An approach suggested by Carl Jung. In essence it is to honour what the dream states. In the dream quoted above under amnesia, David is sleeping on a mattress, but it could have been a bed or a hammock, or even a sleeping bag. So why a mattress and why in the garden, and why not alone? Having noted the specifics of our dream, we then amplify what we know about them. We ask ourself such questions as ‘What does sleeping on a mattress on the floor mean? Have I ever done it? When? Why? Where? In what circumstances? Does it represent some condition?’ In other words we bring out as much information as we can about each dream specific; this includes memories, associated ideas, anything relevant. In the case of David, he was sleeping on a mattress on the floor in his present relationship. But he had slipped back into attitudes which damaged this old relationship. P.W. Martin emphasises it is amplification not free association which is sought. Free association may lead to an interesting ‘interpretation’ which may not be connected to the dream specifics.
See Also: dream processing; postures, movement and body language; word analysis of dreams; settings.
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