Dreams as Compensatory Wisdom

Rejecting Freud's view of dreams as disguised wish-fulfillments, Jung presents dreams as natural compensatory mechanisms that balance conscious attitudes. Dreams don't deceive but rather 'express something as best they can,' offering perspectives that consciousness overlooks or represses. Jung's pivotal dream of descending through historical layers of a house—from modern rooms to prehistoric caves—revealed the collective unconscious beneath personal experience. This dream became the foundation for his theory of archetypes: universal patterns inherited not through culture but through the psyche itself. By treating dreams as collaborative partners rather than problems to solve, individuals access wisdom beyond their conscious limitations. Jung's systematic recording of his dreams, including the prophetic visions before World War I, demonstrates how dream work becomes a practical tool for navigating life's challenges.