Interesting Quotes on Dreams by Jung:
Quotes:
“The dream is a little hidden door in the innermost and most secret recesses of the soul, opening into that cosmic night which was psyche long before there was any ego-consciousness, and which will remain psyche no matter how far our ego-consciousness extends. For all ego-consciousness is isolated; because it separates and discriminates, it knows only particulars, and it sees only those that can be related to the ego. Its essence is limitation, even though it reach to the farthest nebulae among the stars. All consciousness separates; but in dreams we put on the likeness of that more universal, truer, more eternal man dwelling in the darkness of primordial night. There he is still the whole, and the whole is in him, indistinguishable from nature and bare of all egohood. It is from these all-uniting depths that the dream arises, be it never so childish, grotesque, and immoral.” (Psychological Reflections, p. 53)
“I had to understand that I was unable to make the people see what I am after. I am practically alone. There are a few who understand this and that, but almost nobody sees the whole… I have failed in my foremost task: to open people’s eyes to the fact that man has a soul and there is a buried treasure in the field and that our religion and philosophy are in a lamentable state.” (Encounter with Jung, p. 158)
Three Reasons to Study Dreams Revisited
- Understanding the Unconscious Mind: Dreams provide access to the collective unconscious, revealing hidden aspects of our psyche.
- Bridging Ego and Self: Dreams help integrate the conscious and unconscious, leading to greater psychological wholeness.
- Unlocking Ancient Wisdom: Dreams communicate through archetypal symbols, offering timeless insights and guiding our personal growth.
Jung’s Understanding of Psychology
C.G. Jung did not regard the word “psychology” as it is understood today. Contemporary psychology often focuses on the mind or, in a more extraverted sense, the human brain. However, for Jung, psychology is fundamentally the study of the soul. The word “psychology” derives from the Greek “psyche,” meaning soul, and “logos,” meaning study or language. Therefore, psychology, in Jung’s view, is the study or science of the soul.
The Parallel Systems of Consciousness and the Unconscious
Jung wants us to see through the lens of two parallel systems: the realm of the ego and consciousness, and the world of the dream and the unconscious. The unconscious and the dream are much older forms of intelligence, while the ego is still in its infancy in this regard. Consciousness, in the Jungian schema, is wedded to the functional complex we call the ego. During the cosmic day, consciousness separates and discriminates; during the cosmic night, the unconscious seeks to unite and fill the holes that have been limited byor cut out by our scissoring ego consciousness (Psychological Reflections, p. 53).
For every one-sided position that the functional ego complex takes, there are compensatory players in the dream competing for the same light. These are the dysfunctional and autonomous psychic complexes, which obey their laws (Psychological Reflections, p. 56). As they swim up to the
surface, shoving the ego aside and constellating us into action. They contain the key the core (archetypal core that is), of who we “wholly” are. The complexes are royal roads to the unconscious, which speaks through dreams. By paying careful attention to our dreams, we can follow these breadcrumbs to our daily bread, finding the buried treasure of the soul, hidden in the complexes revealed by the Self.
The Language of Dreams
As mentioned earlier, the unconscious communicates through dreams (Psychological Reflections, p. 56), the language of the soul. This language is metaphorical or parabolic (Psychological Reflections, pp. 68-69). The parable is a symbol that leads to the paradox, Jung’s buried treasure map, where “x” marks the spot on the island of union. The Self is the place of conflicting psychic opposites. According to Jung, this Self is both a two-million-year-old man (Psychological Reflections, p. 76) and the eternal man within all of us. By exploring the dream world beneath the threshold of consciousness, we reconnect with our primal “whole” or “eternal” man, reclaiming our psychology.
The Significance of Dreams
Dreams are a back door to the secrets of our souls (Psychological Reflections, p. 53), hidden away from the light, dormant and sleeping in the cosmic night. This treasure is not lost; with effort, it may be found. Often, psychology seems to prioritize the mind over the body. However, Jung’s notion of the archetype being psychoid—partly body, partly psyche—clarifies the interplay between physical and psychic patterns. The archetype, or “original pattern,” naturally has a physical correlate.
The Role of Energy
Energy plays a crucial role in Jungian psychology. Jung often used fire as a symbol of psychic energy or libido. Jung attributes many fire symbols to most of the topics we investigate. Fire is related to the sun, consciousness, eros (love/affinity), emotion, affect etc. This energy, manifesting as passion, creativity, or emotional intensity, is essential for psychological growth. Dreams, as self-luminous phenomena, generate their own light, illuminating the images and symbols that arise from the unconscious.
The idea of the “suffering God” and living out the incarnation is central to Jung and Edinger’s thoughts. They proposed that gods are unconscious projections, and our task is to become conscious of these projections. The ego reflects its light so that, as Jung says, “The creator can become conscious of his creation.” This idea relieves existential doubt and provides a sense of purpose.
Liminal States and the Element of Fire
The mind-body problem is intriguing. Perhaps psyche and body are interconnected in ways that require digestion, metaphorically speaking, to enter a new realm. One day I was contemplating the mind/body problem and I thought that well perhaps we can’t tell how psyche is body, or body is psyche or spirit is because it literally has to be digested, metabolized, and transformed in order to enter the new realm. The food that enters your mouth does not look the same after you’ve digested it in your body, and I imagine the same goes for psychic content. In Ayurvedic medicine, fire (Agni) is both a deity and the digestive power of the stomach. This concept parallels Jung’s notion of “psychization,” where somatic processes metabolize and become psychological material when they reach a particular intensity for consciousness to notice. We may liken this also to the Samkhya concept of the Buddhi (Awakened Intellect), in regard to when a content of consciousness becomes noticed or awakened. Dreams, with their self-luminous nature, create their own light (perhaps by being closer in proximity to the Purusha), raising questions for dream biologists about how we can see well-lit scenes in dreams while sleeping in darkness?
The Ego and Complexes
The ego is a complex, like any other, but more cohesive and functional than others, such as the mother complex, which can lead to dysfunction. Jung calls the ego, anima/animus, and persona functional complexes because they are less autonomous. The aim of these complexes is to reach their core. Jung’s assertion that the core of the ego complex is the Self parallels the relationship between Christ (ego) and God the Father (the Self) in religious narratives. The ego must be consciously sacrificed to the Self, as it is unconsciously sacrificed by autonomous complexes. This allegory helps us conceive of the complexes imaginatively and psychologically.
Connections with Eastern Concepts
Working on your dreams can be seen as a form of Dharana (focus or concentration) or Dhyana (meditation). The artwork you create from your dreams can be considered your own yantra, a tool to access mandalas, images of the Self. Discriminating symbols within your dreams is an act of Viveka, the discernment of symbols. Engaging with your dreams is working within the Citta, the psyche in Jungian psychology. This work is also engaging with Prakriti, pure nature or subtle matter. Jung emphasized that “the dream is pure nature.” The Self or mandala represents the Atman or Purusha, the witnessing subject. Drawing your dreams is a process of incarnation, transforming god images.
Comparison Table
| Jungian Ideas | Eastern Esoteric Concepts |
| Collective Unconscious | Akashic Records |
| Archetypes | Deities and Avatars |
| Individuation | Enlightenment (Moksha) |
| Psychoid Nature of Psyche | Mind-Body Unity (Yoga) |
| Psychic Energy (Libido) | Prana (Life Force) |
| Dream Symbols | Spiritual Symbols (Mandala) |
| Self as Totality | Atman (Inner Self) |
| Active Imagination | Tapas |
| Images | Imago |
| Mandala | Yantra |
| Meditation | Dhyana |
| Extraversion/Introversion | Prakriti/Purusha |
| Complexes | Samskaras |
| Psychic Space | Chidakasha |
| Concentration | Dharana |
| Contemplation | Dhyana |
Conclusion
Studying dreams through the lens of Jungian psychology offers profound insights into the depths of the soul. By understanding the unconscious, bridging the mind-body divide, and exploring the rich symbolism of dreams, we embark on a journey toward greater self-awareness and wholeness. The dream serves as a portal to the hidden treasures of our psyche, guiding us toward a deeper connection with our true selves.
Resources
Jung, C. G., & Jacobi, J. (1971). C.G. Jung: Psychological reflections: A new anthology of his writings, 1905-1961. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Rolfe, E. (1989). Encounter with Jung. Boston, MA: Sigo Press.
Dreams, a Portal to the Source, pages 56-78; chapters 6 and 7.
Additional, Optional Resources – File Downloads:
- Jung’s essay Symbols and the Interpretation of Dreams, from the book Man and His Symbols.
- Excerpts from the section on dreams in the book Psychological Reflections.
- The section on Dream references, from the General Index of the Collected Works.
Optional Videos:
- A reading of Jung’s essay: Symbols and the Interpretation of Dreams, from the book *Man and His Symbols
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