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twist is that often the villain will look
like a hero or vise versa. As we dreamers delve deeper into our dream characters,
we must remember this. Many characteristics are as subtle as rustling leaves
but when uncovered are as powerful as the strongest wind.
     
    With that in
mind, now would be a good time to bring up three very common dream characters
talked about in most dream therapies: the top dog, the underdog, and the saboteur.
In the movies we call them the protagonist, the antagonist, and the conflict.
The protagonist has a goal, and the antagonist has a goal that somehow
interferes with the protagonist, therefore creating friction that the
protagonist must overcome. The disparity that the protagonist must overcome is
called the conflict, or in the case of the Dreamplay, the saboteur.
     
    These three
characters appear in many dreams and take on many different forms. Movies are
rife with them, and so are our dreams. The underdog is usually some helpless
character that must fight the top dog to get what it wants. In the movie ET, ET
and Elliot must fight the government and time to get him home.
     
    In the
Dreamplay these characters are not always so easy to distinguish. Nor is the
top dog always the villain and the underdog always the good guy. Both seem to
have good qualities and bad qualities that make it somewhat necessary to look
carefully before deciding on who’s the good guy and who’s the bad guy. It is
through examining the characters that we will learn more about them and their
goals. The top dog can be recognized by the use of threats to get what he or
she wants, whereas the underdog tends to whine and take on the persona of
victim.
     
    The saboteur
can be a tricky character to recognize. It could be the top dog, the underdog,
or completely separate entity. Very often we may not even know that the
saboteur is even there. The best way to recognize the saboteur is to note if
there is anything in the dream that you are actively going after. If there is,
and something continues to prevent you from achieving your goal, then you have
probably been hit by the saboteur.
     
    There are many
questions you could ask regarding each character. The list I’ve provided is by
no means extensive. Perhaps you’ve discovered some that aren’t listed here.
Don’t be afraid to ask any question that comes to mind regarding your
characters. Even if the answer will make you uncomfortable, the answer is worth
knowing; especially when working with a dream that has brought up strong
emotions or has made a profound impression.
     
    Some possible
characterization questions to ask of your dream characters are listed below.
    ·          Who is the character
in real life?
    ·          Who is the character
in my dream?
    ·          What does the
character do in real life? (This is a little different than “what is the
character’s job.” This could mean certain habits or mannerisms. It could also
refer to the way he laughs or that she cries often. It could also be mannerisms,
which may make us laugh or frustrate us.)
    ·          What does the
character do in my dream? (Are they similar or dissimilar to the character that
we know in “real life”?)
    ·          What is the
character’s goal in the dream?
    ·          What are some of the
overt character traits?
    ·          What are some of the
subtle character traits?
    ·          When and how does
the character begin to reveal him or herself (or itself)?
    ·          Does the character
know that he or she is revealing him or herself?
    ·          Where is the
character when he or she (or it) reveals themselves?
    ·          Where is the
character in reference to me? (Is he beside me? Behind me? Facing me? Sneaking
up on me?)
    ·          Where does the
character fit in to the rest of the dream? (Is it a tornado on a sunny day?
Maybe it's a baby in the middle of a busy street.