ACTIVE STREAM: DREAM PASSAGEWAY - Dream Amplification
Reverse image of Statute at the Ming Tombs
~ Original photo courtesy of Steve Byrne
The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it. ~ Carl Jung, "Modern Man in Search of a Soul"
Four Stages of Jungian Dream Amplification
Personal Associations:
- The first level of amplification involves the dreamer's ideas, thoughts, hunches
about the overall motif of the dream. This is the outer most surface meaning
of the dream. Consider your description of the dream in relation to memories,
knowledge, and past events.
Natural Amplification:
- This is a slightly deeper layer of meaning (at this level meaning may be
the same for many individuals). Consider the dream motif as it would appear
in a natural setting. 'Natural' is often at variance with cultural and
archetypal meanings.
- CULTURAL: sense of majesty, rulership, leadership
- SYMBOLIC: associated with the sun
- NATURAL: lethargic, letting the females do the hunting
- Example: The Lion
Cultural Amplification:
- This layer is approximately the same depth as natural, but here it begins to
shade into the metaphoric and symbolic meanings of the archetypal. At this
layer you find associations to the dream motif that a well-informed person
with cultural awareness would know.
Archetypal Amplification:
- This is the deepest level of association, in which a particular dream motif
or symbol within the dream is located in mythology, folklore, or religious
imagery. Those motifs which over an extended period of time have become
meaningful to a large number of individuals are the repositories of archetypal
content.
Archetypal amplification carried to the extreme destroys its usefulness. Always approach the dream primarily from its context within your life. There will be particular symbols that you have no associative understanding of, and these will require that you delve deeper into mythology and historical references. This is when archetypal amplification will be most productive. To skip over the personal, natural, cultural and head straight for the archetypal can lead to some very non-productive byways.