I had a series of dreams last night that I found remarkable, both for their content and the potential implications of their "meaning." The area of question that is prompted is the mapping of content to (1)objective world, (2)subjective world and (3)interior brain process.
(Dream Fragment #1) "I look up outside with a companion to notice two very large trees swaying intensely in the wind, leaning over precariously, particularly aggravated by some overly large kids toys strewn in the branches left their by one of my daughters. I decide I may have to climb up and remove some of them to lessen the burden, only to watch as the trees finally crash down onto the house, partially crushing a section. I find this alarming, in the dream. While examining the damage, I watch as a rolling earthquake moves through the ground, rippling the ground in front of me and further crashing parts of the already damaged house. I quickly move to inspect the damage and note that my neighbors house has some damage, but they are unhurt. We are all grateful, still stunned by the enormity of the event."
First, objectively upon waking, I noted the time and day, and did not find any immediate correlation to weather, or earthquakes, but thought to stay alert to the potential, if this was a forewarning of some kind?? After a suitable interval, I fell back asleep and then had a dream (Dream Fragment #2) "of sorting, beginning repair, tossing out of less useful objects, saving others and noting some would be useful later. Some re-structuring would be necessary, but the disaster also made the process of re-building some parts in a different way possible, which I found productive as an assortment of people assisted me in the process and I directed them. This was fairly upbeat in tone, constructive would be a useful adjective."
As the day moved on, no weather, no earthquakes, so the most immediate aspect of (1)objective check-ins are addressed. I am savvy enough to know that dreams are non-temporal, so this could just as easily portend a yet to happen, "objective" event, time would tell.
So, second check-in, how does this relate to the perceived (2)subjective experience. Owning all of the elements, as "mine" I find some correlations, but "waking ego" is tricky stuff, lightening fast and prone to deflecting, so a three(3) day reflection interval is often useful, as well as a periodic re-visit farther down the road, to see what fits, after the reactivity of "waking ego" has had time to assimilate the revelations. Since this "just" happened, I will have to await some settling of the content and time to better assess subjective connections
Which brings me to a "third premise," always watchful for the "this and..." aspect of depth psychology which assumes multiple determinants can be all operative, while keeping the door open for yet additional understandings. "Waking ego" is quick to prematurely close the discussion, in case some uncomfortable "truth' slip through, so keep the "door cracked open."
What is this (3)third understanding. Our current understanding of brain physiology includes the knowledge of it's "plastic" nature. Learn something "new," and new connections, literally, are made in the physical structure, pathways strengthened. Move on in our life and old "paths" lose their strength, fade, and in some cases, get recruited by nearby areas for entirely new functions. This is a remarkable capacity allowing recovery from injury, and acquiring entirely new data sets as we march through our years. Sometimes we need wholesale upheaval and alteration, rather than piece by piece tinkering.
So, back to the content of the dream. Imagery of strong elemental forces, such as fierce winds, storms, earthquakes, etc. are of a "low occurrence value" in the continuum of dream content, meaning that if we watch a bunch of dreams, these kind of elements don't occur very often, and when they do, they are often observed during times of transition and turmoil.
Since there wasn't any, as of yet, (1)objective phenomenological correlate, and the (2)subjective check-in so far has only generated a few sparks, the (3)third premise comes into play. Imagine for the moment that a given dream can simultaneously represent all three of these streams and yet others (4,5,...). So, I am the observer of the brain, as it prunes and re-arranges a large section of territory, as part of the normal process of growth and development. From the "dream ego's" point of view, which is the only immediate perspective that I have available, sections are crashing down, whole branches are coming down, burdened by left over stuff, and taking out adjacent sections with it. Then rippling changes move through, as a second pass, further altering the landscape, but inevitably bringing about new growth, pruning, and re-purposing of sections. I experience the dream as a visual/emotive narrative, but what if it wasn't necessarily directed to my attention, but just a chronicle of activity which I happened to able to retrieve as a "dream," sitting by the door, listening in the conversation, only partially understood, if at all.
Dreams are remarkable, and seen to be multi-variant in their purpose, content, level of meaningfulness, all going on in the night, and only occasionally referenced as a "dream," that I actually remember. If I take notice, do "something," like this Blog chronicle, then the likeliness that I will be assisted or informed by the "Self" are increased, at least that is my experience, and the recommendation of Jung and Marie Louise vonFranz. So much for this meander...
Now, what might be a (4)fourth, (5)fifth, and (...)other premise. Experience has taught be to ask the question, listen for an answer, as voices drift into my attention as I sit beside the door...
