The Stuff of Dreams

13: Dreams are Freeze-Frames of Your Mind Right Now

July 24th, 2020  |  35 mins 56 secs

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Dreams may not be able to change our reality, but they can change our perspective on that reality. They offer us a freeze-frame of what’s happening in our psyche right now. Sometimes dreams can show us the purpose of a current difficulty, adding meaning to our suffering or even allowing us to see a way through that suffering to the other side. From dreams of staples in mouths to gigantic waves, flooded cars to a dream cult convention, I’ll show you how to make sense of the language of dreams.

Minisode 4. The Wizard of Oz: Interpreting Movies Like We Interpret Dreams

July 20th, 2020  |  15 mins 44 secs

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Just like dreams, movies speak in images and symbols. So it’s possible to add layers of meaning to a film by interpreting it just like you would a dream, which is something we do commonly in depth psychology. In this minisode, I’ll show you how to see a movie as a dream, using The Wizard of Oz as an example.

12: Dreams Can Change Your Perspective (and Your Life)

July 17th, 2020  |  34 mins 8 secs

archetypes, conscious, depth psychology, dream, dream interpretation, dreams, images, jung, jungian psychology, psyche, symbols, unconscious

The unconscious often sends us dreams in order to change our perspective somehow. These shifts in perspective can transform our lives as we allow the dreams to work on us and through us.
From dreams of lighthouses to plants sprouting from hands, rescuing the drowning to giving birth, I’ll show you how to make sense of the language of dreams.

Minisode 3: Therapeutic Dreams. The Story of Asclepius, Greek God of Healing, and his Dream Cures

July 13th, 2020  |  13 mins 41 secs

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When I discovered the connection between ancient Greek physicians and dreams, it tied together the 2 major parts of my life—medicine and depth psychology—in a new way. I didn’t learn about this in medical school! In this minisode I’m going to tell you the story of Asclepius, Greek god of healing, and how patients were healed in his name through dreams.

11: Let’s Talk About Sex…In Dreams

July 10th, 2020  |  43 mins 41 secs

archetypes, conscious, depth psychology, dream, dream interpretation, dreams, feminine, images, jung, jungian psychology, masculine, psyche, rape, sex, symbols, unconscious

Warning: This week’s episode contains images of a graphic nature, including sex, rape, and sex toys. Listener discretion is advised if that’s not your thing.

Why do we dream about sex? Is it just wish-fulfillment of our current desires? Does it mean we secretly have a crush on someone? How horrified should you be if you rape someone in a dream? This week’s episode illustrates how sex in dreams is rarely to be taken literally. From dreams of sex with obese women to rape, a leaking vibrator to sex with someone new, I’ll show you how to make sense of the language of dreams.

Minisode 2. Jung and Dreams: Why Isn’t This Stuff More Popular?

July 6th, 2020  |  16 mins 45 secs

archetypes, conscious, depth psychology, dream, dream interpretation, dreams, images, jung, jungian psychology, psyche, symbols, unconscious

You’ve probably heard me say I interpret dreams from a Jungian perspective. But who was Jung? Why isn’t he more popular? In this minisode I’ll talk to you about why Jung and depth psychology aren’t more mainstream. Besides, we all want to feel a little bit like nonconformists sometimes, don’t we?

10: Anima Figures—Important Women in Dreams

July 3rd, 2020  |  54 mins 10 secs

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Anima figures are important female characters in dreams who appear at significant times in our lives. Often supportive but sometimes negative, they always lead us deeper into interiority and soul somehow. From dreams of generous women to ex-girlfriends in treehouses, pretty blonde rescuers to wise women working spells, I’ll show you how to make sense of the language of dreams.

Minisode 1: Houses and Rooms in Dreams

June 29th, 2020  |  14 mins 13 secs

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Sometimes the setting of a dream gives you as much information as the dream’s events do. Houses and rooms can give you additional clues about what your unconscious is trying to tell you. In this short episode I’ll teach you how to understand the houses and rooms in your dreams.

Bonus: Tiger King . . . and Carl Jung?

June 26th, 2020  |  43 mins 17 secs

archetypes, big cats, carole baskin, conscious, depth psychology, dream, dream interpretation, dreams, images, joe exotic, jung, jungian psychology, psyche, symbols, tiger king, unconscious

What unconscious motivation could these people possibly have in their desire to dominate big cats? Why is Joe Exotic so convinced that Carol’s second husband Is buried under a septic tank, of all places? How is Carol Baskin’s relationship to cats tied to her taking control of her own destiny? And how is that related to the strange photo of her husband on a leash…on their wedding day?

Depth or archetypal psychology, a philosophy propagated largely by C.G. Jung in the early 20th century, accepts the reality of the unconscious and studies its effects on our conscious activities and attitudes. Today, we talk with Dr. Amy Lawson, MD, pediatrician, and soon-to-be PhD in Jungian and Archetypal Studies. She schools us on how to look more deeply into anything we watch on TV, read in a book, or witness in everyday life.

Bonus: How Depth Psychology Changed Me as a Doctor

June 26th, 2020  |  56 mins 13 secs

archetypes, conscious, depth psychology, dream, dream interpretation, dreams, images, jung, jungian psychology, psyche, symbols, unconscious

Amy Lawson, MD, and Benjamin Russack, LMFT, (her former therapist and current friend) discuss her journey through depth psychology and how it has affected her life and career as a physician.

9: Dreams of the Mother: Spiders, Cats, and Real Moms

June 25th, 2020  |  32 mins 59 secs

archetypes, cat, conscious, depth psychology, dream, dream interpretation, dreams, images, jung, jungian psychology, mother, psyche, spider, symbols, unconscious

As our very first relationship, our connection to mother is quite formative for our psyche and generates a lot of unconscious material that our dreams can pull from. In this episode we will look at how mothers can be symbolized in dreams and what those dreams are telling us about our lives.

From dreams of spiders to dead cats, wounded kittens to mothers in cars, I’ll show you how to make sense of the language of dreams.

8: Who are You Becoming? Dreams of Transformation

June 18th, 2020  |  54 mins 9 secs

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Dreams often tell us about our current internal state, but they also show us the possibilities for where we are going. So who are you becoming, according to your dreams? Your unconscious knows you better than you consciously know yourself. From dreams of rainbows to vortexes, black cats to empty beer cans, I’ll show you how to make sense of the language of dreams.

7: In Dreams, Small Details have Big Impacts

June 11th, 2020  |  56 mins 5 secs

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It’s tempting to dismiss strange details in dreams as mere chaos, or the mind playing, or something left over from the day’s experiences. But if you can find the right connection, even the smallest details can contain powerful messages. From dreams of gunshots to marbles, music competitions to coyotes, I’ll show you how to make sense of the language of dreams.

6: Animals in Dreams

June 5th, 2020  |  57 mins 3 secs

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Animals are a rich source of symbols for the unconscious to use in communicating with us, since they have so many different qualities and characteristics that can be used to represent parts of ourselves. So how can we decipher why a dream chose a particular animal for us? From dreams of flying black cranes to beluga whales and lots of snakes, I’ll show you how to make sense of the language of dreams.

5: Recurring Dreams: Why is my Unconscious Stuck on Repeat?

May 29th, 2020  |  33 mins 58 secs

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Why does the unconscious sometimes get stuck on repeat, sending us recurring images or recurring situations? Recurring dreams are some of the most interesting to consider, since they come to us over and over again, making themselves feel even more important. They give us even more clues when they change over time. From dreams of being back in high school to children in the attic, black horned creatures to killing a neighbor, I’ll show you how to make sense of the language of dreams.

4: Masculine and Feminine Imagery in Dreams

May 22nd, 2020  |  47 mins 24 secs

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Dreams often use images of opposites, and one of the most basic pairs of opposites is masculine and feminine. In this episode we will look at how male and female imagery adds meaning to the messages from our unconscious. From dreams of protective swords to menacing deer, elephant jewelry to stealing gold, I’ll show you how to make sense of the language of dreams.