Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961)
Jung was once a student of Freud's, but later on he rejected many of Freud's theories and practices.

What makes Jung differ from Freud is that Jung does not place such a heavy emphasis on sexuality. He also saw the unconscious as much more than a storage place for rejected desires; he saw it as being able to tell the conscious mind what needs to be done to solve complexes.

While Freud believed that dreams concealed the id's desires, Jung believed that dreams were not a disguise at all. If we can't understand our dreams, it's not because we can't figure out the associations; it's because we've lost touch with what symbols mean.

Jung's theory was that dream symbols expressed what was going on in the unconscious, left an impression on the dreamer, and thus influenced their personal development from then on. For example, dreaming about a tree could symbolize a lack of interaction with nature. Upon waking, the dreamer may begin spending more time outdoors.

The form of association that Jung used is called amplification. It is more indepth that Freud's association. The dreamer takes their dream objects and asks a series of questions about each one. They think about what the object, its color, its shape, and any other characteristics mean for them. After doing this with each object in the dream, they then can look at the dream as a whole.

Jung suggests active imagination to interpret dreams and their symbols. There are many ways to use active imagination, including drawing or painting the dream symbols, and exploring the unconscious through meditation.

A major difference between Jung and Freud is that Jung believed that meanings for symbols are not the same for everyone. This is why he suggests using amplification, to get a clearer understanding of what the symbols mean for the dreamer.

Jung split people into young and old groups. He believed that younger people (under age 35) are more preoccupied with external things like sex self-image, so Freudian interpretations may be valid. However with older people, there is more introspection and seriousness, so Freud's theories might not apply to their dreams.

One of Jung's main ideas was that of persona. One's persona is the self-image which we show to the world. It should be based on one's superior function, which would best serve them in the world (like making a living). This isn't always the case, however. It could be forced upon by one's parents, education or society. If there is conflict between one's persona and one's superior function, a complex will develop. This complex will surface in dreams until you realize the conflict and correct it.

excerpts and paraphrases from A Dictionary of Dream Symbols.

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