Dream Archetypes and Farewell For Now

Update: I delivered some of the descriptive statistics from the survey to Seeker last week. They were quite interesting and also not so surprising. The survey went well, over 70 responses. I used only those I recieved within the first four days after the announcement. I hope the information is useful to others studying archetypes.

I would encourage the use of surveys for data gathering as they allow you to define the response somewhat and you get a more representative demographic. The result was that tornadoes are not a general archetype, only 46% of DVers surveyed ever dreamed of tornadoes despite the fact that through media , family and education all were familiar with them. The incidence of tornado dreams was higher among those who lived where tornadoes actually occur, hinting strongly at the link between our real world and the symbols we find in our dreams. Of course there were some unique cases among the data but the overall results were basically clear.

As for me, I have completed one round of research into the paranormal and need to move off into other areas that are more pressing for now. I may return to this study in the future. I have found interesting people and wish both my friends and my enemies the best. I have not in this round of research been able to find evidence of supernatural, other worldly or non-material influences in the lives of human beings. That being said, neither have I been able to completely eliminate the possibility.

Cheers!

Elijah Jones

Take care where you put that penny, copper is poisonous to some!

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I would like to start an experiment that looks into dream archetypes. A dream archetype is a universal symbol in dreams. Many dream books and Jungian psychologists believe that the symbols in our dreams are often universal symbols. To understand the dreams one need only look in a book.

My hypothesis is that dream symbolism is mostly personal but that there are some archetypes that may be cultural on at least a few levels. Firstly there can be large scale cultural archetypes (e.g. media archetypes) and there can also be peer and kinship cultural archetypes. There may also be universal archetypes related to primal urges like fear of the dark, these may lie underneath other symbol paradigms.

What I would like to do is post a symbol for discussion about its meaning until noone new seems to be posting to it anymore. I can then examine the replies for proximity using some statistical techniques. From this we can tell how highly correlated the definitions are and possibly make a scientific assertion that an archetype exists.

When you see a tornado in your dream what does it mean to you? Is each tornado special or does it always have a general meaning?

Thanks for participating. After we have obtained around 25 replies I will run the statistics and post a report on this symbol.

Regards,

EJ

I look at tornadoes in my dreams as a cluster of wired up feelings. A kind of chaos of strong feelings. A tornado is mighty and overwhelming.

I used to have tornado nightmares all the time. There would usually be more than just one...like I would look to the horizon and see one or two, then turn and start running in the other direction and more would keep popping up. I would always be surrounded by them, like I could not escape...and I was always trying to find shelter, but here was hardly anything around that was quite strong enough.

For me tornados most likely represent a feeling of encroaching danger, complete helplessness, and being extremely exposed and powerless.

EDIT: thank you hysteria, yes vulnerability...the word i was looking for but couldn't think of heh

I used to have nightmares about tornadoes all the time when i was little, but i live in tornado alley o_o and it was just a huge fear of mine..so, i don't know if it actually MEANS something, i wouldn't think so, becos it is something so common in my everyday life. if it means anything i would go with the obvious, which is what nina said, basically helplessness or "vulnerability"

If this forum is for the advancement of science the we should be doing at least some controlled experiments. So I think I am going to redesign this thread so that I get a random sample of at least the DVer's. I will if I can work with Seeker, Howetzer and Peregrinus to send out an invitation to all DVer's to take a questionaire regarding the dream symbol of tornadoes. In order to find unbiased samples we will have to ask for some demographic information but I think we can agree to have it be anonymous except for the information we need.

If I had to judge by the responses so far it would seem that tornado alley and movies like Twister have placed tornadoes in our collective subconscious and that they typically represent anxiety, unpredictibility and power.

I hope those of you who have posted here will respond to the blind study as well.

Thanks

EJ

We had a rather lengthy post recently discussing this idea.
If anyone can remember then name it could add some valuable insite.

ElijahJones. And it is only an opinion. Lord knows I am envovled in a dream sharing experiment, I believe in Astral projection and OBE's. So I am not discounting this idea. I never do.
However I think universal signs are universal. But in a conditioned sense. For example I too have had several nightmares about tornadoes. If you have any dream with turmoil or a natural disaster it seems to point in the generalized direction of anxiety, frustration etc. Contrary to that seas of green and sunrises would be a universal sign of contentment.
This may not be fact. But seemingly it would stand to reason that the universitality of dreams is brought opon our condition state of what we percieve as either good or bad.
With each person there are many variables. Like hysteria for example would have nightmares of tornadoes living in tornadoe alley, as opposed to someone who lives in California dreaming of earthquakes.
Again just my thoughts.

Is there any partiicular insight that would have you to believe that there is a universal sign? A higher power, evolution or maybe us all being one. All possibilties.
What are your thoughts. :)

Hey Howezter,

We'll what I want to do is pursue this statistically. Seeker has agreed to do a mass mailing of an anonymous survey that will ask questions that might help unravel the mystery. Once I has this data I can do some nifty little matrix operations on it and find out if there is a higher probability of tornadoe alley people have tornadoes as dream signs. As for universals you bring up a good point. Why does a beautifuol sea scape generally make people feel peaceful? Is it that we sense no danger, that the sound and color signals something primal about safety? Or is there a spiritual connection? These are questions that can be investigated. If you would like to comment on the survey before it goes out let me know I am sure it be benefited by your input.

For anyone who is interested we can discuss what makes or does not make a good study survey and the statistical techniques behind multivariate data analysis. Peregrinus must also be familiar with statistics.

There are a few hypothesis on the tornado theme floating around.

1) Living near to the real danger of tornadoes makes them a dream archetype to those people
2) Media coverage and movies has put the tornado into the subconscious of most Americans

Later,

H

higher probability of tornadoe alley people have tornadoes as dream signs

That was a wrong wording as per our definitions I meant as a symbol. We are looking to see how close the attached meanings are.

There is this a topic I remember about Human cloning. It is a doosey! It is all interesting.
.....It gets a bit side tracked around page two and begins to discuss, rather in depth about statistics. This may be of some help. :)
Another good thing about compiling data via the internet is that it is not inclusive to one culture or geographical location.

Let me know how I can help.

I've only had one tornado dream that i can remember...and as far as i recall, it wasn't that scary, just intriguing...it didn't signify any great change in my life, or 'upheaval'.
so i guess tornadoes don't mean much to me...
Blast...
Although i do have one Archetype, The Wise Old Man, who manifests himself as someone i'd take advice from in life...

Descriptive Statistics and intial hypothesis were delivered to Seeker in word format last week. Thank you to everyone who participated. I have updated the header post on this thread with information about the study.

Best wishes and special thanks to: Seeker, Placebo, Hysteria, Aquanina and Irishcream

Sincerely,

Elijah Jones