Fragments of a Dream Analysis

Every year thousands of people get on boats wearing raincoats and peering through binoculars. They’re looking for whales.

“I am at sea, far away from the coast. It is dark and the shore is invisible. No land in sight. The water is cold, but calm, and I feel excited. I know that something is going to happen, when suddenly a whale appears. The whale swims towards me, slowly but surely coming closer and closer. I’ve been chased by this dream for months now.

The beginning of this recurring dream is always the same, but they end differently. Sometimes I climb the whale and ride on its back. At other times, I try to touch the whale, but it stays just out of reach. Then there are these dreams where the whale and I just stare at each other. We try to make contact, but it feels impossible.

Dream analysis taught me what these encounters could mean. They represent the search for a connection. A connection with my own personal emotions and a closer, more meaningful connection with others. The dreams project a certain loneliness. It’s just me trying to connect with a huge mammal, there’s no one else there. The dream analyst noticed that I created some kind of addiction for these dreams. A longing to return to those calm and dark waters. She suggested that I look for these connections in real life, rather than in my subconsciousness.”