Dreams
Dr. Jung opened this session by asking Mitch about lingering concerns following their previous session and about any dreams that Mitch might have had. Mitch immediately pulled out one of his dreams. He read his copy of the transcript:
“I was walking in a park here in Zurich and a bear appeared. I ran back to my home, which was my actual home in the United States. My parents were there and told me to hide away in one of the cupboards. They offered me some of your Swiss coffee and slipped it in to me as I curled up inside the cupboard. I heard the bear growing outside our home, which had become my childhood home rather than the home in which I now live with my wife. I was terrified but decided to confront the bear. I took out a poker from our fireplace and went outside to meet the bear. When I met the bear, I discovered that this was a circus bear. It began to dance in circles and invited me to dance with him (or her). I did so and soon find that my parents and my wife were watching the bear and I dance. And then I woke up.”
Dr. Jung asked Mitch how he felt about this dream:
“I first felt anxious and then relieved as I was recalling the dream. I eventually felt a bit stupid, having run away from the bear before finding out if it was intent on harming me.”
Dr. Jung then asked Mitch what he thought the dream was “teaching him.” Mitch was taken back a bit. He had expected the good doctor to ask him what the dream “means.” Mitch reflected for several moments on the dream and then shared his thoughts:
“I think the dream is teaching me that I should not anticipate bad things happening before checking them out first. The bears in my life might want to dance with me rather than eat me!”
Both Mitch and Dr. Jung chuckled a bit at Mitch’s turn of phrase. Dr. Jung mentioned that bears are commonly used in fairy tales to scare children and in adult myths to convey strength, courage and a posture of “don’t mess with me”
“So, Mitch, you had every reason to be a bit frightened of the bear when you confronted this beast in the park. It is interesting to note that you returned to your home, and it soon became your childhood home. This seems to suggest that your fear of the bear relates to a fear in your life that is quite childlike. You were also protected by your parents, rather than someone in your current life.”
Mitch chimes in:
“However, I was offered some of your Swiss coffee. The dream seems to be teaching me that I am safe exploring primitive fears in my life here in your office.”
Dr. Jung then asks:
“Do you believe this is an accurate assessment. Is this office a safe place for you to confront fears that are big, like the bear, and are primitive?”
Mitch pauses for a moment:
“Yes, I think this dream might have emerged from my thoughts during the day about our previous sessions. You have encouraged me to explore some pretty big and scary stuff regarding Frank and Gwen. I find myself thinking about how I can be a bit braver when confronting both of them with a caring attitude to bring some resolution to the tension the three of us are experiencing. I also should take seriously the potential to separate HR from Strategic Planning and IT.”
