Dreams are the guiding words of the soul. Why should I henceforth not love my dreams and not make their riddling images into objects of my daily consideration? You think that the dream is foolish and ungainly. What is beautiful? What is ungainly? What is clever? What is foolish? The spirit of this time is your measure, but the spirit of the depths surpasses it at both ends.
Dreams pave the way for life, and they determine you without you understanding their language. One would like to learn this language, but who can teach and learn it? Scholarliness alone is not enough; there is a knowledge of the heart that gives deeper insight.
But how can I attain the knowledge of the heart? You can attain this knowledge only by living your life to the full. You live your life fully if you also live what you have never lived, but have left for others to live or think. You will say: "But I cannot live or think everything that others live or think." But you should say: "The life that I could still live I should live and the thoughts that I could still think, I should think."
- C. G. Jung, The Red Book (p. 133)
This post feels like a confirmation, almost a personal vindication (and from no less than Jung himself). How do I know the things that I know? Unfortunately, I don't possess a powerhouse type of brain. I read slowly, I write slowly and forget names and numbers. But I know! I don't have to absorb all of the information and data and research and theories and thesis and counter-thesis in order to know. I don't need illustrious scholars to support my statements to make them true. I don't need degrees and certifications to give validity to my point. The knowledge of the heart makes me see what scholarliness has not yet seen. But the spirit of the time is what this world listens to and only to.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying that this isn't the interpretation that is correct for you, it may be exactly that, but I don't think it's precisely what Jung was driving at. Jung was an introverted thinker (like me). We need to get *out* of our heads, this is our correct path. You're a sensation type; you need to go to *your* weak spot, which is introverted intuition. That's where God lives in you. You should live the life that you don't live, that is, explore the spiritual side of life. I actually think you're doing this.
DeleteOn the other hand, if this speaks to you and strikes a chord, this may be the interpretation that is correct for you. :)