Human, Dream Figure

All dream figures represent aspects of ourselves. Which aspect of one's own personality is being referred to can be revealed through associations. For example, if one encounters an artist in a dream, this figure most likely reflects one's own artistic creativity. Another rule of thumb is that "ordinary" people of the same sex as the dreamer probably reflect shadow aspects, while (key) figures in our dreams of the opposite sex can sometimes be understood through Jung's concepts of anima and animus. However, it is wise not to label dream figures strictly according to these rules but to understand them through personal associations, etc., to avoid reducing them to a "nothing but."

If the dream figure is familiar, such as an old schoolmate, a helpful tip is to write his or her name with a lowercase initial in comments and associations—for example, “bob” instead of “Bob.” This distinction helps us separate the dream image from the actual person, whom the dream likely is not about; instead, the dream uses the figure in most cases to describe a part of one's own psychology.

The "distance" between the ego's consciousness and the unconscious content represented by the dream figure is illustrated by how well-known the other is to the dreamer and how similar it is to the dreamer. A monster represents something entirely unconscious, while a friend in a dream represents something that could just as easily be conscious. Between these two extremes lie gradations. For instance, a veiled woman seen by the dreamer in a dark room suggests a more unconscious content than a well-known person accompanying the dreamer on a sunny stroll. (Compare Face, Animal, Stranger, Head, Monster, and Company.)

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