When Strangers Interpret Your Dreams
...or When Dream-Dads Attack
On July 21, 2004, I emailed my friend about a dream.
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From me:
last night i had a dream about your dad. please don't forward this to your dad or your mom.
there was a giant snake in my parent's front yard. (this actually relates to a real life event because my supervisor at work told me last week that she had a giant snake in her backyard.) in the dream, i was scared when i saw it and i ran back inside and tried to find on the internet if the snake's coloring patterns meant it was poisonous. i think the snake was attacking a child outside, and so there was a moral dilemma about whether i should keep surfing the web or run out and save the child. your father stepped in though to save the day. he had the cool manner of a scientist and said "this is no problem". he went out and began to grab the snake. it turned into a strange little man-like creature in his arms, which was very peculiar... it was sort of like a gremlin. i noticed in the dream that it was very reminiscent of the star wars bounty hunter named greedo. your father had it in his arms and began to beat the crap out of it. i was aghast. he was really physically abusing it, punching its head again and again. it was very excessive. kelly was there and she was horrified and urged me to get him to stop. i said "um, mr. "so-and-so" (your dad), i think, since you've caught the creature, it's okay and you can stop hurting it." and he said, still with that cool scientific manner while simultaneously repeatedly smashing his fist into its face, "no, no. this is some kind of new species and it needs to be studied. this is the proper way to subdue this animal." i thought he must be nuts. the way things were going there wasn't going to be much of an animal left to study except maybe its pulpy remains.
that's it.
so what does it all mean?
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From my friend:
may i allow some friends to independently analyze this and then send you their interpretations?
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From me:
yeah sure. s'long as your friends ain't your ma and da.
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From 1st friend of friend:
there was a giant snake in my parent's front yard. (this actually relates to a real life event because my supervisor at work told me last week that she had a giant snake in her backyard.) in the dream, i was scared when i saw it and i ran back inside and tried to find on the internet (scientific and distant approach for Henry) if the snake's coloring patterns meant it was poisonous. i think the snake was attacking a child outside, and so there was a moral dilemma about whether i should keep surfing the web or run out and save the child (Henry wanted to save the child, your father wanted to subdue the animal). your father stepped in though to save the day. he had the cool manner of a scientist and said "this is no problem" (scientific and distant approach for your dad). he went out and began to grab the snake. it turned into a strange little man-like creature (maybe a child?) in his arms, which was very peculiar... it was sort of like a gremlin. i noticed in the dream that it was very reminiscent of the star wars bounty hunter named greedo. your father had it in his arms and began to beat the crap out of it. i was aghast. he was really physically abusing it, punching its head again and again. it was very excessive (Your dad presents himself as being in control, but is really out of control.). kelly was there and she was horrified and urged me to get him to stop. i said "um, mr. "so-and-so" (your dad), i think, since you've caught the creature, it's okay and you can stop hurting it." and he said, still with that cool scientific manner while simultaneously repeatedly smashing his fist into its face, "no, no. this is some kind of new species and it needs to be studied. this is the proper way to subdue this animal." i thought he must be nuts. the way things were going there wasn't going to be much of an animal left to study except maybe its pulpy remains. (There is no further mention of the child)
Words to think about are in red.
My thoughts are in blue.
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From 2nd friend of friend:
i've never been able to figure out much from my dreams except for really obvious things. so all i can give you is what seems obvious.
the snake he already figured out, a real snake in a backyard.
the internet because it has all the answers
your dad because he's a scientist
when the snake turned into the gremlin, did the child disappear? maybe
the gremlin was a mixture of the child and the snake.
i can't explain the beating.
the real question is why henry didn't want the dream forwarded to your parents.
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From 3rd friend of friend:
obviously the following things are true about Henry's dream:
1. the snake is always a penis (and it's in the FRONT yard and not the BACK like in his supervisor's experience, his subconscious altered this for a reason). therefore you can interpret the snake as either Henry's masculinity (Jung said that the people and objects in our dreams are all reflections or refractions of parts of our own personality) OR the snake is masculinity in general (more of a Freudian slant). And the snake turned into a "man-like" thing... more evidence.
2. masculine desire is always threatening... Henry was just googling to make sure what kind of threat it was.
3. your dad, being a scientist, is the anti-dote to masculine desire and therefore a savior-image. the child/victim represents purity and everything that is sacred in the face of the profane, masculine desire and only a true science can emasculate it (c.f. Durkheim, of course)
4. However, even science is masculine so after a while your dad revealed his true colors - became the violent, physical, man that he is - even science can't save that...
5. Henry's girlfriend is the anti-dote to masculine desire (or counterpart) and therefore interceeds on behalf of the pure child/victim. However, masculine power always wins in the end and so your dad doesn't stop beating the snake/man/penis.
6. Jung would say that Henry is dealing with inner conflicts over his masculine identity. What type of man does he want to be? How will his girlfriend react to what he really wants?
7. Lastly, obviously, your dad is a scary mother%&$@er and we should all be afraid of him. He's even worse than the penis/man/snake.
8. Henry should just get over himself and embrace his feminine side regardless of the anticipated reaction of his girlfriend and family.
9. Henry should stop playing with his Star Wars figures before bed.
hope this helps,
yes, I have a lot of experience with dream interpretation,
Tanuki?
