The Way of the Dream

Von Franz tells it like she knows it, and she does. She provides some basic concepts for a close examination of dreams based on the work of Carl Jung. Examining dreams requires more than guidebook. As both Carl Jung and Von Franz have noted, without right brained intuition one is left with what Jung referred to as "banal" dream dictionaries as a guide to one's inner reality. The spirit of this time, the 21st Century, is predominantly concerned with left brained rational & linear proof. We want to know the answer. Dream examination is a way of finding a relationship to our individuality. This is an art and as an art it asks us to devote time and energy to the process of discovering our inner wisdom. In my book: Night Wings: A soulful dreaming & writing practice, I provide a primer for dream exploration for the wisdom of the dream itself and then for the value in of the dream as a jump off point for creative writing. The more one learns about the dreaming soul the better one is able to chart a course for life.[[ASIN:0892540885 Night Wings: A Soulful Dreaming and Writing Practice]

I have found this to be one of the clearest, most concise books on Jungian dream interpretation that I have ever found. It is also perhaps the best introduction to Jungian analysis itself, for such analysis is essentially educating people to hear their inner voice and follow it with the help of dreams. As for those who dismiss dreams as trivial things that reflect their own wishes, or worse yet, mere static and ephemera from their daily lives- why then do so many dreams deal with what we hate hearing? Why do dreams carry eternal archetypical symbolism of which the conscious mind has absolute ignorance? No, dreams have a superior intelligence to them that goes far beyond that possessed by the conscious mind. Dreams take us into mysteries of nature absolutely strange to our rational mind. Thank God, that they do, for our hyper-rational, materialistic, mass-statistical worldview is killing us- both as individuals and as a viable civilization. Dreams are the way that our inner center, our Self, can make connection with our ego consciousness. This connection is always an attempt to tell us how we are off-balance. The central message is always what path that we need to follow to balance and stabilize our personality. The basic fundamentals of Jungian theory are fully explained in the text: the basic archetypes of the shadow, the anima, the animus, the Self; the concept of complexes; the goal of individuation, etc. The greatest part of the book is involved in case studies of actual dreams, however. While there is a danger of applying individual case studies to other unique cases this danger is pointed out. Every dream is unique, because every dreamer is absolutely unique.

Extremely pertinent, extremely easy-to-read, extremely helpful - and a superb introduction for persons learning about the importance of dreaming to our daily lives.

If you're looking for an introduction to the symbolic life lived close to the unconscious, it doesn't get much better or more concise than this. In a question and answer format, you'll find an easily accessible introductory guide to analytical psychology and Jungian dream analysis."The Way of the Dream is based on an extraordinary series of films made by Fraser Boa, who collected first-person accounts of dreams in street interviews with ordinary men and women in various parts of the world. He then asked the eminent psychoanalyst Marie-Louise von Franz to interpret these dreams on film, just as she would in a private analytical session. The resulting text is a primer explaining and demonstrating the art and science of dream analysis for the general public. The material covered includes dreams of men, dreams of women, what dreams tell us about ourselves and our relationships, the historical significance of dreams, and dreams about death and dying. Dr. von Franz concludes that one of the healthiest things people can do is pay attention to their dreams: 'Dreams show us how to find meaning in our lives, how to fulfill our own destiny, how to realize the greater potential of life within us.'"

This book was a very interesting, readable, understandable introduction to Jungian psychoanalysis. Reading like the transcript from Boa's documentary film, it introduces von Franz' comments between quotes from everyday people about their own dreams. Fascinating dialogue and question/answer format makes this easily understandable and prompts an appetite to learn more. For everyone who ever had a dream and wondered about its possible meaning, this book is a treat and can set you on a journey of self-discovery that is both fun and challenging.