The Dream: I've picked up the phone. I know it is my daughter and that she's upset. She says nothing. “Alice?! Alice?!!” I say. I know the news will be bad, but perhaps not as bad as she thinks; I know she tends to be very emotional. She still says nothing, trying to collect her emotions so she can speak. I awaken in fear, as from a nightmare.
Interpretation: When I pick up the phone there is, in a sense, no one there. This dialog is with myself. My daughter represents my own inner child who is unable to express her strong feelings. The dream tells me that she is trying to collect (gather together) her emotions so that she can speak (express them). These emotions are overwhelming to me, so strong that they feel like a nightmare. I awaken before I can confront them. The dream does not resolve the emotional difficulty, but it does call me on it.
This would be a good dream to do a dialogue between the two characters of the dream - the dream ego and dream ego's daughter. It could be done using the Gestalt technique, of the dreamer sitting in a chair and conversing with her daughter in the empty chair. Then, change chairs and be the daughter talking to the Mom. This could also be done by writing a conversation between the two. Who knows what might emerge! Nightmares are unfinished dreams, and there are numerous exercises one can do to finish the nightmare and bring it to some sort of resolution or to a greater insight.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Emily, for pointing out a way to get a richer understanding of this--and other--dreams.
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