Animals and Animal Dreams II.

You might be wondering how it is possible to write an entire book on fish from a psychological standpoint. Apart from the biological creatures which are, in themselves, fascinating creatures, there is a rich palette of traditional folklore, fairy tales and mythological stories about fish. It is, therefore, not surprising that the fish often rises up out of the depths of the soul of modern man into his dreams. We all dream, even if we are often not aware of it. We also know that both man and animals become ill if they are prevented from dreaming over a longer period of time. Thus, we may assume that, in some unknown way, dreaming keeps us healthy. Modern Depth Psychology has shown us that dreams produce images or symbols that convey meaning. This helps us to better understand both our own human nature and the nature of our invisible companions who influence our destiny. In this sense, dreams are a source of self-knowledge. On a collective level, they can provide us with information about our vital, inner, spiritual processes that shape both our culture and our communal lives. The fish is an especially meaningful symbol that appears to be pointing towards a possible, fundamental psychic renewal of our time from out of the depths of the unconscious psyche. The author investigates these themes in important dreams had by people today. Whilst moving within the field of dream interpretation and Depth Psychology, the book is also accessible to the interested layperson.

Acknowledgements 7 Dream 1: Carp fish come to me 39 Dream 2: The fish on the fishing line 45 Dream 3: Walking in water 48 Dream 4: A whale is watching me 49 Dream 5: I can ride the whale 49 Dream 6: A mother whale and her young one 50 Dream 7: Swimming with a dolphin and a dog 51 Dream 8: Fish swimming in the house 53 Dream 9: The whale becomes a dog 61 Dream 10: “I want to live.” The talking-fish in Bollingen 68 Dream 11: The robber fish 81 Dream 12: Looking through the fish eye. The altar and the pearl in the fish 99 Dream 13: The whale-rider 110 Dream 14: Stranded dolphins in Siberia 121 Dream 15: The rescue of the African dolphin 125 Dream 16: Fossilised fish and archaeological sites 133 Dream 17: Man becomes fish and fish becomes man 139 Dream 18: Warrior dolphins bring children to shore 146 Dream 19: The resurrection of the dolphin 159 Dream 20: A bird becomes a flying fish 164 Dream 21: The fish in faeces 173 Dream 22: Five salmons with crowns 181 Dream 23: A different kind of navigational system 184 Dream 24: The dying female whale 191 Dream 25: Mother goddess suckles a fish 199 Dream 26: Golden and silver fish 222 1. Bibliography 233 2. List of figures 239 3. List of dreams 243 4. Index 244