Inheritance Dream

Dear Group, I really enjoyed the recent discussion of Bill's short dream. I am undergoing a period where my dreamlife has become quite active and have had several "big dreams" in the last year. Here is one that I have struggled with. It is a little long, but totally undited from the morning after the dream. It occured about 6 weeks ago. I wonder what anyone makes of it? My father is due to receive an inheritance, and his acceptance of it somehow enables others (his extended family) to also share in the inheritance. My mother is telling me this in a darkened bedroom with my father outside the door. She doesn't want him to hear that she is telling me this, and keeps lowering her voice. I get the impression that my father's portion of the inheritance is relatively small, but somehow his taking of it is key to everyone's access. While at first I think that it is only a medium sized inheritance, suddenly the television comes on and begins to give more backstory. It turns out, according to the program, that my father is attached, in a roundabout way, to one of the largest fortunes in the world, and one that is intimately connected to shadowy political power in some unnamed European countries (perhaps Germany, Austria, but spilling westward as well). The program is a fairly typical expose of networks and hidden hands behind the throne, but nonetheless absolutely riveting. There is a single male figure at the center of this network, shown briefly in the dream standing behind a spokesman who is speaking into a microphone. This takes place on a lawn in front of a large and well-to-do house, but both the male figure and the house appear relatively normal and not obviously terrifying or malevolent. My father's reluctance to take up his inheritance thus represents a reluctance to involve himself in the political power networks, but the program makes clear through implication that failure to take up the inheritance poses a danger both to himself, and perhaps to my mother and myself. Much or all of the action in the dream takes place indirectly--through implication or (literally) through a screen. There is a lot of context for the dream, best summarized as a fluid and somewhat wild/ chaotic/ noisy sexual/ social night scene. This kind of backdrop is quite common in my dreams, so much so I am inclined to refer to my "long night dreams." These usually take place over several "hours" and spill late into the night or early morning. They generally build through escalating events/ imagery and crystalize in a single memorable and stirring image. The dream about an inheritance is in this larger category, but the specific incident in question feels broken out of its immediate context and stands alone in the dreamspace.

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Matthew Thomas August 24, 2011 at 2:34am

Thank you so much Lisa. I really relate to your reading of my/your dream, especially the anima whispering in the dark and the link to puppetry and compulsive patterning. Also, you are right on in suggesting a reluctance to fully take up the challenge of all of the material that my unconscious is thusting upon me. My reading so far is similar to yours--integration with/ of the self is possible and hugely powerful but perhaps there is a fear that I don't know how to handle such power and energy?

I am a little self-conscious posting dreams, and really appreciate your sensitive and careful handling.

M
Genevieve Jacobs August 22, 2011 at 9:27pm

Matthew, i am reminded of Jung's dream about compensation and how he dreamed of a client woman who he actually had a condescending attitude towards in waking life...and in the dream he sees her standing on a distant mountaintop, grand castle, etc...a real Giant...

He worked with his dream to find a happy medium, so to speak. He felt he'd underestimated her in waking life and the dreams was telling him to humble up.

This dream was in his Bollingen vol. and also in Campbells Collected.

g
- Matthew Thomas > Genevieve Jacobs August 24, 2011 at 2:27am
  
  Thank you Genevieve. I recall the dream of Jung's that you cite, but would not have made the connection. I am sure that we all need to humble up from time to time! Thank you again for your interpretation.
- Genevieve Jacobs > Matthew Thomas August 24, 2011 at 11:38am
  
  Thank YOU for the courage and generosity of sharing your dream with us all! I hope I didn't sound too brusque, it's a problem writing online in general i think. My Aquarius Mercury combustion gets going and I get excited about ideas and perhaps the "feeling tones" don't come through in this medium with all the care and gentleness that I actually feel towards all dreamers in waking life as in the sleeping one! Please accept apology for any unintended offense! That goes for all my communications both in past and future!
  
  namaste
  
  gen

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The Twilight Zone--Dreamwork

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