spiral staircases

[BrightEye]

I have noticed that I have had a number of dream with spiral staircases or spiral patterns. One dream, long ago, showed me the universe shaped as a spiral. More recently, I these spiral staircase dreams. Any idea what this might mean? I have read about the 'Spiral Castle of Arianrod' in The White Goddess. It's a womb/tomb metaphor. The Pilgrim's Progress has a cover illustration that describes Christian's journey in the shape of a spiral.

 

[Milfoil]

Labyrinths and spirals tend to refer to the journey of life from the mundane to the spiritual.

 

[BrightEye]

That's how Jung describes them, too. Or as a journey into the self. Do you think it's an archetypal/transpersonal symbol?

 

[Milfoil]

I would personally interpret it so, a journey within so to speak.

 

[BrightEye]

I think going up or down the stairs is important, too. So if you are trying to go up the spiral staircase, or if smeone is leading you up there, would that mean connecting with your higher self? What is the higher self?

 

[Milfoil]

It could mean that your ascent to the spiritual you, the higher you is being achieved but by going round in circles. Likewise going down, you could be falling back into old ways or going down into your subconscious to discover yourself.

Spirals are also associated with DNA, the very structure of life and in the material realm, DNA could be thought of as the Akashic record of our lineage.

The higher self, well, who knows? To my limited understanding, it is a belief that our spirit aspect which resides in another realm is connected to us here. Our higher self is the highest aspect of ourself without all the limitations which we experience here. We can learn to access or ask help from our higher selves.