Dream Workshop

Recently I attended a dream workshop led by a Jungian analyst at the Filipino-American center. Dream psychology is a technique that can be practiced in therapy, as the belief is that dreams symbolically connect us to our unconscious. I have weird, detailed dreams. Here's one I had on August 10, 2017: While renewing my Social Security Number on a slot machine-type online registration page at a bed and breakfrast owned by a high school friend, I won $12,000 from a combination Indian restaurant/Old Navy. Robson Green was also staying at the inn. I have no idea what that means. My takeaway from the workshop is that the current context of your life is important to interpreting your dreams. I don't remember what was going on at the time I had that dream. Maybe I had to fill out a form for Social Security. Maybe I recently stayed at a bed and breakfast. Maybe I was eating a lot of Indian food and shopping at Old Navy. At the time, I think I was watching the TV series, 'Grantchester' starring Robson Green. I certainly hadn't won any money! Here's a recent one that I had on August 20, 2026, and the one we discussed in the workshop: My husband and I vacationed in a small Nevada town with the entire family on my dad's side, who lives in Las Vegas. We stayed in a run-down bed and breakfast where the innkeeper's son, who had a disability, cooked the food. On our last day, he kept getting my order of eggs wrong and I was beginning to lose my patience. When it was time to leave, I ducked into a small Filipino store for chocolate-covered almonds and two ensaymada, a Filipino pastry. Outside it was very dark because there were no street lights. The vehicles we were traveling in were gone, and I realized my family left me behind. I couldn't call them because my sister and I had accidentally switched phones and I didn't know her passcode. I didn't want to stay another night at the B&B because the innkeeper was mad at me because I complained about her son. So I got into a taxi but didn't give the driver an address. He asked me where to go but instead I made the mistake of telling him I'd been left alone and didn't have a phone. Next thing I know, I'm in a car with a couple who kidnapped me. The dream facilitator asked me what I thought it was saying to me. I knew part of it had to do with my fear of abandonment. My parents left me behind with my grandparents in the Philippines when they immigrated to the States. Over the years, I've had numerous dreams of my husband leaving me. I feel secure in my relationships now, so I don't know why this was part of the dream. As many of you know, I'm disabled. I also started driving again recently (after not doing so for ten years). Parking is challenging for me, and I think the dream is telling me to be patient with myself. In real life, my husband and I attended a summer Filipino festival a few weeks ago and bought two ensaymada. The frustration of not knowing the phone's passcode echoes the frustration I feel at adding, all at once, new responsibilities in my life that my husband used to take care of. Over the summer, I started scooping the litter box daily, feeding the cats dinner, cleaning my own retainers, and driving. These may seem like small tasks to anyone else, but to someone who lives with bipolar, they can be monumental. I also added core and cardio training, which I had stopped doing months ago. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by all of it. I have no idea what the taxi ride and kidnapping mean. Maybe nothing. The facilitator didn't interpret this dream for me, but guided me through interpreting it myself. What types of dreams do you have? What do they tell you? Comedy, Tragedy is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thank you! Alternatively, please consider buying me an almond milk cappuccino. Thanks for reading! Buy Me A Coffee