An Interpretation of a Dream of Success

I pay careful attention to dreams and often find that they give me valuable information. As an example, I have received a warning of a forthcoming injury, which I sadly ignored and had to pay the price. My dreams also give me information on unresolved issues and how they play out in my life and relationships. After several years of diligent dream journaling, I am disappointed on those rare nights when I don’t remember my dreams. I shall also confess that some of my dream material still seems like mumbo jumbo.

Sometimes I have special vivid dreams that I can clearly connect with a theme that is going on in my life at present. This was the case a few nights ago, when I dreamed about people and places of my past as well as someone I have never met.

A very central person in the dream was a successful author whose work I love. This person came to visit and owned a café in a town where I used to live. The café was supposed to be popular because of the association with the writer’s name, but somehow it was very quiet. I knew that I would meet the writer later and was excited about it. Before I relate the encounter with the famous man, there is another part of the dream I want to share first.

A person who used to be close to me was in the dream, and we were together in a group meditation. The person is still in my life, but very much on the periphery. In real life, the change in my relationship with this person was quite painful as I had to let go of the good times but knew we were outgrowing each other. In the dream this person denied having any association with me. In addition, I felt excluded due to the actions of the group leader, who I felt could sense that my heart was not in it. Even though I learned that my friend was going through a difficult time, I left the gathering, feeling rejected.

A river in Scotland, not quite as dangerous as the Zambezi.

Back to the main thread of the dream, and I find myself sitting in a small boat with the famous writer. We are about to go through rapids à la Zambezi River in Africa, but it is also in Scotland where I currently live. Only in dreams can you be in two places at the same time.

Famous author to me: “So you are also a writer. What is the name of your book?”
Me: “In Search of the Golden City.”
Famous author: “Ah. You’re deep.”
Me: “How do you know that?”
Famous author: “I can tell by the title of your book.”

I am somewhat flabbergasted, but I think to myself that of course he knows something about the symbolism of gold. He talks about his café, and says that actually it is not as successful as expected. He adds that there is tension in his business due to politics. I think to myself that it cannot possibly dim his prosperity, but it is a valuable reminder that nobody’s life is perfect, and nor should I expect mine to be.

Reflecting on the dream in the morning, I felt that it was telling me something about the changes I made in the last few years, with the result that some doors closed. The old friend in the dream represents the structures of my past and my relationship to it. There is a reason why some people and situations that used to be stable fell away. Some of it had to do with my own attitude, but the point is that I cannot retrieve what has gone lost.

I thought about the meaning of the Zambezi River and the rapids. As a child I was fortunate enough to go into remote places in Africa. Some of these trips were rather difficult, but until today I remember the animism I felt in nature. I didn’t understand it at the time, but those experiences stayed with me and became very meaningful.

Being in a boat in white water with a person whose work I admire and who engages with me refers to the uncertainty of following my dreams. I am in a risk zone with only the forces of nature to guide me. Yet I feel connection regardless of where I might end up. Considering the famous writer’s struggles, I felt that the dream told me that I have to let go of archaic ideas of success. According to the world’s definition, I will always fall short and it is risky anyway, even for those who make it work. The things I value have found me and will continue to do so. Whatever price I have to pay for not “fitting in” will be worth the satisfaction of following my heart.

A day or two after the dream I saw a real quote on social media by the author I dreamed of about closing doors on the past. I don’t think it’s a coincidence.

The Hero’s Journey and the Collective Unconscious

I started writing my first novel, In Search of the Golden City, when I was ill with hepatitis. I had wanted to write an actual full book of fiction (as opposed to poetry, essays or academic writing) for more than a decade, but I didn’t have inspiration, or I was busy, or afraid although I didn’t know it back then. Being spiritually oriented, I asked for an idea and I received one, and still I postponed the actual writing. I set a deadline, or rather a starting line, for myself, but the day came and went and still I hadn’t done anything. Two weeks later I fell ill and was booked off work for three weeks. I still believe that it was the Universe’s way of nudging me forward.

The story took shape as I continued, and I finished the book by being committed to writing a certain number of hours a week. During the process of writing I let myself go and allowed whatever wanted to emerge. The end product was a very symbolic tale filled with mythical elements. I was fascinated to discover similar themes in myths or stories written by others. As an example, a friend with whom I share an interest in mysticism, spirituality and healing introduced me to her friend who is also a writer, Eva Lara. I learned that she had written a book in Spanish called El Guardián del Umbral, English translation The Guardian of the Threshold. I have not read her book because I do not understand Spanish, but just going on the title, the book I had already written contained the same theme verbatim. I also read about the concept of the Hero's Journey as identified by Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Although I had no knowledge of the concept prior to finishing my book, I found that there were many parallels in my novel.

The fool in the Tarot can be a symbol
of embarking on a personal journey.

When I studied psychology at university, I was introduced to the work of Carl Jung and the theory of the collective unconscious, a realm of archetypes that take expression in myths, connected to the human psyche. When I learned about shamanism, I could equate it to the spirit world. I believe that this aspect of our being is universal to humanity, and even though we have become profoundly disconnected from it in our modern society, it still shows up in our art, religion and even science. From this perspective, the Hero's Journey perhaps tells us something about being human that we all know deep down although we are not always aware of it.

For the purpose of this article I will focus on my understanding of the Hero’s Journey as it features in my own writing. Broadly speaking, the Hero's Journey is one of personal transformation. The hero receives a call to go on an adventure, much like Bilbo in Tolkien’s work The Hobbit. He receives supernatural help or guidance and at some point crosses a boundary between the known and the unknown, where he enters a magical landscape. Here he faces challenges and finds wisdom, sometimes through dying and being reborn. He can then return to the known world or material reality to apply what he has learned. (Source: Wikipedia.)

The protagonist in my book is a healer called Akim, who goes in search of a legendary Golden City because he wants to be with the woman he loves. There are no directions to the Golden City, and his clues are stories of others who have made it there by remaining true to themselves:

“… what they had in common was an almost desperate desire to reach the Golden City. Some of them had it easier than others; some were courageous, but most of them were far from perfect. A few were rather bad, but they were redeemed through introspection and love for something or someone outside themselves.”

As individuals we vary in our goals and ideas, but the similarities between the stories we come up with lead me to the idea that perhaps collectively we have a common purpose that is mysterious and veiled, but without which life has little meaning. Could the Hero’s Journey be about the will to grow? Could it tell us something about a soul’s journey in a corporeal existence and the drive to know and create the self through transcending ordinary reality? I am reminded of the Biblical Paul’s words in his letter to the Corinthians: “For now we see in a mirror, dimly; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then shall I know just as also I am known.” (Translation from Wikipedia.) I no longer go to church, but having grown up in a Christian environment I remember 1 Corinthians 13, about love, as one of my favourite passages in the Bible.

As a final note I will add that the experience of illness as a call to purpose or healing through engaging with the spiritual realms is a universal concept of shamanic initiation. In this case, I needed to keep my commitments and act on what I had been given. As soon as I did, I recovered faster and in the end went back to work after only a week and a half. The writing must have healed my body and soul.