Page 26 - NAMAH-Jul-2021

Namah Vol. 29, Issue 2, 15th July 2021

Let us look at an example of such a dream: image had been damaged by this aspect of
her childhood it was only becoming vaguely
“I am in a room. From behind me some dry leaves apparent to her now. In the dream, however,
are blowing towards me. It seems like someone from she is able to overcome her suspicion of this
behind is trying to draw my attention. Initially I am girl and offers her sympathy and provides her
not scared but after some time I start getting scared what she needs, thus hinting at her potential
that maybe it is some spirit. With a little courage, to bring to her own wounded parts that which
I ask “Who is there?” Then a girl came and stood she did not receive from her father: succour
in front of me. She was roughly my age, but she and empathy.
was wearing torn clothes, looked really poor, like
a beggar. She came and sat near me. Her face was Since the shadow is intrinsically those parts
soiled, as if she had not bathed for days. Absolutely of us which we dislike, it often takes the
poor and miserable. She looked really miserable. I face or form of those in our outer life about
asked her, “From where have you come?” She whom we have conflicting feelings or
mentioned the name of a place, near Delhi, something outright hate. Our dreamer described this
like Ferozabad. Then I looked into her eyes and asked girl as belonging to a place like Ferozabad,
suspiciously, “Really?” She had brown eyes, you thus hinting at a possible Muslim identity
know, like those of a person who is clever, cunning. of this girl, also her brown eyes inviting
I did tell her though that she should take a bath, and her suspicion towards her. All societies
some food shall be given to her.” have groups and communities which tend to
oppose each other and are inclined to see
The dreamer’s association with the girl was them as the reason for all troubles, thus very
that her state of being poor and miserable suitable targets for shadow projections. The
was emotionally similar to how she felt black/white divide in the United States, or
while growing up. While being financially the Shia/Sunni, Muslim/Jew divide in the
comfortable, though not rich, her parents, Middle-East, or the Hindu/Muslim divide
especially her father, was rather strict and in the Indian subcontinent are some such
made his children make do with meagre divisions. Our dreamer too has a certain
resources like simple clothes, keeping a ‘tight unfavourable opinion of Muslims and thus
hand on money’. This feeling of deprivation, the shadow appeared as a poor destitute
living in her psyche all these years, took the Muslim girl (within her). Trying to connect
form of a beggar-like girl who finally made with the girl as well as the emotions which
a contact with our dreamer in order to be fed this dream experience evoked in her would
and washed properly, symbolically showing possibly help her to own the destitute needy
a need of her repressed deprived part to girl within her. At the same time we realise
finally be given what she needs. The dream the humbling fact that the ‘other’ is always
further brought back memories of how strict different and more than our prejudices
her father had been with her and her sibling, or stereotypes. The other community is
and often beat her first without explaining also made of individuals who have layers
why. The anger and hurt entangled in this in them, and are as complex people as we
symbolic deprived girl caused a deep sense of are. Carl Jung once wrote, “One does not
loneliness to the dreamer. How much her self- become enlightened by imagining figures of

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