 Most of what I have been speaking about when I discussed symbol and sign was about using this term of amplification. Andrew Samuel says, and I quote, Amplification involves use of mythic, historical and cultural parallels in order to clarify and make ample the metaphorical content of dream symbolism. Jung speaks of this as the psychological tissue in which the image is embedded. Amplification enables the dreamer to abandon a purely personal and individualistic attitude towards the dream image. It emphasizes a metaphorical, hence approximate, rather than a literal translation of dream content and prepares the dreamer to exercise choice. This is done by acknowledging what is most immediately relevant for the dreamer and then allowing for further understanding as a consequence of reflection. An additional possibility, though not one specifically formulated by Jung, is that by way of amplification one consciously experiences oneself within and is part of archetypal energies rather than as their object. End quote. So what this quote refers to is that we enlarge our personal and in my opinion vitally correct meaning of a dream using the process of amplification. So what we are actually doing in amplifying a symbol is focusing our attention on the archetypal image that the symbol is and going beyond our own associations to the same image. There is something greater to the symbol of the horse than simply saying it is the thing that threw me and caused me to break my arm. The first part of our work in interpreting a symbol was to develop personal associations to that symbol. The next phase is to develop the universal meaning of the symbol. But, and here is where we have to be careful, there is a serious danger in symbol amplification of becoming overly intellectual. The key here for me and one that I encourage in my analytical practice is to do the research required for the symbol amplification but to stay with the material that grips your attention. As soon as you find yourself reading about some arcane symbol meaning in some specific culture and you don't feel anything anymore for the symbol you know you've gone too far. This is especially so in amplifying your dream symbols. The symbols that you have in your dream are yours and are there for a very specific reason. So amplify only until you feel the symbol begins to lose some of its value or energy. Don't thrash a symbol to death in amplifying it. Just add something that really peaks your interest or has specific relevance to your dream or to your life. This is a very difficult thing to do as we are all used to overworking the meaning of symbols when we begin this process. A really important question is where can I get good material or good dictionaries to amplify a symbol? I'm going to mention a few good reference texts that you can get from your local library or bookstore. If you want details of these references please go to my website at www.yongyun.ca and click on the podcast link and on that page I have listed these references with their publishers and publication dates. Good dictionaries, so good symbol dictionaries are by Sirlo, Cooper, Herder and Biedermann. So again these are on the website. A good book on myths is the new LaRuce Encyclopedia of Mythology. Just be aware of what you're buying. Even though the symbol dictionaries I have mentioned are well researched, they are often written by one person which means that that person's psyche was radically influential in what was chosen to include in the symbol dictionary. I often think of Sirlo's dictionary of symbols as being just that, what Sirlo felt the meaning of symbols to be.