fandomhigh | Jung, 2/27, Period 4

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psychology

Jung, 2/27, Period 4

Students looking for Miss Calendar may be disappointed, as a tall, pale man seems to have taken her place for the day. He springs into action as the students gather. The professor might appear slightly amused by his subject matter, but it's only visible in the tilt of his eyebrows.

"Hello. I am Dream. Miss Calendar has invited me to direct your lesson today on Carl Jung's theories about dream interpretation.

Jung believed dreams are communications from the unconscious; in particular, he said, they serve to express aspects of the individual that are suppressed or neglected. This idea of compensation, of the natural tendency for the conflicting conscious and unconscious to approach a balance, is the basis of Jung's overall theory of psychological self-regulation. In short, dreams, to Jung, are no more or less than the unconscious’ spontaneous portrayal of the situation therein – a sort of signal fire to alert the dreamer’s conscious minds.

Because of this, Jung believed interpreting dreams in isolation was futile. He wrote, "If we want to interpret a dream correctly, we need a thorough knowledge of the conscious situation at that moment, because the dream contains its unconscious complement ... Without this knowledge it is impossible to interpret a dream correctly, except by a lucky fluke."

He also wrote, "Learn as much as you can about symbolism; then forget it all when you are analyzing a dream ... I leave theory aside as much as possible when analyzing dreams-not entirely, of course, for we always need some theory to make things intelligible. It is on the basis of theory, for instance, that I expect dreams to have a meaning. I cannot prove in every case that this is so, for there are dreams which the doctor and the patient simply do not understand. But I have to make such an hypothesis in order to find courage to deal with dreams at all."

In the end, this means that, simply, Jung believed the proper interpretation of dreams relied more upon the lives and thoughts of the dreamer, than upon any regular and universal "symbolism." As such, your best tools to use when interpreting a Dream are a keen imagination, and a thorough knowledge of the dreamer.

"In class today, I would like for each of you to offer one example of a recurring symbol you noticed while keeping your dream journals. We will then discuss what this symbol might mean in a Jungian context."

Dream has two handouts offering more information on Jung’s views.

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...

Angel signed in, looking surprised and a little perturbed to see Dream. If Angel's memory was right, he and the professor hadn't spent much time together since Dream cursed Angelus with a day of waking nightmares.

So... yeah. Awkward.

Dream nodded coolly to Angel. Whatever his memories of that day in detention were, he made no obvious sign of them.

Rory signed in, offering a small smile to one of her favorite teachers last semester.

Broots signed in.

...

"Light, and lack thereof," Rory said, thinking of her dreams. "My dreams are always very bright, or else extremely dark."

Dream nodded.

"And what personal symbolism do you attach to these lighting choices?"

"Well, I think it's kind of obvious - light is the happier emotions, dark is less than happy ones. There was a lot of light in my dreams involving people I care about, for instance," Rory supplied.

"Interesting," Dream said. "And is this sunlight, or is it a radiance, or lamplight? There are, after all, diffrerent sorts of light."

"It varies. There was a very sunlit dream, where I was with a close friend," Rory said thoughtfully. "And then there was one with my little brother where I don't actually remember what he looked like - just that there was a lot of light."

Dream considered this. He was vaguely aware that Professor Gilmore-Danes was with child; it made sense the child would already be in the Dreaming, if only as a figment. "Thank you, Miss Gilmore. That helps to show how even a simple image, like light, may have different meanings."

Angel looked uncomfortable. "I, uh, I had a problem with keeping a journal."

"What was that?" Dream asked mildly.

"Well, I kept one," Angel said, holding it up, "but I'm not sure it's going to be useful for the assignment. I couldn't remember much."

"I see," Dream said. "DO you know why this is, Angelus?"

It was clear he used the name deliberately.

Rory looked up at that, alarmed.

Angel flinched. He couldn't help it. "No. I don't."

Dream backed off, minutely. "I believe you do dream," he said. "Most beings do."

"The question is whether you are forgetting your dreams, or whether you are one of the rare beings that doesn't have them."

"I've had dreams," Angel said. He felt acutely uncomfortable under Dream's gaze. "When I woke up I felt like stuff had happened. But all I could remember was pieces."

Dream rubbed his chin. "That would suggest you are venturing to the Dreaming, but it is not registering with your conscious mind," he said. "Perhaps you do not let it?"

"That's - uh - up to me?" Angel asked, perplexed. "I thought I just closed my eyes and everything else happened."

Dream shook his head, a little impatient. "Under the beliefs of Mr. Jung, a dream is a message your unconscious mind is sending to your conscious mind. Your conscious mind can do what it does with so much other information, and block the dream."

He sighed. "Let me read your journal."

Looking sheepish, Angel handed it in (http://community.livejournal.com/fandomhigh/679609.html?thread=32552121#t32552121).

Dream read through the fragments, frowning. He tapped a long finger against the second dream.

Hall of mirrors. Bright lights. Blood on the floor. Sound of someone (young?) crying.

"These elements would seem to all have something in common," he said. "The mirrors that deny your face, the light that scalds, the blood that nourishes you, the cry of your victims."

"Do you believe that might be accurate?"

Angel thought about it. "Maybe? I don't know if the crying related to me, though. It wasn't crying in pain or anything. Just crying."

Dream pursed his lips. "Do you feel you knew the voice?"

"Y - " Angel paused, surprised by this answer. "Yes?"

Dream appeared a little surprised by this. "Is there a name you associate with it, or some other kind of identity? Or is it merely a fragment of your past, or even your human past?"

Angel tried to think about it. Deep down he knew that yes was the correct answer, but the more he tried to grab on to a specific the more it slipped away.

"I - I don't know. Not my human past, that feels like a definite no. But more than that's just not coming."

Dream nodded, not pressing. "Sometimes things we have heard, or even things we will hear, echo strongly in dreams, even when they are not in waking memory," he said.

He read through the other dreams. "What color is your vase?" he asked.

"White," Angel said, without thinking about it. Then he frowned. "Um. On the inside. The parts I saw were the inside. The outside might've been a red and gold pattern?"

"Evocative colors," Dream noted. "White of bone, red of blood, gold of sun."

"Did you see it break?"

Angel had to think about this one.

"No," he said. feeling the answer out even as he spoke it. "I feel like I came in the moment after the break. I showed up and there it was, broken." Angel held his hands out to demonstrate holding the broken pieces.

"You heard me say Jung did not believe in universal symbols," dream said dryly. "Nor do I. But some things are almost that obvious.

The broken vase, then ... I suspect you believe all you look upon, all around you, will crumble into ruin. Does that ring true?"

[OOC: ...and I'm out for the night. Tomorrow?]

Angel tried to pretend this was so not the case.

"... maybe?"

[ooc: Ditto. And ditto. =) ]

"The fact you feel something, even deeply, does not mean it must be," Dream noted.

He read the final two dreams, then shook his head. "These last two dreams may symbolize any number of things. Is the third one, by chance, a dream about when you were sired? The lack of fear, the coffin..."

"I don't think so," Angel said. "I was buried in a proper coffin. This wasn't one. Also - " He frowned, thinking about it " - I don't think I was underground."

Dream nodded, lips grim.

"Well," he said, finally. "It seems details come to your mind when you are asked, even if they did not make it to your journal. Do you know why that might be?"

"I dunno," Angel admitted. "I just - when you ask me things it's like I get these flashes of details. Stuff that didn't come to me when I tried to remember on my own. Maybe you're doing it?"

"That might be," Dream conceded, remembering as he did that Angelus was one of the few people in Fandom who might fully appreciate his role.

"I am in my office Mondays and Wednesdays, if you ever wish to discuss this subject more," he added, turning to the next student.

I am told these are due today.

Rory turned in her dream journal (http://rory--gilmore.livejournal.com/49646.html).

Angel turned in his dream journal (http://notstakedyet.livejournal.com/48637.html), such as it was.

Broots turned in his ~~slightly handwavey~~ dream journal. He had one dream about driving a car off of a cliff, another of being caught asleep in school, and a third of being chased through the Centre by some goons.

Talk to Dream here.

Moo?

*sends you email*

Moo!

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Jung, 2/27, Period 4

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Discussion - Today's Topic: Dreams & Dream Interpretation

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Homework - Dream Journal

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After Class, Jung, 2/27

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