Jungian Dreamwork Series: Animals (Part I)
By Andy Drymalski, EdD
By Andy Drymalski, EdD |
In last month’s article we examined the Self. The Self is the spiritual core and regulating center of the psyche. It is often symbolized in dreams by dream figures and images which evoke a sense of wholeness and the creative union of opposites. Examples include rare and enduring objects (e.g., gold, diamonds, a unique rock, a majestic tree), mandala figures such as a circle, square, cross, or maze, or individuals symbolic of humanity’s highest spiritual aspirations (e.g., Christ, Buddha). And, as this article will illustrate, the Self is occasionally symbolized by animals.
In order to understand how animals can serve as symbols of the Self it is helpful to recall that the psyche is composed of two basic parts: the conscious and the unconscious. Consciousness is symbolized in dreams by light. For example, to dream of lighting a candle or turning on a lamp is symbolic of trying to bring conscious awareness to some aspect of your inner or outer life. The unconscious, on the other hand, is typically symbolized in dreams by darkness, water, and the soil or underground. These three environments have probably become symbols of the unconscious because they are not the natural habitat of human beings–at least in our conscious state. All three require some type of artificial device (a lamp in darkness and underground in caves, mines, and goggles when swimming under water) in order for us to navigate through them with ease. Animals whose natural habitats include both the light/aboveground and the dark, water, or underground are symbolic of entities that can serve as guides to the unconscious, for they reflect the fundamental nature of the Self. The Self knows the light and dark, the surface and hidden, the conscious and unconscious aspects of our being. Examples of animals that are frequently used as symbols of the Self include: snakes, owls, ducks, swans, geese, frogs, turtles, and occasionally bugs and bees. Whales, dolphins, porpoises and fish (excluding sharks) are also frequent symbols of the Self (e.g., the symbol of Christ as a fish) because they are at home in the water (the unconscious).
A four-year-old boy dreams: “Some people gave us their pet turtles because they didn’t want them. Each of us (each family member) had our own turtle and they were all different colors. We took them to a forest and went for a walk. I carried my rainbow-colored turtle some of the time. His name was ‘Rainbow-colored-turtle-flower-that-smells-good.’ When we got back home I played with all the turtles. I had to make a special shelf for my turtle to protect him from our dogs. My turtle slept with me and we dreamed together. In the morning I put my turtle on a leash outside with the other turtles.”
Not yet fully conditioned into the worldview we adults call “reality,” young children are sometimes lucky enough to retain a vibrant and vital connection to the archetypal world of the Self. This young boy has such a connection. To his credit and benefit, he is also watchful in protecting this connection to the core of his being. If he is able to nurture this relationship while still shouldering the demands of outer life and society, his adulthood is likely to be particularly creative and fulfilling.
A man dreams: “I am going to a party. My mother is preparing the meal and my brother is also there (in external reality they are both deceased). I see the meat being prepared: large slices of prime rib. But hidden beneath each slice is a live coral snake. They are poisonous and I am aghast at the thought of eating this.”
To the surprise of many people, snakes are usually a very positive figure to encounter in your dreams. They are excellent symbols of the Self and the unfolding psyche. Not only do they live both above and below ground, but through the periodic shedding of their skin they personify the process of transformation that is at the heart of all true growth of the personality. In this dream a meal is prepared for the dreamer by his mother and brother. Because they are both deceased, they are probably serving as symbols of the unconscious or the “spirit world.” Additionally, his mother may symbolize the nourishing aspect of the unconscious. Symbolically, the psyche wants to nourish the dreamer. To eat the meat and to eat the snake is symbolic of integrating the Self, of incorporating into one’s conscious personality aspects of one’s deeper nature and potential. But, why did the dream utilize a poisonous snake? This is probably because the ego’s standpoint or worldview (symbolized by the dreamer) must be sacrificed (poisoned) for the larger personality to be integrated. Sometimes what is poison or abhorrent to the ego is, ironically, the necessary food of the emerging personality.
The following three dreams all utilize animals as symbols of the Self. A woman whose body was rejecting a liver transplant dreamed: “I am in a room with a bunch of snakes. I don’t like them and am beating them to death with a stick.” Another woman dreams: “I am covered with small black bugs. They’re crawling all over me, trying to get in my nose, mouth and ears. I’m brushing them away with my hands as fast as I can.” A man dreams: “I am in a large circular room with quite a few people. There are windows around the top and we are watching them. We have come to witness an unusual event, the return of the white bird. It seems that each year a white bird comes to these very windows and tries to get in. Soon the bird arrives; it is about the size of a goose. It starts to fly against the windows, and to bang against them over and over. It is a remarkably violent and desperate attempt. The will that it is demonstrating to get in, and the seemingly little regard that it has for its own safety, begins to frighten me. I am thinking that if it ever gets through the windows, it is going to hurt someone very badly. Suddenly the bird flies up and away from the windows, and then dives straight towards them. It has found a small opening and enters the room with great speed. It flies directly to me and looks me straight in the eye with its own dark eyes. I am very fearful, and I quickly think that my only hope of not getting hurt is to hurt it first, although it has done nothing to harm me. I grab its neck and I jerk it as hard as I can, breaking it. As soon as I’ve done it I realize what a great mistake, what a stupid thing I have done.”
These three dreams are perfect examples of how NOT to relate to the Self. Each one of the dreams symbolizes an attempt by the deep psyche to penetrate the constricting boundaries and fortifications of the self-protecting ego. The Self appears threatening and invasive because the dreamer is so defensive and egocentric. The Self is like a mirror, reflecting back to the ego the attitudes it has directed towards the Self. In battles between the Self and the ego, the Self eventually wins (if not in this plane of reality, then the next, or the next…). The Self is the calling of your deepest, truest nature. It becomes adversarial only when you have become adversarial towards it.
So the next time you encounter an animal messenger of the Self in your dreams, dialogue with the figure in your imagination upon waking. Ask it what it has to tell you, what gift it brings you. Be open to its response. (This is a method for learning more from our dreams which Carl Jung called “active imagination.”) If you find yourself in a conflictual interaction with a dream figure of the Self, you can also ask yourself in what ways you may be resisting the promptings of your deeper self. Perhaps there is something that God, life, the universe, has been trying to communicate to you, but which you have been unwilling to hear.
References:
1. Jung, C.G. The Undiscovered Self. New American Library, Inc.: NY 1958.
2. Jung, C.G. Collected Works, Volume 9: The Archtypes of the Collective Unconscious, 2nd Edition. Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ 1968.
3. Von Franz, M.L. Shadow and Evil in Fairy Tales, Revised edition. Shambhala Publications, Inc.: Boston, MA 1995.
Jungian Dreamwork Series: Animals (Part II)
By Andy Drymalski, EdD
By Andy Drymalski, EdD |
In last month’s article we examined how the animals that appear in our dreams sometimes function as symbols of the Self, Carl Jung’s term for the core of the psyche. The animals listed were: snakes, owls, ducks, geese, swans, frogs, turtles, whales, dolphins, porpoises, fish, bugs and bees. To that list we could also add the following: lions, tigers, and bears (for they are the “rulers” of their animal communities like the Self is meant to be the “ruler” of the psyche); bison (because they symbolize wisdom and nourishment); eagles and hawks (because of their keen eyesight and over-arching perspective); and elephants (because of their intelligence, memory, and long life). In this article, we turn our attention to the ways in which animals can also serve as symbols of our instinctual life.
The following paragraphs examine some of the more common animals encountered in the dreams of North Americans. Primary focus is given to the archetypal (cross-cultural) meanings attached to these animals. It is important to keep this level of symbolism in mind as you work with your dreams. However, you will also want to explore your personal associations to the dream figures (animal or otherwise), for sometimes these associations will take priority over the archetypal perspective. The interpretation of any dream figure also varies with the specific events taking place in the dream, as well as the life context of the dreamer at the time of the dream. Finally, as you work with the animal figures in your dreams, try to remain true to the actual social and ecological nature of the animal being considered. For example, the dream-maker is more likely to use a wolverine to symbolize aggression than, say, a koala bear.
A man dreams: “I am leading a thin, tired horse out of the rain and into a barn.” Horses are often used as symbols of the body and one’s physical health. Like the horse, this man needs to nourish and rest his body. If you dream of a horse that is sick, diseased, or injured in some way, give some examination to your own physical health. Are you over-stressed or asking too much of your body? Are you listening and responding to its needs and innate wisdom? Horses can also symbolize your life energy and instinctual drives. To dream of taming and riding a horse can symbolize the process of developing greater control over your instincts/passions, such as your sexual impulses, eating or drinking behaviors, aggression, or competitiveness. The symbolism of the horse can also be applied to events from your outer life. If you are kicked by a horse or bucked off of a horse that does not normally behave in this way, life could be offering you the message that you are not listening to your body and deeper psyche. You might ask yourself if your ego is serving the needs of the body and the Self, or is it using the body to serve itself?
A young man dreamed, “I see an older man in a large concrete drainage pipe. He is trying to step on and kick some small animals. They look like cats to me, but he claims they were rats.” Because wild rats have a history of spreading diseases to humans (e.g. the Black Death of the 1300’s) and of contaminating food supplies with their droppings, they often symbolize a destructive energy or attitude within the psyche or one’s outer life. Cats, on the other hand, are symbols of the instinctual feminine. They can symbolize our feelings, but also the maternal instincts of nurturance, self-protection, and protection of offspring. Cats are excellent hunters and admirable fighters, and often retain a certain wildness and independence despite their domestication. Having ready access to the instinctual wisdom of a cat can be a great asset. If you dream of losing your cat, or of a cat being harmed, it may be helpful to contemplate how you can reconnect with and protect your relationship to your feminine instincts. (In the above dream, a harmful shadow figure is trying to interfere with the dreamer’s relationship with his inner feminine by tricking him into thinking it is something evil.)
A young woman dreams: “I am in a maze with Lucy, my dog. We are having a very hard time finding our way out.” It is said that “dogs are mans’ best friend.” Evidently this saying applies in the land of the unconscious as well. Because their hearing and sense of smell are much more refined than that of humans, dogs often serve as guides to the unconscious and the spirit world in dreams and myths. For example, among pre-Hispanic Mexicans it was believed that a dog guides its master’s spirit to the land of the dead following his/her death. To dream of being on a journey with a dog suggests the good fortune of a helpful ally as you negotiate life’s challenges. Ultimately, the dog symbolizes your instincts–your ability to hear the voice of your intuition and “sniff out” trouble, food, etc. As a watchdog, it can also be your assistant in learning how to protect yourself (“bear your teeth” so to speak) and set appropriate boundaries in your relationships. In this dream, the young woman has the assistance of her instincts on her life journey. Unfortunately, (and this shows how personal associations to dream figures can be crucial) her actual dog was quite skittish–afraid of people, and men in particular. The same was basically true of the dreamer, and so her life was a frustrating puzzle at the time of the dream.
A wild “cousin” of the dog, the wolf shares some of the dog’s positive attributes, such as a deep instinctual knowledge of the natural world. As a pack animal, the wolf can also be a symbol of loyalty, cooperation, and teamwork. Because of its wisdom and a healthy balancing of independence with interdependence, the “spirit of the wolf” can be a helpful guide on life’s journey. Unlike dogs, however, the wolf is also represented in a very negative light in a variety of myths and fairy tales, such as Little Red Riding Hood. In our dreams, the wolf can sometimes symbolize a dangerously destructive force. It has been associated with war, chaos, gluttony and the blind, unchecked desire to devour, consume, and acquire. Although it is somewhat unpopular to speak negatively of wolves in this day and age, the psyche is not “politically correct,” and recognizes a duality in the symbolism of the wolf.
A woman dreams: “I see a fox running away from me. As he runs he looks back at me, and I see that he has the face of my husband.” Foxes and coyotes are known for their cleverness and cunning, their swiftness of thought and action. These can be positive attributes when used in the service of the Self. They can also be negative when used for egocentric purposes. Both animals can be symbols of the trickster as well. They can bestow the gift of being able to see humor in difficult situations. (In the above dream, the psyche was letting the dreamer know that her husband was up to no good. In fact, he’d been spending time with another “vixen.”)
A young boy dreamed: “I see a black widow spider coming towards me. I step on it, but others come marching behind it.” Spiders are not usually positive symbols within our dreams. They often represent a regressive force within the psyche. For example, they may symbolize attitudes or behaviors that keep us from maturing and from developing our abilities and gifts. Fear, laziness, and addictive behaviors are examples. In this dream the spiders symbolized the boy’s fears. He needed to battle his fearfulness of life in order to grow.
In next month’s issue, I will explore the dreams of children in greater detail.
References:
1. Cirlot, J.E. A Dictionary of Symbols, 2nd edition. Philosophical Library, Inc., NY 1971.
2. Von Franz, M.L. Shadow and Evil in Fairy Tales, revised edition. Shambhala Publications, Inc., MA 1995.
3. www.starstuffs.com/animal_totems
FROG
(1) This may be a sexual symbol, representing male gentials. As such it would appear in a woman's dreams and might express a fear of sex, or an ambivalent fear - facination feeling towards it.
(2) The frog may symbolize the unconscious, or some part or function of the psyche that still lies buried in your unconscious, perhaps something that you find horrifying or disgusting because of some traumatic experiences that gave rise to anxiety and/or guilt feelings.
{3} Perhaps the frog in your dream comes from the story of the Frog-Prince. In the story a young woman is visited in her bed by a frog. At first, the girl is horrified and pushes the frog away. On the third night, however, she relents, and in the insuing embrace the frog is transformed into a handsome prince.
Ernest Jones, a follower and biographer of Freud, says this is a story of a virgin overcoming her sexual fear.
For Joseph Campbell, an authority on mythology and a Jungian, the frog in the story symbolizes the unconscious, which at first sight is frightening but, when assimilated by the conscious ego, reveals itself for what it is - the total psyche, beautiful and true.
One might add that in both these interpretations what brings about the psychis transformation is a sexual embrace, but in the second interpretation it is an inner embrace, an intermingling and mutual penetration of the masculine and feminine sides of the psyche.
Note
Jung tells us that there are at least two interpretations to every dream. Bothe the interpretations, Jones and Campbell, could very well be applical to the dream. One is a need to overcome an outward personal fear, and at the same time a need to delve into the unconscious and overcome the frightening aspects that unconsciously controls one's life.
Reference: Eric Ackroyd
[Carl Jung and Frogs in “The Red Book.”]
At your low point you are no longer distinct from your fellow beings. You are
not ashamed and do not regret it, since insofar as you live the life of your
fellow beings and descend to their lowliness / you also climb into the holy
stream of common life, where you are no longer an individual on a high
mountain, but a fish among fish, a frog among frogs. ~Carl Jung, The Red Book.
The Frog Prince: Jungian wisdom on the Animus within (PART-I)
Remember the famous tale of “The Frog Prince” by Brothers Grimm? Well if you don’t read it here (http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/175/grimms-fairy-tales/3066/the-frog-prince/). Still I will give you enough to go on for now. This story is about a princess who loses her golden ball, a beloved possession. The frog helps her get the ball back from the spring only after she promises to love it. After getting the ball the princess leaves the frog behind who follows her to her palace at night. Despite her disgust towards it, the princess lets it be a part of her life in an intimate way because her father asked her to honor her words. After three days of eating from her plate and sleeping in her bed, the frog turns into prince; who then proposes and carries off the princess to his land.
In Jungian Psychology, all the characters and elements from a dream or story represent parts of a person’s psyche. In this beloved childhood fairy-tale too, the princess, the King (father of princess) and the frog represent parts of a woman’s psyche. The golden ball is symbolic too. I will get to its significance soon. I’m explaining the archetype from a woman’s perspective as this how I interpreted the elements. Here the princess represents the woman representation of herself; the king and the frog are aspects of animus that she must make peace with and understand to continue her journey of self individuation.
Every adventure or transformation starts with initiation. Such events are usually the ones that coax a person out of comfort zone and inertia. Losing the valued golden ball for the princess is the event that will lead to her transformation. There she realizes that she has limitations (inability to retrieve the ball herself) and to grow beyond them she needs new experiences (making alliance with frog). Often in real life we come across situations where we feel limited by our knowledge and experiences. Then moving beyond the known and the comfort zone is called forth in such situations. We change by the virtue of the new experiences we get.
The princess dislikes the frog from first sight. In dreams and mythological accounts, from Jungian perspective- the opinions, the notions, the right-wrongs a woman harbors are represented by her animus (the male part of a woman’s psyche). When a woman is possessed by her animus, she becomes highly opinionated and inflexible. She forsakes her creativity, receptivity and intuition for an existence that is bound by dogmas, doctrines, rules, "should-s" and "should not-s". This is what is reflected by the princess’s response towards the frog. Blinded by her inflexible opinions, she fails to see the how this frog is different from the ordinary frogs. He is observant (he notices her and her ball), he is caring (he offers help), he has a plan (he makes her promise to love him and take him as companion), he is different from his kinds (he seeks the princess’s company over his mates in the well) and he is does what he says (he gets back the golden ball for princess). After failing to notice the frog’s true nature, taking him to be another ordinary frog, she fools herself into believing that she can escape him and runs back to her palace. This feature too is characteristic of animus possession. When a woman severs her connections with her feminine resources, instead of reflecting and receiving, she either avoids (rejects) or fights (destructively confronts) refusing to let in anything that is not acceptable in her opinion (an echo of the animus within). Here “the princess forgets about the frog” implies that despite holding the ball in her hand (which was returned by the frog) and the callings of the frog from behind, she chooses to avoid him by not paying any thought to him. She consciously pushes the entire episode into oblivion. Again she is so taken by her bad opinion of the frog, that she ignores his calls. If she had paid attention, she would have known that her rude goodbye of running out on him is hardly the good riddance she wants.
Next we see that the frog follows her to the palace and knocks (calls) at her door. Such acts of calling name at doors are symbolical of drawing one to the door of transformation. Once the princess answers to her name and opens the door, there is no turning back. Names have always been more than means of identification. They represent the “Self” and hence are powerful. Opening door is symbolic of letting in: a feminine act of reception. Caught up in the routine, with guards down, on hearing her name call at the door her “Self”, the true feminine source within, is aroused from the depths. She is called upon and so she answers. Here the curiosity (which is a feminine attribute) that was so far suppressed by the overbearing animus is evoked by the act of "call" from the frog. The princess opens the door.