The Mandala

 Dream interpretation Part 2 Theories

A Mandela can be either a complex or a simple geometric design or pattern, usually in the form of a circle.  Mandelas are frequently seen in Native American ceremonies, and they make up a big part of the religious experiences of many Native American and indigenous peoples around the world.

The Mandela also figures prominently in Eastern religions, and it is used to represent the universe in both the Hindu and Buddhist traditions.  In Jungian philosophy the Mandela is the symbol for the self.  The Mandela is also used to symbolize the circle of life, healing and completeness or wholeness.  

Dreams can use any one of these meanings, or a combination of several meanings, for the Mandela.  Dreaming of a Mandela or seeing a Mandela in your dreams, is often seen as a spiritual yearning, our unconscious attempting to heal us or as symbol towards greater enlightenment.

It is important to know that archetypes such as the animus and the Mandela are universal in nature, showing up again and again in religions and mythologies around the world and across the time.  It was from discovering these universal symbols that Jung created his idea of the Collective Unconscious. That we are somehow all connected on an unconscious level of which we are largely unaware but by which we are often deeply effected. Their universal nature is one of the things that gives them such power and influence, both in the world of dream interpretation and in the waking world.

Even so, it is important to note that the appearance of these symbols in dreams can have very different meanings and interpretations for each individual dreamer.  Even thought the symbols are universal, each individual is unique, and personal experience plays a large role in making each individual dream symbol unique as well.

For more on the Mandala and dreams see Mandala

see also Adler and Perls on Dreams