Tuesday, October 21, 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 Jung the woman has masculine aspects and the man a feminine side. He named this Anima-Animus. In dreams the man may play a female role, such as a caregiver. The woman, on the other hand, may take on a masculine one. While a female shows aggression this way, a male may step into a more emotional, thus feminine, role.

Due to the fact that he lived in a different era, his concept of gender roles differed from those that exist today. Women were most often in dependent roles, and males in dominant ones. Currently these roles are often intermingled.

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.

Among the many books he wrote, Jung penned three works of fiction. One was on the subject of murder. His professional theories have validity in the field of psychoanalysis and psychiatry to this day.

He wrote in German and his large body of work was translated into many languages. He did some writing in English. His books are now considered to be classics.




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