Black and white dream theory.

The Color Questionnaire for Dreamwork

Developing The Color Questionnaire

In performing my investigation on color it became apparent to me that the Lusher test might provide an interesting tool for enhancing personal dreamwork. Because it seemed to correlate so well with the results from role-play, it could perhaps provide insight into the possible emotional associations with color recalled from dreams. I did not want it to be used as a color dictionary to interpret or even suggest that a dream color represents a certain emotional condition. I did, however, want to capture the emotional themes that the Luscher test associated with each color, and use those to trigger the dreamers own personal associations with an emotional situation in their lives that the dream might be dealing with.

I therefore restructured the Luscher statements so as to preserve the original emotional themes and wording as much as possible, but alter the wording from that of an interpretation to that of suggested emotional statements. The original Color Test provides both positive and negative statements regarding a color, depending on the order in which a color preference is chosen by the subject. Red for example can relate to energy as well as a need for energy depending on how it is chosen in the test. I accounted for this by providing both positive and negative themes in the questionnaire.

I also determined that the Luscher test did not adequately capture the symbolic essence of black and white and brown as Jung related it to the conscious and unconscious, so I refined the wording for those colors to add this avenue of self-exploration. I modified the table a bit from my own observations as it related to pastels. I found that the pastels (mixing with the “newness” of white) appear to relate to the new emergence of an emotion or the dreamers uncertainty or immaturity in dealing with that particular emotion that is represented by the base color.

The resultant “Color Questionnaire” is provided below for your personal dreamwork. Use the statements to stimulate associations with waking life situations that then can be further explored while working with the dream. It should NEVER be used as a “dictionary of color” to derive “meaning” for dream colors, it does not work that way. It is intended only to trigger emotional associations with your waking life situation that the dream might be dealing with. Follow the directions above the table.