A plumber dreamed that he encountered an enormous spider in
a crawl space. He was going to try to destroy it, but finally decided to reason
with it. At that point it turned into a teddy bear.
It was time to look at the symbols of his dream to learn
what metaphors they contained. This is usually the lengthiest part of the
interpretation process, because I insist on examining all of the symbols. Even
symbols that seem minor often have important clues. I usually start with the
neutral prompt, “Tell me about it.” If that doesn’t produce an answer with a
metaphor, I will probe a little bit more assertively.
The dreamer’s metaphoric
associations
* Work on a job: It’s what I do to make a living. It pays my
bills and keeps me solvent.
* Someone’s crawl space: It’s not really where they live, but rather
underneath where they live. It’s important because most of the systems that
make the house work are routed through this area. But it’s often cramped, dirty
and unpleasant.
* New Pipes: These are to allow water to flow more
efficiently; the old system was corroding.
* Customer:
Someone who wants to pay me to make improvements on their house,
especially involving water.
* House:
It’s where they live.
* Water:
Necessary for survival. Plus you use it for a lot of other reasons—cleaning,
humidifying, growing plants.
* On my back: In this case, it’s an uncomfortable way to
move, but the only option.
* Can’t even crawl: The space is too tight for even moderate
motion.
* Can’t see: My field of vision is restricted because I am
in such an awkward position.
* Crane my neck: I’m trying to get a better view.
* Spiders:
Well, I have a healthy respect for them because sometimes they can be
dangerous. But the main thing is to methodically deal with them. If you
understand their habits, you can move them or avoid them. I try not to kill
them.
* Enormous spider the size of a dog: Shocking, really threw me for a loop. And I
make no bones about it: I was scared!
* Panicked:
Beyond reason with fear.
* No way to Escape it: My first instinct was simply to move away and
leave it alone, but I knew I couldn’t.
* Aggressive moves: Try to defeat it by
force.
* Reason with it: Try to come to some logical agreement—to come
to terms with it.
* White stuffed bear: A completely harmless toy, warm and fuzzy.
* slightly dirty: Already used and loved.
Initial
examination
As is almost invariably the case, his replies, when read by
themselves, present a focused theme. This time, it’s about confronting
something shocking in a space that is uncomfortable for him to occupy. But he
handles it well. Whatever the conflict was, it morphed into something harmless
and lovable. On Friday we’ll put the dream together again, and ask the dreamer
for his thoughts.
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