Overview

"In this rich and poetically written book, Erel Shalit ""calls attention to the dream and its images along the nocturnal axis that leads us from fate to destiny."" He takes us on a journey from ancient history, beginning with the first documented dream, that of Gilgamesh, to Adam and Eve and the serpent, to Joseph in Egypt as the Pharaoh's dream interpreter, through ancient Greece to the Asklepion, to Swedenborg's visions, to our world today through the eyes of Freud, Jung, and science, and finally to the process of active imagination to reveal the workings of Mercurius and the transcendent function. As Dr. Shalit moves between cultures, he adds historical accounts of the many customs of working with dreams--our long history of how humans have paid close attention to this constant phenomenon for thousands of years. Scattered throughout the pages are engaging stories, legends, myths, and the roots of words that take meaning deeper. The chapters include dreams--historical dreams and the dreams of his patients. He works them, showing us how to squeeze the precious liquid from each one that can lead to a resolution of opposites and a state of understanding so profound--and sometimes so simple--that we witness how wholeness emerges from the psyche through this process. This accessible book is a reminder of the foundational work that leads to our greater consciousness and a destiny well-lived. Table of Contents Preface by Nancy Swift Furlotti A Poem by Erel Shalit, My Fathers' House Part 1. A History of the Dream: Fate and Destiny from Gilgamesh to Jung A. Introduction B. The Initial Dream: The Dream of Gilgamesh C. The Writing on the Wall: Nebuchadnezzar D. Ancient Greece: The Discourse of Dream E. Anima Between Fate and Destiny: Swedenborg F. The Dream of Hysteria G. Fate and Destiny Part 2. Soul and the Experience of Matter I. The Dream--Poetry of the Soul A. Introduction B. From Brain to Play C. Dreams and Ensoulment D. From Nature to Soul E. Soul and Reflection II. The Moisture of Dreams A. Gnosticism B. Adam's Eve C. The Serpent's Birth from Lilith's Womb D. The Serpent and Satan Part 3. What does Joseph Add to the Dream? Psychological Footnotes Along Joseph's Path to Egypt A. Visions of the Night B. Joseph the Dream Interpreter C. Joseph in Potiphar's House D. The Butler and the Baker E. Pharaoh's Dreams: The Principle of Opposites, Enantiodromia Part 4. Incubation, Being and Healing: A Therapy of Dreams A. Amethyst and Healing I. Incubation at Healing A. Incubation B. Asklepieion C. The Healing Symbol D. Chiron: The Wounded Healer II. The Self and the Great Mother A. The Serpent Part 5. The Ecology of Dream and Psychoanalysis I. Freud and Jung A. Freud 129 B. Jung II. A Picture from the Unconscious A. Compensation B. Dream and Symbol C. The Symbolic Perspective D. The Dream and its Semiconscious Concomitants E. The Prospective Function in Dreams Part 6. Active Imagination and the Transcendent Function I. Active Imagination A. The Diary B. The Descent C. The Golden Chain D. Active Imagination II. The Transcendent Function A. Mercurius B. The Bridge to Wholeness Conclusion, Final Poem Bibliography Index"

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9781630518370

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Reviews

"""In his eleventh and most mature book, Erel Shalit, Swedish born and Israeli by choice, Jungian Analyst, teacher and friend, invites the reader to a sailing. It is, to use his words, '...a sailing on the search for the myth of meaning and for the meaning that is to be found in the mythical.' It is a sailing across cultures and generations. It is a fascinating and enriching sailing on the way from Fate to Destiny, guided with Shalit's encyclopedic knowledge, poetic language, deep wisdom and subtle sense of humor."" -Yehuda Abramovitch, Tel Aviv ""In his brilliant book, A Story of Dreams, Fate and Destiny, Erel Shalit has woven an intricate and exquisite tapestry of the journey to wholeness. Starting with the history of dreams he shares with us the way different cultures have understood soul and healing. He invites us to go on a pilgrimage with him into the depths from which image arises and to emerge with a sense of wonder, meaning and purpose. Erel's way is scholarly, personal and poetic and borne from his own lived experience along with that of his partner, Nancy Furlotti, who has beautifully and skillfully edited his manuscript creating a song of life and love--a ballad and book to hold close to one's heart."" -Linda Leonard ""The enigmatic nature of dreams is grounded in this exploration of their biblical, mythological and scientific foundations. A Story of Dreams, Fate and Destiny stands as a fitting celebration of Erel's brief lifespan during the course of which he acquired the profound scholarship so vividly on display here though leavened by his self-deprecating humour and humanity. The latter shine through the words of wisdom in this fine work that is highly recommended for psychoanalysts and psychotherapists in search of insight into their own and their patients' dreams as well as for all those eager to learn more about one of life's great mysteries."" -Ann Casement, Licensed Psychoanalyst/Fellow of The Royal Society of Medicine."

In his eleventh and most mature book, Erel Shalit, Swedish born and Israeli by choice, Jungian Analyst, teacher and friend, invites the reader to a sailing. It is, to use his words, '...a sailing on the search for the myth of meaning and for the meaning that is to be found in the mythical.' It is a sailing across cultures and generations. It is a fascinating and enriching sailing on the way from Fate to Destiny, guided with Shalit's encyclopedic knowledge, poetic language, deep wisdom and subtle sense of humor. -Yehuda Abramovitch, Tel Aviv In his brilliant book, A Story of Dreams, Fate and Destiny, Erel Shalit has woven an intricate and exquisite tapestry of the journey to wholeness. Starting with the history of dreams he shares with us the way different cultures have understood soul and healing. He invites us to go on a pilgrimage with him into the depths from which image arises and to emerge with a sense of wonder, meaning and purpose. Erel's way is scholarly, personal and poetic and borne from his own lived experience along with that of his partner, Nancy Furlotti, who has beautifully and skillfully edited his manuscript creating a song of life and love--a ballad and book to hold close to one's heart. -Linda Leonard The enigmatic nature of dreams is grounded in this exploration of their biblical, mythological and scientific foundations. A Story of Dreams, Fate and Destiny stands as a fitting celebration of Erel's brief lifespan during the course of which he acquired the profound scholarship so vividly on display here though leavened by his self-deprecating humour and humanity. The latter shine through the words of wisdom in this fine work that is highly recommended for psychoanalysts and psychotherapists in search of insight into their own and their patients' dreams as well as for all those eager to learn more about one of life's great mysteries. -Ann Casement, Licensed Psychoanalyst/Fellow of The Royal Society of Medicine.

Author Information

Dr. Erel Shalit was a Jungian psychoanalyst in Tel Aviv, past president of the Israeli Society of Analytical Psychology and founder and past director of the Jungian Analytical Psychotherapy Program at Bar Ilan University. Earlier in his career he was director of the Shamai Davidson Community Mental Health Center, Shalvata Regional Psychiatric Center and was an officer in the IDF Medical Corps. He lectured internationally and was a prolific writer who published eleven books, this being his last.

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