Similarly, the feeling of shame attends us when we are dreaming of our inability to be of significant help to another person (Enneagram 2), when we dream about ending a busy day with many tasks left incomplete (Enneagram 3), or when we are sharing something very personal (or even wandering around naked) and those around us are either indifferent or embarrassed about our behavior (Enneagram Four). These are dreams filled with challenges and strong feelings, yet there is little support to match the challenge.
The third feeling of fear accompanies dreams in which we can’t discern what is happening in our chaotic dream world (Enneagram 5), when we find ourselves in a foreboding place surrounded by potential enemies (Enneagram 6), or when we confront the reality in our dream of a fanciful vision not being fulfilled (Enneagram 7). The fear will often wake us up in the middle of the night, much as the anger or shame of other dreams will linger in our waking state.
Much like the Jungians, those who provide us with Enneagram-based insights propose that there is a specific Enneagram type that is the “home base” for each of us. This being the case, we are likely to find dreams that capture the content and emotion associated with a specific Enneagram type are most disturbing to us (challenge) and/or provide us with the most important insights (support). We might also bring in French and Fromm (1964) at this point, suggesting that a specific Enneagram type that is repeatedly represented in our dreams could relate to the primary focal conflict in our waking life. For instance, I am closely aligned with Enneagram 7 and find that dreams in which I have been disappointed regarding a failed venture, come not only with considerable fear (“everything is about to fall apart”), but also with important lessons for me to absorb regarding how to establish realistic goals and avoid reoccurring pitfalls.
An In-Depth View of the Human Psyche Through Dreams: We are looking at common features of dreams when considering the way dreams are organized and the nature of the fundamental way they are presented. This introverted focus on dreams is particularly prevalent among those dream analysts and interpreters who align with Carl Jung and his school of psychoanalysis (or more broadly, psychodynamic psychology). In a recent offering of Jungian dream analysis, Lisa Marchiano, Deborah Stewart and Joseph Lee (2024, p. 21) summarized the intra-psychic viewpoint taken by what they identify as the dream maker (the ego-function in traditional psychoanalytic terms):
“. . . dreams are usually about the inner world. The dream maker is mostly interested in us. In waking life, the external world demands our attention; we turn our faces outward to interact with others, accomplish tasks, and achieve goals. However, the dream maker remarks primarily on things happening in the interior. We are often tempted to see dreams as commentaries on external-world people and situations, but the dream maker usually selects familiar people and places to depict dynamics in our inner world.”
It would seem that the maker of our dreams is truly an artist of great skill and creativity.
