When head space gets clogged, a psychological complex has kicked in. it could be that we're unconsciously trying to please a mother or father figure. There's a chance that power needs or an old habit of tying into depressive attitudes has us by the throat and won't let go. Whatever is causing it, a complex clogs up head space and can pull us down into the dumps.
The good thing is that the dumps carry the seeds of potential change. It's like a built-in compost heap for the psyche. When we go down, we have time to take a good look inside and see what we can see. There's often surprises of a most intriguing and often transformative nature.
"I push myself too hard. It gets hold of me and I don't let up." This young man heard the voice of his father in his head, a tyrannical father complex at work. It clogged up his enjoyment of life. Another one noted, "I dream of drowning myself in drink." To this he associated being engulfed by smother/mother love. He had a mother who wouldn't keep emotional boundaries, demanded his time and energy in inappropriate ways. The mother complex had him and wouldn't let loose. In both cases, the men found that their mind was bogged down and they had to go down deep to get a hold of themselves and figure their way through the complex.
Dreams, symbols, images work us through and out of mind boggling complexes. We can be eaten alive by psychic conflicts and unconscious emotions that get jammed into our minds and cripple day-to-day living. So, when we find ourselves in the dumps, the compost heap of the psyche, let's watch for symbols and emotionally charged images that come during sleep. Archetypal symbols and images help in sorting through emotions and keeping our heads clear!
