The Dream Book of Self-Knowledge
- with this symbol there is the need to distinguish between outer and inner freedom, the latter of which is much more important in terms of the unconscious since we then know how a highly respected free citizen is a slave to his dependencies and how a pitiful slave is an absolute master of his inner impulses.
- inner freedom: characterized by conscious living; inner prison is characterized by living "on autopilot"*44; see the Attentiveness archetype.
- and the path to it is symbolized by a cleansing and healing process in the mind in which the dreamer tries to escape blind passion, slavish dependency, attachment and greed.
- the path to inner freedom: this element entails the Hero archetype in its scenario.
- freeing a girl, woman (in the dreams of men): liberation of the emotional anima (rarely even the spiritual anima).
- freeing a princess (in the dreams of men): understanding of the spiritual anima from the perspective of the spiritual animus (usually a knight or prince).
