Every life is a journey. All are unique to the individual, but the journey my Dad undertook for greater self knowledge defies description in today’s world. My Father’s Dreams unfolds and documents the process he engaged in to increase his understanding through that personal journey. An anxiety attack experienced by Robert Allen in his early 30’s triggers a life-long journey to consider and study its causes, to understand its source and to document his journey to greater self-knowledge through writing. Without a clear road map, my Dad undertook an extensive study of Carl Jung’s writings and began to record and document his dreams. In the end, he recorded and analyzed hundreds of dreams. He did so to better understand his unconscious side through those dreams which are a powerful messenger from one’s unconscious. He recorded dreams over many years and worked to understand their particular meaning for his life. After a long period, he solved the mystery of the anxiety attack by interpreting a series of dreams. Religion was at the heart of his pain and discovery, but ironically also became the source of strength and contentment for him as he has moved through the second half of his life. With appreciation for the breadth of his experiences, my father committed to document them through essays, dream summaries and poetry. This book is the culmination of his work. In essays, he tells the story of his approach to the analysis he undertook to reveal the source of his anxiety as well as its outcome. In dream summations, he shares the intimate details of dreams he had over many years and through which he unlocks the key to the mystery of repressed memories that caused his anxiety. In poems, he gives life through the written word to his interior world of dreams. The final work yields an amazing story and documents a journey of self discovery that rivals any that a psychologist could share from working with a patient. Except, my dad completed it on his own and by himself!
