Author

Subject: Bar

Owen

13:07 25/05/2002 

The room is very dim. I can see people moving in the background from where I sit. There are round tables everywhere, and I am sitting at one near the door. It has a red formica top.

Sitting opposite me is a priest in a black suit, his face is fat and pale, sweaty, and the eyes are bulging and staring at me. He says, "Is this Saigon?" But I can't answer, only smile at him because he terrifies me, I know he wants to touch me but I don't want him to because I am frightened of him.

The waitress brings a bowl made of cane to our table and a china bowl. In the cane bowl are dozens of tiny Asian men, squirming on toothpicks. In the china bowl is a red sauce. I take one and eat it after dipping it in the sauce. The priest shouts at me, "Is this Saigon?" But I smile and look out the door where a St. Kilda tram goes slowly by. St. Kilda. That’s where I joined up.

Dream edited for easier reading - JT, 2005

2004

Jane Teresa's View

Jane Teresa Anderson

Overview Interpretation & Dream Alchemy Practice suggestion

OVERVIEW INTERPRETATION

Hi Owen,

As you joined up in St Kilda and mention Saigon I presume that you served in the Vietnam War. If so, then Saigon, in your dream, refers you back to your experiences at that time. If you joined up but didn’t fight then Saigon may symbolise the prospect of fighting and your feelings around that, as this, of course, was a possibility you would have considered seriously.

I’m going to assume you were involved in combat.

Your focus at the start of the dream is the background. As the start of a dream often states the issue the dream goes on to address, it seems important to understand the background to something. The light is dim, meaning it is difficult to see. What are you finding difficult to see or understand at the moment? Perhaps examining some background issues will throw light on this. Let’s see where the dream takes you next:

You are sitting at a table with a red formica top. Does this tabletop remind you of a time in your past? If so, when? Where? What was happening for you back then? Later in your dream the sauce is red. Red may represent anger, passion, excitement or blood.

The priest is as terrified as you are. He is terrified, presumably, at the thought that this might be Saigon, whereas you are terrified of him because he wants to touch you. Do you mean simply reaching out and touching you or are you implying an inappropriate sexual advance? Your fear prevents you from speaking.

This is a war zone. This dream is either about your own inner conflicts (war) or about understanding your own wartime experiences and looking at how these have formed a background to your life today.

Before looking at the more likely symbolic meaning of your dream, it’s important to clarify whether you have experienced inappropriate sexual touching by a priest. (If you have no memory of this, the dream is symbolic. Please do not assume that dreams reveal forgotten memories. However, if this has been your experience, then it is relevant to the interpretation.)

You are seated near the door, rather than deeper into the shop. The exit is close, though you don’t take it, despite your fear. But you do notice the St Kilda tram that reminds you of joining up. Did you join up to escape (exit door) a situation? Could your dream be bringing you back face-to-face with that unresolved situation, pictured as a terrified priest?

When you are face-to-face with someone in a dream, you are facing up to something within yourself. In this case of mutual fear and terror, you are facing up to fear (instead of exiting!) and that fear is symbolised by the priest. Could he represent your religion? Are you in conflict over religion?

It’s interesting that the waitress brings a bowl of made of cane. While the cane may symbolise Saigon (cane fields), it may be a dream word play on punishment: the use of the cane. Were you caned at school? Did you attend a catholic school?

The men in the cane bowl are squirming on toothpicks, which emphases the caning theme. The toothpicks could be mini canes for the mini men. They cause pain to them, just as canes do.

My feeling is that you have conflicts over religion, with a strong theme of fear of punishment. I like the way that you face your fear in the dream in contrast to escaping, but I am concerned that you were still unable to speak up. What needs to be said? What do you fear getting 'in touch with', symbolised by fear of being touched by the priest?

I have suggested a dialogue dream alchemy practice to help you to discover the voice behind the fear: once spoken it is released, it evaporates and it is gone, leaving you free to move forward.

DREAM ALCHEMY PRACTICE

Dialogue:

Your dialogue is between yourself and the priest. Start with you saying, “Is this St Kilda?” and see what the priest automatically answers. Keep it going for 20 minutes.

How to do this:

Give yourself no longer than 20 minutes. When you do this exercise do NOT think! Don’t plan ahead. Just let whatever happens happen. Let the two entities speak to each other on paper using whatever words come up. It’s a bit like writing a film script or play – but without the brain being involved.

How does this work?

By not thinking, by keeping the words flowing, you are letting your right brain and unconscious mind do most of the work. They created the original dream so they know what these symbols mean for you. They will reveal. You will be surprised.

More details on Dialogue as a Dream Alchemy Practice in: “Dream Alchemy”, by Jane Teresa Anderson, pages 321-4 and 333.

Jane Teresa Anderson

You can consult with Jane Teresa or her Dream Team and receive your interpretation by email within five working days.

ORIGINAL THREAD

Below is the original forum discussion on this dream, contributed before Jane Teresa's 2004 interpretation.

Owen

13:16 25/05/2002 

It is a long and sloping treeless field, covered in snow. I am walking with a man of about 30 years, close cropped hair, I think he may be an Indian or Pakistani. There is movement under the snow and I dig under and grab something that feels sort of human, but after a struggle I drag it out and it is not human. It has long legs and feet like a boy but no body, just a sort small parrot like head with short arms and fingers like a chickens wings; there is no hair on it. I feel I must protect it and hold it close although it wants to get away. Then a priest in a shiny dark green suit and hat is there smiling. He sits down at a table and this things jumps out of my arms and onto the table where the priest spoon feeds it from a bowl of white mush. The oriest says go now so it won't remember your kindness, so my companion and I climb through a window into a hall and walk along it.

Nani

07:38 30/05/2002 

Hi Owen,

I have a few ideas to throw at you. Hope they help.

First, what do priests represent to you? And remember that in dreams we usually choose people and characters who reflect some aspect of ourselves.

I'll look at the second dream - The landscape is frozen and barren. Again look at your feelings, and under all this you find something alive, 'sort of human'. Feet and legs often mean direction and support. This is an interesting creature you've dug up. Some aspect of yourself you want to nurture and protect.

Some ideas on your choice of symbols: chicken wings can't spread and fly verywell. Parrots repeat things. The head represents thought and hair, usually ideas. Your parrot/boy may have no new ideas - repeating old patterns - but he's there and alive and in need of nurturing.

Perhaps you could do this for him instead of letting the priest, who you don't seem to like or trust, take over.

Also you could think about 30 - years old? years ago? What was happening for you then? And maybe the Indian/Pakistani represents Eastern, known for things spiritual - accompanying you on your journey. Which appears to be changing/rebirthing with that climb through the window and the walk along the hall.

Hope this is of some use - something to think about anyway. I find your symbols really interesting.

Nani

Lena

08:38 30/05/2002 

Hi Owen,

Like Nani said, you have some really interesting symbols in your dreams.

Our dreams "speak" in puns and wordplays, so look closely at the words you've used and play around with the way they look and sound. For example "red formica" might be saying "red for my car" and "Is this Saigon?" could be "Is this I gone?" They don't make sense to me but they might say something to you in a roundabout way.

There is usually A LOT MORE in dreams than we see at first glance, so you can probably get heaps of useful information about yourself from them by disecting the details for a while, until you get an "Ahaa!" from the message.

Lena

Nani

12:11 31/05/2002 

Also Owen, Have you had a look at Jane Theresa's latest gallery offering. There's a whole piece on bowls. And with the circle of the table and the bowls in your first dream you might want to have a read.

I also was struck by the red - sauce and table top. Red for energy.

Nani

Owen

05:18 05/06/2002 

To Nani and Leni. Thank you for your comments on the above dreams. I really don't have a clue about the dreams, only know I have heaps of them; like a 24 hour picture theatre. A lot of repeats, and a lot of them terrifying and far too explicit and personal to repeat on an open forum. But thanks for comments anyway. Regards, Owen.

Nani

10:04 05/06/2002 

Hi Owen,

The reason you have a lot of repeats is most likely because you 'don't have a clue about the dreams'. Have you considered the members forum? I can highly recommend it - a safe place to dig and get to the bottom of these dreams, with enlightened and supportive input. Imagine going to sleep looking forward to sweet dreams.

Nani

Anne

07:57 06/06/2002 

Yes Owen, I go along with Nani. Maybe you should try the exercise Jane Teresa suggested a long time back.

Go to sleep thinking about a yellow flower, maybe a large sunflower & see what you dream about, ight bring your dreams out of the darkness into the sunshine.