Fear

Fear characterizes nightmares and encounters with the unknown. One should remember that what we encounter in dreams is generally a reflection of our attitude towards the content; what we banish within ourselves returns as monsters, not because it is inherently evil, but because the ego is somewhat like Frankenstein. Anyone familiar with Shelley’s novel knows that Frankenstein's monster was not of an evil nature, but it is the banishment to the wilderness (the unconscious) that triggers the tragedy, making Frankenstein's happiness impossible.

Ego’s Reaction

One should be careful with basing interpretations of a dream image solely on the dream ego’s reactions. For example, we often become frightened in dreams when something repulsive to the ego happens, but upon a more objective view, what seems dreadful may actually be or lead to something good.  

One could add that the dream ego’s reactions and behaviors often reflect the waking ego’s habitual and possibly unconscious ones, but expressed symbolically. Thus, the dream ego’s reactions are not always the most appropriate.

Wisdom  

Fear is not necessarily something bad in itself. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” as it is written in the Bible (Proverbs 9:10). Those who are incapable of fearing what should be feared, probably due to inflation, are unlikely to be wise or adaptable.

Facing Danger

Overcoming fear (such as facing with an open mind that which chases one in a dream) tends to be more rewarding than avoiding what one are afraid of, while also understanding that some things should be feared. It is this narrow path forward that denotes wisdom.

The Extraordinary  

An encounter with the sacred or with something greater than oneself is, to a higher or lesser degree, numinous. For example, for unclear reasons, feeling that something extraordinary is approaching can be linked to the ego’s initial encounter with the Self.

Popular posts from this blog

Forget About the Archetype - It's the Complex

A good post on Reddit expresses criticism towards people seeking answers to their personal problems in Jung’s archetype theory, arguing that they misunderstand Jung’s fundamental theoretical framework, particularly the process of individuation. The post became popular, receiving many upvotes and quickly garnering several fairly lengthy, often well thought-out responses. But what struck me was that the writer didn’t mention complexes a single time in the nearly 600-word post, and no one else did either in their comments. This prompted me to write a short post highlighting the point that when people share their thoughts on Jung in relation to their own or others’ psychology, it is actually, in most cases, about complexes—not archetypes. A couple of days later, the thread had 54 comments and 246 upvotes, which are rather high numbers in this forum for a serious post that sticks to the topic of Jungian psychology. However, my post hadn't received any comments or upvotes. Still no-one e...
Read more

Shadow Work – A Critical Commentary

When browsing public channels on various platforms that deal with Jungian psychology, one is struck by how frequently “shadow work” appears.  It seems to be mostly young men, who don’t appear to have studied Jung to any significant extent, who are fascinated by and encourage this "work." As someone who has studied Jung and Jungian literature for a long time, I don’t recognize this focus on so-called shadow work in the sources at all. It actually seems to be a modern internet phenomenon rather than something genuinely Jungian. Yes, it is of course true that the “shadow” is a central concept in Jungian psychology, and it is true that Jung stated that it is "a therapeutic necessity for the ego to confront its shadow" (CW 14, par. 514) – but this shadow work they speak of, where does it come from? Because it certainly doesn’t come from Jung or any influential Jungians. What is the shadow according to Jung? It is simply hidden or unconscious aspects of ourselves that we...
Read more

3. The Muster of Rohan; 4. The Siege of Gondor

Since neither Frodo, Gandalf or Aragorn participates in the events of this chapter, there is very little symbolic significance. We may note that Théoden’s army meets Éowyn at Dunharrow, an ancient fortress to which the people have fled under her leadership. During supper, Merry asks about Aragorn and the Paths of the Dead, but no one—neither Théoden, Éomer or Éowyn—understands why he chose to take this hopeless road. No one knows of the Stone of Erech or the “peril in the south.” “Woe that so valiant a man should trifle with death in this dire hour!” Éomer exclaims. The reason for Aragorn’s reticence is probably that his initiation is an intensely private matter, a secret pure and simple. Théoden intends to leave both Éowyn and Merry behind here—neither of them is suited to battle, he believes. But when the host later rides toward Gondor, Éowyn and Merry ride with it in secret. Both refuse to be left in a place where their respective callings would remain unfulfilled. 4. The Siege of G...
Read more