Exhibit Forty-One: Concept by Michael Collins, 1st October 2001. The cartoon on the top, "The Life You Lead", by Michael Leunig, was originally published in The Age newspaper. It is copyright to The Age and is Reproduced here by Permission. The cartoon on the bottom was conceived by Michael Collins and drawn by Euan Gray
'Your Choice?'
Feeling The Picture
Your feeling reactions to a dream are keys to its interpretation. These are my feelings. If this were a scene in your dream or life, how would you feel about being there?
Despite the signs referring to past possibilities ("The life you could have led") and to the present ("The life you lead"), I feel this opportunity is not lost. The man is still walking in the light. He appears to be walking past the life he could have led, but he has not yet passed it by. The feeling this picture gives me is recognition of choice, freedom of choice and a great sense of hope in the sideways glance of the slumped man. If the life he leads is trudging him on, he does at least see, from the corner of his eye, the life he could have led… the life he could still lead. There is still hope, still a chance that he might take that turning point. And he does. For me the life he could have led (the light-filled path) is not a flippant, escapist one, but a purposeful and joyful one.
The Symbols
Symbols in your dreams often relate to your personal memories and associations, so always consider those first. Then let your mind play with other, more general possibilities. They will not all apply! Just open your mind and notice where the symbol seems to fit and make sense of the rest of your dream.
Dreams often present opportunities and choices as doors you can open or as windows through which you see a different view. In English we talk about a "window of opportunity" as if opportunity has a limited time frame. These pictures suggest more of an "alleyway of opportunity" but as the alleyway has no door the symbolism poses a question: Is an opportunity limited or forever open? Symbols in dreams can work as questions, in the same way that we can read a book and yet find a different message when we read "between the lines". The alleyway is open yet we wonder if it disappears if the man walks past it. We wonder if the light shines on or whether it is a momentary beckoning despite the open alleyway. Allow dream symbols to pose questions to you, to get you thinking outside the square.
Shadows in dreams - especially shadows of ourselves - can symbolise what is known as our "shadow side". Our shadow side is composed of all the traits, attitudes, thoughts, feelings and talents that we prefer to keep in the shadow - traits we do not show the world. Sometimes we know about our shadow sides, but often we have no idea they exist. The amazing thing about shadows is that they are only seen when you stand in the light. Dreams help us to understand ourselves more clearly, to move us into the light of self-understanding, to enlighten us. The more we see and understand about ourselves, the more clearly we see our shadows. Dream work introduces us to our shadows. Take special note of where and when they appear in your dreams.
Light in a dream generally symbolises understanding, consciousness and enlightenment. But symbols are never fixed in concrete. Running towards the light could also symbolise destruction or transformation, "like a moth flying into the flame". Dream symbols cannot be read in isolation. They need to be read as part of the whole story line of the dream.
Dreams use symbols to play out puns. We talk of "a shadow of doubt" or "without a shadow of a doubt". Could the shadows in this freeze-frame dream be symbolic of doubt? Does the man doubt the possibility of a better life? Does he doubt the sincerity of a promise of light and joy?
The man looks to his left and sees the light. In dreams the left side tends to symbolise our inner world or our right brain (since all the sensory and motor nerves to and from the right brain cross to the left side of the body). The symbolism of the light being to his left suggests the opportunity for a better life requires him to journey into his inner world or to increase the use of his right brain (creativity, nurturing, intuition, allowing himself to be, spirituality and so on).
The Questions
Here are some questions the dreamer of such a dream picture might ask to work towards a complete understanding of the dream.
Try these yourself: just give your 'gut reaction' answers to the questions - your answers will surprise you in the insights they deliver. The key thing to remember is, "Don't THINK about your answers - give quick gut reaction replies". Your unconscious will deliver.
If this process can work powerfully for this image, consider how infinitely more powerful the insights are when the image comes from one of your own dreams - direct from your unconscious!
- Imagine yourself standing in the light. What feelings does this give you?
- Imagine yourself standing in the shadow just before reaching the light. What feelings does this give you?
- Imagine yourself standing in the shadow just after walking past the light. What feelings does this give you?
- Now imagine yourself walking into the lighted path. What feelings does this give you?
- What is the source of the light?
- Where are you walking from?
- If you stay on the shaded path, what is your destination?
- Look at your answers for Q1. Which situation, in your life now, gives you these feelings?
- Look at your answers for Q2. Which situation, in your life now, gives you these feelings?
- Think about your answers to Q8 and Q9. Are these two situations related? Are there choices to make in your life now around these two situations?
- Look at your answers for Q3. Which situation, in your life now, gives you these feelings?
- Look at your answers for Q4. Which situation, in your life now, gives you these feelings?
- Think about your answers to Q11 and Q12. Are these two situations related? Are these two situations alternative outcomes for you?
- What are the shadows of doubt in your life now?
- What traits and thoughts are you aware of keeping in the shadows?
- Look at your answers to Q15. If you take the choice represented by the light-filled alley, what feelings do you get when you think about these shadows being brought into view?
- How would your life be different if these shadows were brought into view - or if you allowed others to see these traits?
- If you took the path of light, what shadows would you leave behind?
- Finish this sentence, "The life I lead is best described as .."
- Finish this sentence, "The life I could have led is best described as .."
- Which life would you prefer?
- If you prefer the life you "could have" led, what is the next step you can take to have this life now?
- If you prefer the life you lead, what new insight can you take forward with you as a result of doing this exercise?
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