Friday, October 17, 2014

Carl Jung Symbols Appear In Dreams And Your Waking Hours

By Dominique Martin


Some dream symbols are universal and apply to men as well as women. In Jungian theory, this is called the collective unconscious. Carl Jung is the famous psychoanalyst and author responsible for creating his theories of Jung symbols.

He placed great emphasis on dreams and the meanings that could be gleaned from their content. He identified his major archetypal characters and defined their symbolic meaning. There are seven noted in this article.

Every individual has a Persona. This is the part of himself that he reveals to the rest of the world. While dreaming, the symbols of this Persona appear. If you remember your dream it will be clear that the famous movie star or hero in that dream is you.

Next there is The Shadow, a symbol of your own worst side. You attempt to suppress this while awake. This figure may show up in your dreams as a a thief or murderer. In the morning if you recall the dream you know that The Shadow made you feel angry in some way.

According to these theories each person has a male and a female side. These are called Anima-Animus. These traits are not acknowledged while awake. While asleep a woman may be seen acting in a masculine way, growing a beard for example. A man may dream of wearing womens clothes.

Dr. Jung passed away in 1961. Therefore his concepts of the male role and the female role were of that era. Now we always encounter aggressive females and men who are not ashamed to cry. The gender role has become less delineated.

The fourth symbol is The Divine Child. In your dreams this purest part of yourself appears as a baby or child. It embodies your innocence. It also represents the aspirations you hold and the full potential you can hope to reach.

The Wise Old Man or Woman is the expression of an authority figure in your waking life. It may be a teacher, priest or psychoanalyst, for example. This individual represents the helper who provides guidance.

In the dream state the role of The Great Mother can be your mother or grandmother who plays a nurturing role in your life. One Jungian theory posited that a mother may grow jealous of a child who moves away. The negative aspects may be expressed as domination or death.

The seventh and last is The Trickster. He shows up to highlight some mistake that embarrassed you during the day. His mocking attitude stresses your weakness and vulnerability.

The writings of Jung included early works such as Psychology of the Unconscious. His theories have an impact on psychiatry to this day. His final book, Man and His Symbols, gave a vivid portrayal of the complexity of the theories he held to be true.

His writings can be found translated from German to English and other languages. He did some writing in English. His literary output was prolific.




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