Maureen A. O’Donnell, MA

The human mind is made of two parts, the unconscious and the conscious. The conscious mind records and stores events, experiences, and observations that we are aware of, and the unconscious is a storehouse of motivations, reactions, and aptitudes that are beyond our everyday awareness. A “Freudian slip” occurs when the contents of the unconscious slips through to consciousness. Have you ever had the experience of reacting to something in such a way, that you were later confused and bothered by your reaction? That is another way the unconscious slips through to daily living.

Optimally, we must find the balance between our conscious minds and unconscious contents. One wonderful way is through dreams. Paying attention to dreams allows for the balance to take place. Our dreams provide the portal to the unconscious. The language of dreams is quite different from our every day conceptual way of communicating, so deciphering the message of your dream takes time and practice.

The unconscious mind expresses itself through symbols and symbolic language. The unconscious mind is a very old part of the psyche. Historically, as a species, we lived thousands of years before acquiring a written language. Once the intellect developed a written language, the growth of our conscious mind swelled, and has since produced (with help from the unconscious) literary, musical, and scientific achievements.

The general function of dreams is to restore our psychological balance. This internal regulating function operates without conscious effort. In other words, it is restorative even when you are not writing out your dreams or contemplating their meaning and message. However, the more attention that is paid to them, the more life will feel in balance.

To get the most from your dreams, understanding your very own personal associations and symbols will be more meaningful than referring to a dream-symbol book. However, acquiring a dream interpretation book can help get you started. Keeping a notebook and pen by your bedside is essential.

If you develop an enduring curiosity about your dreams, you will gain insight into the problems, challenges, and relationships of your life. You may find the answers and guidance you need, from within.

Tags: dreams, inner knowing, jungian, unconscious

You can find the pathway to your creative self. Your creative imagination lies dormant, waiting for activation. First you must set aside time, space, and intention. Why? Because this part of your psyche has something to convey to you if you allow it to emerge. So much of your life is lived on the surface where reason and critical thinking are honored and encouraged. The inner-knowing and symbolic thinking that can be accessed through play and creativity is often touted as “irrational”, or even “nonsense”. However, this is the place where all art expression begins.

Expressive art is not just for “artists”. It can be a portal to the unconscious where you can find solutions to problems, ease anxieties and find parts of yourself that await to be consciously known. Edward Whitmont, author of The Symbolic Quest, writes: “The symbolic approach can mediate an experience of something indefinable, intuitive or imaginative, or a feeling-sense of something that can be known or conveyed in no other way, since abstract terms do not suffice everywhere”.

Our western culture values money, power, fame, and possessions. However, it is the act of creating (the process, not the product) that will give you a sense of wonder and meaning.

Try something new, take a leap into the unknown, and bring something new into being.

We are all called to create in different ways. The easiest way to get started is by recording feelings, dreams, and images every day in a personal journal. From there, you may want to experiment with collage, painting, drawing, etc.

As you explore these inner pathways, new insights will emerge. You may feel that your inner and outer worlds are coming together. A heightened sense of wholeness, direction, and well-being begins to take shape.

If you can spend 30 minutes every day in experiencing this collaboration, you can gain a greater sense of yourself, your relationships, and life’s direction.

Tags: creativity, inner knowing, jungian, mindfulness, unconscious