Climbing a Mountain
12/13/81
I am climbing a mountain that many people desire to climb but few have. I have climbed it before, so I have some confidence and feel capable. The route up keeps to the right, I know from past experience. I am with another guy and we go to the left, which turns into a solid wall of rock except for a puny vine which must be climbed to continue up. We do climb the vine.
Associations
Night before last I worked with a dream by Tony R. about climbing a vine to get into his bedroom: inappropriate approach to intimacy or wealth (His wife thinks one reason he married her was for the equity in her house.) The path to the right is the “right” way to go. Shades of Jack & the Beanstalk!
Preference Predictions
Most Accepting Character: Mountain
Least Accepting Character: Vine
Most Preferred Character: Mountain
Most Rejected Character: Dream Self
Most Preferred Action: combed
Most Rejected Action: none
Most Preferred Feeling: confident, capable
Most Rejected Feeling: none
Sociomatrix Commentary
Dream Self: As long as we make it to the top I don’t care how we get there. And we will do it!
Mountain: I am glad they are climbing me.
Right Route: “He who climbs up by any other way is a robber and a thief.”
Guy: I’m not too experienced at this.
Left Route: See, I’m not so bad, just more of a challenge. The easiest way is not always the most fun/instructive.
Rock Wall:
Puny Vine:
Comment: I am taking a more difficult course than is necessary. I do not feel it is inherently ‘wrong” or “bad,” but simply more difficult. I like myself a lot in this dream because I confidently overcome obstacles. The “natural” elements of personality are the most accepting. The easiest, rejected route is least accepting of Dream Self’s choices and actions. Dream Self’s actions and feelings are not necessarily reflective of waking actions and feelings.
Dream Commentary
If you could change this dream in any way that you wanted, as long as it respected the rights of all fellow dream group members, how would you change it?
Mountain: It doesn’t matter to me how they climb. My time, my consciousness, my peace, my stability is not contingent on what they do.
Right Route: Why do you have to make things hard on yourself? Why don’t you just do what you know works?
Guy: I would appreciate it if you would show some leadership and take care of me.
Left Route: OK. So the guy doesn’t want to be scared. Then go the other way.
Rock Wall: Ditto.
Puny Vine: Ditto.
Dream Self: OK. I’ll try to be more patient and selfless. I don’t have to be bored, and I don’t have to seek excitement.
Dreamage
I am climbing a mountain that many people desire to climb but few have. I have climbed it before, so I have some confidence and feel capable. The route up keeps to the right, I know from past experience. I am with another guy and he hasn’t climbed it before. I try to put myself in his place. I ask him which route he would prefer. He wants to go to the right, which is easier and safer. So we go to the right and have a great climb. At the top it is majestic and peaceful. You can see forever.
Waking Commentary
If you were this dreamer and were dealing with his waking issues – money, relationships, fears, career choices, physical health, and spiritual development – would you do anything differently? If so, what?
Mountain: Yeah. He needs to meditate. He’ll have peace, inner stability, a timeless sense of purpose, and equanimity.
Right Route: Dreamwork is great, but he is doing it to the exclusion of meditation. It’s not that it won’t take him to the top, but it is not the best route for the entirety of his inner community.
Guy: Deal with your boredom with a little consideration and selflessness for other parts of yourself. Less excitement and more stability.
Dream Self: I lack the self discipline and selflessness to be considerate and a real friend to myself. I know what I need to do but I’m lazy.
Actual Preferences
Most Accepting Character: Mountain, Left Route
Least Accepting Character: Right Route
Most Preferred Character: Dream Self, Mountain
Most Rejected Character: Right Route
Most Preferred Action: climbing
Most Rejected Action: none
Most Preferred Feeling: confident & capable
Most Rejected Feeling: none
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Sociogram Commentary
On the acceptance axis, the fact that Dream Self and Guy have the same net acceptance of the dream implies that they are two aspects of one perspective – surrogates of each other. Why are they distinct characters then? Confidence and fear: two sides of one coin. Both Mountain and Left Route are perceived by Dream Self as much the same: exciting and challenging. Perhaps this is why they are closely associated on both the acceptance and form axes. They both oppose Right Route on the acceptance axis. These internal extremes need to listen to the needs and concerns each has.
On the form axis, Dream Self and the mountain are most preferred. The “right route” is least preferred. The routes reject each other as if they are jealous of
On the process axis it’s ever onward, ever upward. No conflict here.
On the affect axis motivation, confidence, and success are all in gear.
This dream contains a number of highly accepting elements. The only conflict concerns the most appropriate route to success. Dream Self allows his decision to be made by a less experienced point of view that does not know what he’s doing (Guy) but Dream Self does not really care. In the process he entrusts his success to a frail, dangerous course of action.
Still, in spite of all, a solid synthesis sociogram.
