web01.fireside.fm Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:40:06 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) The Stuff of Dreams - Episodes Tagged with “Murder” https://stuffofdreams.fireside.fm/tags/murder Sat, 10 Oct 2020 14:00:00 -0700 Have you ever woken up from a dream totally sure it's important but without a clue what it means? Learn dream interpretation with me, Amy Lawson, depth psychologist (and pediatrician...but they didn't teach me about dreams in med school) as we examine real dreams from reddit, my guests, and my own unconscious. This is no dry internet tutorial--it’s a lively conversation that aims to convince you of the importance and wisdom of dreams. en-us episodic Dream interpretation for regular people. Amy Lawson Have you ever woken up from a dream totally sure it's important but without a clue what it means? Learn dream interpretation with me, Amy Lawson, depth psychologist (and pediatrician...but they didn't teach me about dreams in med school) as we examine real dreams from reddit, my guests, and my own unconscious. This is no dry internet tutorial--it’s a lively conversation that aims to convince you of the importance and wisdom of dreams. no dreams, dream interpretation, unconscious, depth psychology, Jung, Jungian psychology, symbols, images, archetypes Amy Lawson dnachick113@gmail.com 17: Violence in Dreams https://stuffofdreams.fireside.fm/violence-in-dreams 45aa6827-b3d4-4a92-83f1-0fb65dec213f Sat, 10 Oct 2020 14:00:00 -0700 Amy Lawson full Amy Lawson Warning: This week’s theme is violence in dreams, including images of fighting, abuse, and murder. Listener discretion is advised. Because the unconscious often likes to be dramatic in order to grab our attention and evoke emotion, it sometimes provides us with violent dreams. These can be quite disturbing when they involve actions we’ve never taken or witnessed in real life. From dreams of killer kids, to domestic abuse, murdering a woman to befriending the figure of Death, I’ll show you how to make sense of the language of dreams. 39:12 no Dreams from this episode: * Bloody children outside my house, ready to kill me * My father abusing and possibly killing my mother * Murdering a girl in my backyard * Meeting and befriending the figure of Death Themes from this episode: * Violent images carry a lot of energy and emotional weight, so the unconscious can use them to get our attention. * Death or physical harm in dreams usually symbolizes emotional harm or the death of certain parts of our psyche. * The unconscious simply wants balance. It wants us to individuate, to move toward wholeness by integrating as many parts of ourselves into consciousness as possible. So if we become too one-sided in some way (whether it’s too masculine, too flighty and ungrounded, too passive, or some other extreme), our dream images will nudge us in the other direction so that we can move toward balance. Important Links: Recommended dream interpretation books (https://bookshop.org/shop/stuffofdreams) Dream interpretation subreddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/DreamInterpretation/) Send me a dream! stuffofdreamspodcast@gmail.com or use Send a Dream! tab in upper right corner Dream, dreams, dream interpretation, Jung, Jungian psychology, symbols, images, archetypes, psyche, conscious, unconscious, depth psychology, death, violence, abuse, murder Dreams from this episode:

  • Bloody children outside my house, ready to kill me
  • My father abusing and possibly killing my mother
  • Murdering a girl in my backyard
  • Meeting and befriending the figure of Death

Themes from this episode:

  • Violent images carry a lot of energy and emotional weight, so the unconscious can use them to get our attention.
  • Death or physical harm in dreams usually symbolizes emotional harm or the death of certain parts of our psyche.
  • The unconscious simply wants balance. It wants us to individuate, to move toward wholeness by integrating as many parts of ourselves into consciousness as possible. So if we become too one-sided in some way (whether it’s too masculine, too flighty and ungrounded, too passive, or some other extreme), our dream images will nudge us in the other direction so that we can move toward balance.

Important Links:

Recommended dream interpretation books

Dream interpretation subreddit

Send me a dream!
stuffofdreamspodcast@gmail.com
or
use Send a Dream! tab in upper right corner

]]> Dreams from this episode:

  • Bloody children outside my house, ready to kill me
  • My father abusing and possibly killing my mother
  • Murdering a girl in my backyard
  • Meeting and befriending the figure of Death

Themes from this episode:

  • Violent images carry a lot of energy and emotional weight, so the unconscious can use them to get our attention.
  • Death or physical harm in dreams usually symbolizes emotional harm or the death of certain parts of our psyche.
  • The unconscious simply wants balance. It wants us to individuate, to move toward wholeness by integrating as many parts of ourselves into consciousness as possible. So if we become too one-sided in some way (whether it’s too masculine, too flighty and ungrounded, too passive, or some other extreme), our dream images will nudge us in the other direction so that we can move toward balance.

Important Links:

Recommended dream interpretation books

Dream interpretation subreddit

Send me a dream!
stuffofdreamspodcast@gmail.com
or
use Send a Dream! tab in upper right corner

]]> 5: Recurring Dreams: Why is my Unconscious Stuck on Repeat? https://stuffofdreams.fireside.fm/recurring-dreams ba3dffd9-d262-47c3-95c9-12d526ea88c1 Fri, 29 May 2020 15:00:00 -0700 Amy Lawson full Amy Lawson 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. 33:58 no Dreams from this episode: * Dreams set back in high school, one of overwhelm, one of choosing a path to spirituality and learning * Childhood dreams of three selves in the attic of a log cabin * Dreams of a black horned creature that is first threatening, then becomes a friend * Dreams of killing a neighbor Themes from this episode: * Recurring dreams are important: * They are sending repeated messages in the hopes that we will pay attention * If we do finally start listening to the dreams, they often begin to change, moving on to new topics * Watching how dreams change over time can give us clues about how our psyche is changing or growing People frequently dream of being back in high school, I think because it was a very formative time in our lives--a time of growing independence, developing more real relationships with other people, and having many new experiences. Because of all that, it provides the unconscious with many options for people and symbols to draw from to describe our inner dynamics to ourselves. If you dream of a specific person from high school, consider what they meant to you, what were their most important qualities. They are probably symbolizing a part of yourself. Because our unconscious exists from birth, along with the archetypes within it, even children’s dreams can be interpreted in a symbolic way. The setting is important in the log cabin dream. The cabin is set in the woods, so it feels remote, disconnected, lonely. The dreamer is located in the attic, representing the head, the brain, the conscious self, and there are 3 of her, 2 of which are keeping guard at the window and the stairs. She feels like she needs to be on her guard all the time, but she has the inner resources to do this. Nightmare figures aren’t meant to only be frightening. They also give information about what is scary to us and how we might be able to change that. For example, in the dream of the black horned creature, when the dreamer accepts it and allows it to play, it becomes a friend. So accepting its aggression as a useful attribute, rather than something threatening, takes away the nightmare energy. Likely the dreamer needs more aggression and boundary-setting in her life. If a dream figure seems dark or unpleasant or negative in some way, it might represent our shadow. The shadow is made up of unused parts of our personality, qualities that the ego has either failed to assimilate or has repressed. Sometimes these aspects of us seem embarrassing or primitive, but they can also be positive strengths that the ego doesn’t want to claim because it would mean too much responsibility or too much of a change to our self-image. “If we have the courage to look with open minds at some of the instincts and energy systems within that we have been so ashamed of, we almost always find that they can also be positive strengths—and that they are merely normal parts of a total human character. As with all our inner contents, they need to be acknowledged, honored, and lived on an appropriate and constructive level. It takes courage to go to the “bad” side of ourselves, to acknowledge it as part of ourselves, to consider that it could have a constructive role to play in our lives.” Robert Johnson, Inner Work Important Links: Recommended dream interpretation books (https://bookshop.org/shop/stuffofdreams) Dream interpretation subreddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/DreamInterpretation/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/stuffofdreamspodcast/) Send me a dream! stuffofdreamspodcast@gmail.com or use Send a Dream! tab in upper right corner Dream, dreams, dream interpretation, Jung, Jungian psychology, symbols, images, archetypes, psyche, conscious, unconscious, depth psychology, recurring, high school, attic, killing, murder, shadow Dreams from this episode:

  • Dreams set back in high school, one of overwhelm, one of choosing a path to spirituality and learning
  • Childhood dreams of three selves in the attic of a log cabin
  • Dreams of a black horned creature that is first threatening, then becomes a friend
  • Dreams of killing a neighbor

Themes from this episode:

  • Recurring dreams are important:

    • They are sending repeated messages in the hopes that we will pay attention
    • If we do finally start listening to the dreams, they often begin to change, moving on to new topics
    • Watching how dreams change over time can give us clues about how our psyche is changing or growing

  • People frequently dream of being back in high school, I think because it was a very formative time in our lives--a time of growing independence, developing more real relationships with other people, and having many new experiences. Because of all that, it provides the unconscious with many options for people and symbols to draw from to describe our inner dynamics to ourselves.

  • If you dream of a specific person from high school, consider what they meant to you, what were their most important qualities. They are probably symbolizing a part of yourself.

  • Because our unconscious exists from birth, along with the archetypes within it, even children’s dreams can be interpreted in a symbolic way.

  • The setting is important in the log cabin dream. The cabin is set in the woods, so it feels remote, disconnected, lonely. The dreamer is located in the attic, representing the head, the brain, the conscious self, and there are 3 of her, 2 of which are keeping guard at the window and the stairs. She feels like she needs to be on her guard all the time, but she has the inner resources to do this.

  • Nightmare figures aren’t meant to only be frightening. They also give information about what is scary to us and how we might be able to change that. For example, in the dream of the black horned creature, when the dreamer accepts it and allows it to play, it becomes a friend. So accepting its aggression as a useful attribute, rather than something threatening, takes away the nightmare energy. Likely the dreamer needs more aggression and boundary-setting in her life.

  • If a dream figure seems dark or unpleasant or negative in some way, it might represent our shadow. The shadow is made up of unused parts of our personality, qualities that the ego has either failed to assimilate or has repressed. Sometimes these aspects of us seem embarrassing or primitive, but they can also be positive strengths that the ego doesn’t want to claim because it would mean too much responsibility or too much of a change to our self-image.

  • “If we have the courage to look with open minds at some of the instincts and energy systems within that we have been so ashamed of, we almost always find that they can also be positive strengths—and that they are merely normal parts of a total human character. As with all our inner contents, they need to be acknowledged, honored, and lived on an appropriate and constructive level. It takes courage to go to the “bad” side of ourselves, to acknowledge it as part of ourselves, to consider that it could have a constructive role to play in our lives.” Robert Johnson, Inner Work

Important Links:

Recommended dream interpretation books

Dream interpretation subreddit

Instagram

Send me a dream!
stuffofdreamspodcast@gmail.com
or
use Send a Dream! tab in upper right corner

]]> Dreams from this episode:

  • Dreams set back in high school, one of overwhelm, one of choosing a path to spirituality and learning
  • Childhood dreams of three selves in the attic of a log cabin
  • Dreams of a black horned creature that is first threatening, then becomes a friend
  • Dreams of killing a neighbor

Themes from this episode:

  • Recurring dreams are important:

    • They are sending repeated messages in the hopes that we will pay attention
    • If we do finally start listening to the dreams, they often begin to change, moving on to new topics
    • Watching how dreams change over time can give us clues about how our psyche is changing or growing

  • People frequently dream of being back in high school, I think because it was a very formative time in our lives--a time of growing independence, developing more real relationships with other people, and having many new experiences. Because of all that, it provides the unconscious with many options for people and symbols to draw from to describe our inner dynamics to ourselves.

  • If you dream of a specific person from high school, consider what they meant to you, what were their most important qualities. They are probably symbolizing a part of yourself.

  • Because our unconscious exists from birth, along with the archetypes within it, even children’s dreams can be interpreted in a symbolic way.

  • The setting is important in the log cabin dream. The cabin is set in the woods, so it feels remote, disconnected, lonely. The dreamer is located in the attic, representing the head, the brain, the conscious self, and there are 3 of her, 2 of which are keeping guard at the window and the stairs. She feels like she needs to be on her guard all the time, but she has the inner resources to do this.

  • Nightmare figures aren’t meant to only be frightening. They also give information about what is scary to us and how we might be able to change that. For example, in the dream of the black horned creature, when the dreamer accepts it and allows it to play, it becomes a friend. So accepting its aggression as a useful attribute, rather than something threatening, takes away the nightmare energy. Likely the dreamer needs more aggression and boundary-setting in her life.

  • If a dream figure seems dark or unpleasant or negative in some way, it might represent our shadow. The shadow is made up of unused parts of our personality, qualities that the ego has either failed to assimilate or has repressed. Sometimes these aspects of us seem embarrassing or primitive, but they can also be positive strengths that the ego doesn’t want to claim because it would mean too much responsibility or too much of a change to our self-image.

  • “If we have the courage to look with open minds at some of the instincts and energy systems within that we have been so ashamed of, we almost always find that they can also be positive strengths—and that they are merely normal parts of a total human character. As with all our inner contents, they need to be acknowledged, honored, and lived on an appropriate and constructive level. It takes courage to go to the “bad” side of ourselves, to acknowledge it as part of ourselves, to consider that it could have a constructive role to play in our lives.” Robert Johnson, Inner Work

Important Links:

Recommended dream interpretation books

Dream interpretation subreddit

Instagram

Send me a dream!
stuffofdreamspodcast@gmail.com
or
use Send a Dream! tab in upper right corner

]]>