The Structure of Dreams & Life
The first dream focused on the images and their symbolic meaning and application. This next dream will do the same but I will also make comments about the structure of dreams. Understanding the structure of dreams will help in following the dream as if it were a play, with an opening, a plot, important actions and changes and then a final comment. Dreams are very much like a drama, a drama of the dreamer's life.
What is interesting about the structure of dreams beyond the actual layout and form is they tend to have a starting point in the past and then progress to the current time. The following childhood dream begins with a statement of place where current experiences had their origins, a 'protagonist' {in the following dream it is a 'soft voice'} and inner influences in the form of the inner {her true self} and the initial situation that is in conflict; a need to release stored up emotions to the world.
In the first dream the dreamer is in the back seat of 'her' car {her psychological direction in life}. The dream begins with a statement about where she is in association with the relationship with her boyfriend as well as a statement about her animus, its inferior position in psychological terms.
Structure in most dreams can be recognized although there will likely be a need to interpret the symbols to determine their application. Just as with childhood descriptions in the beginning of dreams being a statement about childhood experiences and/or influences, I tend to believe dream structure has a lot to do with the structure of a psychological event/experience and/or the structure of the dreamer's emotional life. When walking through a childhood neighborhood the dream is not only commenting about experiences/influences of that time frame but also the motivations that will form later in life. Because of the 'earth shaking' childhood experiences the sky {future horizons} turns red {anger, pain, frustration}, an indication of unconscious motivations that will affect the later life.
If a person early in life can identify psychological tendencies they could alter, control or even eliminate the motivation factors. That is the benefits of understanding dreams. Of course it would require a psychological examination from someone who is well versed in Jungian dream psyche. The structure of a dream is very often the structure of the dreamer's psychological life at the time of the dream. And can provide insights to the future. That brings us to the question 'do dreams predict the future'?
Dreams do not predict the future, they compensate what we already know, consciously and unconsciously. But dreams can 'predict' future possibilities, what is unconsciously known about what could happen due to the tendencies and personality of the dreamer. That would be a future event. Jung told of a dream of the mountain climber who dreamed he was climbing higher and higher and then gaily stepping off into space. Not so very long after he was killed in the mountains, a friend actually seeing him step off into the air. Was this dream predicting a future event or was it a commentary of what could happen, and did happen, because of the man's tendencies? Logic would tell us the latter is true. The structure of a person's psyche is depicted in the dream, a reflection of who they are and who they could or will be depending on if and when the structure of the dreamer is ever decided.
The Dramatic Structure of Dreams
Carl Jung listened to and interpreted thousands of dreams. In the course of this work, he found the structure of many dreams to be similar to the dramatic form of fairy tales, Greek tragedies, and Shakespearean plays.
Jung laid out the four stages of dreams:
1) Statement of Place/characters and the situation that the dreamer will face
2) Development of Plot
3) Culminiation/Something significant happens, the main character responds
4) Resolution/Lysis/The dream creates a solution or result for the dreamer
Foldout Further Description of the Four Stages in Dreams
The dream tells a story that begins with the First Stage, Exposition or Statement of Place. This is seen at the beginning of the dream, where the action or events of a dream take place. I am in my childhood home; I am in a city; I am in my car. The dream begins within a psychological framework, the details of which represent the symbolic observations {images/phrases} the unconscious is addressing regarding one’s present situation.
Others have described it as a symbol of the problem looking for resolution. Some dreams may reflect a problem while others may be an expression of an unconscious content that is striving towards consciousness.
Dreams are much like puzzles or riddles. The language of dreams is comprised of symbols and metaphor, images and phrases, that must be decoded to understand what the unconscious is trying to convey. The dreamer’s associations, reactions, and feelings toward the dream is an essential aspect of dream analysis. Waking feelings can also be important to what the dream is about.
The second stage comes with the development of the plot. This is where mounting action occurs, tension rises, or a choice is made. Entrance into a building ; A storm is brewing; I' going in a certain direction.
A fundamental component of a dream is its compensatory value. Dreams are said to compensate for conscious attitudes and personality traits. Compensation is a regulatory function of the psyche whose task is to balance a one-sidedness of a conscious position or to present an aspect of a situation not taken into consideration.
The third stage brings culmination or peripeteia {turning point}, where something decisive happens or something changes. An "illustration of the transformation which can also leave room for a catastrophe". By catastrophe, Jung meant the effect of the transformation on the existing order of things. An inner transformation of an unconscious content can shift psyche’s energy to a new order. When an inner shift occurs, the effect on consciousness can be large or small, positive or negative.
The final and fourth stage in dreams is the Resolution/Lysis, a solution, a resolution or a result of the dream actions {the dreamer's psychology}. In Greek, lysis means, “to loosen”. Resolution can be an answer to a problem, but also the act of "resolving something by breaking it up into its constituent parts or elements".
"This last phase shows the final situation, which is at the same time the solution ‘sought’ by the dreamer. The final phase of a dream may symbolize where psyche wants to go. It is not a prediction but what needs to be done, should be done to resolve the emotional conflict.
Analyzing a dream step by step and staying with the structure, allows the analytical process to move slowly through the dream, paying attention to its many details. The dream plays out much like a mystery and the goal is to solve the symbolic/metaphorical references.
Merging of Stages Three & Four
It is not often you will find a dream that is laid out neatly in the four stages prescribed by Jung. I do believe his hypothesis does have merit and although dreams seldom follow this exact pattern they do contain at least three of the four stages. More often than not there has to be a decision to where one stage starts and ends, especially three and four. The first and last stage usually are easily determined. In both short and long dreams it is hard to determine where stage three ends and stage four begins. In short dreams one stage is either missing or stages three and four are merged, are one and the same. In long dreams there is often a blurring of actions which makes it hard to determine one stage from the next. I do pay a lot of attention to the beginning of dreams as well as the ending. One sets the stage for what the dream is attempting to communicate and the last provides clues to where the dreamer is in the context of the emotional conflicts or offers a way to resolve the issue. But seldom is it a direct formulation of the resolution even when the images are correctly interpreted. Dreams seem to always leave you hanging much like a good mystery that leaves it to the imagination to what the final ending is or can be.
The important thing to remember is this is a rule of thumb and overall the structure of dreams is a less important aspect in interpreting a dream.
return to above to fold
Analyzing a Dream by Stages
Dream: 3 dogs {click on 3 dogs here to see dream original post at the Dream Forum}
First Stage {Statement of Place/characters and the situation that the dreamer will face}
Dream-Was on the other side of the block (our street is divided by a busy main road, I was on the opposite side). I was walking and am approached by 2 dogs. One has pink and purple in its hair and is curly like a poodle and the other has straight hair (they may be like representations of the dogs my sister has, she has a curly haired dog and a smaller straight haired one, but these two dogs in my dream looked different) they are across the street and walking and I yell “hey are you lost?” and they stop walking and look at me. they have no leashes on and it looks like they are abandoned. I figure if they have no leash, I’ll check to see if they have an owner, but if they do not, I’ll keep them.
1} Place-On the other side of the block {other side of busy main road}. Symbolic of unconscious aspects as opposed to waking life knowledge.
2} Characters-Two dogs. I see these as representing repressed aspects of the dreamer's psyche. The number two may be a number representing an emotional conflict. These are 'lost' parts, unconscious parts that have been pushed into the unconscious. The 'hair' description of the dog would represent the mental aspects.
3} Situation-Unconscious aspects that are seeking acknowledgement. The dream is offering a path to understanding these 'lost' aspects, 'unleashing' them from the unconscious, consciously 'owning up' to the emotional energies. The ego is resisting this action, not wanting the unconscious aspects to be made conscious [it will disrupt the ego's sense of being and power}.
Dreamer's Comments & Analysis
Ok, I think I can see how this can be fitting. I am inclined to think of the dogs as relating to myself, my sister and my brother. My brother is the youngest, myself the middle, and my sister, the oldest.
Analysis
The older sister and younger brother with her 'in-between', the middle child. There are emotional conflicts involving the siblings. Although the dreamer addressed current conflicts between the three siblings the deeper aspects point to deeper sibling rivalries from the past.
Second Stage {Development of Plot}
Dream-I brought them back to my house and I was in the process (as I am now) of packing and sorting my things. My stuff is all over the driveway, clumped in piles. There is a lot of orange coloring around – like many items are clumped together and orange in color. That sort of thing. Its warm and I am wearing shorts.
The dreamer is sorting through these unconscious energies and because they have been 'rekindled' in her waking life {something probably stimulated memories in her waking life-a common way of bringing out unconscious experiences} the 'piled up' emotional conflicts. The orange color may suggest an aggressive action, the past emotional energies aggressively seeking acknowledgement. Wearing shorts indicates a willingness to open up to these energies.
Possibly something in the dreamer's waking life has stimulated memories {warm} of past experiences that have been pushed back into the unconscious. They are now ready to be acknowledged.
Dreamer's Comments & Analysis
My brother lives out of state and I am looking to move to where he lives. My sister is the grumpy dog, I figure because she is just miserable. She hates anything that has anything to do with where she lives currently. Part of me thinks it is because she is afraid...my sister very much has a familial dependency and has few friends.
Analysis
The older/grumpier dog would be the dreamer's sister. It is a part of herself, older and grumpier due to relationship between siblings. The 'development' is the continuing emotions due to sibling relationships. Another aspect of the 'older' dog is older experiences, past experiences with sibling rivalries. And yet another application is the older dog being her older sister whom she has a disdain for because of the older sister's dependency on family.
Third Stage {Culmination/Something significant happens, the main character responds}
Dream-I seem to go between my house and this house on the other side of the street that ends up being the home of the dog owners. At their house there is another dog. This one is older and a bit more grumpier. I take a liking to all three dogs. The older dog is much more shaggy with long hair and looks like a certain type of dog I can’t place now. It’s coloring was washed out like a murky grey. He acts like an angry old man who mumbles a lot. In my dream he doesn't care for the other 2 dogs which I learn are puppies. I know the older dog is 14, and the 2 smaller ones are 9 and 7 or 8 months. They play a lot. These puppies are white and a light brown, respectively.
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Significant change. Between the houses is connecting unconscious aspects to conscious awareness {this is what the dream is attempting to do}. The home of the dog owners would be the 'unconscious' home to the central conflict {these are all aspects of the dreamer}. The older other dog is the sister and the dreamer's animal nature, the ego, a need to acknowledge her true feelings about her sister. There are probably past experiences that are at the cause of deeper resentments. I dare say if we look at the numbers they will represent ages, as well as the time frame, of the three siblings. The older dog is showing masculine tendencies {this would also point to some aspect of her animus}, representing he older sister who was 14 with the two younger siblings {the dreamer in the middle} being 9 and 7 or 8. Numbers in dreams are always important and in this case point to ages and possible times of specific emotional experiences. The older sister, with her masculine tendencies, doesn't 'care for the puppies'. This may be a direct statement pertaining to a specific experience {ages 14, 9 7/8}.
Fourth Stage {Resolution/Lysis/The dream creates a solution or result for the dreamer}
Dream-I remember talking to the owner on the phone and she told me the older one doesn't like the younger ones and is unhappy a lot. She laughs and tells me if I want to keep him I can. She said he’d probably be happier with me. I don’t take her too too seriously, figuring she adores all three dogs but I do remember the old one asking me to have him put outside and when I did he was grumbling (he definitely had a personality!)
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Talking to the owner would be 'inner dialog'. It would also be a communication {or a desired/needed communication} with her older sister who is 'unhappy a lot' {a real life fact}. The younger one is the brother and probably represents an animus aspect {under developed masculine as a possibility}. The resolution would to develop stronger masculine aspects to be able to bring these emotions out {put outside}. In the dreamers waking life the older sister is probably showing emotions related to sibling rivalry. The solution, to please her sister, would be to favor the older sister over the brother. That probably has a lot to do with past experiences also.
Dreamer's Response and Analysis
I see the move in a positive light and have some apprehension about telling my sister since I know she will not take the news well.
I've told my parents and they are supportive. Yes, the move is scary but it is also exciting.
The numbers seem to fit as well, because I feel like I am finding some feminine power (if you will) and feeling a sense of completion in a sense as well as transition and change.
Summary
Although dream structure can be very useful in analyzing a dream there are limitations. Very short dreams often lack enough dialog to contain all the stages or stages at all {the dream merely being a very brief description}. Some dreams have enough language to cover two or three of the stages {more often three stages} with the third and fourth either non-existent or combined. Often it is difficult to determine where stages three and four begin and and. The opening is usually easy to ascertain as is the final ending stage. And it is important that the dream structure follow established grammatical sentence and paragraph structure. Otherwise it is a continuous flow of sentences that make it difficult to determine the stages as well as establishing discernible patterns of emotional behavior, which of course is what dreams are trying to communicate.
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