Accidents, injuries
Think about the last time you were injured...maybe you dropped something on your foot, or cut yourself while cooking, or "tripped." Maybe you were bitten by an insect on a nice day outdoors or came home with a sunburn... Did you know that all of these scenarios contain meaning, messages about our thoughts, feelings and behaviors?
In the DSSI training , students learn symbolism not only in dreams but also in everyday life situations. When analyzing an injury, illness or even an "accident", several factors must be taken into account. First, we can look broadly at the setting: the time and place, what our thoughts or emotions were at the time of the injury. Depending on whether you are injured at the office during the working day or while going out in the evening with friends, the interpretation will be different. Of course, we can always improve our safety in a concrete way, by improving certain standards at work for example or by equipping ourselves differently depending on the type of activity. However, even despite this, we can still understand the deep meaning of a wound, what information it brings us on a symbolic level.
A sports session... too intense?
Here is an example based on the testimony of an IRSS student , who recently injured his calf during a group martial arts class. Getting injured while exercising is linked to our will, to our dynamism. Because the injury occurred in a group context, it is related to how the student relates to others and exchanges in a group context. This differs from an injury during an individual activity, for example, which would instead indicate a tendency to push oneself individually.
Each part of the body also has its own symbolism. Some of these are probably known intuitively or can be understood, such as the throat's connection to communication, our hands representing how we give and receive, and the heart symbolizing the driving aspect of our life energy (the heart concretely ensuring the function of a pump) which can also be related to our way of loving. The Source Code dictionary is a fantastic resource for discovering the deeper meaning of signs and symbols . But even without this dictionary, if we don't know the meaning of something - in this case, a body part - it can be helpful to do some research online. We can then take what we have learned about its physical properties and apply it as a symbol, a state of consciousness existing within us.
The leg: our way of moving forward in life
The upper leg muscles are some of the largest and strongest in the body, so they are linked to power and strength in how we move forward. The calf, on the other hand, is about propulsion – it literally pushes us forward when we take a step. (This is the movement the student was doing when he tore his calf muscle). So while the legs generally represent how we move forward in action, the calves specifically represent our initial energy in that action. The calf muscles are also important for balance, posture and stability.
Even left and right have specific meanings: the left side is linked to the inner world and the right side to the outer world. In this case, it is the right leg that was injured, so it is a concrete, physical action, as opposed to a more figurative inner progression.
When the injury occurred, the students were standing in a circle - thus strengthening the bond with the group - around the teacher who had just explained a technique. She turned to our student to ask him to help her demonstrate. The student remembers that "at that moment, I launched myself towards her with enthusiasm - too much - and I hurt myself. I wanted to do a good job in the eyes of my teacher, with whom I have a very good relationship and whom I admire, but also in front of the other students."
Memories
Here we can understand the student a little better in terms of memories: the experiences, thoughts and emotions that he carries within him, even unconsciously. Part of his being was in contact with memories of seeking approval, feeling of belonging and needs for recognition. Sometimes this very strong need pushes the student to take action too impulsively and too energetically. This can destabilize its progress and, paradoxically, end up blocking it.
If we can think of injuries as messages about the parts of ourselves that we need to work on, then the severity of an injury suffered corresponds to the urgency and intensity of the memories stored within oneself. A simple scratch would indicate the existence of a slight percentage that the injured person needs to pay attention to, as a small reminder to recalibrate their energy and attitude. In this case, even though the injury could have been much more serious, the muscle tear handicapped the student enough for him to realize the need to take stock and see what needed to change.
The repair
Having to go through the gradual recovery process with acceptance and patience has brought to light other things to understand. “More than one of my training partners pointed out to me that my body insisted on resting,” the student admits. "And I'm someone who always wants to do 'whatever it takes'. Having to do things more slowly has also made me realize how often I rush."
Being injured can also, surprisingly, lead us to recognize or appreciate what we were not aware of before, because the accident leads to a "forced" internalization in comparison to the overly emitting movement which causes the injury. . The student had to rely heavily on his training partners immediately after his injury: "I felt very well supported... it brought me closer to this particular group," says the student. “It actually helped me understand that it’s okay to rely on others, and it also made me feel good to share my feelings of gratitude.”
Life in symbols... :)
The next time you find yourself with an injury, you may feel frustrated and say to yourself, “It’s just one of those things that happens”… But look further… Accept it as an opportunity to think about all aspects of what happened and the thoughts and feelings it brings up in you. Why has life created a limitation? Then you can work on transforming what is necessary to develop your qualities and improve yourself as a person, without dramatizing and doing your best internally and concretely...
