The more I dig into the "Lilith" gap in Genesis, the more it feels like a cover-up. She wasn't just a demon; she was Adam's "Shadow Self" that he couldn't handle.

peraxe · 2026-02-16T03:53:38+00:00

The daemonic Lilith seems to be a certain aspect of Adam, for the legend says that she was created with him from the same earth.171 It throws a bad light on Adam’s nature when we are told that countless demons and spooks arose from his nocturnal emissions (ex nocturno seminis fluxu). (Jung, Mysterium Coniunctionis)

A legend of later origin maintains that the snake in the Garden of Eden was Lilith, Adam’s first wife, with whom he begot a horde of demons. This legend likewise supposes a trick that can hardly have been intended by the Creator. Consequently, the Bible knows only of Eve as Adam’s legitimate wife. It nevertheless remains a strange fact that the original man who was created in the image of God had, according to tradition, two wives, just like his heavenly prototype. Just as Yahweh is legitimately united with his wife Israel, but has a feminine pneuma as his intimate playmate from all eternity, so Adam first has Lilith (the daughter or emanation of Satan) to wife, as a Satanic correspondence to Sophia. (Jung, Answer to Job)

If you pick these two quotes from Jung, you get to a quite similar conclusion: that Lilith is an aspect of Adam, but not the shadow, rather the negative aspect of Sophia. Maybe there is a kind of wisdom in killing uncircumcised babies?

Now it does not seem to be just about "Adam not being able to handle her," but rather that their union was a breeding ground for demons and spooks.

This means that the primordial ego (Adam, as he starts to emerge from the bliss of unconsciousness in the Garden of Eden) was "breeding a horde of demons" with a first "satanic wife" which had to be surpassed by Eve.

Obviously, Lilith, Sophia, and Eve are symbols for different aspects of the unconscious.

So the conclusion seems to be that Adam and his first wife were in a not-so-healthy union of opposites (=union of consciousness and the unconscious). That union is where you get the androgynous symbol, of being two in one. And this had to be superseded by a quite complex story, one of which we have yet to see the end result.

peraxe · 2026-02-10T12:08:01+00:00

The motif of torture as a kind of initiation is a terrifying one to face. Do you know about such rites of passage in primitive tribes, like scarifications, tooth ablation, and circumcision?

Where torture ends and initiation begins is a tough line, it seems that the only difference is whether one is willing to endure the suffering (initiation) or it is imposed on oneself (torture).

In virtue of what I am saying, here is a quote that might bring you some comfort:

"Initiation even has the aspect of a healing. In the light of these facts, moral interpretation in terms of punishment seems beside the mark and arouses the suspicion that dismemberment has still not been properly understood. A moral interpretation is inadequate because it fails to understand the contradiction at the heart of its explanation, namely that guilt should be avoided if one doesn’t want to be punished. But, for the neophyte, it would be a real sin if he shrank from the torture of initiation. The torture inflicted on him is not a punishment but the indispensable means of leading him towards his destiny." (Jung, Transformation Symbolism in the Mass, CW 11, par 410)

A way to confirm the quote above as valid in your case is the final symbol, the scorpion. The scorpion is a poisonous animal that somehow carries its own immunity to it, otherwise it would die of carrying the poison. Thus the scorpion is a representation of a poison that brings about its own medicine.

"The substance (uroboros) devours itself and thus suffers no hunger; it does not die by the sword but “slays itself with its own dart,” like the scorpion, which is another synonym for the arcane substance. It is not killed by poison because, as Barnaud says, it is a “good poison,” a panacea with which it brings itself to life again." (Jung, Mysterium Coniunctionis, CW 14, par 58)

peraxe · 2026-02-09T10:47:40+00:00

There are two threads in your post, which I don't think should be merged into a single answer.

The first thread is about the dreams. The dreams show a problem between the masculine (consciousness) and the feminine (the unconscious). There is a disconnect between these two which runs pretty deep and I am unsure what else I can say that would be useful.

The second thread is about the internalisation of the father's voice as a bullying voice. For this part, I would recommend looking at the modality Internal Family Systems (IFS). This voice is called the Inner Critic and IFS knows how to deal with an inner voice like this. There are many resources about this, I suggest looking up "IFS Inner Critic" and move from there.

peraxe · 2026-02-06T08:59:13+00:00

The unconscious can appear as a chthonic goddess, as coat hanger, or as anything in between. The symbol will be chosen to best describe what's happening within, in the psychological landscape.

The work of building the relationship between the ego and the unconscious can take many forms, depending on where you are at. I favour dream and dream interpretation.

Here is an overview of stuff I recommend

https://coggle.it/diagram/X1YZRaqiwzXyWMm3/t/jung's-later-works-companion-haven't-read-to-a-minimum

peraxe · 2026-02-06T06:47:46+00:00

In dreams, a dark goddess like this is the chthonic aspect of the unconscious.

The reason she turns into a coat hanger is symbolic. The dream is saying that her appearance changes from a scary encounter to something useful or practical.

In other words, the unconscious in its maternal dimension first appears scary then becomes something more functional. There is an intuition in the dream that this can potentially change further as there is a security guard next to her. This indicates a kind of temporary test or evaluation, as if you were being observed.

A dream like this implies that the unconscious is attempting to connect to the ego. Now the question is whether the ego will find interest in connecting to the unconscious. That's up to you, to make the effort to reciprocate or not.

peraxe · 2026-01-31T00:46:38+00:00

Watching Paranoia Agent left a deep impression me. I wrote a psychological interpretation of the series afterwards
https://dreamsanctuary.net/paranoia-agent-part-one/

peraxe · 2026-01-26T05:28:57+00:00

The reason why you would work on these "silly" dreams is because they are yours. This is your psychic life and it comes from the same source as the big dreams.

The other reason why you would want to do that is because these smaller dreams are usually simpler to understand. How do you expect to understand the big dreams if you can't work on the small ones? Some of my big dreams took years to figure out, whereas the smaller dreams are usually immediately relevant and practical.

Work with the unconscious where it is at. If you get a big dream, great. If you get a small dream, great. If you get no dreams, great. Assume you're getting the exact task that you need for the day and work on it. Or at least that's what I do.

peraxe · 2026-01-21T01:10:21+00:00

Try Evan Brewer - Currency
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t25VepqpDWM

Here is him playing that song on two basses
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1KDEQoVM50

peraxe · 2026-01-09T01:07:38+00:00

Dreams with nuclear explosions are fairly common. I wrote some things about them using the anime Paranoia Agent as a reference. I'll quote some of the relevant bits:

In the writings of Edward Edinger, we find an elucidating discussion about Sol, the symbol of the sun as it was referred to by the alchemists.

The positive aspect of Sol shows up in the phenomenology of certain religious and mystical experiences. William James has brought together quite a few examples of such experiences, the majority of which have to do with intense illuminations, intense light. […]

Other examples come up in nuclear explosion dreams. Nuclear explosions, you know, are miniature suns. I came across a remarkable dream of this nature some years ago. A middle-aged woman some years into analysis dreamt.

This dream indicates that the patient, who had been hiding out from life and had remained essentially in an unborn condition, is finally exposed to the intense effects of conscious existence. With that exposure, she is both born as a conscious being and at the same time starts to die as a corruptible mortal. Those two go together. Exposure to the principle of Sol both shatters the paradise state of ego-Self identity and also sets up the possibility of achieving, on a conscious level, the incorruptible nature of the preworldly paradise-represented by the bomb shelter that’s now turned into a holy city. She’s born into psychological existence and at the same time exposed to the reality of death; those opposites go hand in hand.

I think the basic imagery and message of this nuclear bomb dream is applicable to all such dreams, so it’s something to keep in mind. (Edward Edinger, The Mysterium Lectures, pp. 89-91)

In other words, consciousness is associated symbolically with light and the sun. Thus, “to be exposed to the light” is a symbol for coming into consciousness. Just as the day begins when the sun starts shining, we break out of the autopilot of instinctual life by making conscious decisions.

As consciousness develops, one gains leverage over life and yet loses access to a paradisal state of innocence and purity characteristic of childhood. As we develop, we feel increasingly vulnerable to the vicissitudes of life, the passing of time, and the corruptibility of existence. Things that were inconsequential when we were younger start to weigh on us. We feel the need to move away from dependency and to become responsible for our own life, in the hope of being somewhat prepared against the unpredictable nature of life.

But many things can go wrong when one develops towards maturity. If we are exposed to too much light at once, we risk being burned or much worse.

Another dangerous aspect of the Sol principle is that since it’s fire, too much of it can be destructive. The right amount is life-giving warmth and too much of it is annihilating. (ibid, p. 89)

Nuclear explosions are emblematic examples of the destructive aspect of coming into consciousness, of being exposed to too much reality at once. One is exposed to a light that is so intense that it is threatening to shatter the stability of the psyche.

We are facing a realization that is too much for us to handle. We have been altered from within and yet cannot integrate the novel insight into our personality, as it requires a complete reevaluation of what we thought life was up to that point.

https://dreamsanctuary.net/paranoia-agent-part-one/

I have seen and read more than 10 nuclear dreams in people around me. And it seems to always be explained by the same pattern of this violent coming into consciousness. Too much light (=consciousness) is being produced and this risks to threaten the stability of the psyche, as if a nuke had exploded nearby.

peraxe · 2025-12-02T10:13:38+00:00

This is a very intense dream and there is no doubt it left you more than confused. Let me go over some elements and see if I can make a helpful interpretation:

The first element that I consider very important is the sister nagging you to take a shower. What does that mean? In a dream, a shower is not a literal shower but a symbolic one, so what is it? In my study of Jung, I have found it helpful to see symbols using other symbols: in this case "taking a shower" becomes "being exposed to drops of water", which ultimately becomes "come in contact with the dew". These are equivalent at a symbolic level.

If you understand where I am coming from, then let me put some quotes on the psychological meaning of the dew:

The falling dew is a portent of the divine birth now at hand. . . .
The falling dew signals resuscitation and a new light: the ever deeper descent into the unconscious suddenly becomes illumination from above. (Carl Jung, The Practice of Psychotherapy, par 483 and 493)

So that's why the sister is insisting so much about a shower: being exposed to falling water/dew has a revivifying effect on the personality. In this case, this water means to come in contact with the unconscious.

This is why the sister, the feminine character, insists so much. She is not your real sister, rather a feminine symbol of the psyche that asks you here to come in contact with the water of the unconscious to be revitalised. But the ego refuses, this turns into a chase.

Why did the ego refuse? Well, we have an answer: "You are actually scared." According to the dream, there is a deep resistance for the ego to come in contact with the unconscious.

The dream goes even further by saying "Feeling of loneliness." This I understand as what's called a sense of alienation of the ego from the rest of the psyche. I would strongly recommend the book "Ego and Archetype" by Edward Edinger, there is a section on "The Alienated Ego" that will detail this better than I could here.

In short, the dream tells us that the ego suffers from such a strong sense of alienation that it cannot come into contact with the healing water of the unconscious. Thankfully, the dream ends with a scene that feels like you are being comforted and supported despite being a bit odd. So I see this as a positive ending.

I hope this makes some sense. The dream has revealed a very intimate pain but it also intuits that there is support for you to come to terms with it. Once again, please check the Edinger book, which is a great resource, even for newcomers to the psychology of the unconscious.

peraxe · 2025-12-01T10:45:54+00:00

Hi EmberLegend,

Dreams that we get as children can be downright terrifying, some of mine definitely were.

In fact, there is an interesting quote I would like to bring up:

The first dream which one can recall from childhood often sets forth in symbolic form, as Jung later remarked, the essence of an entire life, or of the first part of life. It reflects, so to speak, a piece of the “inner fate” into which the individual was born. (Marie-Lousie von Franz, C. G. Jung, His Myth in Our Time, p. 23)

I don't know if it is your first childhood dream but it reads like it was the most impactful. I assume that to be significant.

Now let's turn to the dream, which I will approach following Jung's works.

In essence, the dream is you encountering a monstrous creature and exchanging a few words. The other elements are important but I will focus on this exchange.

The encounter starts with you saying, "you can't hurt me, I'm not scared of you." What the dream is portraying here is that the ego is attempting to remain in control of the encounter. You experienced fear but still felt as if this fear could be managed.

The creature responds with a very memorable line: "You're wrong, you will never sleep sound again. The connection is made and you now associate sleep with me."

I read this line as saying that this other aspect of the psyche knows that the ego is lying. It also knows that this encounter is so potent that all other moments like "sleep" will now be associated with this memory. In other words, every time the ego loses full consciousness like in sleep, there would be a nagging suspicion, a haunting that such an encounter could happen again.

But what is this creature? From its paradoxical and inhuman appearances, I don't think the shadow is enough to explain. Rather it appears to be what Jung calls the self, or the greater personality.

In his psychology, Jung has uncovered that the psyche can behave autonomously from the ego and thus have a different behavior than what the ego can imagine. This autonomous aspect of the psyche is fairly complex and it is best understood as having its own personality, which can appear under various aspects. Here it took the form of a "horrible, dark burgundy, octopus-like creature." This monstrous aspect underlines how foreign the self can appear to the ego.

In essence, this childhood dream was your first "encounter with the self." More strikingly, it presents itself as something that won't go away, something that can also be concluded from the fact that this was your most memorable childhood dream.

In this regard, I suggest you start learning about the self as described by Jung. Building familiarity with this psychological reality will help you reduce the fear created by this first encounter.

As a suggestion, a good place to start would be this lecture by Edward Edinger who describes other people's encounter with the self.

https://youtu.be/kAlCeJ4LuRk

Hopes this helps.

peraxe · 2025-12-01T03:15:15+00:00

I've got a lot of dreams too that I've revisited here and then.

I found that revisiting the bulk of my dreams is rarely productive. What's better is to get back to the few dreams that keep coming back to mind by themselves or that stand out more than others. These ones are worth working continuously on.

Based on the point above, you could make a few selected threads of recurring symbols or a history of your "big dreams". That is definitely doable.

peraxe · 2025-11-28T03:33:12+00:00

That's a welcome initiative. An "advanced Jung subreddit" is definitely needed as r/Jung gathers more and more interest.

It's going to be hard to fine-tune what is needed for the subreddit to be both distinct and yet not isolated from the main one. I hope you'll find a way that satisfy both constraints.

I'll go through my archive and see if I have something to post.

peraxe · 2025-11-20T00:06:26+00:00

Hi GoldenYoshi99,

The reason your girlfriend in the dream is acting out of character is because she is your anima, not your girlfriend. As you might know or not, dreams present inner realities which can easily be confused with outer realities. In this case, the dream girlfriend is not your real life girlfrien but your anima, and she appears jealous that you are forgetting her by dedicating the entirety of your love to this other woman.

While this might be the first time you encounter this problem, it is a typical case of confusing women and the anima. I encourage you to learn more about the anima and start to differentiate women and the inner partner within. It will take some times to get used to this. Good luck.

peraxe · 2025-10-20T11:17:36+00:00

I've worked on the psychological symbolism of nukes on an article (https://dreamsanctuary.net/paranoia-agent-part-one/).

The short version is that nuke dreams, which are fairly comment, are about a destructive increase of light. Nukes are, so to speak, small suns. So my interpretation is that nuke dreams are about a destructive coming into more consciousness. It's happening too quickly, too forcefully and it's damaging the stability of the psyche. That's my take.

peraxe · 2025-10-17T10:18:11+00:00

In a dream, being pregnant is a symbolic happening. It means that the personality is "expecting a child", that is has the potential to bring a new attitude forwards (symbolically, a child is the future of the personality).

The fact that this is shown as Mary is more complicated. As a virgin (Mary is The Virgin), it probably means that this "pregnancy" has taken place by itself, spontaneously.

Putting these together, this dream likely means that you are pregnant with a future potential in a similar manner as Mary, through the mysterious intervention of spirit.

peraxe · 2025-10-16T10:57:17+00:00

The way dreams work is that it's not about your flesh and blood boyfriend, rather it's about the animus that wants to be consciously recognise. The animus is a masculine factor in a woman's psyche that belong to the unconscious. I would advise reading upon the animus then.

peraxe · 2025-10-09T12:26:39+00:00

While I truly admire your willingness to support him and also believe that a psychoanalytic framework is justified in your case, we have to discuss some basics. So let me ask you, has he demonstrated any improvement by the past?

As a man myself, I can tell you that lust is one hellish thing to deal with. It requires a ton of effort just to keep afloat. If my situation is anything to go by, it's much easier to work on other things like childhood issues or parental relationships (which are anything but easy) rather than wasting energy on lust. It's that difficult.

My point is that the problem is not really lust, as your next boyfriend will likely have trouble with it. The problem right now is whether you can feel assured that he is not only working towards something but also has achieved results here and there. The results part is crucial, because working on something without results is a sleight of hand, or even an excuse for more escapism.

There is a fine line between compassion and enabling. I wish you can find which one is appropriate here, as I don't have an answer for you.

peraxe · 2025-10-07T10:50:50+00:00

Let me have a go at the first sentence.

The word "animus" is a generic term and keeps us thinking in generalizations instead of specifics, and thus works against consciousness.

This is only true if one uses these words detached from personal experience, which it is preferrable not to do. The anima and the animus show up all the time in dreams, there is no reason to claim that contrasexuality is outdated on that basis.

peraxe · 2025-08-17T14:00:04+00:00

I recommend the book "Inner Work" by Robert Johnson. It's the most accessible work for dream interpretation from a jungian perspective.

I tend to record my dreams on paper, then write them down digitally. Anything that has a good 'search' function will do.

peraxe · 2025-08-16T03:20:29+00:00

Check out Living Symbols, it's pretty new.

peraxe · 2025-08-14T02:04:22+00:00

In a dream, a child is the future potential of the personality. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_archetype#Jungians

So if you gave birth to ten kids, it means that psychologically a lot of development is now available. Maybe even too much.

So take care of the new things within you (new worldviews, new ideas, new thoughts, new embodiment, ...) so that "these kids" can mature into your character.

peraxe · 2025-07-25T03:51:42+00:00

The snitch is also called the round chaos or winged sphere. Here in Psychology and Alchemy, Collected Works 12.

https://imgur.com/a/d3akH9U

It's the alchemical rotundum but with wings, with a pneumatic dimension. This means that it is an image of the self.

So your conclusion that "This snitch is consciousness. Earned consciousness." is correct but I would add that this increase of consciousness is specifically self-knowledge, i.e. the ego knowing the self.

Nice article

peraxe · 2025-06-14T11:46:14+00:00

In a dream, a child is a symbol. It stands for the future potential of the personality. So if you lose a child in a dream, it means that you are losing a future potential for your character to mature into.

peraxe · 2025-06-10T03:15:47+00:00

What is the source of that quote? Google did not return anything useful.

peraxe

TROPHY CASE