| Ritual Initiation | Ritual Appointment |
| A. Problem (Shadow) Recognition: the shadow vs. conscious recognition | A. Selection by the Conscious and controlling aspects of self |
| B. Rules Induction:
Weening away from destructive attention-getting activities. Disconnection from former authorities or unconscious configurations. |
B. Ceremonial procession:
The shadow when first brought out of unconscious darkness and examined for the value of it's potential contribution to the community of selves |
| C. Acceptance of the challenge: The challenge of joining with the conscious elements of self | C. Annointment: Assignment of continued existence within the community of selves |
| D. Incorporation into the group: Ceremonial dance: Assuming a consciously paticipatory role | D. Group validation: Assignment of value within the community of selves |
| E. Undergoing an ordeal: Trial of strength/endurance or sacrifice | E. Ceremonial commission: Assignment of role or task within the community of selves |
Unique and individual aspects of self experience a series of ritual initiations and appointments. The initiate (or unconscious shadow element) must first recognize and admit the problem for which it seeks the purifying fire of the (conscious) group. The conscious aspects of self must agree to select and examine the shadow initiate. Usually there is a clarification and negotiation process, wherein the shadow is admonished that it must desist from any problematic behaviors and adhere to some degree of order before the conscious self will agree to examine it's potential for conscious incorporation into the community of selves. The shadow self must accept this challenge if it wishes to gain admittance and be granted continued existence within the conscious community of selves. For appointment to reach a level of personal annointment and nurture, transformation must occur in the roles and rhythms of character casting both within the individual aspects of self and within the group as a functioning whole.
Myths at this level approximate:
| Rituals of Dread & Dispersion | Rituals of Preparation & Gathering |
| A. Personal Inadequacy | A. Amassing Resources & Supplies |
| B. Disenfranchisement | B. Acquiring Tools and Skills |
| C. Special Disadvantage | C. Polishing Tools and Skills |
| D. Isolation and Loneliness |
An undue waste of vision and energy occurs when aspects of self become distracted with rituals of dread, projecting images of apocalyptic devastation from the past or present out into the future. Under such spellbound influence, the conscious community of selves become entangled in apprehensive prediction and are subject to being drawn into a shadow-side out-of-character experience. In this state the whole self becomes transfixed in a daze of dread, as though operating according to the oracles of a cult of misfortune tellers gazing into an incomplete or fractured crystal darkened by all the "shoulds", "oughts", "if onlys", omissions, failures, regrets and mistakes that can be conjured up. Fear of future replays of past loss, disadvantage and betrayal, cloud the mind and rob the self of present focus, commitment, and decision-making ability. At this point the whole self must be challenged to gather energy and attention in the clear light of what is possible, taking practical action toward acquiring what is needed to meet future goals, while maintaining a clear overview of purpose and direction.
Associative myths at this level include:
| Masking Rituals | Unmasking Rituals |
| A. Deflection | A. Confession |
| B. Shielding | B. Exposure |
| C. Projection | C. Disclosure |
The figures and characters that surface on the dream stage parody, caricature, and pantomime elements of the persona which are hidden and defended from conscious awareness. These are the same elements we so often project onto others. Dreams push toward unmasking the shadow side of the personality to reveal both the comic and tragic elements of persona. From the interior of the individual's community of selves come new lead characters, presented for selection, modification, or accommodation.
Plato's "Analogy of the Cave" exemplifies the process at this level:
| Rituals of Wounding & Brokenness | Rituals of Healing & Integration |
| A. Pain inflicted by others | A. Openness to the remedies of others |
| B. Self-injury | B. Self-healing |
| C. Special limitations | C. Special gifts & abilities |
| D. Loss of balance, direction, & control | D. Reintegration |
In the process of dreamwork each individual must choose what parts of oneself, one's life, and behaviors must be modified or sacrificed. The ritual of wounding means the temporary loss of one's support structures along with the disorganization of one's energy, focus, and overall personality. However, wounding, fracturing and severance of thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and/or relationships become the moment for restructuring, healing, and reunification. The instance of destruction and devastation gives way to resurrection and revitalization. In this sense chosen parts of one's existence and involvement pass away while yet other parts spring into realignment and prominence. One's community of selves undergoes purging and reintegration into new configurations of thought, emotion, and behavior.
| Rituals of Entombment | Rites of Passage |
| A. External barriers | A. Transitions (Death to Rebirth) |
| B. Internal blockages | B. Transformation of self image |
| C. Isolation | C. Transcending prior boundaries |
| D. Self-imprisonment/chosen enslavement | D. Breakthroughs |
Ritual movement at this level passes from chosen forms of destructiveness, imprisonment, and stagnation toward a more enlivened emotional space. The ritual of self-entombment finds the self measuring the dimensions of one's own prison walls, like a mime moving hands over invisible glass barriers all around. The challenge here is to discover how one has buried oneself within the shadow side of personality. This is a venture into determining how one becomes stymied and neutralized by giving oneself over to confusion, bedazzlement, or negation. Here one literally has to grope through one's personal darkness to find the raw materials for building, tendering, and maintaining the fire of psychic energy in order to rebirth a more constructive movement upward.
Prior to ascent one must shake free of one's deadened snake skin, chart the territory to be traversed, and gather the supplies necessary for the journey. Thus passing from darkness to light, the individual must effectively die to and pass away from destructive thoughts, actions, and parts of the personality. At this very point most persons resist the strongest and run blindly back into the confines and familiarity of personal darkness.
Consequently, each person must sever their own umbilical cord in cutting
loose from self-neutralizing and/or destructive thoughts, feelings, behaviors,
and relationships. Breaking out of the dungeon then means pushing open
the bars obstructing not only one's vision but also one's movement through
windows into the wider spaces of the psyche. Often one's past roles and
emotional wardrobe must be discarded, shedding old protections and defenses,
in order to move into an open position exposing individual vulnerability
and nakedness to self. This ritual movement often coincides with the ritual
of unmasking.
| Ritual of Descent | Ritual of Ascent |
| A. Grief and loss | A. Goal movement |
| B. Betrayal | B. Overcoming barriers |
| C. Abdication of roles and relationships | C. Risk taking |
The movement of descent into the emotional underworld or unconscious tracks individual perception and disintegration by events of grief and loss, betrayal and abdication. Symbolically descent can move one into the cave of dark figures to confront shadows, fears, and uncertainties. By descent the individual also moves toward sacred space in the sacred kiva toward ceremonial figures for counsel to reinspirit one's soul. Oftentimes the dream ego assumes the role of wounded healer. In the journey downward the self searches to select allies and companions with whom to venture into mental and emotional darkness. Arrival in the ceremonial kiva denotes individual submission to the counsel of the community of selves for group healing.
In contrast, ascent is the movement toward liberation via movement toward a goal, overcoming accompanying barriers, and a willingness to take risks. Ritual focus here discriminates whether the individual is more invested in hiding in darkness, trying one's wings, floating as though in a dream, scaling barriers, appropriately adjusting changes in altitude, or flying too close to the sun, blinded by unrealistic expectations.
The myths operating in this critical dimension of dreamwork include:
The adroit dreamworker will intuitively listen, attend to and question the dream figures that appear, to discern their role in the community of selves, the connections and fusions among figures, myth-making and ritual performance on the dimensions of initiation versus appointment, dread and dispersion versus preparation and gathering, masking versus unmasking, wounding versus healing, entombment versus rites of passage, and descent versus ascent. The challenge is to discover parallels in how the myths, rituals, roles, and interpersonal dynamics of the dream are played out in one's daily life.
Gary N. Massey, Ph.D., LMSW-ACP, LPC, LMFT, CGP has pursued the study of dreams and their application in clinical settings throughout his professional career. He provides professional workshops for practitioners within the mental health and educational fields.