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First Dream

Step 1 – Write The Dream Down

I am at a crowded therapeutic event organized by Stefan Molyneux. I am standing on the side of the room, looking at the event in a supportive manner because, though I don’t fully agree with everything that is being presented, the knowledge being shared allows one to start the work of self-knowledge and healing trauma. ​

At the end of the event, a couple who waited patiently come towards Stefan. They are suffering a deeper trauma than what was talked about during the seminar so they are requesting some personalized help from him. As soon as we realized how hurt they are, a group of people and I make a circle around them, as if to maintain a healing cocoon. Stefan steps in the middle of the cocoon and it seems he is going to start a healing process. Yet he appears to be overwhelmed by the task and he starts talking about details of a good therapeutic practice instead, saying things such as “facing away is a proper position to approach a client”. “This won’t do”, I say to myself and we break the healing cocoon that was very uncomfortable to hold.​

A bit later, I start talking to the traumatized couple and I say to them, in an authoritative manner and as an overseer of the therapeutic event, something like “there is no point in waiting, you will not get any help that way”. Suddenly, I hear a voice-over saying that what I just said liberated them from the need to wait on Stefan or anyone to assist them. This was accompanied by a feeling of radiant and glorious realization.​
I learned later that this traumatized couple was named Christius and Sofia. ​

The dream skips.​

I am now an obese and naked fat man in a dirty car full of trash. It’s night time and I am parked around the house of Christius and Sofia. ​

Someone is approaching my car and I don’t like it. I want to scare them away from me. To do so, I get out of the car and, still naked, I run at them screaming while touching my testicles. ​

I manage to shock the person that was near my car. It was a woman. A thought goes quickly through my mind, “Was she Sofia or related to Sofia?”, but I go back in the car and drive away. My car is full of trash so I can’t drive well. I end up driving on a road shaped like a downward spiral, creating many accidents by bumping into other people’s cars. ​

Step 2 – Identify the Key Symbols and Provide Spontaneous Associations

Stefan Molyneux ~ someone who teaches valuable therapeutic insights, a positive and competent figure but with some limitations.​

healing cocoon ~ a supportive structure, a space that was held for healing to happen, energy of the self.​

Christius and Sofia ~ natural man and natural woman, what man and woman are and should be; hints at Christ and the gnostic Sophia as symbols of the self.​

Step 3 – Provide the Personal Context

Not much came to mind. ​The general context is that I was focused on building my website at the time.​

Step 4 – Feel into the Inner Dynamics of a Dream

First Scene.

Moment 1 – supporting the event, Stefan and me​. Feeling: nuanced “this is the right thing to do but”​.

Moment 2 – couple, cocoon, Stefan fails to provide healing, “it won’t do”​. Feeling: horror, empathy, uncomfortable, performance anxiety, strong disappointment​.

Moment 3 – talking to the couple, “there is no point in waiting”, voice-over, liberation​. Feeling: closure on what happened, freedom/freed from.

Second Scene.

Moment 1 – vulgar character, night time near the house.​ Feeling: gross, lazy, gluttonous​.

Moment 2 – someone approaches, obscene behavior​. Feeling: being disturbed, fear of being exposed or revealed, doubling down​.

Moment 3 – driving away, downward spiral​. Feeling: “shaking my head” disapproval (compound mistakes).

Step 5 – Find the Right Interpretation

The first part of the dream is showing that I am not addressing the serious trauma at hand but rather than I am shifting to something easier like teaching.​ Unexpectedly, this “failure to heal” has a liberating effect on the traumatized couple.​

This reverses the situation from “Christius and Sofia waiting for me” to “me being invited towards them”.​

This reveals all my worst aspects with an emphasis on an unwillingness to put them aside. The dream shows that I am likely to double down, which leads to a disastrous future.​

Step 6 – Make the Dream Concrete With a Symbolic Act

I realized that something in me needs serious help, yet I can’t provide it.​

Teaching vs healing.​

I realized more of my inadequacies and the need to manage them instead of exaggerating them.

Second dream (three days later).

Step 1 – Write The Dream Down

I am riding a bus to get to an apartment. I look at the time and notice that I missed an important online meeting by one hour. ​

Still on the bus, I disable airplane mode on my phone. I have loads of new emails and a voicemail from my mother saying in an agitated voice, “Can you respond? Have you received the books?”. I did receive the books she sent me by post but I haven’t said anything to her yet.

Step 2 – Identify the Key Symbols and Provide Spontaneous Associations

important online meeting ~ that day I was having an online meeting that I did not miss​

airplane mode ~ something I use to be offline, inaccessible​

books ~ information in its largest sense

Step 3 – Provide the Personal Context

I attended an important online meeting that day yet I missed it in the inner world.​

Previous dream (Christius and Sofia).

Step 4 – Feel into the Inner Dynamics of a Dream

Beginning, setting = Late for something important. ​

Drama and tension = A lot of information is coming my way.​

Resolution = It requires a response and I haven’t responded yet.

Step 5 – Find the Right Interpretation

The unconscious, through the symbol of the mother, is pointing out that I got “the books” but I have not responded yet. It feels insistent and important to do so.​

“The books” is referring to the information I extracted from the previous dream: there is a traumatized couple in need in my inner world.

Step 6 – Make the Dream Concrete With a Symbolic Act

I left my inner work unattended and I need to do it.​ I decided to do active imagination.

The guidelines

Dream Series 01 – Walking Alone

Examples of Dream Interpretation

Books quoted

Jay Earley. Self-Therapy: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Inner Wholeness Using IFS, a New, Cutting-Edge Therapy

Recommended material

An Easy Guide to Jungian Dream Interpretation​

How to Analyze a Dream Using Jungian Dream Analysis​

Carl Jung’s 9 Rules of Dream Interpretation​

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