The Dream Book of Self-Knowledge
- maltreatment images are shown to the dreamer to express his inner motivations; he can then take the side of those maltreating and multiply his negative karma*26 or in identifying with the feelings of those being maltreated can repay his karma; only later, with sufficient compassion, can the dreamer understand the effect of the Law of Karma*34 and understand how those suffering repay their debt from the distant past and how the tyrant creates karma that he will someday experience just as painfully.
- can also be part of the dreamer's past lives (see Past and Future Visions archetype).
- others: a very negative act since the dreamer harms in the name of his desire, and will someday have to bear the consequences of his acts, just as Christ said: "Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny." (Matthew 5:26)
- oneself: see Masochism.
- seeing how others maltreat or feel the consequences of maltreatment: it is best to learn from the example of others how pain, fear and greed keep people in ignorance; see Sadism.
- by slandering: see Gossiping, gossip.
- horses: symbolizes a disruption of the smooth transition from the instinctual to the emotional since only a friendly relationship with a horse inexorably leads the dreamer to a full emotional life.
- a mother harms the dreamer (even unintentionally): the dreamer is set before the dark face of the image of his own mother, who mainly represents instinctual personifications, while emotional personifications remain unaffected by the mother's negative acts; the unconscious is using this image to show the necessary path from the instinctual to the emotional.
- a father harms the dreamer (even unintentionally): the dreamer is set before the dark face of the image of his own father, who mainly represents instinctual personifications, while emotional personifications remain unaffected by the father's negative acts; the unconscious is using this image to show the necessary path from the instinctual to the emotional.
