“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Dreams, then, come from various levels of what you call the subconscious. But as a rule any particular dream, although it originates in a particular level, will nevertheless have meaning on all levels. The meaning however may well not be the same. That is, the particular dream may be a method of saying different things or bringing different messages, the one particular dream automatically being translated by the various levels of the subconscious in terms of the interpretation given by any particular subconscious level to the dream symbolism.

Every subconscious personality then would see and hear the same dream, as many persons may watch the same movie; and as each person in a theater interprets the symbolism of the drama differently, so does each layer of the subconscious interpret differently the same elements of one dream.

When I spoke of the fine discrimination used in the construction of a dream, I had reference to the amazing work done by the inner self in the choice of its individualized symbols, which would have meaning to the many and various levels of the subconscious.

It then constructs its dreams in such a way that the symbols within will sift through all areas that are themselves less able to survey large vistas, but whose energies are focused along specific lines.

Only in this case the man in the airplane, instead of a radio message, would radio directly into the mind mechanism of the men below, a dream drama in the coded symbols which would be interpreted automatically by the men below.

I will end the session shortly, after mentioning briefly an example of how various levels of the subconscious interpret a symbol. We will take Ruburt’s dream that we have already interpreted on some levels, and one symbol only, that of a tub, t-u-b.

The tub was the unifying symbol of the dream, interpreted by the various levels of the subconscious. On the most superficial level, dreaming Ruburt thought “One day I shall be an old tub,” meaning an old worn-out vessel. This having to do with the disappearance of early youth, and having superficial meaning to the surface female personality.

The tub was next interpreted as a washing machine in a secondary level that was in itself a symbol leading to the next interpretation, belonging to a past life, that of an old tub that leaked. In his dream the washing machine leaked, leading him into a third level, where the tub was a symbol for the old ship that leaked when you, Joseph, were a passenger on your way to Boston in a past life.

Ruburt knew he could look better if he spent half the time and effort, but was jealous anyway. So here the symbols coincided. He obtained subconscious information concerning your past life, the one symbol of the tub serving three purposes. It gave him information, it helped overcome his jealousy, and it was a transition from surface significance to deeper knowledge.