Consciousness and the Problem of the Shadow - The House of the Gathering

[Lauren Johnson]

Thanks for putting article up, David. It made me more mindful of my dreams. I gotta tell ya'll about my dream last night.

This huge native American man approached me with a big smile on his face -- pretty much a copy of Chief in Cuckoo's Nest. He gives me a big bear hug, because he had beat the crap out of someone finally and it felt so good. Somehow I got credit because I had been his friend. He's walking around dragging me like his teddy bear explaining the situation. I say, "Gee, you must feel great" while I am thinking he could snap my neck like a pencil.

Talk about a Shadow dream.

A really nice dream Lauren, I think. I liked Chief in Cuckoo's Nest. He became a grounded and free man because of the example of McMurphy. It was a great film, I think, and one of Nicholson's best imo.

What do I know, but I would mark him down as a very positive figure - and although immensely strong, a real gentle man. I think you must've woken up feeling good about that dream.

The shadow, generally speaking is simply dark, bloody and fucking awful. Scary, mean and devious. Or whatever you need compensating about. One of my shadow figures 20 years ago was, yes, Pablo Escobar. I shit you not. It took a long time for me to figure that one out -- but finally I did. Throughout my entire life I have shunned drugs - other than a few drags on a spliff later in life. Friends who were serious drug users mainlining heroin when I was a lot younger, used to call me the "preacher" - which speaks volumes, eh.

What Pablo was telling me was that I had drifted too far into a righteous attitude about drugs and was nudging me to swing back into a more balanced perspective.

Actually, I woke up relieved. He was so powerful and strong and had me smashed against his body like a two year old walking around with a kitten by the neck. I think there is a message of balance in there somehow. Chief is a wonderful figure for sure.