Introduction: I am posting this unpleasant dream of more than a year ago, with some adaptation, because of the prevalence of sexual abuses of human against human that are so commonly reported among us. Presently, a candidate for president of the U.S.A. has been accused(not tried or convicted) of sexually harassing and/or sexually assaulting several women when in the role of a C.E.O. of a large organization. Also we have just been sadly astonished with the story of a high profile college football coach being arrested for allegations of numerous accounts of child sexual abuse. And his boss, perhaps the most morally respected coach in College football, Joe Paterno, has been fired, along with the University president, for their failure to report to civil authorities their awareness of such horrendous criminal behavior against powerless children. I share this dream as an example of how all the potential scenarios of life, both good and bad, are very much alive in us all. For we all share the Collective Unconscious of all humankind. This is how much all humans are so very much alike. These 'archetypes' are strong forces and can develop into outer life realities in any of us for good or bad. The only real strength we have to restrain the negative or evil forces of the archetypes is our developing human consciousness and awareness. There are hopeful signs that our culture has generally a higher moral consciousness than even a few decades ago. For example the kinds of behavior described above were more easily passed over in previous decades even among individuals with higher moral development. The question is, is our collective moral consciousness strengthening enough and soon enough to overcome the ethical challenges we face in this very complicated new era? This dream emphasizes the important need for such improved consciousness.
I had a disturbing dream about sexual abuse of children. Two very young girls lived in poverty. I was partially responsible for them at a church school. Both were whining and refusing to socialize. I had tried with little success to encourage them and reassure them. A female teacher who was highly respected was also attempting to help these students. Soon I heard the two students coming down the hall to the room where I was. I was now having the awful image that both had been sexually abused by an adult. I visited with them some more and sent them back to class. Then strangely a kind of ritual came to my mind. I felt something strong was needed to break through the psychology of their trauma. I actually felt very helpless and was searching beyond my rational resources. I began a prayerful process of putting on myself some of their clothes, a kind of 'cross dressing' ritual. Somehow I was attempting to 'put on ' myself the psychological vulnerability these little girls could not begin to cast off with their own innocent childish powers. Perhaps I could somehow do it for them via this ritual which may add strength to the effect of my resolve and commitment to support them. I had only begun the ritual when another teacher came in and I put the clothes aside. Then, in the dream, I saw a very dark scene reflecting an image of the abuser. He was an older wrinkled weathered skinned male with thick gray hair. He was standing at the front of a sleek black low boat with a staff in the water. It was skimming quietly over dark water in what seemed to be an underground cave. There were tomb stones jutting out of the water. His voice was making very deep philosophical statements. I looked on with horror. I thought this must be generated by a 'devil' or 'anti-Christ' archetype.
REFLECTION: Hopefully, this dream is also coming as a reminder of experiences I have passed through with families and children in my past battles with such forces. Has my experience and perseverance possibly already embraced and tamed such potential evil within myself? Do we Americans and Christians live with an awareness that we all likely can be a part of such human destruction directly or indirectly? How painful is the recent news of Penn State people of such high moral public reputation who have been involved or enabling of such evil? Is it possible that out of this evil figure that something positive can be learned? Can his powers and muttered philosophical insights be used for the raising of consciousness of both the Total Sacred and Human? Has the 'cross dressing ritual' attempt (interesting to a Christian that 'cross' is in the name of the ritual) actually had an effect of taming the evil power that had harmed these girls? I am aware that the attempt to try to destroy or to bring to a state of positive inclusion this Evil reality suggests a presumptuous solution to a central problem of most historic theologies. At least those that have most influenced the West. Is some more informed and other perspective and approach to the problem demanded now of the human? I can only hope that some of the insights of the mystics and of minds like Jung and of teachers like Jesus have already laid the ground work for a truer perspective on the meaning of 'good and evil.' And how , beyond conventional comprehension, each has been necessary for the existence of the other.
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| Greek Myth Of Charon Escorting Souls Across River Styx |
Only by seeing that this negative repulsive dream figure and what I expect him of doing as a part of Sacred reality can we walk in the direction of a solution to the problem. (This 18th century painting has a strong resemblance to the dream figure.) Even the story of the 'immaculate conception' and the the 'penetrating of the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit' reflects such an incestuous theme. We have just learned to not 'see' the negative aspects of it. It is a story of a young girl being the victim of the an incestuous part of God. We tend to take the unconscious and insensitive attitude of very ancient people, “ If the gods did it it must somehow be OK”; even though as human behavior it is a horrific evil of the powerful against the powerless. Our conscious ego must rise up and question the activities of the dark side of God. This must be what the dream is basically about. We are to learn that humanity's consciousness of this is all that can possibly bring a higher consciousness to the Sacred, so that this dualistic split in itself be healed. This would provide the way for the demonic power of the life destroying aspect of God be transformed and transcend to a power that serves the purpose of advancing the quality of dynamic love in both God and Human.
It is totally beyond my reasoning capacity to 'understand' how this could be. I have no symbol, beyond those I've reached for above and those of the dream, for these types of reality. It may be that somehow my own life is my experienced example of how 'evil' can become a part of creating a far superior 'good.' I do not know whether such can be complete on the cosmic scale or if we are on the verge of 'only' greatly improving this split 'God'? This split in God has been a reality in the history of Western civilization? When speaking of this 'cooperative suffering' and 'cooperative increased consciousness' of God and Human, it helps me to recall that even though the human is the necessary instrument for this to happen; it is still the Sacred, even in its very imperfect form, that has initiated and, even against its own power interests, has supported this overall movement. This suggests 'love' as being very alive in the deepest heart of the pre-creation beginnings of the Godhead. That is something to be very grateful for. It could have been otherwise. Jim
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