The Monkey Gets Me
11/11/81
I am walking across an open space on a campus. I see a man-sized black monkey about 150 ft. away. I try to act like I haven’t seen him (ignore him) and I nonchalantly walk away. But he sees me and follows. I get anxious. I try to get away without acting concerned. He gets closer. I run through a door and try to shut it, but too late…His arm is through the door and he is reaching for me. I know he is going to get me and I am scared.
(The monkey did not seem malicious, but became more interested the more I avoided him.)
Comment: This is a fine example of a nightmare. A “monster” dream with themes of useless flight, attracting that which is avoided.
Preference Predictions
Most Accepting Character: Campus
Least Accepting Character: Dream Self
Most Preferred Character: Arm
Most Rejected Character: Monkey
Most Preferred Action: shutting
Most Rejected Action: run
Most Preferred Feeling: none
Most Rejected Feeling: fear
Sociomatrix Commentary
Dream Self This is terrible. That monkey doesn’t belong here. I’m just minding my own business. It’s after me! I’ve got to escape! It’s going to get me!
Campus: I really don’t care about this monkey chasing this guy, but the monkey doesn’t belong on me, and I don’t need any blood or sensationalism to destroy my serene atmosphere.
Monkey: I’m just looking around. Curious. That guy over there is behaving strangely. I think I’ll investigate. Hmmmm. This is getting more interesting. The more interest in him I show, the more strange he acts. Curious. I’m really interested now. I’ll get him and find out what’s going on.
Door: I could get caught because of these clowns. I’m caught in the middle.
Arm:
Comment: A nightmare pattern (see sociogram comments.)
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?
Campus Get that monkey out of here. Put him in the jungle. He’d probably like it better anyway.
Monkey: I wouldn’t mind being in the jungle. I was bored here anyway.
Door: I agree with Campus
Arm: In the jungle I’d have a lot of vines to swing on.
Dream Self: In his natural habitat he probably wouldn’t be so curious about me.
Comment: The unnaturalness of the situation seems to be the root cause of the problem. The secondary cause is my response to the unnaturalness: fear and avoidance.
Dreamage
I am in the jungle observing a monkey swinging around. He’s having a fine time. I don’t feel threatened at all, and he doesn’t seem particularly interested in me.
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?
Campus: When you monkey around sexually at work, expect your diversion to in time consume you. Keep the two separated.
Monkey Right.
Door: Good.
Arm: Good.
Dream Self: OK.
Action Plan
I’ll keep sex and work separated.
Actual Preferences
Most Accepting Character: Dream Self
Least Accepting Character: Door
Most Preferred Character: Campus
Most Rejected Character: Dream Self
Most Preferred Action: run
Most Rejected Action: shutting
Most Preferred Feeling: none
Most Rejected Feeling: fear
2 of 8
Sociogram Commentary
A lot of low-grade conflict – tight and intense. Nightmare pattern.
The campus is most accepted! From the perspective of the dream group as a whole, Dream Self is less acceptable than the identified antagonist.(the monkey). The door is the least accepting dream character, perhaps because it becomes caught in the middle of the drama. Doors cannot only open and closed; they can also become jammed in one way or another. Interestingly, although the door is the least accepting dream group member, it is accepted by the group. “Arm” is the character that is the focus of the dream group’s ambivalence.
This pattern is repetitive in an unresolved and fear reinforcing way. It represents an ineffective means of dealing with a stressor.
Self-criticism is an important aspect of this pattern. Dream Self rejects himself in this dream. Since Campus is the most accepting dream group member, it probably is most likely to provide insight into healing this pattern.
“Ignoring” is the crucial conflicting emotion. Walking away and following are the activities that generate the life issue dynamics.
