories are locked away somewere in our memory.....it would be great to learn to access them

Yea that would be cool; to remember things that you saw as a baby. You probably can't really "remember" them because you didn't know words, but maybe you could see the same things in a dream, something like that.

You'd never really know if it was real or not; it may be a picture you saw or something. Unless you could ask your mom if something like what you remembered ever happened.

Burned up, do you think that everything you ever saw and experienced is somewhere in your memory?

I've just finished reading through most of your journal. Your dreams are incredible and their interpretations are fascinating. I never realized so much could be inferred from dreaming. I've always thought of my dreams as silly constructs that my brain creates to entertain me while I sleep!

Originally Posted by raklet

I've just finished reading through most of your journal. Your dreams are incredible and their interpretations are fascinating. I never realized so much could be inferred from dreaming. I've always thought of my dreams as silly constructs that my brain creates to entertain me while I sleep!

Hi Racklet. Coincidentally I've just had a quick look at yours. I'll take a longer look and drop some thoughts.

I wouldn't call dreams entertaining necessarily although a number have cheered me up over the years. More like the noise in our head that's going on all the time, being given space to play around with visual and emotional constructs when the ego is asleep.

Silly constructs they're not.

Originally Posted by Burned up

Hi Racklet.

Hey! Its raklet not racklet!

All kidding aside, that would be most kind of you to drop some thoughts in my journal. I'm uber curious to see what someone else makes of me from my dreams alone (and whether it corresponds at all with what I think of myself). And yes I am aware that it is difficult to interpret others dream and really a person can only do it for themselves.


Glad to have made your acquaintance,

Raklet

Originally Posted by raklet

Hey! Its raklet not racklet!

All kidding aside, that would be most kind of you to drop some thoughts in my journal. I'm uber curious to see what someone else makes of me from my dreams alone (and whether it corresponds at all with what I think of myself). And yes I am aware that it is difficult to interpret others dream and really a person can only do it for themselves.


Glad to have made your acquaintance,

Raklet

You too. And I'll try and make sure I spell your name right

Some background: I had little sleep last night as I went to bed angry with something my wife said. I sensed lots of tension in my chest and face muscles and it was like hours trying to relax. The dream probably took place at around 7am which is when my longest stretch of sleep was taking place.


I had taken a space at a therapy fair of some kind and was offering massage. It seemed to be in a school gym hall, possibly my own from teenage but they all seem to look roughly the same. It was dark outside and dimly lit inside and there must have been a handful of other tables with masseur(se)s around the room. Three people were waiting by my table, two men and one woman. The woman had already taken off her top but was otherwise covered up. She was perhaps a little younger than the men, in her 30s perhaps. It occurred to me then that I didn't really know much about massage although I reckoned I could just about fake it. I also thought I'd charge £5 for a 10 minute "taster" session.

My son (8yo) appeared and was eager to have a massage from me. The others were happy for him to go first. He went to a different table, which looked like an old wooden workbench with most of the varnish worn off. It was a bit high and I couldn't see how to adjust it lower. The organiser appeared and said "<my name> is using that one is he?" to which I replied "is that one free then?" referring to the black cushioned treatment table I started at. He said it was so we moved to there. I made up a pillow from three objects: a cuddly toy, a rolling thing like the headrest of an old dentist char, and a small cushion of the type one would expect to see. The woman saw the arrangement and said "ahhhhhh" as one would to a child. I was about to start when I saw he was tucked up with his pyjamas on. I asked him to take off his top. nothing. I asked again. Nothing. He wasn't asleep as his eyes were open but it was dark now and I woke up.

My first reaction was that there was a threesome waiting made up of two men and one woman. I've come across this combination twice recently, each time strangers and each time the woman being the one that catches my attention. I really can't think what they represent.

My son appears in a lot of my dreams at the moment. I have assumed that I'm dreaming of my own inner child and I think that's probably what is happening here. My inner child is longing for attention from my conscious self. He's wanting to feel good and to feel valued. He doesn't always do the right things but the need never goes away.

Why massage? I don't have massages myself although I have had them on occasions in the past. The idea of physical touch must surely be important here. Like, it's OK to touch someone therapeutically but quite different to touch someone for pleasure. I like touching people (yes, especially women with nice skin) and I wonder whether it's my own longing for a return to that nice skin of childhood. In the dream I was less enthusiastic about massaging my son's back and this probably reflects some kind of rejection of wanting to "touch" my own inner child, rather I look for the same experience by wanting to touch nice women instead.

Other parts of this dream tell me a few bits of additional info. He first lay down on an old workbench, suggesting that I feel like it's hard work to approach this inner child. The organiser with his cameo role sounds like my internal supervisor asking questioning what I'm doing. Do I approach this as hard work or as pleasure-giving therapy? The school gym hall may also represent to me a place in my unconscious that's associated with physical work. The £5 for 10 mins is actually a fairly accurate rate but perhaps the numbers mean something. Like we're talking about ages 5 to 10 - certainly cogent with my usual 7yo dreams, my own son being 8yo and my ages at primary school where I focus a lot of attention.

The pillow is fascinating. Three parts to it: a toy, something hard and something soft. Could these represent the 3 people too?

I need to do more research on these interesting threesomes. (Could be oedipal I suppose)

Originally Posted by Burned up

Some background: I had little sleep last night as I went to bed angry with something my wife said. I sensed lots of tension in my chest and face muscles and it was like hours trying to relax. The dream probably took place at around 7am which is when my longest stretch of sleep was taking place.
<my name="">

Dam im glad im not the only one who has problems like this, if someone or something annoys me I also am lying there forever trying to sleep.

its strange when DC's just ignore you or dont respond to you I always find it in slightly distressing situations.

Once again im really impressed by your interpretation

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Originally Posted by mark

Dam im glad im not the only one who has problems like this, if someone or something annoys me I also am lying there forever trying to sleep.

I would have talked about it but I didn't want to wake her up. Grrrrrr.

Originally Posted by mark

its strange when DC's just ignore you or dont respond to you I always find it in slightly distressing situations.

Yes, it seems to happen a lot to me. But then it's like that in RL too.

Originally Posted by mark

Once again im really impressed by your interpretation
</my>

Thanks for the generous feedback.

Well that one was a bit of a marathon and I had more time than usual. When I woke up I realised I had a huge amount of recall and wrote it straight down. But the more recall, the more work! Actually I was rather emotional this morning. Partly because I was tired but also I think this inner child thing is starting to affect me more.

Originally Posted by Burned up

I would have talked about it but I didn't want to wake her up. Grrrrrr.

yeah that used to happen when I used to live with my ex girlfriend....I bet she went straight to sleep as well ha ha

Originally Posted by Burned up

Yes, it seems to happen a lot to me. But then it's like that in RL too.

yeah bet that annoys you a bit lol I know it does with me

Originally Posted by Burned up

Thanks for the generous feedback.

Well that one was a bit of a marathon and I had more time than usual. When I woke up I realised I had a huge amount of recall and wrote it straight down. But the more recall, the more work! Actually I was rather emotional this morning. Partly because I was tired but also I think this inner child thing is starting to affect me more.

so the inner child thing do you think its that you are not having enough fun, maybe that your consentrating on work or you marrage and other "grown up" stuff rather then pleaseing yourself?

Originally Posted by Burned up

I would have talked about it but I didn't want to wake her up. Grrrrrr.

That's what Dream Views is for! You'll always find someone awake that is willing to listen.


I have no head for this interpretation stuff, so any comment I make would just sound shallow. So, I'll just encourage you to keep your head up and hang in there. You sound like a decent enough fellow.

Originally Posted by mark

so the inner child thing do you think its that you are not having enough fun, maybe that your consentrating on work or you marrage and other "grown up" stuff rather then pleaseing yourself?

From the work I've done so far, yes, you're pretty close. I was too eager to grow up and never really played as a child normally would. It's the way I was brought up, I suppose, and my inner child believes that it's somehow wrong to play but knows he [1] really wants to. A younger inner child also doesn't like being left alone when others are "playing" - something that brings back memories of lying in the dark as a child not being able to get to sleep and hearing my parents and the TV downstairs. Either way as you say, it's about what others want rather than pleasing myself and being generally creative.

[1] The odd thing is this elder part of my inner child manifests as a she rather than a he. Always be open to surprise when doing inner child work!

Originally Posted by raklet

That's what Dream Views is for! You'll always find someone awake that is willing to listen.


I have no head for this interpretation stuff, so any comment I make would just sound shallow. So, I'll just encourage you to keep your head up and hang in there. You sound like a decent enough fellow.

Thanks Raklet. Yes, since posting here I've accellerated my learning a lot (mainly through daily use of this DJ) and have been met with more friendliness than in other forums I've visited. And that encourages me to be more open etc etc etc. Often just knowing that someone who cares has read my "stuff" makes it all tolerable.

Like your DJ by the way.

Trainspotting

I was standing on a station platform in daylight. I may have just completed a train journey, but maybe was just watching as it seemed that the loco was steam-powered and a bit of a tourist attraction. Beyond the platform there was a busy railway junction, with bits of machinery laying around and people working on sidings as well as tracks leading through for fast trains. When I looked at the track nearest to me, where the steam engine was stopped, I saw that there was a small mound separating the track into two sections, about as high as the platform. Trains arriving from either direction could go no further. I realised this was for health and safety purposes and that the track ultimately went in a loop, with trains arriving at the end of the platform opposite where they left, then going back round the other way.

I walked up the platform to where I could get a train to where I was going. I could hear a train coming and said "this is it" to the person next to me. I then watched as the train passed by on a different platform. Then another did much the same thing and I saw now the railway tracks were roads and buses were passing me.

As I've been writing this, a number of other railway dreams have come to mind many of which pre-date this DJ. One was about small train on an island passing through parkland, another was in an industrial complex of some sort or a mine, another was a new station opening in this city, another was based on the London Underground and another at a mainline terminal where I was trying to find the train to get me home. And another where I jumped from one carriage to another to get off at a distant platform and another where I was in a rural station and missed thr train.



Trains and railways feature a lot. They do seem to symbolise movements through life - or more accurately the part of me that experiences life's movements. The unusual part of this dream was the track in two sections. I was at a place where small journeys start and end but can't continue. I wasn't on the train (I think) so these journeys were ones I wasn't taking but I was aware of them happening. Part(s) of me is on small, circular, dead-end journeys but not the conscious part. As it seemed to be a tourist attraction, I assume that these pointless journeys are not essential and I'm probably wasting my time (like trainspotters ha ha). I think I've been seeing that part of my unconscious is caught up in these pointless journeys - a part that could be put to better use if it were more focused.

The hive of industry beyond the platform is a contrast to where I was. This is where real work is done and purposeful journeys are made. I do that too, seemingly but my conscious self seems more focused on the frivolous journeys.

The trains passing which became buses sound like I'm watching ideas go by each of which represent potential journeys but none of which I can take because the opportunity does not come. I don't recall being bothered by any of this in the dream although there was a feeling of "waiting for the right train" = right focus/start of journey. This is certainly how I feel with my career at the moment so plenty of current processing going on.

I also note that I love going to stations and airports etc. I get really excited about waiting for my train/plane and getting on it. Also I like seeing where other trains/planes go to as if I'm looking for other directions in life. I always feel anxious about trains/planes being late or cancelled as if my whole life is faced with uncertainty and delay. Interesting how we can learn about dreams from RL experiences!!!

Addressing gender imbalances

It was time to talk about Christmas parties and my course director (from last year) said that he'd invited another course to join us for a joint meal out. My course was mainly female and the other course was entirely male. I recall he stressed the word "men" when he said "and we'll be joined by MEN from the <some technical name now forgotten> course.

I wonder if this is about my own exploration of femininity and masculinity. I have spent a lot of time exploring my feminine side and have only started thinking about what it is to be a man. This isn't a sexual exploration but it taps into what I have internalised over many years through experiencing women and men. I had repressed a lot of stuff that I considered female and therefore not right for me, a male, to accept. (Mainly to do with emotions).

This dream is about gender balance. I think it's positive and perhaps reminds me that I'm now in a place where I can be as male as I want without having to stop myself experiencing life in a female way (as I would understand these constructs). The presence of my old course director, who I respected for his ability to get things done and his expertise, suggests power and my own capacity to channel my male and female parts of my self.

Dual lead guitars

I was at some kind of exhibition but I could have been looking at the web. It was about infliences in progressive rock. My eyes passed a poster or album cover of Genesis and moved on to focus on Wishbone Ash. I remembered that this band started the dual-lead guitar format which other band subsequently copied.

Not sure there's too much here. Wishbone Ash is a band I saw earlier this year (well, one original singer/guitarist plus other musicians he's picked up in recent years) and I have an interest in their music. I recall being pleased they got a mention in this exhibition. I like to see recognition where it's due and I suppose this taps into my value of reporting truth rather than spin. But the dream was so brief I won't get carried away with it.

Moonbeam - I noticed your question at the top of the page "What has happened to my anima?". As I've just had a dream about gender I can't help thinking that there are some linked themes here. Guess I'm going to really have to watch what's going on now...

good set of dreams there

I like the train one its something I can def relate to, I have them a lot and I think its intresting that they are represenitive of a journey

That gender reltated dream had a very good interpretation

As usual I enjoy reading your dreams and their interpretations. Keep 'em coming!

Originally Posted by mark

good set of dreams there

I like the train one its something I can def relate to, I have them a lot and I think its intresting that they are represenitive of a journey

Yes, lots of train dreams for me. I think "journey" doesn't entirely work for me as it stays in metaphor land. Trains are more like "possibilities" when I see them and "experiences" when I'm in them. In both cases, I expect to change or move on in life as it were.

Originally Posted by raklet

As usual I enjoy reading your dreams and their interpretations. Keep 'em coming!

You can be sure of that. More so than you can the next train