Even Monkeys Can Evolve

The Dreamer is inside an unknown place with his Wife.

His Wife is in a business meeting with the Old Woman from Sex and the City. There is a small plunge pool between the Wife and the Old Woman. The Dreamer wants to swim in the pool, but he is afraid that it would be inappropriate in the middle of the meeting. Then the Wife drains the plunge pool. Then the Dreamer is disappointed. Then the Wife is, as a matter of fact, avoiding embarrassment. Then the Old Woman is leaving. The Dreamer is saying goodbye, self-pitying himself with self-depreciating humor. The Old Woman says something like she is glad that he took it (the draining of the plunge pool ) so well, to which the Dreamer replies with the punchline, “See, even monkeys can evolve”. The Old Woman laughs.

Then the Dreamer is witnessing a film. The film stars Duane “The Rock” Johnson, Dennis Leery, and an Unknown Woman. The Rock is wrestling for Dennis Leery to free the Unknown Woman. The Unknown Woman is wrestling for herself. Then the Unknown Woman is living in Dennis Leery’s house. Dennis Leery is at the table with his normal-looking family. He says he is going to go see the Unknown Woman. When his Wife, which the camera does not see, asks about the Unknown Woman, Dennis Leery says, “Don’t worry, it’s just business.”

Then the Dreamer is an an unknown house. He is looking for his Mother. The Dreamer is checking all of the rooms in the house, but she is not there. He looks into a little powder room that does not have a toilet, and wonders why it does not have a toilet. Then he finds a hidden room, that is where the toilet is — in the middle of the tiny room like a throne. Then the Dreamer finds his Mother, she is sitting there, casually, on a black couch. The Dreamer confronts his Mother with anger, yelling at her about why does she not have a toilet in her powder room like a normal person?

Then the Dreamer is an an old hotel with people from high school. Then there is a bus outside, waiting for everyone. The Dreamer is going to be late.

Then the Dreamer is in a luxury clothing store, browsing the racks. The other students are also here. An agent asks the Dreamer if he needs help. The Dreamer thinks this green Lacoste shirt would look good on him, but then that shirt is gone. Then he is outside with one of the rich nerds, Dave Boddy. Dave has an interesting outfit on, with a leather vest. The Dreamer comments that he likes the shirt, where did Dave get it? Dave says he got it from his parents. Then one of the nerds is moving into a building. The Dreamer considers reaching out to help, but then he doesn’t volunteer.

Then the Dreamer is outside and there is a fashion show with a crowd of people. The Dreamer is in the fashion show. No one knows what order to go in: so the Dreamer begins to take responsibility. The Dreamer starts to sequence the show, assigning who is going to go first, second, third, forth, and fifth. He wants Amanda from the Whole Ox to go fifth, but he can’t find Amanda. He is also wrestling with where he will go in the order. He thinks last, or next to last. Then the Dreamer finds the Unknown Man in charge of the run of show. The Unknown Man says everyone is to line up back here, by the bus, then go onto the stage one at a time.

Context: My wife and I have been talking about installing a plunge pool in our yard. I heard some news about The Rock starring in a new movie. I received an email about my 25th high school reunion that showed a photo of some of the members of the class, but a lot of us were missing from the photo: “only the nerds are shown in the photo” I said to myself. I saw Amanda, the Butcher, at the Whole Ox yesterday.

Associations: I associate the plunge pool with relaxation. I associate the Old Woman from Sex and the City as sarcastic and funny. I associate The Rock as a muscular hero. I associate Dennis Leery as the archetypal creep. I associate Lacoste as the brand with the alligator on the shirt. I associate Dave Boddy, from high school, as a rich nerd. He was dressed crisp. In some ways I wished that I was as smart and rich as him. I associate Amanda from Whole Ox as a tough woman. I associate the number five with the pentagram, a magical star that puts things in motion.

Feelings: center of attention, anger, fear, responsibility

Interpretation: This is a dream about an attitude toward the feeling function. The Dreamer is trying to make this “individuation process” about him: he wants to jump in the pool, he wants to pretend that the ego is evolving, and the muscular ego is going to rescue the feminine. (As if the feminine needs the muscular ego, because in the film she also is a strong wrestler.) The Dreammaker is showing that this is a humorous, ironic, and ultimately wrong, perspective. For example, through the dreamt “film” such a heroic outcome, where the muscular ego rescues the feminine damsel in distress, that would only result in having the feminine imprisoned by the shadow. Wouldn’t it be better if the unknown woman were to be free?

Thus leads the the Dreamer to an encounter with his Mother Complex. The Mother of the Mother Complex’s throne is a toilet. The Dreamer still needs to eliminate some feelings toward the feminine, anger: that the ways of the feminine are somehow wrong. Then the Dreamer regresses to the luxury clothing store: an alligator branded shirt appeals to him. Old unconscious feelings lurk. The Dreamer encounters a value-attitude that originated in high school, that what counts is being smart and rich. Then there is a fashion show and the Dreamer takes responsibility. He is taking responsibility for the ordering of the show’s values. He wants to put the tough woman, an independent feminine represented by Amanda the Butcher, in the fifth position, but he can’t find her. Meanwhile the Dreamer is also struggling with where his dream ego fits into the picture. Perhaps the Dreammaker is suggesting that the Dreamer himself should be in the fifth position?