About Me

Vocational Dreams as Doorways to the Self: 

Explore the Transformative power of Vocational Dreams in Jungian psychology, Spiritual development, and personal Growth

Vocational dreams are more than nighttime reflections—they are portals into the deeper dimensions of the psyche. These dreams connect us to archetypal layers of Being, offering glimpses into the Self, Nature, Cosmos, and soul. Whether you're a therapist, educator, or seeker on the path of individuation, vocational dreams can illuminate your calling and guide you toward wholeness. 

🔑 Unlocking the Self Through Vocational Dreams

Vocational dreams serve as symbolic doorways into the Self. They reveal hidden aspects of personality and point toward the path of individuation. These dreams do not prescribe a fixed destiny; rather, they offer intuitive hints about your unique vocation—your soul’s purpose in this moment. Dreams of vocation can:

• Reveal archetypal patterns and calling symbols
• Connect inner purpose with outer work
• Open subjective portals to transpersonal realities
• Chart pathways toward psychological and spiritual wholeness   

 🧭 Jung’s Dream of Philemon: A Case Study in Vocational Symbolism

In my 2020 book William James and C.G. Jung: Doorways to the Self, I explore Jung’s 1915 dream of Philemon—a winged figure holding four keys. This visionary image prefigured Jung’s future and symbolized access to four archetypal doorways. The motif of the four keys resonates deeply with vocational dreamwork. In Jungian psychology, the number four represents:

• Wholeness and integration
• The four functions of consciousness (Thinking, Feeling, Intuition, Sensation)
• The grounded ego in balance with the Self    
• A portal to the Higher Self   

📊 Can Vocational Dreams Be Measured?

Modern science often demands empirical proof. Yet vocational dreams resist quantification. Can we develop a qualitative concept of number to complement the quantitative concept of amount in mathematics? Is there a rhythmical order—a symbolic number sequence—that vocational dreams follow over time? Inspired by William James’s notion of “cash value,” we ask:

• Can vocational dreams be translated into real-world outcomes?
• Do they offer measurable guidance for career development?
• Can dream symbols be tracked to reveal patterns of transformation?
• How can vocational dreams be validated as transformers of energy?

🕊️ Meister Eckhart and the Key of Intuition

As Meister Eckhart wrote:
“Intuition, with the key of Peter, unlocks and goes in and finds God face to face.”

This theological insight affirms the spiritual dimension of vocational dreams. They are not merely psychological—they are sacred encounters with the divine mystery of calling.

📚 Book Publications by Steven Herrmann

Explore the published works of Steven Herrmann, Jungian educator and author, whose books span psychology, spirituality, poetic practice, and American visionary traditions.

🔍 Featured Titles (Newest First):

1. Murray Stein: Individuation, Transformation, and the Ways to the Self (2025). London: Routledge
2. Vocational Dreams: Calling Archetypes and Nuclear Symbols (2024). USA / Singapore: Strategic Books Publishing and Rights Co., LLC. 
3. Meister Eckhart and C.G. Jung: On the Vocation of the Self (2024). Bloomington, Indiana: iUniverse Publishing.
4. Swami Vivekananda and C.G. Jung: Yoga in the West (2022). USA / Singapore: Strategic Books Publishing and Rights Co., LLC.
5. William James and C.G. Jung: Doorways to the Self (2020). Oberlin, Ohio: Analytical Psychology Press.
6. Emily Dickinson: A Medicine Woman for Our Times (2018). Cheyenne, WY: Fisher King Press.
7. William Everson: The Shaman’s Call, Expanded Edition (2016). New York: Eloquent Books.
8. Spiritual Democracy: The Wisdom of Early American Visionaries for the Journey Forward (2015). Berkeley: North Atlantic Books (Sacred Activism Series), Foreword by John Beebe.
9. Walt Whitman: Shamanism, Spiritual Democracy, and the World Soul (2010)Durham: Eloquent Books.
10. William Everson: The Shaman’s Call (2009). New York: Eloquent Books 

(Book Ordering: see the links listed on My Blog page above).

🎤 Speaking Engagements & Workshops:

I’ve presented internationally on topics including vocational dreams, Jungian archetypes, and spiritual democracy. 

Highlights include:

• C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco
• IAAP-IAJS ETH Conference, Zürich
• IAAP-IAJS Conference, New Haven, Yale University
• Walt Whitman Initiative, New York
• Sofia University, Palo Alto
  

For speaking inquiries, contact me at (510) 531-2524.