Archetypes And Visions: Dreams And The Rise of Contemporary Esotericism
1. Mohammad HekmatAfshar, Göteborgs Universitet, Student, Sweden
This essay considers the intimate relationships between archetypes, dreams and modern esotericism and the symbolic function played by these terms in joining the material and the metaphysical worlds. It explores the transmutational function of dreams as vehicles for self realization, healing and higher consciousness, by integrating findings from science, psychology, anthropology and spiritual pathings. To bridge dream phenomena such as lucid dreaming, out of body experiences (OBEs) and neo Shamanic practice, the essay discusses Carl Jung's archetypal theory and the symbolic stories. Subtle bodies, changed states of awareness and symbolic language, are seen to highlight existing esoteric viewpoints. The study merges historical practice and modern therapeutic and cognitive science by integrating the thought of dream rituals, scientific exploration and personal experiences of authors like Alice Robb and Meg Bartlett. The research reinforces the interdisciplinary nature of dreams as a source of latent knowledge, with a unification of both scientific knowledge and spiritual questioning in the esoteric practices of the present day.
Archetypes Dreams Esotericism Symbols Lucid Dreaming Transformation.
When one looks at the interaction of dreams, archetypes and modern esotericism, it appears that dreams are not just a brain activity but represent important windows on inner reality and transcendental consciousness. The union that this paper is suggesting makes one aware of how the condition of dreaming, especially when dreaming is being performed in a lucid state, represents a bridge from the profane to the metaphysical where new neuroscience and old symbolism converge. There is a little convergence in the case of lucid dreaming: the appearance of rich symbolic imagery associated with the archetypes proposed by Jung and the activation of reflective brain regions. This convergence lends strength to the notion, that spirituality and science are allies in their pursuit of a deeper self and not enemies.
Talking of archetypal symbols in dreams, offers a discerning view of the universal language of the unconscious. The cyclical visions of the hero's quest, the dark shadows and the shining visions, are the threads that bring individual narratives together to a common frame of thinking. These common visions offer an implicit, culturally shared knowledge, as opposed to a reflection of particular experiences. The archetypal patterns presented by dreams, provide an individual and collective map for change and development, whether brought to light through ritual dream analysis or immediate experiential breakthrough.
Lucid dreaming is a changed state, wherein self-awareness and metacognition thrive in our contemporary world. Becoming lucid during dreaming accentuates the possibility of cognitive control of a state, which under ordinary circumstances is being controlled by the unconscious. Techniques such as autosuggestion and reality testing, popularly referred to as lucid dreaming techniques, find similarity with ageless esoteric disciplines aimed to accomplish deep interior transformation and initiate latent abilities. Apart from confirming the neuroscientific efficacy of the practices, the replication confirms their spiritual worth ratified by centuries aged esoteric practices.
In addition, our understanding of dreaming as an active process re-arranging memories, fostering creativity and healing, has been broadened through the integration of scientific investigation and mystical teachings. Modern measurement of dreams, grounded both on qualitative self-reports and quantitative neurosciences, concludes that phenomenology of dreaming can be used as a tool of social change and individual empowerment. We design pathways to a richer understanding of reality beyond the confines of conventional thinking, by embracing the ambiguity, wonder and richness that exist in dreams.
With a critical eye, the study also acknowledges the dream's flexibility. Our understanding was facilitated by the interdisciplinary nature, but at the same time, it brought to the forefront the challenge of uniting dissimilar theoretical viewpoints. More research and better methodologies are required in order to achieve the challenging balancing act between mystical significance and scientific integrity. More nuanced empirical research or better-targeted case studies, could illuminate the complex dynamic between dream experience and esoteric traditions better for further research to follow.
This essay essentially contends that dreams are multilayered tapestries with archetypal narratives that capture both the universal and the personal. Beyond greater awareness of consciousness, the profound synergy between lucid dreaming and esoteric pursuits gives us new life and meaning as we find the underlying aspect of our inner self.
1. 1. Århem, Nils. Forests, Spirits and High Modernist Development: A Study of Cosmology and Change Among the Katuic Peoples in the Uplands of Laos and Vietnam. Uppsala Studies in Cultural Anthropology No. 55. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-236880. 2. Arons, Michael, and Ruth Richards. "Two Noble Insurgencies: Creativity and Humanistic Psychology." In The Handbook of Humanistic Psychology: Theory, Research, and Practice, edited by Kirk J. Schneider, J. Fraser Pierson, and James F. T. Bugental, 161. 2nd ed. SAGE Publications, 2014. 3. Asprem, Egil, and Kennet Granholm, editors. Contemporary Esotericism. New York: Routledge, 2013. 4. Bartlett, Meg. "Spiritual Dreams and a Soul Dream Experience." Medium, November 9, 2022. Accessed April 26, 2025. https://meg111.medium.com/spiritual-dreams-and-a-soul-dream-experience-230ad6036b9. 5. Be Inspired. "200 IQ Man: 'I'm Fully Conscious When I Sleep.'" YouTube video, 13:27. Posted December 17, 2024. https://youtu.be/aGISmFubQvY. 6. Bellisario, Silvia. "Contemporary Visions: Refiguring the Esoteric; The Transformational Act of 'Making' Magic." Journal of Design History. Advance online publication, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1093/jdh/epae029. 7. Blagrove, Mark, Samantha Hale, Jess Lockheart, Meredith Carr, Amber Jones, and Katja Valli. "Testing the Empathy Theory of Dreaming: The Relationships Between Dream Sharing and Trait and State Empathy." Frontiers in Psychology 10 (2019): 1351. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01351. 8. Cavanna, Andrea E., and Michael R. Trimble. "The Precuneus: A Review of Its Functional Anatomy and Behavioural Correlates." Brain 129, no. 3 (2006): 564–583. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awl004. 9. Dresler, Martin, Roland Wehrle, Victor I. Spoormaker, Stephan P. Koch, Florian Holsboer, Axel Steiger, and Michael Czisch. "Neural Correlates of Insight in Dreaming and Psychosis." Sleep Medicine Reviews 20 (2015): 92–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2014.06.004. 10. Emmons, Robert. “Is Spirituality an Intelligence? Motivation, Cognition, and the Psychology of Ultimate Concern.” International Journal for the Psychology of Religion 10, no. 1 (2000a): 3–26. 11. Emmons, Robert. “Spirituality and Intelligence: Problems and Prospects.” International Journal for the Psychology of Religion 10, no. 1 (2000b): 57–64. 12. Fernandes, Thais. "To Dream as a Collective and Political Act: An Essay on the Importance of Dreams as a Loving Act of Change." MFA thesis, HDK-Valand – Academy of Art and Design, 2022. Unpublished manuscript. 13. Fleming, S. M., R. J. Dolan, and C. D. Frith. "Metacognition: Computation, Biology and Function." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 367, no. 1594 (2012): 1280–1286. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2012.0021. 14. Foulkes, S. H. Therapeutic Group Analysis. New York: International University Press, 1964. 15. Foulkes, S. H., editor. Selected Papers: Psychoanalysis and Group Analysis. London: Karnac, 1990. 16. Gardner, Howard. Frames of Mind. New York: Basic Books, 1983. 17. Geller, S., R. Friedman, S. Levy, Y. Akerman, G. Van den Brink, G. Romach, T. Shazar, and G. Goldzweig. "The Rough Road: A Single Case Study of Dreamtelling in a Group During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Military Conflict." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19 (2022): 7174. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127174. 18. Glauber-Zimra, Samuel. "From Time to Time I Dream Wondrous Dreams": Esotericism and Prophecy in the Writings of Hillel Zeitlin. Correspondences 9, no. 1 (2021): 5–48. Accessed April 30, 2025. https://correspondencesjournal.com/ojs/ojs/index.php/home/article/view/118. 19. Greer, Steven M. Hidden Truth, Forbidden Knowledge: It Is Time for You to Know. Crozet, VA: Crossing Point, Inc., 2006. 20. Grof, Stanislav. The Cosmic Game: Explorations of the Frontiers of Human Consciousness. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1998. 21. Hall, Manly P. The Secret Teachings of All Ages: An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic, and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy. Edited by M. Lampić. Web ed. Originally published in 1928 by H. S. Crocker Company. Accessed 2009. 22. Hartmann, Ernest. "Introduction. Overview of the Contemporary Theory of Dreaming." In The Nature and Functions of Dreaming. Oxford University Press, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195134323.003.0001. 23. Hearne, Keith M. "Lucid Dream Induction." Journal of Mental Imagery 7, no. 1 (1983): 19–23. 24. Hogenson, George. "The Baldwin Effect: A Neglected Influence on C.G. Jung’s Evolutionary Thinking." Journal of Analytical Psychology 46, no. 4 (2001): 591–611. 25. Honorton, Charles, and Diane C. Ferrari. "'Future Telling': A Meta-Analysis of Forced-Choice Precognition Experiments, 1935–1987." Journal of Parapsychology 53, no. 4 (1989): 281–308. 26. Hopper, Earl. "Notes on the Concept of the Social Unconscious in Group Analysis." Group 42, no. 2 (2018): 99–117. https://doi.org/10.13186/group.42.2.0099. 27. Hunt, Harry. “Some Developmental Issues in Transpersonal Experience.” Journal of Mind and Behavior 16, no. 2 (1995): 115–34. 28. Hunt, Harry T. "A Collective Unconscious Reconsidered: Jung’s Archetypal Imagination in the Light of Contemporary Psychology and Social Science." Journal of Analytical Psychology 57, no. 1 (2012): 76–98. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5922.2011.01952.x. 29. Jenkins, Victoria. Visions of the Occult: An Untold Story of Art and Magic. London: Tate Publishing, 2022. 30. Jung, Carl G. "General Aspects of Dream Psychology." In The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, vol. 8 of The Collected Works of C. G. Jung, edited by Gerhard Adler and R. F. C. Hull. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1960. Originally published in 1916. 31. Jung, Carl G. The Collected Works of C. G. Jung: Volume 9, Part 1. The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. Edited by Herbert Read, Michael Fordham, Gerhard Adler, and William McGuire. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1959. Complete Digital Edition. 32. Jung, Carl G., Marie-Louise von Franz, Joseph L. Henderson, Jolande Jacobi, and Aniela Jaffe. Man and His Symbols. Edited by Carl G. Jung and Coordinated by John Freeman. Garden City, NY: Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1964. 33. Kaku, Michio. Quantum Supremacy: How Quantum Computers Will Unlock the Mysteries of Science and Address Humanity's Biggest Challenges. London: Penguin Books Limited, 2023. 34. Krenak, Ailton. A Vida Não É Útil [Life Is Not Useful]. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2021. 35. Kugler, Paul. "Psyche, Language and Biology: The Argument for a Co-Evolutionary Approach." In Controversies in Analytical Psychology, edited by Robert Withers, 265–279. New York: Brunner-Routledge, 2003. 36. LaBerge, Stephen P. "Lucid Dreaming as a Learnable Skill: A Case Study." Perceptual and Motor Skills 51, no. 3 (1980): 1039–1042. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1980.51.3f.1039. 37. Laughlin, Charles. "Communing with the Gods: The Dreaming Brain in Cross-Cultural Perspective." Time and Mind: The Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness and Culture 4, no. 2 (2011): 157–158. 38. Lohmann, Roger Ivar, and Svend Aage Petersen Dahl. "Cultural Contingency and the Varieties of Lucid Dreaming." In Lucid Dreaming: New Perspectives on Consciousness in Sleep, edited by Ryan Hurd and Kelly Bulkeley, [page numbers]. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, ABC-CLIO eBook Collection, 2014. 39. McLeod, Saul. "Z-Score: Definition, Formula, Calculation & Interpretation." Simply Psychology. Last modified October 6, 2023. Accessed April 30, 2025. https://www.simplypsychology.org/z-score.html. 40. Meridian University. "What is Transpersonal Psychology?" Meridian University. Accessed May 2, 2025. https://www.meridianuniversity.edu. 41. Moritz, Steffen, and Todd S. Woodward. "Metacognitive Training for Schizophrenia Patients (MCT): A Pilot Study on Feasibility, Treatment Adherence, and Subjective Efficacy." German Journal of Psychiatry 10, no. 3 (2007): 69–78. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2008-12205-003. 42. MUDA Outras Economias. "Ciclo Outras Economias – Cosmologias do Dinheiro." YouTube video, 1:37:56. Posted May 18, 2021. https://www.youtube.com. 43. Mutz, Johannes, and Amir-Homayoun Javadi. "Exploring the Neural Correlates of Dream Phenomenology and Altered States of Consciousness During Sleep." Neuroscience of Consciousness 2017, no. 1 (2017): nix009. https://doi.org/10.1093/nc/nix009. 44. Nagendrababu, V., P. Dilokthornsakul, P. Jinatongthai, S.K. Veettil, S.J. Pulikkotil, H.F. Duncan, and P.M.H. Dummer. 2020. "Glossary for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses." International Endodontic Journal 53 (2): 232–249. https://doi.org/10.1111/iej.13217. 45. Partridge, Christopher. "Occulture Is Ordinary." In Contemporary Esotericism, edited by Egil Asprem and Kennet Granholm, 113–33. Durham: Acumen Publishing, 2012. 46. Paulsson, Timo, and Adrian Parker. "The Effects of a Two-Week Reflection–Intention Training Program on Lucid Dream Recall." Dreaming 16, no. 1 (2006): 22–35. 47. Pinel, Marcelo. "An Interview with Marcelo Pinel (Cyber Mystic Garden)." Astral Magazine. Published 2024. https://www.astralmagazine.com/post/an-interview-with-marcelo-pinel-cyber-mystic-garden. 48. Purcell, Sue, Janet Mullington, Allan Moffitt, Robert Hoffmann, and Robert Pigeau. "Dream Self-Reflectiveness as a Learned Cognitive Skill." Sleep 9, no. 3 (1986): 423–437. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/9.3.423. 49. Raz, Moshe. "On Neo-Shamanism." Theological and Religious Archetypes, January 17, 2019. https://medium.com/theological-and-religious-archetypes/neoshamanism-28afec913ba2. 50. Reddit. "Anyone Else Blown Away by This Christopher Langan Interview?" r/SimulationTheory. Accessed April 24, 2025. https://www.reddit.com/r/SimulationTheory/comments/1gneopm/anyone_else_blown_away_by_this_christopher_langan/. 51. Ribeiro, Sidarta. The Oracle of Night: The History and Science of Dreams. Translated by Daniel Hahn. New York: Pantheon Books, 2021. Originally published in 2019. 52. Robb, Alice. "Personal Story: On the Pleasures of Lucid Dreaming." New Statesman, June 5, 2019. https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2019/06/personal-story-on-the-pleasures-of-lucid-dreaming. 53. Schmitz, T. W., Kawahara-Baccus, T. N., and Johnson, S. C. "Metacognitive Evaluation, Self-Relevance, and the Right Prefrontal Cortex." NeuroImage 22, no. 2 (2004): 941–947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2004.02.018. 54. Spoormaker, V. I., Czisch, M., and Dresler, M. "Lucid and Non-Lucid Dreaming: Thinking in Networks." International Journal of Dream Research 3, no. 1 (2010): 49–51. https://doi.org/10.11588/ijodr.2010.1.597. 55. Stevens, Anthony. "Archetypal Theory: The Evolutionary Dimension." In Controversies in Analytical Psychology, edited by Robert Withers, 252–264. New York: Brunner-Routledge, 2003. 56. Stumbrys, Tadas, Erlacher, Daniel, Schädlich, Marc, and Schredl, Michael. "Induction of Lucid Dreams: A Systematic Review of Evidence." Consciousness and Cognition 21, no. 3 (2012): 1456–1475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2012.07.003. 57. Stuss, Donald T., Picton, Terence W., and Alexander, Michael P. "Consciousness, Self-Awareness, and the Frontal Lobes." In The Frontal Lobes and Neuropsychiatric Illness, edited by Stephen P. Salloway, Paul F. Malloy, and Jeffrey D. Duffy, 101–109. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing, 2001. 58. The Ultimate Masters. "Christopher Langan on Intelligence, God, and the Future." Published December 10, 2024. Accessed April 30, 2025. https://www.ultimatemasters.org/christopher-langan-on-intelligence-god-and-the-future/. 59. TheCustodian. "Dream Mysteries: An Interview with Sarah Janes." The Thinker's Garden. Published May 12, 2023. Accessed April 30, 2025. https://thethinkersgarden.com/dream-mysteries-an-interview-with-sarah-janes/. 60. Townsend, Joan. "Individualist Religious Movements: Core and Neo-Shamanism." Anthropology of Consciousness 15, no. 1 (2008): 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-3537.2008.tb00043.x. 61. Transpersonal Theories of Consciousness. "Transpersonal Psychology." iResearchNet. Accessed April 26, 2025. https://transpersonal-psychology.iresearchnet.com/consciousness-and-self-transcendence/transpersonal-theories-of-consciousness/. 62. von Stuckrad, Kocku. Locations of Knowledge in Medieval and Early Modern Europe: Esoteric Discourse and Western Identities. Leiden: Brill, 2010. 63. Voss, Ursula, Holzmann, Rüdiger, Tuin, Irene, and Hobson, J. Allan. "Lucid Dreaming: A State of Consciousness with Features of Both Waking and Non-Lucid Dreaming." Sleep 32, no. 9 (2009): 1191–1200. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/32.9.1191. 64. "What Is Subtle Body? – Definition from Yogapedia." Yogapedia. Accessed May 2, 2025. https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/9818/subtle-body. 65. Wikipedia. "Plane (Esotericism)." Last modified April 26, 2025. Accessed May 1, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plane_(esotericism). 66. Wikipedia. "Soul." Last modified April 26, 2025. Accessed May 1, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul. 67. Windt, Jennifer M., and Thomas Metzinger. "The Philosophy of Dreaming and Self-Consciousness: What Happens to the Experiential Subject During the Dream State?" In The New Science of Dreaming: Volume 3: Cultural and Theoretical Perspectives, edited by Deirdre Barrett and Patrick McNamara, 228. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2007. 68. World Science Festival. “The Dreaming Mind: ‘Waking The Mysteries of Sleep.’” YouTube video, 1:41:17. Posted November 17, 2022. https://youtu.be/wvvovktKKa4?si=q3Os1sOYF91BkCyi. 69. Zeitlin, Hillel. Al ha-Kamus ve-ha-Ne’elam [On the Dense and the Hidden]. In Sifran shel Yehidim, 16–27. Warsaw: Publisher not identified, 1928. 70. Zeitlin, Hillel. Ba-Ḥevyon ha-Neshamah: Ha-Praqim ha-Rishonim Mi-Tokh Sefer [In the Secret Place of the Soul: Opening Chapters of a Book]. In Ba-Ḥevyon ha-Neshamah: Shalosh Masot, edited by Jonatan Meir and Shmuel Glauber-Zimra. Tel Aviv: Blima Books, 2020. 71. Zeitlin, Hillel. "Letter to Shmuel Yosef Agnon." Archive of Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Correspondence, Folder 5:2276 (Record No. 401599), The National Library of Israel, 1938, p. 505. 72. Zeitlin, Hillel. Ba-Ḥevyon ha-Neshamah: Shalosh Masot. Edited by Jonatan Meir and Shmuel Glauber-Zimra. Tel Aviv: Blima Books, 2020.
The author solely conceived, researched, and wrote the paper.
This research received no external funding.
WPS Office and grammar checking tool.
The author declares no conflict of interest.
None.
This study is based on information drawn from publicly available books and peer-reviewed articles. No proprietary datasets were generated or analyzed. In addition, one unpublished manuscript prepared by a colleague was consulted with permission. All other sources are openly accessible to the public.