Excrement

Even if it may not be the first thing we talk about, excrement is a common symbol in dreams. Excrement is a part of the body that we expel, thus attracting all kinds of associations. According to the principle "the lowest is also the highest," excrement sometimes unexpectedly connects to gold or other high value. Alchemists experimented with excrement based on this intuitive idea; they regarded excrement as prima materia, that is, the worthless substance that is to be transformed into something valuable; it can also refer to the state of putrefactio.

In dreams, it is often linked to creativity. von Franz states in Creation Myths that bowel evacuation in dreams "in most cases symbolizes creation" (p. 215). Jung emphasizes in Symbols of Transformation that the child has a curious interest in using the toilet and thinks: Aha, this is how things come to be, this is how they "come out" (par. 276). (See also Toilet.)

On the other hand, dreams about filthy, neglected toilets can compensate for an overly neat identity, as if the dream wants to force one to see and take care of one's own mess (which we otherwise tend to see only in others).

Inner Pressure

If one needs to relieve oneself in a dream, it may mean that there is an inner pressure that needs to be released; it might be something that must be expressed. Since excrement is "created" within us, the need may be connected to creativity. (See also Toilet.)

Conversely, a dream image where one uncontrollably relieves oneself, or sees a lot of excrement in the wrong place, may illustrate that one has released or is releasing too much; it might be a good idea to hold more within oneself. (See also Vessel.)

Autonomous Process

Excrement is something that is involuntarily and autonomously produced within us, and disposing of it is certainly one of our bodies' most fundamental functions. Sometimes it is confused or conflated with other instinctive functions, in a way that was once called "perversion."

The Lowest as the Highest

There is an intuitive expectation that something extreme will tip over into its opposite or is indeed its opposite, which has great symbolic or psychological significance. "The highest is also the lowest," as the alchemists said, and the connection between excrement and gold is consequently recurrent. Several folktales make this connection, as do some superstitious beliefs. In psychoanalysis, this intuitive connection has also been observed.

Compare the scarab beetle, as well, which rolls a ball of excrement associated with gold and the sun, from which its offspring are born. (Also compare the Native American mythological story in which humans are created from garbage, or indeed the Bible, where man is created from dirt.) According to one alchemical text, one finds Mercurius in dung heaps (in stercore inenitur) - but ironically adds that many have sought him there without finding anything of value.

Negative Holiness

Excrement can have a symbolic value of "negative numinosum." As a product of the body, it still carries the value of the soul. This is one reason why wild animal droppings are considered sacred in many cultures, for instance. There is a connection between excrement and the reverent.

Trash

As a kind of waste, excrement has no value whatsoever; it can sometimes simply represent "crap." (See also Urine.) Which in turn is a common symbol for what we reject, shadow material, and so on; that is, perhaps exactly what we need to address.

Convention

One of humanity's more basic agreements is that one relieves oneself in appropriate places. Even pets like cats and dogs accept this rule. Failing to follow this agreement is a sign that one is not part of humanity or is mad. It happens that neurotics, like animals, uses excrement to mark territory.

Appropriate and Inappropriate Outlets

In dreams, the symbol of relieving oneself in inappropriate places, like a living room, may indicate that there is potential creativity that does not find a suitable outlet. If the toilet is blocked, or not functioning as intended for some other reason, it may reflect that the appropriate channels for releasing what needs to come out are unavailable. They would need to be "cleared" in one way or another. Constipation can be a sign that one is not releasing what must come out, while diarrhea in this context could have an obvious meaning.

Inhibition

On the other hand, if one cannot relieve oneself in a certain place, even if it would be appropriate, it may mean that the place feels too foreign, too uncomfortable, and one would rather go elsewhere with one's needs. For example, if one is visiting royalty, one might not be able to bring oneself to use their toilet; in a dream, one might not be able to use the toilet at work and instead relieve oneself outside the gate, and so on.

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