Table of Contents
“It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.”
Joseph Campbell
Into the Depths of the Abyss
“The interpretation of Dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious activities of the mind”
― Sigmund Freud
Two types of dreams exist. One form is the nocturnal enantiodromias that play out in our mind’s eye when we sleep. Dreams affect sleep, and they represent the healing function of the psyche. When we sleep, our psyche (the soul) heals from the stress it incurred from the day. This process also creates avenues to recover from traumas that may hinder a more integrated and cohesive psychic structure. The nighttime visions that play out in our sleep and the symbols they expose us to act as psychopomps that inspire us to engage the symbolic level of the soul, even when those images may be scary.
But what about nightmares? When analyzed from the individual’s psyche, the symbolism behind a nightmare can point toward themes that need healing. The psyche does this through exposure, much the same process as our capacity to watch horror movies as adults that we would never have been able to as a three-year-old. Over time, the psyche can desensitize to the dream’s symbolism and ultimately integrate from that process.
Secondarily, dream symbols occur during consciously aware states; they take the form of goals, visions, or flashbacks that point us to a direction that needs to be undertaken and rectified to get back on a course consistent with our soul’s intent. Our conscious visions represent unrealized goals.
Like their nocturnal counterparts, they are ethereal. However, through the capacity to envision, chart a course (plan our direction), and have faith in our ability to overcome obstacles, the ethereal nature of these visions may one day find fruition in physical reality, or as Walt Disney once said, “If you dream it, you can do it” when referring the dream he once had of a mouse that would one day become a source of magic to countless children and adults worldwide.
Step 1: Delving into the Unconscious
“Properly speaking, the unconscious is the real psychic; its inner nature is just as unknown to us as the reality of the external world, and it is just as imperfectly reported to us through the data of consciousness as is the external world through the indications of our sensory organs.”
― Sigmund Freud
The unconscious is a semi-unpopular phenomenon. It is a fundamental psychic structure that lies outside the control of consciousness and its capacity to monitor, direct, redirect, and reengage behaviors consistent with personal and social norms. If there are things we are unaware of, which is most of what surrounds us, then how can we do anything about it?
Well, this need not be as dire as it may seem. We have our sensory perception to warn us of dangers. That is why we more readily gravitate toward negative news than positive stories. The negative awakens that voice within to a problem that needs rectification. At the same time, news of a positive sort will give a momentary positive feeling. However, one will only remember that moment if it aligns with the storyline we create.
Memories occur congruent with the emotional charge we assign them and their link to the overall storyline we make. Think about it: remember the last time you laughed? What was the joke? That exercise is an experiment that, for most, will be a difficult task to remember clearly. Now, think back to the birth of your child. Which memory comes more easily to mind?
It is human nature to observe, become aware, work, and store the storylines of the past. However, we sometimes need to purge unwanted or unnecessary information to make room for new experiences. We must work on elements of consciousness and the unconscious to create room for new experiences. To become aware of this tendency is to savor the flowers in the meadow. However, in many cases, our internal and external preoccupations create an inability to see the beauty present. To overcome this tendency, we must learn to go within, direct our attention, and awaken from the sleep that is often our unconscious experience to create movement towards tangible goals and create the means from which to dream again.
Step 2: Envision, Believe, Chart a Course
“One who looks outside, dreams. One who looks inside, awakens.”
― Carl Jung
Carl Jung, Freud’s protege, drew attention to the robust nature dream symbolism has on the development of the psyche. However, contemporary psychology frequently ignores this powerful psychic construct as a means for practical psychological work. Like many other sciences, in the relatively young field of psychology, new theories of empirically valid observed phenomena and measurable facts replace a more rational basis for subjective understanding. However, as psychology knows, much of our awareness is subjective and not readily available to empirical scrutiny. As such, our life unfolds less than predictably, much to the dismay of the physical sciences and the statistics that form the basis of the human sciences’ understanding of the behaviors that drive our developmental journey forward.
Our capacity to envision creates one caveat for life to unfold. While our capability to create a vision is conscious, it forms the foundation for our ego to migrate toward greater Self-understanding. The Self differs significantly from the ego, the self, and the personae we create to serve its means. However, the Self is dependent upon each of these facets. The Self is the ethereal higher purpose, yet to be realized in objective reality. However, it holds within its budding essence the capacity to germinate into its independent reality through envisioning, believing, working hard, and hopefully seeing that possibility become real.
Envisioning is but one step. We must then create and implement a strategic plan to fulfill our dreams. We must chart a course that engages practical problem-solving remedies to overcome any hurdles life throws us. It may be challenging; it will take work, and that work will create within itself the growth potential the ego needs to attain Self-mastery and realize its aim.
Step 3: Advance Confidently in the Direction of Your Dreams
To cultivate the inner courage needed to chase life goals is complex. Its complexity is why the ideal Self is a problematic construct for psychology to understand. The realization of Self has gone by many names. It has been likened to Self-actualization by Abraham Maslow. It even draws an inference from Eastern notions such as Nirvana, even though Jung’s psychology showed differences between the Eastern and Western concepts of the psyche and the religious connotations associated with the ideal state of being “blown-out.”
While this is the case in the traditional theoretical stance of Jung’s analytical psychology, the realized state of being has one clear caveat. Once actualized, is there anything left to attain? However, it is in our capacity to create the life of our dreams that we develop the ability to see our life story unfold, even if those goals are realized or not, for as we have all heard, even our failures can turn into successes if we learn the lessons associated from the effects of their work.
Dreams are not stagnant events. You can engage as many of them as you wish, and they don’t require real estate to store the weight of their grand significance. A vision costs nothing and requires no space. However, that is also its downfall. Because it is of little importance unless it sparks a passion within, one’s capacity to push it aside and forget about it is forefront if its host is unwilling to work its intent.
Stay inspired. Find a source of motivation that drives you to work through life’s obstacles. It is essential to prepare for the marathon, not the 40-yard dash of life. Most healthy individuals want to prepare for longevity, even though patience can be a factor in pursuing one’s aspirations. Because of the ethereal nature of a vision, its timeline is difficult to determine. It is dependent on the degree of work to be undertaken. That vision may only take a short duration; it may take decades. However, the work’s brevity creates the path for you to realize the possibility you undertook to become that person who, only a short period before, was once only a figment of your imagination.
Conclusion
Joseph Campbell said, “It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.” It is up to us to traverse the ocean’s depths, brave the mythical creatures present, understand their unique pull upon the psyche, and embrace the power of a vision, that transformative agent that engages the passion of spirit to make sense of the beauty that encompasses the depth of the soul
We all can realize a dream. But it will take envisioning and hard work to realize that vision. To start, take a moral inventory to determine any roadblocks that may arise. We all have baggage. But to what end? Will you allow that baggage to weigh you down, or will it be the starting place of a new adventure? Claim that baggage, like in an airport baggage claim, and embark on a new adventure, hopefully, one greater than your last.
Dealing with past emotional baggage should not be discouraging. The stories there can stand as obstacles to realizing the brevity of your vision and the beauty of the Self it helps create. The positive part is that those stories are in the past. Their only effect is through the energy you assign to their value in the present moment.
Glean the lesson, let go, and let God. This act creates space so that the nascent seed of the vision can grow into the aspiring nature of the dream yet realized. From there, nurture that goal image into reality. Once attained, you can repeat the process of entering the unconscious abyss to discover the treasures present until success is heartfelt.
I hope you enjoyed this article, my friends. Stay tuned for more analytical psychology articles. As always, may blessings find you along your journey to believe, chart a course, and advance confidently in the direction of your dreams.
More from Dr. Tom
Shop Unique Aromatherapy Candles
It is our choice to believe in the beauty of dreams unfolding. When we direct our mind’s eye to belief, faith guides us in the direction necessary to realize our Self as it unfolds into its most optimal being.
Are you being your best possible Self? Dr. Thomas Maples explores our personal and collective journey to realize our ultimate potential through the lens of psychology, personal development, and the myths that drive our journey forward.
The Secret 2 Success? FOCUS – A Sacred Journey
Find Me On Instagram
