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THE BANYAN TREE |
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SECTION 1 : DREAMS IN CHRISTIANITY, AND FREUD AND
JUNG |
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Dreams form an essential
part of Christian heritage. Dreams give religions insight, wisdom, and direction. They
give access to the spiritual, non-physical world. The bible is full of dreams and visions,
both Old. Testament (OT), and New Testament (NT). The OT contains traditions which date
back at least to 1800 B.C. Throughout the OT we find the belief that Yahweh is concerned
with human beings and makes direct contact with them through dreams and visions. It tells
people not to be duped by false, prophecy - express the same basic encounter with some
reality that is not physical - which they called spiritual.
The reverence for dreams grows in the NT and in later Jewish literature. The early
Christians valued dream experiences as a contact with God. The early church fathers held a
world view based on the thinking of Plato, they held dreams with a positive view. They
believed that God still spoke directly through the medium of dreams and vision to man. In
the third century, a controversy arose, this continued into the fifth century with some
valueing and some dismissing the importance of dreams.
Four recognized doctors of the church arose : Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome, and Gregory the
Great. They all taught that dreams and visions were one of God’s methods of
revelation to man. Of these four - the break with dream tradition came because of Jerome.
This is most interesting and surprising as his own life was completely altered by a dream.
Jerome was a great scholar, yet he mistranslated Lev. 19:26 and Deut. 18:10 with one word
different from other passages: "You shall not practise augury on witchcraft (i.e.
soothsaying)" into the prohibition : "You shall not practise augury nor observe
dreams." Thus be linked dreams with soothsaying and other superstitious ideas. This
direct mis-translation of the word `anan’ was in authoritative use throughout the
Middle Ages and it has not even yet been completely eliminated.
Dreams were given a central place in Islam which begins with dream. In Christianity the
prohibition against dreams continued even at the end of Middle Ages - when Thomas Aquinas
followed the influence of Aristotle and the Church abandoned any emphasis on the value of
dreams. At the end of his life, Aquinas contradicted what he had written when he came into
relationship with God. He wrote, " All I have written seems as straw, and I now await
the end of my life. "But the Church stuck with what he had written earlier and
continued to feed itself on `straw’ rather than to believe in his mystical experience
- this was right up to the twentieth century.
Even Freud’s and Jung’s work with dreams did not inspire a change in the
Church’s stand. It was the work of a Jesuit, Louis Savary, three Ministers John
Sanford, Morton Kelsey and Victor White and two Roman Catholic Saints St. Therese of
Lisieux and St. Francis of Assisi, (See the Boxes) that helped bring work interest stared
with Freud and Jung.
A Saint Receives
Certainty
There of Lisieux was canonized in 1925. She
died in 1897, at the age of twenty-four, and she had this dreams just a year before her
death. Her own story was written, as a letter of obedience, to Sister Marie of the Sacred
Heart. As she tells, when she awoke from the dream, the effect was immediate; her life had
become serene, her belief a certainty. Since the dream was understood was addressed
directly to him:
" Jesus, my well-beloved, how considerate you are in your treatment of my worthless
soul; storms all around me and suddenly the sunshine of your grace peeps out : all Easter
day had come and gone, the day of your splendid triumph, and it was as Sunday in May : my
soul was still stormtossed. I remember thinking about the wonderful dreams which certain
souls have been privileged to experience, and how consoling an experience it would be ;
but I didn’t pray for anything of the kind. When I went to bed, my sky was still
overcast, and I told myself that dreams weren’t for unimportant souls like me; it was
a storm that rocked me to sleep. Next day was Sunday, the second Sunday of May, and
I’m not sure it wasn’t the anniversary of the day when our Lady did me the grace
to smile on me. As the first rays of dawn came, I went to sleep again, and dreamed.
I was standings in a sort of gallery where several other people were present, but our
Mother was the only person near me. Suddenly, without seeing how they got there, I was
conscious of there Carmelite sister in their mantles and big veils. I had the impression
that they’d come there to see our Mother, what was born in upon me with certain was
that they came from heaven. I found myself crying out (but of course it was only in the
silence of my heart): "O, how I would love to see the face of one of these Carmelites
:" Upon which, as if granting my request, the tallest of the three saintly figures
moved towards me, and , as I sank to my knees, lifted her veil, lifted it right up, I mean
and threw it over me I recognized her without the slightest difficulty; the face was that
of our Venerable Mother Ann of Jesus who brought the reformed Carmelite order into France.
There was a kind of ethereal beauty about her features, which were not radiant but
transfused with light - the light seemed to come from her without being communicated to
her, so that the heavenly face was fully visible to me in spite of the veil which
surrounded both of us. I can’t describe what elation filled my heart; an experience
like that can’t be put down on paper. Months have passed by now since I had this
reassuring dream, but the memory of it is as fresh as ever, as delightful as ever. I can
still feel the touch of the kisses she gave me. And now, treated with this tenderness, I
picked up my courage: "Please, Mother," I said, "tell me whether God means
to leave me much longer on earth? Or will He came and fetch me soon?" And, she with a
most gracious smile, answered: "Yes, soon; very soon, I promise you." Then I
added : "Mother, answer me one other question; does God really ask no more of me than
these unimportant little sacrifices I offer him, these desires to do something better/ Is
he really content with me as I am?" That brought into the Saint’s face and
expression far more loving than I’d seen there yet; and the embrace she gave me was
all the answer I needed, But she did speak too: "god asks no more," she said,
"He is content with you, well content." And so she embraced me as lovingly as
ever mother embraced her child, and then I saw her withdraw. In the midst of all that
happiness, I remembered my sisters, and some favours I wanted to ask for them; but it was
too late, I’d woken up. And now the storm no longer raged, all my sky was calm and
serene. I didn’t merely believe, I felt certain that there was a heaven, and that the
soul who were its citizens looked after me, thought of me as their child. What gave more
strength to this impression was the fact that, up till then, Mother Ann of Jesus meant
nothing to me; I’d never asked for her prayers or even thought about her except on
the rare occasions when her name camp up in conversation. So when I realized how she loved
me, and how much I meant to her, my heart melted towards her in love and gratitude; and
for that matter towards all the Blessed in heaven.
Jesus, my Beloved, this was only a prelude to greater graces still with which you’d
determined to enrich me..."
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Source :
Morton T. Kelsey. God, Dreams and Revelations. Harper Collins Publishers. 77/85 Dulham
Palace Road, Hammersmith, London W68JB, England 1986. pp. 189-191. |
FRANCIS’ DREAMS AND
VISIONS
(1182-1126)
Francis’ father was a wealthy cloth merchant in Assisi. His
dream for his son was to become a knight. Francis also wanted this and so he went for a
war that time between Assisi and Perugia. Assisi lost and Francis was taken captive and
imprisoned for one year. When he was looking for another war to win knighthood. He was
scheduled to leave next day to win name and fame for himself and for his family. His dream
to go to war follows: He interpreted this as confirming his going to war.
Now Francis was shown in a vision a splendid palace in which he saw various military
apparatus and a most beautiful bride. In the dream , Francis was called by name and
enticed by the promise of all these things. He attempted, therefore, to go to Apulia to
win knighthood; and after he had made the necessary preparations in a lavish manner, he
hurried on to gain that degree of military honors. A carnal spirit prompted him to make a
carnal interpretation of the dream he had, while a far more glorious interpretation lay
hidden in the treasures of God’s wisdom.
The corrective Dream
Accordingly, while he was sleeping one night, someone addressed him a second
time in a vision and questioned him solicitously as to whether he intended to go. When he
had told his purpose to him who was asking and said that the he was going o Apulia of
fight, he was asked earnestly who could do better for him, the servant or the Lord. And
Francis said; "The Lord". The other answered : "Why then you seeking the
servant in place of the Lord ?" And Francis said : "Lord, what to do you want me
to do?" And the Lord said to him : "Go back to the place of your birth for
though me your vision will have a spiritual fulfilment. "He went back without delay,
for he had already become a model of obedience and, giving up his own will, he became a
Paul in place of Saul. Saul is thrown to the ground and heavy blows beget sweet words.
Francis, however, changes his carnal weapons into spiritual ones and in place of military
glory he receives the knighthood of God. Therefore to the many who were astounded at his
unusual happiness, he said that he was going to be a great prince.
(2 Celano No. 6)
This led him away from worldly glory towards a spiritual realm. People laughed at him
following a dream. He followed his own inner voice for further direction. Later he had a
vision : a destiny dream to embrace lady poverty.
L3C No. 7
Soon after Francis had returned to Assisi, his companions elected him king of the
rebels, and gave him a free hand to spend what he liked in the preparation of a sumptuous
banquet as had often done on other occasions. After the feast they left the house and
started off singing through the streets. Francis’ companions were leading the way,
and he, holding his wand of office, followed them at a little distance. Instead of
singing, he was listening very attentively. All of a sudden the Lord touched his heart,
filling it with such surpassing sweetness that he could neither speak nor move. He could
only feel and hear this overwhelming sweetness which detached him so completely from all
other physical sensations that, as he said later, had he been cut to pieces on the could
not have moved.
When his companions looked around, they saw him in the distance and turned back. To their
amazement they saw that he was transformed into another man, and they asked him :
"What were you thinking of ? Why didn’t you follow us? Were you thinking of
getting married ?"
Francis answered in a clear voice : "You are right: I was thinking of wooing the
noblest, and most beautiful bride ever seen. "His friends laughed at him saying he
was a fool and did not know what he was saying: in reality he had spoken by a divine
inspiration. The bride was none other than that form of true religion which he embraced,
and which, above any other is noble, rich, and beautiful in its poverty.
2Celano No. 10
Changed now perfectly in heart and soon to be changed in body too, he was
walking one day near the church of St. Damian, which had nearly fallen to ruin and was
abandoned by everyone. Led by thespirit, he went in and fell down before the crucifix in
devout and humble supplication : and smitten by unusual visitations, he found himself
other than he had been when he entered. While he was thus affected, something unheard of
before happened to him : the painted image of Christ crucified moved its lips and spoke.
Calling him by name it said: "Francis, go repair my house, which as you see, is
falling completely to ruin." Trembling, Francis was not a little amazed and became
almost deranged by these words. He prepared himself to obey and gave himself completely to
the fulfilment of this command. But since he felt that the change he had undergone was
beyond expression, it is becoming that we should be silent about what he could not
express. From then on compassion for the crucified was rooted in his holy soul, and , as
it can be piously supposed, the stigmata of the venerable passion were deeply imprinted in
his heart, though not as yet upon his flesh.
He and his companions immediately set out to repair the Church of San damiano. He sold
everything and gave it to the poor, many others followed him.
Later Francis had a vision which gave direction for his band of followed him.
2 Celano No. 27
And then, coming back, he said with joy to his brothers. "Be
strengthened, dear brothers, and rejoice in the Lord, and do not be sad because you seem
so few; and do not let either my simplicity or your own dismay you, for, as it has been
shown me in truth by the Lord, God will make us grow into a very great multitude and will
make us increase to the ends of the world. For your profit I am compelled to tell you what
I have seen, though I would much rather remain silent, were it not that charity urges me
to tell you. I saw a great multitude of men coming to us and wanting to live with us in
the habit of our way of life and under the rule of our blessed religion. and behold, the
sound of them is in my ears as they go and come according to the command of the holy
obedience. I have seen, as it were, the roads filed with their great numbers coming
together in these parts from almost every nation. Frenchmen are running, and a very great
multitude of others speaking various tongues are hurrying." when the brothers had
heard this, they were filled with a salutary loyalty to this holy one because they were
ardently thirsting for the advantages to be gained by their neighbours, whom they wished
to grow daily in numbers and to be saved thereby.
Francis went to the Pope to get approval of his Rule along with several of his followers.
He went because he now understood the meaning of his dream to rebuild Church (which was
too rich) not just San Damiano Church. God showed him the path.
L3C No. 51
On hearing this the pope was greatly amazed, also because, before Francis appeared, he
had a vision that the church of Saint John Lateran was only saved from falling by being
upheld on the shoulders of a small, insignificant man. He had awakened depressed and
surprised, and, being wise and discrete he had pondered long on the meaning of the vision.
A few day’s later blessed Francis and the brothers came to him, and as we have
already explained, he learned the reason of their visit, and blessed Francis appealed to
him for the comfirmation of the rule,which he had written in brief and simple words, taken
for the most part from the Gospel texts, which he and his brothers strove with all their
strength to put perfectly into practice. Then, when the Pope looked at Francis and he
began to say to himself: "This is surely a holy and religious man by whom the church
of God will be supported the upheld." Then he embraced Francis and approved the rule
he had written, and gave him permission to preach penance to all, and this permission was
extended to all the brothers who had the approval of Francis.
L3C No. 53
On leaving Rome the servant of God went out into the world amazed that his desire
should have been satisfied so quickly and he increased in hope and trust in the Saviour
who in holy revelation had shown him things still in the future. Before these things could
be verified, one night, after he had lain down to sleep, he seemed to be walking along a
certain path, near to which was great tree, tall, beautiful, strong, and large. On
approaching he stood beneath it and he was amazed at its height and splendour. Suddenly he
was lifted up so that his hand touched the top, and at that touch, the tree gently
subsided to the level of the ground. This indeed had already happened, since the Lord Pope
is the highest and most beautiful of all earthly trees, and at the petition of blessed
Francis he had bent down with great benignity.
Thus we can see how God directed St. Francis of Assis by dreams and vision.
|
| Source : St. Francis of Assisi, Omnibus of Sources, Writings and Early
Biographics. Edited by Marion A. Habig Franciscan Herald Press, Chicago IL 60609,
1983. |
Sigmund Freud : Freud was
physician whose interest was in making sick people well. He used hypnotism but was
disappointed in its lasting effect. So he found his tool in dream analysis. In 1900 he
published his Interpretation of Dreams. He saw dreams as the royal road to
understanding man’s submerged personality. Many rejected his emphasis on sexuality as
the prime human motive. He said all dreams are expressions of the irrational and asocial
nature of man. He was the pioneer who first tried to explore empirically the unconscious
background of consciousness. He assumed that dreams are associated with conscious thoughts
and problems. Freud and Josef Breur recognized that neurotic symptoms are in fact
symbolically meaningful. Freud used "free association" to explore the meaning.
As the dreamer talks, everything he says points to the core of his predicament, he
discovers his complexes.
Many of his colleagues broke away from Freud - not able to swallow his theory whole. One
important one was Carl Gustav Jung.
Carl Gustav Jung : Jung broke with
Freud as he could not take sexual interpretations for everything, and he saw "free
association" to be misleading and inadequate in dealing with the rich fantasies of
dreams. Freud was a rationalist while Jung was an empiricist through and through. Freud
assumed the unconscious thinks rationally, Jung suggested the unconscious thinks
symbolically, metaphorically, in images. So we must learn the language of symbols. Jung
paid more attention to the actual form and content of a dream. He kept as close as
possible to the dream itself. He used many other ways to discover complexes (word
association, Rorschach test, etc.). Jung also differed from Freud in that he said dreams
are worthy of serious religious consideration and may be one very important access to
knowledge.
In Jung’s terminology, dreams can express the reality of the collective unconscious1
metaphorically, in images. So we must learn the language of symbols. Jung paid more
attention to the actual form and content of a dream. He kept as close as possible to the
dream itself. He used many other ways to discover complexes (word association, Rorschach
test, etc.). Jung also differed from Freud in that he said dreams are worthy of serious
religious consideration and may be one very important access to knowledge.
In Jung’s terminology, dreams can express the reality of the collective unconscious1
the objective psyche. Jung said dreams are revelations of unconscious wisdom, transcending
the individual. Jung felt :
It is best to treat a dream as one would treat a totally unknown
object: one looks at it from all sides, takes it in one’s hand, carries it about, has
all sorts of ideas and fantasies about it, and talks of it to other people. During this
process all sorts of things, occur to one about the dream and bring one nearer its
meaning.
Jung found in dreams, unfulfilled wishes and fears, inexorable truths,
philosophical these, illusion, wild fantasies, memories, plans, anticipations, telepathic
vision, and irrational experiences. They lead to individuation which is a spiritual
process by which the personality is built up step by step deeper and deeper into the core
of the personality. He said the first step is to remove your mask - the persona, you must
detach yourself from it. See the box on the persona below.
THE PERSONA
The Persona is the mask-how we relate to the outer world, the
society. All clothing is a mask to cover our real self. Masks tell you three things.
- How you want people to see you. How you want to impress them.
- It reveals and conceals something about you that you want hidden.
1. Jung saw the Collective
Unconscious as the most creative component of the psyche. The term is misleading, but what
he means is that the unconscious contains material that is held collectively by all men
because they have a psychic reality which is prior to personal experience. They are
inherent in the psychic structure of the individual both from a biological and historical
point of view.
- One’s social role derived
from the expectations of society and early training.
In dream amplification we peel off the three layers of the complex :
- personal associations -- what you think and feel about the image.
- cultural or transpersonal level,
- archetypal level --mythical significance -- many archetypal elements are too commonplace
to attract attention.
The Persona facilitates the activity of the ego in social interaction.
The Persona is also a vehicle for the transformation of the ego. Persona means
"actor’s mask" in Latin. One’s social role, derived from the
expressions of society and early training.
Healthy Persona/vitality, flexibility :
- Expectations I have for myself are realizable. My view of myself, my hopes, my ideals
are true to reality.
- Expectations of others are legitimate.
- The reality of my personality -- I cannot pretend. My expectations of self and others
must be grounded in the realities of my personality, otherwise I’m unbalanced.
Unhealthy Persona or Persona malfunctions requiring psychotherapeutic
intervention :
- Excessive development of the Persona.
- Inadequate development of the Persona.
- Identification with the Persona to such an extent that the ego mistakenly feels itself
to be identical with the primary social role e.g. empty nest syndrome when all the
children leave home or marry.
One of the tasks in the first half of life or in the first phase of the
individuation process is the establishment of a Persona. It is a protection for the
psyche. A raw psyche, without the mediation of a Persona, would be a jarring experience
for the individual as well as society, it would be an unhealthy situation.
A Persona develops as other tasks are accomplished in the first phase of the individuation
process. These tasks are integral to the Persona. One of the tasks is the development of a
main attitude in life, either extroversion or introversion. The other task is the
development of a predominant function form among the four psychological functions of
thinking, feeling, intuiting and sensing.
Because the psyche contains of energy, and because these polarities, by definition, are
opposites, they cannot be developed at the same time. The two attitudes and four functions
are ways of naming some of the polarities of the psyche. Only one pole at a time can be
integrated into the conscious personality and begin to give a particular shape to that
personality.
Extroversion or introversion will be a dominant attitude in the first half of the
individuation process. Heredity begins this determination, and life-experiences enhance
it.
One of the perceiving functions, sensation or intuition, will be developed; the other will
not. And only one of the judging functions will be developed.
Now each polarity is actually a continuum and , in reality both attitudes and all four
functions will have some role to play in an individual’s conscious personality. But,
in general, certain poles will be better integrated in consciousness than their opposites.
These opposites, for the most part, continue to reside in the unconscious.
The emergence of a predominant function is called the auxiliary function. The predominant
function and the auxiliary function are both well established parts of the conscious
personality.
The result of the phase of individuation process must be a strong ego-consciousness with a
well developed Persona. Without this result, the second phase of the individuation process
cannot begin. Someone who has not successfully accomplished the outer journey is not ready
for the inner journey. Often people will arrive at the second half of their lives without
a comfortable Persona or a healthy ego. In this situation contact with the unconscious has
to wait until consciousness can be shored up.
While Jungian theory generally discourages an identification of the ego with the Persona,
often today efforts must be made to strengthen the Persona. Without a good rooting in the
outer world and a healthy identity, the psychic condition process which presumes a firm
base in consciousness for the entry into the unconscious.
The second step is to embrace the shadow, the dark and painful side. This is the gate to
the collective unconscious. The shadow appears as a dark figure, a powerful and harmful
guardian of the threshold. As we deal with the repressions, we become sensitive, the
personal unconscious becomes conscious. The shadow is the unwanted or inferior person in
us who contradicts the ideal image of ourselves. It must be faced be faced if we are to be
made whole. See the box on the shadow.
THE SHADOW
Just as our bodies are linked with the past through the
evolutionary process, so too are our psyches.
The shadow or alter ego) is a reality. If we deny our own seemingly evil or inferior side,
we only drive it into the unconscious, where it becomes doubly powerful and dangerous. It
permits the shadow to act autonomously without relationship to the whole personality.
By showing us this shadow, our dreams compensate our conscious attitudes -- we see our
nature in a different light.
The shadow (dark side of our personality), feared and rejected, becomes evil. Recognized
and accepted it plays its part in our total self. The shadow is in our background, we are
usually unaware of it.
Our conscious mind can only accept it with difficulty. It is `our angry side, our
weakness, or sickness, our primitiveness, rebelliousness or inferiority. We don’t
want to face it. The shadow stands in direct contrast to our Persona. The shadow is also a
cultural phenomenon, and shows what is neglected or repressed in the entire culture in
which we live as well as in our individual life.
There are two types of shadows:
- A personal shadow representing certain qualities you did not develop or repressed.
- An archetypal shadow, figure of the collective unconscious. It represent the sum total
of that part of human nature which the spirit of our times had rejected or ignored the
one-sidedness of our present culture. Because it is rejected, it virtually forces everyone
to identify with only one side.
Carl Jung says our collective shadow is 90 percent pure gold. It helps
us become human, flexible, and forgiving.
But the ego and the shadow are so opposed to each other that the conflict appear to be
unresolvable -- and this is the problem on which the personality is stuck.
The more unconscious we are of our shadow the more likely it will erupt with violently
disturbing manifestations -- it acts autonomously blocking our intentions and achievements
. When we recognize our shadow, it gives much positive value to our personality --
instinct, zest, humility -- exactly what we need to become a complete human being.
The Shadow is an unconscious part of the personality characterized by traits and
attitudes, whether negative or positive, which the conscious ego tends to reject or
ignore. Consciously assimilating one’s Shadow usually results in an increase of
energy.
The Shadow contains the excess baggage not used by the ego in its developments in the
first phase of the individuation process. As the persona develops, the other attitude type
takes up residence in the unconscious in varying degrees. The function opposite the
predominant function, called the inferior function, resides deepest in the unconscious and
provides content for the Shadow, as you get older you cast a longer shadow. |
The third step is to work with symbols and archetypes. Archetypes can be defined as the
innate essences of existence, archaic remnants, or primordial images, instinctive trends,
dynamic nuclei of the psyche. They are in the collective unconscious. there are seven
basic archetypes:
The self, the central archetype’. Surrounding the Self in pairs of
opposites are the others :
| The Feminine |
The masculine |
| The Adversary |
The Heroic |
| Death-Rebirth |
The Journey |
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