Dreams and dreamwork can help us to spot things that are not fully in our awareness. But we have to be willing to listen. This might sound simple, but it’s harder than you expect. It’s often easier to ignore difficult truths about people, systems, organisations, and life in general. And it’s most definitely easier to ignore our own shortcomings.

But dreams will shine a light on things that are obscured. They will shine a light on our most important soul challenges. And it will reveal things that are hidden from our conscious view. It will keep on communicating important messages until we get the message.

A Stubborn Resistance To Reasoned Argument

In Man and His Symbols, in his article entitled, ‘Approaching the Unconscious’, Carl Jung writes about a woman who he describes as having a “stubborn resistance to reasoned argument.” These aren’t flattering words and indeed one gets the idea that the woman had a grating effect on those around her because of her own lack of self-awareness. But the woman’s dreams would not allow her to simply get away with her stubborn attitude.

Here’s the woman’s dream as described by Jung,

“One night, she dreamed she was attending an important social occasion. She was greeted by the hostess with the words, ‘How nice that you could come. All your friends are here, and they are waiting for you.’ The hostess then led her to the door and opened it, and the dreamer stepped through—into a cowshed.”

It’s not always the case that dreams communicate messages so clearly. But this message is fairly clear. The dream is telling the woman that she isn’t as important as she believes herself to be—which is why she is led to a cowshed with all her friends.

According to Jung, the woman was at first reluctant to accept the message. This is often the case when we have to bring awareness to something that is difficult. But dreams will not let us get away with our illusions. Recurring dreams will often shine a light on destructive tendencies.

Inner And Outer Influences

Later, in that same article, Jung goes on to explain why dream messages are so important.

Here’s a quote:

“Such messages from the unconscious are of greater importance than most people realise. In our conscious life, we are exposed to all kinds of influences. Other people stimulate or depress us, events at the office or in our social life distract us. Such things seduce us into following ways that are unsuitable to our individuality. Whether or not we are aware of the effect they have on our consciousness, it is disturbed by and exposed to them almost without defence.”

And later:

“The general function of dreams is to try to restore our psychological balance by producing dream material that re-establishes, in a subtle way, the total psychic equilibrium.”

What Jung is saying is that our waking state exposes us to many different influences. These influences distract us. The agendas and opinions of others can derail us from our inner path. Dreams make us aware when we are not on our soul path. If we stray too far, we might experience repeated nightmares. And if we still refuse to integrate the message, some catastrophe or accident might occur in the physical.

How To Spot The Blind Spot

We might not immediately understand a dream message. Some messages only become clear after months or years. And sometimes we might need time to integrate the message. This is why it is so important to write down your dreams. Additionally, one should review important dreams regularly. I often review dreams that are somewhat unclear to me. This is especially the case when the dream was speaking to a current situation, or when the dream was particularly vivid.

Also, understand that important messages are often repeated. Respond to these dream messages by taking action. Don’t worry whether you’re taking the right actions. The truth is that life requires us to be experimental and iterative. I have on occasion misinterpreted a dream, taking sub-optimal action, only to later change course. But if I didn’t take action in the first place, I would never know that my first approach was slightly wrong.

The required actions might be something small. Or it might be something difficult. That said, it’s usually is something manageable and true. It’s always something that is based in a higher spiritual truth. Whatever the case, don’t ignore the dream. That’s the worst thing you can do.

A Less Artificial Life

If you want to live an authentic life, listen to your dreams. Be meticulous about your dreamwork. This isn’t easy. Nor is it convenient. But it does bring us closer to our inner path.

Here’s final quote from Jung:

“The more that consciousness is influenced by prejudices, errors, fantasies, and infantile wishes, the more the already gap will widen into a neurotic dissociation and lead to a more or less artificial life far removed from healthy instincts, nature, and truth.”

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