Jungian Psychoanalysis: A Pathway to Connecting with our Eternal Friend

My journey to becoming a Jungian analyst had a pivotal milestone: my first analysis session where I shared a dream with my analyst. I had tried many forms of therapy but none fulfilled me. Something was still missing, and I didn't know what it was.

Photo taken at CG Jung Institute during my studies.

As a child, I listened to stories from Shahnameh, the epic of the kings. In midlife, I felt a strong pull toward that dimension again and discovered the work of Joseph Campbell. Through Campbell, my interest in Jung grew, leading me to try Jungian therapy—a decision that changed my life forever.

In the first session, I read one of my dreams aloud. I felt the energy in the room shifted, as if we entered a different dimension. The session centered on the dream, examining its characters, events, emotions, and associations. We created questions for reflection, allowing exploration without narrowing them to definitive answers.

Time flew by, and the session was over quickly. When I stepped out of my analyst’s office, I felt joyful. I knew something significant had happened, even though I couldn't pinpoint what exactly. I looked forward to the next dream and the next session. Soon, I felt a passion and a calling to become a Jungian analyst.

Seven years and hundreds of dreams later, I have witnessed how connecting to the dream world has transformed my life. The poem below is dedicated to the inner friend who speaks to us every night through our dreams—a friend who knows us better than we ever could and cares for us more than we can imagine.

My Eternal Friend

Dream images 

became words,

and as their vibrations 

filled the room, 

time stopped, 

and a door opened.

I entered my inner house, 

meeting my eternal friend, 

awaiting me patiently, 

knowing I would show up 

eventually.

The friend 

I had forgotten 

but who never abandoned me,

the friend 

who longed to be heard 

but spoke with a voice 

without words.

Our separation 

was the source of my pain 

without my knowing.

Our reunion 

marked my steps 

on the path to healing.

Each step, 

untangled the threads

of my inner world, 

separating 

what was mine 

from what never belonged,

weaving 

an exquisite tapestry,

its patterns 

emerging paradigms,

its knots 

newfound ways of relating.

In her mirror, 

I saw what I could not 

see otherwise,

what I did not know 

I did not know,

what was hidden 

in plain sight:

the inner seas 

of my emotions,

triumphs and tensions, 

progressions and evolutions, 

regressions and deviations.

In her map, 

I first saw 

a continent 

beyond the waters 

surrounding 

my tiny island.

With her help, 

I found the courage

to build my boat 

to set off 

into the mysteries 

of the seas,

praying 

for the wind 

to blow 

into my sails.