Cardinal Counseling
and Spiritual Direction
Jungian Psychotherapy
Spiritual Direction
Dream Work
Dreams are messages from the Self, the center or core of the personality, and they tell us how we feel. Even as our conscious minds struggle to make sense of our varied experiences, dreams reveal deeper layers of truth about who we are and how we perceive our lives. Frequently, dreams point out pathways toward healing, new possibilities, or forgotten interests that can enrich our lives in ways not previously imagined.
When a person's worldview is outdated, they may have destructive dreams: earthquakes, tidal waves, burning houses or cars, people chasing them, etc. These dreams may correlate with psychological symptoms such as depression or anxiety. Part of the reason for the anxiety or depression during these phases is that the old outlook is under attack (in the case of anxiety) or is dying (in the case of depression). A depressed woman dreams:
"I am standing in a building with my children, waiting for the end of the world."
In the woman's case, her depression was lifted as she developed a larger, more fitting world view for the stage of life she was entering.
A dream that is not understood remains a mere occurrence: understood it becomes a living experience. - Carl Jung
Each individual appears to have a unique life path, and the Self helps guide a person to their psychological maturity along that path. The Self is like a coach who wants to bring out the full potential of the individual they are working with. The Self, primarily through dreams, guides the individual through various life stages. Carl Jung once said that we all walk in shoes too small. Too often, we limit ourselves, our talents, and our passions to better fit our sense of how we "should be" in this world. Walking in shoes that are too small can create a disconnect between ourselves and our lives.
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