Creative Projective Paradigms –or- Hollywood Dream Factory

Since my University of Zurich days, I have always been a bibliophile. I have searched for materials that would provide a unified theory of the depth psychological process of dreaming. A friend who I have known for over 30 years, can testify to the fact that in my apartment during my student days, there were hundreds of books scattered all over. Today, they are mostly in book shelves and more organized. If you the reader, are reading my facebook page, articles and interpretations at the IIDR website, it will only underscore that I use a wide variety of literature as a tool for basic research, which provides insight, perspective and understanding into the nature of the dream. On occasion, when other students wanted to find me, they could look for me at the Zurich's Zentralbiblioteck (Central library) and they were often successful, although not always. While I still can be found spending my time at University libraries, the time is much more limited than in my student days, when I was camped out there.

Since those days I have researched the relationships between culture, dreams, film, creative arts and media effects. Many dreams sent to the IIDR such as the ones below have an allusion to the Hollywood dream factory, their hero's and the paradigmatic effects of media realism which circulates like poetic oneiric currency in the global village.

Personality Psychology -or- Film and Anthropological Dream Screens

In "Film and Dream Screen", Robert Eberwein offers a oneiric film theory about how dreams artistically function. Dreams are films whose images are projected onto a dream screen within the theatre of the mind. The primordial event of language opened experience to view life as an artwork. Individuals fill at least two roles in the storytelling, those of spectator and actor. When we watch ourselves and others on our dream screens, we can experience pleasure and we can experience pain. The anthropological psychology of the spectator and the actor can be observed in individual and collective dream patterns.

Abram Kardiner, author of "Psychological Frontiers of Society", believed that each culture influences the psychological patterns of images projected onto communal dream screens, thus providing the basic personality psychology orientation of a society. Think of Brad Pitt's role of Achilles in "Troy". Acts of bravery and self-sacrifice are depicted positively in the media, for instance, and "heroes" are publicly rewarded. A personality type that is valued in one society, however, may be deviant in another. The heroics of one culture may be regarded as foolish risk-taking in another. The particular valued personality type (or despised ones) projected toward society members, will be reflected in the dream patterns among members of that society. Socrates used his dreams as a philosophical guiding light, read the IIDR interpretation "Socrates on Death Row". On the other hand, the masculine code of honor and chivalry is evidently transgressed in the dream "Vampires and Wiccans" sent to the IIDR. The dreams illustrate the cultural visual art, sub-cultural influence and the culture and personality type process.

Dream Research and the Hollywood Dream Factory

Dream research provides access to the communal dream screen and its' dreams, myths, fictions and projective perceptual paradigms. Fiction, fantasy, and mythology all merge in the communal dream, to create a surrealistic montage in the theatre of the mind. Nations can be viewed through this surreal looking glass of dreams, daydreams and fantasies, producing a distinct mythology and national character. When these are translated into the creative mediums of film, art, literature, music, dance etc., the paradigmatic artistic process of the everyday animation of culture and personality becomes clearly visible.

Many dream interpretations and articles posted at the IIDR website speak of the influence of the Hollywood dream factory on those living in the Global Village. The three dreams below, speak directly of Hollywood films, genre movies, and movie screens/theatres.

Mary Lou 27

"We had travelled to some sort of other dimension of the dead, myself and a man that i either know or has been in the media (i think it was George Clooney) his mum had died and needed some sort of assistance (i don't know how we knew that or how we got there). There were a couple of other people there that we had enlisted the help of that knew about this dimension - it was full of spectres and wraiths except their bodies were solid in appearance.

The dream had an apocalyptic feel to it as if we had stumbled upon some mystery that threatened the universe. Something like in the film Species."

Mr Hagen's Reply; Twilight Zone: The Movie -or- Species meets Solaris

In Mary Lou's dream above, we find a science fiction mixture of the always dream like Twilight Zone (traveled to another dimension) and the film "Species" which provides an "apocalyptic" film "feel". Reportedly due to budgetary reasons the more intense dreams of Sil were never filmed.

The fact that George Clooney is in the dream may have an allusion to his role as a clinical psychologist in the science fiction film "Solaris". Dreams are seen playing an important role in the film. 

David, 22

Overall, my dream told about Brad Pitt played David Beckham in a movie.

Mr Hagen's Reply; Cultural Icons -or- Bend it Like Beckham

David's dream is fairly straight forward, the cultural icon and Hollywood star (Brad Pitt), plays the role of the cultural iconic star of soccer (David Beckham), perhaps alluding to the film "Bend it Like Beckham". The dream essentially reinforces the Hollywood "Star System" and the "movie star". This dream has the postmodern feel of "Life the Movie" (read IIDR interpretation).

Mark 27

In this dream, it must have been at least a hundred years ago because it was some kind of a theatre that i was attending with my girlfriend and step-son. It was all cobblestone on the walls and floor.

The dream starts with us attending the re-grand opening at this theatre.  It was the re-grand opening because 10 years prior to this, there was a massacre that had happened, and it was closed until now. So as we are walking inside on our way to where we are going to watch some kind of a show, all of a sudden all of the men who were with there girlfriends/or wives and children were taken away and forced into this one main theatre.

All of the men were forced to sit in the seats of this theatre while the wives/girlfriends and children cried frantically on the outside of this theatre. I remember there being guards at the end of each row where all of us men were being held inside the theatre. They had very long guns that they held standing up, and they were wearing some type of a army suit with hats. At the front of the theatre was no movie screen but instead there was a pedestal where one man spoke to us about something we were gonna be doing for them and if anyone resisted, they would be shot right then and there.

All we could do was have one last look at our loved ones and one last goodbye. We were'nt even aloud to give a hug or kiss. All you could hear was everyone crying. We were shipped off somewhere that no one wanted to go. We were forced off somewhere to do some very bad things for them. This dream felt so real and must have been something that happened a while ago. The dream was so detailed, but the strangest thing is i have never watched or read anything similar to this so where do these thoughts come from. I can remember the inside of this cobblestone theatre in so much detail but never seen it before.

Mr Hagen's Reply; Hollywood's Theatre of War -or- Gone with the Wind

Mark's dream is something out of a historical war film and represents the government's ability to conscript and enlist men for war into historical military theatres by the threat of the death penalty for those that resist. New military theatres, allows us to imagine new wars. Was it not just a few weeks ago, we could read about some people calling for the bombing of Iran now? Hollywood war movies that show the dark side of the Vietnam war include, "Apocalypse Now" and "Deer Hunter". Mark's dream is "set" over 100 years ago, perhaps alluding to the Civil war movie set of "Gone with the Wind", one of the greatest Hollywood films of all time. Interestingly enough, Scarlett has a recurring dream in the film that holds the key to understanding her character and the film.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All material Copyright 2006 International Institute for Dream Research. All rights reserved.