Finding your life path. It can be quite a journey… To my great enjoyment I saw that the International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD) has decided that the theme of the new online psiberconference is going to be: “Illuminating the Path: Psi Dreaming for a Brighter World”.
Life Path
We live in a strange society. You are supposed to have your parents make all your decisions. You are not to speak up, not to be too smart are too loud. And all of a sudden you are grown up. You need to get into the world and earn some money.
The amount of money you make is inherent with the respect you earn. At least, most of the time. And I don’t want to complain but I work extremely hard and don’t earn very much. I even -like almost every blogger- contemplate stopping a couple of days each week.
So in my last crisis I asked for a dream. I asked “What is the path I should take?”.
Life Path and Dreams
The last big decision I had to make was when I was still living with my parents. My parents were moving to Spain. I wanted to be a psychologist. My parents did not like that very much. It did not have much job security.
I dreamed that me and Carl Gustav Jung were taking to each other while we were walking in a garden. The grass was green. I could not remember the conversation, but felt it guided me towards my inner longing.
And truly, getting into University and meeting other psychology students was a sort of homecoming. Finally nobody wondered why i was asking so much. Or reading so much. Or wanted to know so much about my dreams. I felt at home.
But soon the first disappointment came. There was not the slightest intention to talk about either Freud or Carl Jung. They were considered to be “unscientific”.
Life Path and Action
When I graduated I could not find a job. I started working dull stupid jobs way beyond my intellectual capacity. I’d much rather have work than sit at home and collect welfare.
Little did I know that my work attitude was bad for my resume. Employers seemed to be looking for young people who had experience, but not wanting to be the company that provided that experience.
It made me so incredibly sad that my parents had been right. So I started working on the chain gang. Being a slave that obeys orders, isn’t allowed to think and gets paid. I was miserable.
Life Path and Love
I had saved some money. So when I met the love of my life, he and me agreed that I should use my money to enable me to stay at home and guide our children. Enjoying them, guiding them., Giving them love, shelter warmth and security
Meanwhile I kept on challenging my mind. I read more about different subjects: consciousness was and is one of my main topics of interest. The cosmos, and how it takes the tiniest parts to explain the big things has got me captured. When I leave Mindfunda behind, that is the thing I want to get into.
Life Path: the Dream
The dream I had the night I asked my dreaming mind for advice was this.
I am driving and all of a sudden the road is not paved. There are stones and rocks. I panic: did I miss a sign? Should I have gotten off the road? Is it safe to drive her or will I ruin my car if I go on? On my righthand side there is a freeway. But i can not see clearly enough if it is safe to take that turn. I don’t want to take the freeway if it means that I will be in a car crash. I am unable to see clearly who and what is driving on that freeway. Should I stay on the left hand side and take the broken up road? Is it my road?
Confused I wake up.
What do you think? And did you ever have dreams to guide you on the path of your life? Let me know in the comments.
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Hii can I solve my problems in dreams but how?such great i m also very interest in dreams .
Thank you Susanne, for sharing your journey and your dreams. I do appreciate what you provoke in me with your questions.
I agree with the comment made, that it is YOUR interpretation that is important (and where the ‘juice’ often lies).
If this were my dream, I might find it helpful to dialogue (active imagination) with various images of your dream – ie. the rough road; the freeway, and also the driver of the car. These dialogues often reveal important pieces of the puzzle. (Dreams also often play with words – like free – way – may be worth a ponder)
Marion Woodman often said that we need to hold the tension of the opposites, and then a third dimension often comes into play that we might never imagine. Our digital age often makes this waiting while holding the tension, very difficult. Perhaps that is one reason we are so bereft of depth in our time?
James Hillman also suggested that we should never pin down a dream to a specific meaning. A dream can continue to reveal its meaning over time.
These are my thoughts your dream and query provoked. Take with a grain of salt.
Thank you for your insightful comment! In Dutch, free way is translated as gone quick (snelweg). So what in my life has gone away quick?
Also, your remark about seeking the tension in a dream reminded me of the technique used by Sven Dohner. He goes to an emotional part of the dream and creates a sound. The vibration of that sound should resonate within your body. Than you experience what kind of memories and emotions it triggers. A simple and powerful technique.
The most emotional part in this dream was my fear when I looked at the freeway. I wanted to go ahead but was afraid I would be heading for a crash because I had no vision.
So I started a blues hum of being lonely and lost… And I know I have to do it myself. Create this new vision.
Thanks for your comment, I really appreciate it.
Dear Susanne, Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful dream themed post. From young adulthood your work feels as though it was more of a calling, a vocation than any career led decision. To forge ahead with such strong conviction feels like you’re meeting your destiny by working with the inner worlds … it feels like a home-coming doesn’t it when you’re doing what you love!
As you know I’m taking the Tarot’s Fool’s Journey at the moment, with one clear thought that keeps coming back to me of late … I need to return to the natural world. For six months now I’ve been journeying deep within, yet to balance myself out, like Persephone, I must ascend to the (conscious) world before I descend (unconsciously) again. Hope that makes sense!
I believe the meaning of dreams is the meaning you give them. After reading your dream I sensed something parallel was going on … for as the right-hand side “collective consciousness” streamed on by, as life and consciousness does, I picked up your unwillingness to return to there. Does the left-hand side reveals you’ve lost your way? Hmm, I feel it’s time for you to reconnect with the Goddess Hecate I feel. Blessings always, Deborah.
Hi Deborah,
Thanks for sharing your wisdom. I love Hecate, Goddess of Dreams. I have read in the Nightmare book that stones an be a symbol of spirituality. The road was broken up, but backing up and getting on a different road was difficult. I was a bit disappointed that the dream did not tell me what to do, but as you say, dreams usually want your input.
With stones, the Philosopher’s Stone springs to mind, and dark, luminous stones are associated with the Goddess Hecate. Stones are rich with inner symbolism, rocks too.