Monday, February 22, 2010

A Bodice Ripper


Do you find that certain images recur over time in your dreams? There’s a force I’ve come to call my “inner Nazi” that appears and reappears. It’s oddly tacked on to the end of this long dream that starts more like a bodice ripper. I’ve broken this dream down into five segments.

Dream Scene 1: A young woman, certainly not a member of the nobility, marries a Viscount. The dream is set in a Nordic country; both the Viscount and the Lady are tall, very attractive, and blonde. Initially, the dream appears to be set in the 18th c, judging by the clothing. Panniers are not in evidence, but the clothing is long, bodices are tight, and undergarments are long, white, and ruffled. This might not be a love-match. The man wants an heir and is attracted to the woman’s beauty. The woman is making a large leap socially. Both are very concerned that the woman’s behavior should be correct and appropriate.

Interpretation: The roles characters take on in your dream represent your different abilities and weaknesses. In this dream I see a beautiful, naïve, undeveloped part of me (the lady) that is striving to unite with a stronger, noble part (the Viscount). My Lady aspect is socially uncomfortable and not sure how to behave. My Viscount aspect (Vis-count, I count!) is most likely an animus figure (a woman’s inner man) which needs unification with the Lady, symbolized by his desire for an heir.  At this point in the dream this is an uncomfortable marriage, a marriage of convenience. The tight bodice suggests I’m feeling restricted, which is further emphasized by concern over the woman’s behavior. Set in the past, the dream deals with a long-standing issue.

This dream has also been interpreted by the well-known dream worker Jane Teresa Anderson in The Dream Show.

2 comments:

  1. Very interesting! The animus conclusion seems logical. Why do you call the force your "inner Nazi", and what exactly defines that force? I'm asking because I'm tracking a force in me that is to do with losing control of being able to determine to stay within a dream plane longer (comes along as a suction force). Is that in any way related?

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  2. Why do I call this force my inner Nazi? Over the years militaristic figures have sometimes appeared in my dreams. I see them as the part of myself that demands I do this or that:"You should do your chores, exercise, practice, put others before yourself, etc." While doing these things can be pleasant, the inner Nazi manages to take all the joy out of the activities it demands, leaving resentment rather than a feeling of accomplishment.
    I think our inner forces are very personal, unique to each of us, so I wouldn't necessarily think your dream force is related. If I were having what you've described of your dream, I would try to figure out what the "force" represents by looking at what is going on in the "dream plane" when I am sucked out of if. That might tell me what the "force" is objecting to, what it doesn't want me to do or to see, and that would give me a pretty good hint about the meaning of the force.

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