Bona, D. (1996). The Dreams of St. Francis of Assisi: a depth psychological study (Doctoral dissertation, Pacifica Graduate
Institute, 1996). UMI no. 3002400.
This study explores the dreams of St. Francis of Assisi from the
perspective of depth psychology. St. Francis's charismatic and simple
approach to life has transformed him into an archetype who speaks to all
who seek the path of spirituality and individuation. His dreams, and the
process that they reveal, speak not only of him but of us as well.
This study utilizes a hermeneutical investigation which suggests that
there is an archetypal basis underlying St. Francis's dreams. Particular
attention is given to the first two dreams of St. Francis, which have
come to be known as the dreams of conversion. Seeing them for the first
time through the lens of psychology can aid us in our understanding of
human nature while enhancing the study of both spirituality and
psychology.
This study situates St. Francis's dreams of
conversion within the historical and psychological context of dream
theory. The dream is defined and explained historically from the ancient
Greeks, through the Bible and the Early Church Fathers, to modern
theorists of dream interpretation, especially Freud, Jung, and Hillman.
Recent physiological dream research is presented to challenge and extend
the meaning of dream interpretation. Significant aspects of Francis's
life are presented as well as the socio-cultural milieu in which they
occurred. The primary early biographies which contained his dreams are
compared and explained. Special attention is given to interpreting St.
Francis's dreams using the approach developed by Carl Gustav Jung.
It is hoped that analysis of St. Francis's dreams will reveal
dimensions of his psychological process that will inspire and aid both
those who are spiritual seekers and those who guide them.
