The Nightmare

Clay on wood, 6" x 4"

2024

One of my recurrent nightmares revolves around snakes, the objects of my unexplainable phobia. Despite never having encountered a snake in my early years, I would feel intense fear even when merely gazing at images of cartoon snakes. In my dreams, the sight of these creatures triggers a similar terror. This phenomenon combined with my interest in psychoanalysis encourages me to visualise the dream scenario, facilitating a confrontation with my feelings and providing deeper insights into myself. Before starting this creative journey, I delved into literature on dreams, particularly Carl Jung’s Man and His Symbols. Both Freud and Jung recognised that dreams hold significant meanings and offer insights into the unconscious. While Freud emphasised that dreams express repressed desires, I found Jung’s perspective more compelling. He suggested that dreams can serve as warnings and help restore psychological equilibrium. Jung also highlighted the personal nature of dream messages, noting that interpretation must consider the dreamer’s unique context. Armed with this knowledge, I began to recreate the scenario of my nightmare. When crafting the sleeping human figure, I positioned it lying straight with hands resting on the chest, capturing a petrified reaction. Snakes of various lengths crawl over the body from different directions. Typically, I find reference images for my artwork, but my fear of snakes prevented me from looking at any. Instead, I crafted solely from my imagination, allowing me to focus on the tactile sensation of working with clay, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Upon completing these elements, I perceived the human figure as profoundly powerless. Imagining myself in that position, I felt an overwhelming fear, yet I would remain still, hesitant to move for fear of provoking the snakes. I began to engage in a dialogue with my craft. I wished to reassure the figure that she was safe, as it was merely a dream. Yet, this seemed ridiculous, as I fear images of snakes in real life despite knowing they aren’t real. This realisation reveals the limitations of reason and knowledge. We often strive to explain everything and seek rational solutions, yet irrational elements exist in the world. While we might view this as a weakness, I try to consider it as a strength, since our irrational thoughts can reveal truths that rationality may overlook. Then I started contemplating my perception of snakes. As other animals, like lions and tigers, can also harm humans, so why do I fear snakes in particular? Raised in Christian faith, I was taught that snakes are associated with sin and should be avoided. When I grew up, I learned that snakes can move unpredictably with their limbless bodies, while some even possess venom. Their prowess as predators left me feeling powerless. This sense of losing control likely contributes to my fear. I’ve noticed that nightmares related to snakes often arise during periods of stress, when I feel out of control. While I'm uncertain of the exact relationship, I suspect that my dreams may play a crucial role in unveiling hidden fears I struggle with. If I encounter this nightmare again, I predict I will be frightened, but I aim to partner with it in confronting my fear rather than viewing it as an adversary. It is notable that allowing our fears to illuminate the obscurity within us may transform our nightmares into opportunities for growth.