There are numerous "dream interpretation" books available today, but none
quite like Dreams Working Interactive. What makes this title unique is the
combination of its authors, Stephanie Clement a Minnesota professional in
Transpersonal Psychology, and Terry Lee Rosen, a computer programmer at Front
Range College, in Colorado. Together, they have created a straightforward
system to document, decode and analyze dream images in a book and software
presentation.
The accompanying compact disk allows for journalizing our dreams in the
context of Dr. Clement's interpretations. These are primarily of a Jungian
nature, in that the identity of dream types are perceived as rooted in the
subconscious, our inner voice expressing itself in the psycho-dramas we
experience, although do not always remember, every night. I was especially
attracted to the book's third part, its Dream Symbol Dictionary. Here the
visual elements are alphabetically listed, each with their own succinct
definitions.
Dr. Clement argues that dreams are composed of many significant details
forming themes and patterns connecting waking conscious with its subconscious
underpinnings. An understanding of the archetypal symbolism involved can real
much about the deep-seated motivations activating our attitudes and behavior.
Beginning with A, I read through the entire Dictionary section, looking for
those elements remembered from dreams past. Although psychologists tell us we
dream every night, we cannot recall most of our dreams, and those we do are
usually fragmented. Clearly remembered dreams are relatively rare for most
dreamers.
Even so, I have several times dreamt of cats, always in sympathetic is
sometimes bizarre situations, undoubtedly because I live with a beloved
feline, Sally. In one such dream, she suddenly sprouted wings and flew
through the air, attacking a sea-gull, which she dropped at my feet. In
looking up the various details of the dream in the dictionary section, an
interpretation suggested itself.
Dr. Clement writes that a cat "symbolizes the depths of a dream, and
therefore the mystery you are facing in your waking life." Sally's
untypical wings indicate spirituality, "and also the ability to remove
oneself from a situation literally or figuratively." The gull she caught
"reflects your personal relationship between the world of logical
intellect --- objectivity --- and the world of the unconscious --- hidden
emotions." Clement points out that proper dream interpretation can only
be achieved in the context of one's waking state, which is symbolically
reflected in such psycho-dramas.
Following her observations, my dream recollection changed its character from
a someone amusing piece of nonsense to an insightful comment on the state of
my conscious mind. Sally, in other words, represented the psychological
problem, as it were, "the mystery you are facing"; namely, a
struggle between external attempts at behaving rationally (i.e., in a
socially acceptable fashion) and inner feelings which, if expressed, would
today be condemned as uncivilized behavior. This conflict is underscored by
Dr. Clement's observation, "A lesser-evolved animal in a dream may
indicate a primitive instinct, or that the instinct is emerging from a deeper
level of the unconscious." Sally's wings, however, suggest "the
ability to remove oneself from a situation", an ability she presented as
a gift.
The meaning of the dream is as follows: The dreamer is conflicted in his
daily life between what is expected of him by others and his innate, contrary
emotions, but should have confidence in his ability to avoid the conflict
without compromising either his own feelings or duty toward others.
Recurring dreams commonly take place in the lives of many persons, but so too
certain themes often show up more than once in our psycho-dramas. Motifs that
appear time and again in dreams I've experienced all my life belong to
cities, clocks, a deluge, a house, serpents, and water. I've never read a
truly satisfying explanation of any of these recurring themes until Dr.
Clement's interpretations. Remarkably, she writes that these six elements are
among the most frequently experienced by dreamers in the Western World,
implying that their reappearance is culturally inflected.
To dream of cities, she explains, shows deep concern for the workings of
social life, while a clock is a kind of mandala of the subconscious mind,
significant less for the passage of time than the division of life into
phases of development. To dream more than once of a deluge usually means that
the dreamer feels overwhelmed by circumstances, although such a frightful
metaphor also possesses a purifying aspect in the thorough cleansing of old
ways. Carl Jung associated dreams of a house with the dreamer's self-image,
particularly his or hers own body. Dr. Clement expands this concept to
include the dreamer's entire being of body, mind and soul.
Whenever I dream of serpents, they are not invariably threatening or even
frightening, a reaction in keeping with her definition of this archetype as
symbolic of the potent force of spirit. "Because it sheds its skin in
order to grow," she writes, "the snake is a powerful symbol of
transmutation ... the serpent is a powerful creative force when it appears in
your dreams." Water, too, sometimes recurs in those nightly dramas that
fill the subconscious mind, for reasons I never consciously recognized until
Dr. Clement explained that its appearance in a dream "reflects something
about the way you see life at any given time."
With a book like Dreams Working Interactive, readers will be able to save a
great deal of money by canceling all further visits to the psychiatrist's
couch. Everything they need to help them properly analyze and interpret their
dreams and connecting with their subconscious lives is available in this
single, insightful volume with its attractive software.
RECOMMENDED TITLES:
DREAMS: WORKING INTERACTIVE (W/CD-ROM):
Complete with book and software program, Dreams is the only complete and interactive system for helping you determine the unique, personal meanings of your dreams.
THE COMPLETE DREAM BOOK:
Most dream interpretations are based on folklore or psychology, but "The Complete Dream Book" is based on real-life interpretations of modern dreams and a database of 18,000 dream symbols.
DREAMS AND WHAT THEY MEAN TO YOU:
Learn to recall your dreams to help solve daily problems and gain a better understanding of yourself and your life.
BOOK OF DREAMS:
Now in paperback. A guide to the meaning of our nightly messages from the famous psychic.
DICTIONARY OF DREAMS:
632 pages containing 10,000 dream entries from Abandon to Zoological garden.
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DREAMS: SYMBOLS & INTERPRETATIONS:
Guiley explains the differences between dreams and nightmares, discusses cross-cultural beliefs about dreams, lucid dreaming, and paranormal dream experiences.
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