Most Interesting Lesson In Class: Carl Jung's Dream Analysis by Katayoun

Most Interesting Lesson In Class: Carl Jung's Dream Analysis by Katayoun - August 2013 Scholarship Essay

One of the most interesting subjects I learned in class involved Carl Jung’s analysis on dreams. The lecture started off with a somewhat well-known theory that dreams are manifestations of subconscious thoughts. As we moved forward into the lecture, we learned that dreams brought more than just subconscious ideas to the surface. These night images have symbols behind them which carry meaning. Dreams not only help explain the remote parts of our psyche, but help us better understand ourselves and even guide us toward a positive direction in our life. In other words, dreams can warn us if we are in danger. Numerous times people have “seen the future” through their dreams. This may sound unfathomable and odd, however, Jung explained that this phenomenon is not one to disregard. Predicting the future through dreams is not done with a supernatural ability. Instead, a dream which foreshadows obstacles that may or may not happen in our life is basically our subconscious speaking to us: it is our intuition talking.
People’s daily lives are filled with signs, options, and various paths we may or may not choose to go through. We can consciously be aware of only so much information. Subconsciously, however, there is a whole different world. We are hyper-sensitive to signals our society and other people give off. These “hidden signs” are stored in our subconscious. They are then manifested in our dreams and symbolized by odd pictures, shapes, or stories, that will hopefully help the dreamer realize the hidden meaning or warning being told. Well known examples are dreamers “predicting their death.” Carl Jung described how numerous patients of his had nightmares or odd dreams weeks before they passed away. One example was published in Jung's book: Man and His Symbols, which involved a doctor who dreamt that his father died in a fire. Weeks later, the doctor himself, died from a high fever. Jung explains that the fire was a manifestation of the fever the doctor later faced (66).
Of course, with interesting theories there comes controversy. One of the many questions people ask is: why do dreams have such an odd way of expressing the truth? My professor excitedly exclaimed that Jung had an answer to this. Facing ourselves so bluntly would be too much to handle. Dreams alone can make a person wake up feeling uncomfortable, depressed, or anxious. Imagine our subconscious attempting to communicate with our conscious psyche in a literal manner. Most people would be unable to handle such emotional distress. Psychoanalyzing oneself is a very delicate and difficult process and a person who is attempting to improve their life and themselves must do so carefully. However, that is just one of the many reasons why dreams are the way they are. Some of the odd shapes, colors, figures, or nature scenes which pop up in our mind at night are also known as “archetypes.” These archetypes are basically primitive symbols which our ancestors passed down to us from generation to generation. For example, Jung explained how various patients of his had dreams of odd shapes which held religious or spiritual meanings (for instance, symbols such as mandalas), without ever knowing the significance of these shapes or symbols (Man and His Symbols, 173). How could a spiritual or religious form manifest in one’s dream if the individual had never seen it before in their lifetime? The famous psychiatrist explained that not only do dreams manifest who we are or what we might face in the future, but they come from a primitive part of the subconscious mind, which sheds light on the primeval side of us that we suppressed over time as our society evolved (Man and His Symbols, 36). In other words, our primitive side is attempting to communicate with our conscious psyche, and that is one reason why odd shapes or forms appear in our dreams. These theories and ideas were so fascinating. Many students found them to be odd, but I enjoyed Jung’s controversial and baffling studies! They seemed unfathomable and different from many other topics I learned in class. Every student who had to go through this lecture needed to have an open mind to the fact that the theories may seem incomprehensible, but did make sense to others. Even though not every single theory was something I agreed with, it was most definitely a topic I found fascinating. It was exciting, intriguing, and especially different.
Over all, what I learned from the lecture was that dreams have an odd way of explaining who we are and what we might face in our life. Ultimately, it is really our other side trying to communicate with the conscious mind. It is difficult to understand because after all, attempting to psychoanalyze oneself, to face one’s fears, and to admit to one’s fault, has never been an easy puzzle to piece together.