Pollution

The cultural and environmental levels

     Some dreams have a clear cultural component and seem to be meant for the culture in which the dreamer lives. Pharaoh's dreams recounted in the Bible that Joseph interpreted are examples of this category. In a referendum in which the Swiss electorate voted on the question of whether to join the European Monetary System or not, a large number of dreams were collected which had direct bearing on the issue and showed that the unconscious of many individuals were deeply concerned with this vital issue which, for many voters, had primarily to do with national sovereignty (Von Franz & Abt, 1992). Such dreams may address local, national, racial, gender issues or even have validity for humankind or life on the planet as we know it.

     There are also dreams which are concerned with the environment and ecological issues. There are people who dream about whales and dolphins in distress. The dreams of others obviously express concern about the destruction of the rain forests or about pollution in our cities, streams and oceans. Of course, such dreams may well have a subjective component, but the objective, outer aspect should not be ignored.

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