Dream
I visited an exotic country and hiked down through a cave for two and a half days. Several others hiked through the cave as well, although it was quite risky. I traveled with my father initially. We all had companion animals, mostly dogs. Finally, I arrived at the other end of the cavern into an isolated valley populated by natives. The few westerners who had made it this far were not able to get back, although there was no sense of panic. Several planned to stay for a long time. The natives were very friendly, although they also did put on a brief scary show and then sent us into a previously hidden store with western products. They wanted us to leave some of our money there. A little later, I visited a western woman who had a larger western style house and lived very comfortably in the midst of the native village.
This is yet another embarrassingly archetypal dreams (!). When I worked consistently with dreams in Norway, I would have dreams that were text-book Jungian dreams . I read Jung profusely during that time, and the dreams seemed to take on whatever form I would most likely understand. As Jung said, dreams want to communicate and use the language available to them. And in my experience, this language is also modified to fit our conscious worldview as much as possible, so we can pick up on their gifts.
Going down the long and deep cave may be a decent into the body and/or other subconscious material, areas of F1-F2 in Ken Wilber's framework. And the natives may represent the more native, primal aspects of myself, maybe F2-F4. I was surprised to see the large number of people waiting to go into the cave, especially considering the risks I knew were involved. They even admitted people in limited sized groups to prevent local overcrowding, as they do at Mt. Everest.
The area I arrived in had a similar quality as New Guinea has for me - lush, abundant with plant and animal life, exotic, with natives who are partly friendly and partly brings up some fear in me (if I find myself at their mercy, as a stranger in their area).
These particular natives lived their own traditional lives, but were also very much familiar with the western world through the few westerners who came there and ended up staying. It did also seem that they had a trading operaiton going with the modern western world, considering all the western products they were selling.
In any case, there was connection, communication and an interest among the natives to take part in the benefits of western civilization. The intermingling of natives and westerns in the village was very easy and comfortable, although some of the westerns wanted to go home as well. The westerners here may represent the more civilized and domesticated aspects of myself. Overall, the dream may indicate a need to descend into subconscious material - bodily and otherwise, make a connection, and explore the relationships there.
The dream may also point to a need for more conscious and mature aspects of me to descend into these areas and set up home there. Bringing awareness and maturity to body, energies and emotions. Allowing these to be who and where they are, and also awaken into awareness and maturity.
Active imagination
On going into the cavern: I am asking someone where we are going, he responds "we are going into the flesh, deeper than you have ever been, into an area unfamiliar to any of us - even those of us who have been doing this for a long time. It will be uncomfortable and disorienting, but worth it."
On being in the native village: Again, I am asking someone - a native this time - where I am and why. He says "see the lush abundance? Enjoy it. Stay for a while. Soak in it. It is wonderful, isn't it? So different from your modern mechanical world up there. You will find it far more nourishing, grounding, even helpful in your daily life - beyond what you can imagine."
Day residue
During the intensive last week, I became acutely aware of how superficially I am in my body and how much further there is to go. I have a wish to become more deeply comfortable with and as a body, to embody it more deeply. To find the natural and effortless power there, where there is no need for force.
Surprise?
Dreams seem to help us see just beyond our conscious view, so there is always an element of surprise in there. So far, it does seem to point to a need for deepening connection with body, energies and emotions. This is aligned with my conscious view, and the dream may just support and amplify that. But there may also be more there - which may emerge if I stay with the dream for a while, and possibly explore it further through active imagination.
Labels: dream