The Element Encyclopedia of 20,000 Dreams: The Ultimate A–Z to Interpret the Secrets of Your Dreams
Theresa Cheung
Unlock the secrets of your dreamlife with the latest in the hugely popular series of ‘Element Encyclopedias’. This is the most comprehensive A–Z reference book on dream interpretation you'll ever find.Have you ever wondered what your dreams are trying to tell you?Sixth in the series of ‘Element Encyclopedias’, this is the definitive guide to dream interpretation. Packed with fascinating information, The Element Encyclopedia of 20,000 Dreams is an extensive collection of the symbols that appear in your dreams and how to interpret what they mean for you.Dreams are universal and every culture throughout history has tried to unlock the secrets of the unconscious mind through the interpretation of dreams. Understanding the unique meanings of dream symbols can help in the way you experience your waking everyday lives and even foretell the future.Divided into easy-to-follow A–Z themed sections, from Animals, Conflict and Foreign Countries, to Monsters, Sex and Weather, this book holds compelling definitions of thousands of dream symbols that can also be found in the quick-reference Dream Directory at the back of the book.Find out about the variety of dream types – such as cathartic, lucid and precognitive dreams – plus dreams in history and folklore. Discover different traditions of dream interpretation and dream theorists – for example, analytical psychologist Carl Jung thought that cats in dreams represent the secretive side of a person's nature, and they can also denote a desire for sex or a warning of hidden dangers.Whatever your dream symbol or experience, you'll find an amazing treasure trove of interpretations here in The Element Encyclopedia of 20,000 Dreams.
The Element Encyclopedia of 20,000 Dreams
Theresa Cheung
the ultimate A-Z to interpret the secrets of your dreams
Table of Contents
Cover Page (#u1e1fa892-c9cc-53b5-bee3-dacfec19b2d0)
Title Page (#u4777050f-ac3a-5df9-9400-6348eec49d49)
PREFACE (#u3825a9e4-c00f-53ba-b0e3-ab06e8b03e57)
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK (#u1895dc65-4356-58f9-9379-156f6f42d80e)
INTRODUCTION (#u02f1a6fd-85fe-5fc9-83b7-d029883973d2)
THE DREAMS (#uf5cfe7ff-3156-51a1-9ed3-1c27e9ed9386)
ACCIDENTS, ACTION AND ADVENTURES (#u454cd1c3-7f1f-5ce9-96a1-a56fb82ac641)
AMBITION AND SUCCESS (#u715b0160-10eb-55c4-9406-92ce035b637d)
ANIMALS (#u2dae31fc-4f56-5a31-b285-88ee52f75249)
ARCHETYPES (#u2dbdaf28-b9b4-5991-aa42-f137c062a3f3)
ARTS AND CRAFTS (#uaf2fbc2c-c9e3-5f94-bfa4-e9b04a7e8414)
BAD DEEDS (#u50983560-a0f0-5fdf-b0ce-a00a2b7e346f)
BIRDS (#u9736868b-33ca-59bb-a841-b65aaa86ec7f)
BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD (#uf054c510-9338-5d18-997f-02a7312244bf)
BODY (#u0f339780-b4be-52ec-b9e9-01c1b7969d97)
BUILDINGS (#u452824a3-08ed-54cb-9e30-cc26d75e5b60)
CHANGE AND CONFLICT (#u09f9aa74-9098-59dc-95ce-47a20300268b)
CLOTHES AND IMAGE (#u55d9f521-1584-5b32-9357-067ebf19b122)
COLORS (#litres_trial_promo)
CRYSTALS, GEMSTONES AND ROCKS (#litres_trial_promo)
DISASTERS (#litres_trial_promo)
ELEMENTS (#litres_trial_promo)
EVERYDAY THINGS (#litres_trial_promo)
FAMILY (#litres_trial_promo)
FAMOUS PEOPLE (#litres_trial_promo)
FLOWERS (#litres_trial_promo)
FOOD AND DRINK (#litres_trial_promo)
FOREIGN COUNTRIES (#litres_trial_promo)
GATHERINGS (#litres_trial_promo)
GOOD DEEDS (#litres_trial_promo)
HOME (#litres_trial_promo)
INSECTS AND ARACHNIDS (#litres_trial_promo)
LEISURE (#litres_trial_promo)
LETTERS AND COMMUNICATION (#litres_trial_promo)
LOSS AND FRUSTRATION (#litres_trial_promo)
MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY (#litres_trial_promo)
MIND, BODY, SPIRIT (#litres_trial_promo)
MONEY AND SHOPPING (#litres_trial_promo)
NATURE AND THE SEASONS (#litres_trial_promo)
NEGATIVE EMOTIONS (#litres_trial_promo)
NIGHTMARES (#litres_trial_promo)
NUMBERS (#litres_trial_promo)
PEOPLE (#litres_trial_promo)
PETS (#litres_trial_promo)
PLACES (#litres_trial_promo)
POSITIVE EMOTIONS (#litres_trial_promo)
PUZZLES, MYSTERIES AND DIFFICULTIES (#litres_trial_promo)
RELATIONSHIPS (#litres_trial_promo)
RELIGION (#litres_trial_promo)
REPTILES, FISH AND AMPHIBIANS (#litres_trial_promo)
SCHOOL AND WORK (#litres_trial_promo)
SENSES (#litres_trial_promo)
SEX (#litres_trial_promo)
SHAPES (#litres_trial_promo)
SICKNESS AND HEALTH (#litres_trial_promo)
SOUNDS (#litres_trial_promo)
SPACE AND SCIENCE (#litres_trial_promo)
SPIRITS AND GHOSTS (#litres_trial_promo)
STAGES OF LIFE (#litres_trial_promo)
SURREALISM AND FANTASY (#litres_trial_promo)
SYMBOLS (#litres_trial_promo)
TIME (#litres_trial_promo)
TRAVEL (#litres_trial_promo)
TREES (#litres_trial_promo)
VEGETABLES AND FRUIT (#litres_trial_promo)
WEATHER (#litres_trial_promo)
Index (#litres_trial_promo)
Acknowledgments (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
PREFACE (#ulink_681763c1-afe4-548e-94dc-dd322571ac94)
‘What if you slept, and what if in your sleep you dreamed, and what if in your dream you went to heaven and there plucked a strange and beautiful flower, and what if when you awoke you had the flower in your hand? Ah, what then?’
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
A dream can sometimes feel incredibly real—as if the sensations experienced are actually happening—but then as we wake up to everyday reality we cannot make sense of anything and wonder what it all meant.
Most dream analysts believe that dreams are not meaningless but littered with messages from our unconscious. They are inner communications that, if heeded, have the potential to set us on the road to a richer, more fulfilling path in waking life. Sadly, many of us forget our dreams upon waking and this is a great loss. According to the Talmud: ‘A dream which is not interpreted is like a letter which is not read.’
If we are to remember, understand and work with the messages from our unconscious minds, we first need to learn how to interpret them. The Element Encyclopedia of 20,000 Dreams is an illuminating and comprehensive exploration of the symbols that appear in our dreamscape, and a rich source of information to help you unlock the messages, possibilities, richness and wisdom of your dream world. Use it to find out the fascinating things your dreams are trying to tell you!
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK (#ulink_6cf6e4e1-e1d5-55e2-9977-87ff08d550d5)
The Element Encyclopedia of 20,000 Dreams is arranged in three parts: the Introduction, the main section covering the Dreams themselves, and the Dream Directory.
The Introduction discusses the hows, whats and whys of sleep and dreams, the complexities of dream interpretation and what you need to know about unlocking the meaning of your dreams.
The Dreams is the main section of the book. Dream messages can be difficult to decipher until you have learned their secret language; this section will give you the key to your unconscious mind’s wealth. The entries are arranged in sixty thematic chapters, beginning with ACCIDENTS, ACTION AND ADVENTURES and finishing with WEATHER, and cover approximately 20,000 different dreams. Each chapter begins with a short introduction that talks about the kind of dreams covered in the section. The dream entries that follow are arranged in thematic order and you’ll also find cross references to relevant dream entries elsewhere in the book. Some chapters also contain an ‘A to Z’ of relevant dream objects and situations. You can dip into this massive resource to gain insight into a specific dream you may have had; for example, if you dreamt about a horse you can look for it in the chapter devoted to the theme of animals. Here you will be able to read about specific horse dreams, but at the same time you can cast your eye on entries covering similar or related animal topics which may throw light on your particular dream.
For ease of reference you may prefer to first turn to part three of the book: The Dream Directory. This lists every dream entry in the book in alphabetical order, so it is simple to look up specific dreams; it also functions as a cross-reference to other relevant entries.
INTRODUCTION (#ulink_f7a75bbc-0265-5e6c-8ccf-a9d447294cf5)
‘I dream, therefore I exist.’
J. August Strindberg
Dreams. They tantalize us with their mystery. What are they? Why do we have them? Where do they come from? What do they mean? Are they a preview of things to come or glimpses of the past? Are they a vital link to our inner world; a gift from our intuition? Can dreams lead us to important insights in our waking life, and help us decide which action to take and which path to follow?
The Hows, Whys and Whats of Sleep and Dreams
‘Sleep is the balm for hurt minds, nature’s great second course.’ William Shakespeare
Sleep is absolutely crucial for our physical, mental and emotional health and well-being. It is during sleep that we abandon conscious control of our physical body and the unconscious mind is allowed to roam free, giving rise to dreams.
Although we now know a lot more about dreams, their real purpose isn’t yet fully understood. It wasn’t until we approached the middle of the twentieth century, with the first electronic monitoring of the brain, that we began to get a clearer idea of the nocturnal adventures of the mind. For centuries it was thought that the purpose of sleep was to rest the body and the mind, but this reasoning was disproved when it was shown that both the body and mind are active during sleep. If sleep doesn’t rest the body or mind, then what is it for?
Sleep researchers may not yet have discovered the exact reason for sleep or dreams but they have discovered some fascinating things. For example, it seems that when we are asleep our brains are a bit like computers that are offline. This means they are not idle but are filing and updating the day’s activities. They take stock of your body and release a growth hormone to repair damaged tissues and stimulate growth, while the immune system gets to work on attacking any viral or bacterial infections that may be present. Some experts believe the brain also jettisons trivial information during sleep to prevent it becoming overburdened with unimportant information, but this explanation is perhaps too simplistic, as no memory can be totally eradicated.
The advent of space travel gave scientists the opportunity to prove that resting the body was not the main function of sleep. What they found instead was that prolonged periods of isolation decreased the need for sleep. In other words, the fewer stimuli received from people or external contacts during the day, the less sleep was required. It seems we have a sleep control center at the base of our brain linked with activity during wakefulness. When that gets overloaded we get tired, but if there have not been enough stimuli from the outside world, the sleep mechanism isn’t triggered. It seems, therefore, that boredom and lack of stimuli may account for many cases of insomnia. (Paradoxically, overstimulation also produces insomnia.)
The Four Stages of Sleep
‘Yet it is in our idleness, in our dreams, that the submerged truth sometimes comes to the top.’ Virginia Woolf
Perhaps the best way to understand sleep and dreams is to understand the brain. At the very start of the twentieth century it was found that the brain gave off electrical impulses, and by the 1920s scientists could measure brain waves. To obtain these readings, electrodes were attached to various parts of the head, the impulses being transformed onto electroencephalograms (EECs) on computer screens.
It seems that once you settle down to bed, your brain and body undergo radical changes from their waking state. The difference between being asleep and being awake is loss of conscious awareness, and once you start to doze, dream researchers believe you progress through four stages of sleep. These form the basis of a cycle that repeats up to four or five times every eight hours of sleep.
During the first stage, your body and mind become relaxed. Heart and breathing rate slow down, blood pressure lowers, body temperature drops slightly and eyes roll from side to side. You are neither fully conscious, nor fully unconscious, and could easily awake if disturbed. This stage of gradually falling asleep is also called the hypnagogic state (the hypnopompic state is a similar state when you are just waking up) and you may experience hallucinations that float before your eyes.
In stage two, breathing and heart rate become even slower, eyes continue to roll and you become more and more unaware of the noises of the outside world. It isn’t until the third stage of sleep, however, that you are sleeping soundly and it would be difficult to wake you. Finally, you enter a deep sleep state known as non-rapid eye movement (NREM) when your brain is released from the demands of the conscious mind. It will now be quite hard to wake you and, although you may sleepwalk or have night terrors, you will rarely be able to remember them. This slow-wave sleep cycle lasts about ninety minutes. At the end of stage four, you move back through stages three and two and one, at which point you enter a phase called rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep.
REM Sleep
REM sleep is recognized by tiny twitches of facial muscles and slight movements of the hands. Blood pressure rises, breathing and heartbeat become faster, eyes dart rapidly around the eyelids under closed eyelids as if looking at a moving object and, if you are a man, you may have an erection. Researchers have discovered that when sleepers are awakened during REM sleep they typically say they have been dreaming. (You may also feel temporarily paralyzed if awakened during this stage, as if something malevolent is pressing down on you; this phenomenon can explain the supposed succubus, incubus and alien abduction experiences.)
Most of the dreams you remember occur during the REM stage when the brain is fully active. After about ten minutes of REM you enter stages two, three and four again, and keep moving backwards and forwards through the sleep cycle. As the cycle continues, however, the REM phase gets longer and longer with the longest phase being around thirty to forty-five minutes. Of all your dreams during all the stages of REM and NREM (it has recently been discovered that we can dream then too), the final REM stages are the ones you are most likely to remember.
How much sleep do we need?
We spend approximately one third of our life asleep. This means that by the time we reach the age of ninety 1 we have been asleep approximately thirty years. The exact amount of sleep each person needs depends on many factors, including age and activity levels during the day. Babies sleep for about fourteen hours a day, whilst teenagers need about nine hours on average. For most adults occupied physically and mentally during the day, eight hours a night appears to be the average amount of sleep needed, although some people may need as few as five, or as many as ten hours, of sleep each day. Older people tend to need around six hours sleep a night.
Because sleeping and dreaming are so crucial, your brain may sometimes demand the sleep it needs so that you don’t get into mental or physical overload. That’s why you may sometimes drop off for no apparent reason when you’re traveling by car or train, or watching TV.
Research on sleep-deprived animals shows that sleep is necessary for survival. For example, whilst rats normally live for two to three years, those deprived of REM sleep survive only about five weeks on average, and rats deprived of all sleep stages live only about three weeks. Other studies have shown that subjects repeatedly awoken during REM—which means they were deprived of dreams—become anxious, bad tempered and irritable. This suggests that sleep is vital for physical rest and repair, and REM sleep, when we are most likely to dream, is essential for our emotional well-being. Therefore, although we still aren’t sure about the whys, whats and hows of sleep and dreams, it’s possible to conclude that the reason we sleep is to dream.
A Brief History of Dream Interpretation
‘Now Allah has created the dream not only as a means of guidance and instruction, I refer to the dream, but he has made it a window on the World of the Unseen.’ Mohammed, the Prophet
Ancient art and literature are crowded with references to dreams. For thousands of years dreams have been credited with supernatural or prophetic significance by the majority of the world’s spiritual traditions. The Bible, for instance, makes it clear that dreams are divine messages and this explanation for dreams was shared by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, all of whom also believed that dreams had healing powers.
Certain cultures, such as the Australian Aborigines and many African and Native American tribes, have always believed dreaming to be a way in which an individual can enter into the collective spirit memory. To this day, dream pooling plays an important role in those societies where tribal members gather together for the purpose of interpreting dreams. Another view is held by the Inuit of Hudson Bay in Canada, who believe that when a person falls asleep and dreams, their soul goes wandering.
The Egyptians are thought to have been the first to develop a system of contrary dream interpretation; a positive dream, for example, predicts misfortune and a nightmare predicts an improvement in waking fortunes. They produced the earliest known dream dictionary, written approximately 4,000 years ago. Now called the Chester Beatty Papyrus, it came from Thebes in Egypt and is kept in the British Museum.
It was the ancient Greeks, however, who first proposed the theory that dreams were not from some external, divine source but internal communications, or the divine spark within. Plato (427-347 BC) suggested that dreams were expressions of a person’s hidden desires, whilst his pupil Aristotle (384-322 BC) speculated that dreams shared similar themes and were not divine oracles but coincidences. It was the ‘father of medicine’ Hippocrates (460-377 BC) who proposed that dream symbols reflect the state of the dreamer’s body—for example, fire denoted indigestion—and should be regarded as valuable diagnostic tools.
The first fully-fledged dream researcher to focus on dream symbols and dream themes was a Roman living in Greek Asia Minor called Artemidorus (AD 138-180), who wrote a book about dream interpretation that is still in print. As far as Artemidorus was concerned, dream symbols had certain meanings but the most important aspect of dream interpretation was the symbols’ personal significance to the dreamer, along with the dreamer’s personal circumstances.
In much of Europe, even though the early Christians respected dreams for their spiritual significance, the repressive control of the Roman Catholic Church put a stop to any attempts at dream interpretation. By the fifteenth century, dreams were regarded as no longer significant or important. Even a century or so later, Shakespeare called them ‘children of the idle brain’. This school of thought persisted into the eighteenth century, when dreams were still thought to be meaningless.
In the early nineteenth century, when the restrictive influence of the Church began to wane and members of the German Romantic movement—in their quest for spontaneous expression—rediscovered the potential of dreams, a revival of interest in dream interpretation began to trickle into the mainstream with the publication of popular dream dictionaries such as Raphael’s Royal Book of Dreams (1830). The stage was now set for Freud and Jung; two men who continue to have the greatest impact on the way we interpret dreams today.
The Freud and Jung Revolution
‘Dreams are often most profound when they seem the most crazy.’ Sigmund Freud
Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud (1858-1939) opened the door to the scientific study of dreams with his book, The Interpretation of Dreams (1900). In a relatively prudish age, he caused general outrage with his controversial theory that dreams are wish-fulfillment fantasies that have their origins in our infantile urges, in particular our sexual desires.
Freud believed that the human mind is made up of the id, the primitive or unconscious mind; the ego, the conscious mind which regulates the id’s antisocial instincts with a self-defense mechanism, and the superego, which is the consciousness that in turn supervises and modifies the ego. According to Freud, the id is controlled by the pleasure principle (the urge to gratify its needs) and the instinct that the ego finds hardest to manage is the sexual drive first awakened in childhood. The id comes to prominence in dreams, when it expresses in symbolic language the urges repressed when we are awake. Symbols are used, because if these drives were expressed literally, the ego would be shocked into waking up. To successfully interpret a dream the symbols need to be uncovered and their true meaning discovered. The way that Freud suggested doing this was a technique called ‘free association’ or spontaneously expressing the responses that immediately spring to mind when certain words relating to the dream are put forward. The aim is to limit interference from the ego to discover the dreamer’s unconscious instincts.
Swiss analytical psychologist Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1965), although an initial supporter of Freud’s ideas, could never fully agree with them. He felt there was far more to dreams than hidden sexual frustration and put forward the theory of the ‘collective unconscious’: a storehouse of inherited patterns of experiences and instincts common to humans and expressed in dreams in universal symbols, which he called ‘archetypes’. According to Jungian theory, the psyche is made up of the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious, and when a symbol appears in a dream, it is important to decide whether it relates to us personally or is an archetype. The way Jung suggested we do this is by a technique called ‘direct association’, i.e. concentrating only on the dream symbol when you think about the qualities associated with it.
Jung speculated that the unconscious mind projected dream symbols in an attempt to bring the conscious and unconscious mind into a state of balance he called ‘individuation’. According to his theory, the only way the unconscious mind can express itself fully is in dreams, so it will flood our dreams with symbolic messages that reflect our current progress in waking life. These messages can bring comfort and guidance, or bring repressed urges to the fore, but their aim is the same—to lead to our fulfillment. However, before we can benefit from such intuitive wisdom, we first of all need to understand the language of symbols.
Other Important Dream Theorists
Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler (1870-1937) suggested that dreams are all about wish-fulfillment because they allow the dreamer to have skills and powers denied to him or her in waking life. According to Adler, ‘the purpose of dreams must be in the feelings they arouse.’
Gestalt psychologist Fritz Perls (1893-1970) believed that dreams project hidden aspects of our personalities and the best way to interpret them is to use a non-interpretative interviewing technique. In other words, you ask your dream character or object what they are trying to say. Then you try to adopt the dream’s mindset and answer the questions.
Australian dream expert Gayle Delaney suggests using an interviewing technique that addresses questions such as ‘how did the dream make you feel?’ or ‘how can you connect your dream with your waking life?’
Some dream theorists believe dreams deal with problems we can’t solve in waking life and offer solutions. Looking at them in the light of waking day, and believing them to be full of insight, we may sometimes come up with new ideas or insights while studying and interpreting them.
Thanks to the work of Jung and Freud and other influential dream theorists, dream interpretation is now accessible to everyone. It’s as popular today as it has ever been, with people from all walks of life using dreams as unique and personal sources of guidance and inspiration, or as tools for change, growth and personal development. As we’ve seen, there are many approaches to the study and interpretation of dreams and you’ll find a fusion of all of these in this book.
Famous dreams
Through the centuries, the dreaming mind has been credited with being the source of ideas, insights, revelations and guidance, some of which have changed the course of history. Here are just a few well-known examples:
Julius Caesar’s decision to cross the Rubicon is attributed to a dream in which he saw himself in bed with his mother (Mother Rome, the seers told him). His assassination was foretold in his wife’s Calpurnia’s dream. ‘She held him in her arms, bleeding and stabbed.’ Another Caesar, Caesar Augustus, is said to have walked the streets as a beggar because of instructions he received in a dream.
St Francis of Assisi founded the Franciscan Order because of a dream in which Jesus Christ spoke from the cross, telling him to ‘go set my house in order’.
Dante relates that the whole story of The Divine Comedy was revealed to him in a dream on Good Friday in 1300. When he died in 1321, part of the manuscript was lost. His son Jocojso found the manuscript after a dream in which his father showed him where to look.
Genghis Khan is reported to have received his battle plans from his dreams. He is also reported to have been told in a dream that he was a chosen one.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s famous poem, ‘Kubla Khan’, was written upon awakening from an opium-affected dream.
Robert Louis Stephenson believed that his best stories came from his dreams. He reported that the theme for Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was derived from a dream. He also reported other breakthroughs in his writing that came from his dreams. He suffered as a child from nightmares and learned to control his dreams to change the nightmares. He said he used his dreams to revise plays and stories while asleep.
Abraham Lincoln dreamt, days before his assassination, of great cries coming from the East Wing of the White House. When he investigated, he was told by soldiers on guard that they weeping for the president who had been assassinated. Days later, his body was held in state in the East Wing so people could pay their last respects.
Friedrich August Kekulé von Stradonitz was a chemist working on the chemical structure of benzene. He reported that he got fed up with his data, which made no sense interpreted as a ‘long string’ molecule. He was dozing in his comfy chair when he was startled by the image of a snake biting its own tail. He woke and worked out the mathematics of the benzene molecule as a ring rather than a long string.
Guiseppe Tartini (Italian violinist and composer) composed one of his greatest works, ‘The Devil’s Trill’, as a result of a dream he had in 1713. In the dream, he handed his violin to the devil himself, who began to ‘play with consummate skill a sonata of such exquisite beauty as surpassed the boldest flights of my imagination. I felt enraptured, transported, enchanted; my breath was taken away, and I awoke. Seizing my violin I tried to retain the sounds I had heard. But it was in vain. The piece I then composed…was the best I ever wrote, but how far below the one I heard in my dream!’
Elias Howe, the inventor of the sewing machine, wrote that he got the core idea, the breakthrough concept, from a dream. It was a nightmare. He had been captured by cannibals. They were preparing to cook him and they were dancing around the fire waving their spears. Howe noticed at the head of each spear there was a small hole through the shaft, and the up and down motion of the spears and the hole remained with him when he woke. The idea of passing the thread through the needle close to the point, not at the other end, was a major innovation in making mechanical sewing possible.
Niels Bohr reported that he developed the model of the atom based on a dream of sitting on the sun with all the planets hissing around on tiny cords.
Paul McCartney heard a haunting melody in one of his dreams, confirmed that none of the Beatles had heard it before, and wrote it down. It became the tune for the famous song, ‘Yesterday’.
Dream Types
‘I can never decide whether my dreams are a result of my thoughts, or my thoughts the result of my dreams. It is very queer. But my dreams make conclusions for me. They decide things finally. I dream a decision.’ D. H. Lawrence
Just as there are different types of music—classical, rock, jazz—there are different kinds of dreams. Although different types of dream can blend and merge, modern dream researchers tend to break dream types into the following categories:
AMPLIFYING DREAMS
These can exaggerate certain situations or life attitudes in order to point them out sharply for the dreamer. For example, someone who is very shy may dream that they have become invisible.
ANTICIPATING DREAMS
These are dreams that may alert us to possible outcomes in situations in our waking life; for example, passing or failing an exam.
CATHARTIC DREAMS
Such dreams evoke extremely emotional reactions, when the unconscious is urging us to relieve pent-up feelings we may feel unable to express in waking life. For example, you may find yourself bursting into tears on a packed commuter train in your dreams, or you might punch your irritating neighbor or tell your boss exactly what you think of him or her.
Daydreaming
There is a big difference between daydreaming and dreams when you are sleeping, even though the physical state we enter when we daydream has much in common with the relaxed state we assume during sleep. However, when you are daydreaming, you are not actually asleep. When you are asleep, your defense mechanisms are down and you are psychologically more vulnerable. In other words, we shed the masks we wear in public. Therefore what is expressed in night dreaming is probably a better representation of whom we are, not just our waking hopes and fears. Feelings and thoughts we might be unwilling to acknowledge in waking life often surface boldly in dreams. Night dreams also speak to us in the powerful language of symbols, whereas the language of daydreams tends to be more tangible, reflecting events that have a clearer reality to them.
CONTRARY OR COMPENSATORY DREAMS
In these types of dreams, the unconscious places the dreaming self in a totally different situation to the one we find ourselves in waking life. For example, if your day has been filled with unhappiness and stress due to the death of a loved one or the end of a relationship, you may dream of yourself spending a carefree, happy day by the seaside. Your unconscious may also give you personality traits that you haven’t expressed in waking life. For example, if you hate being the center of attention you may dream about being a celebrity. Such dreams are thought to provide necessary balance and may also be suggesting to you that you try incorporating some of the characteristics that your dream underlined in your waking life.
DAILY PROCESSING DREAMS
Also known as factual dreams, daily processing dreams are dreams in which you go over and over things that happened during the day, especially those that were repetitive or forced you to concentrate for long periods; dreaming about a long journey or a tough work assignment, for example. These kinds of dreams don’t tend to be laden with meaning, and most dream theorists think of them as bits and pieces of information your brain is processing.
DREAMS OF CHILDHOOD
Dreaming about your childhood may reflect a childhood dynamic which hasn’t been worked out yet and requires a resolution.
FALSE AWAKENING
It is thought that many reported sightings of ghosts are caused by false awakening, which occurs when you are actually asleep but are convinced in your dream state that you are awake. This is the kind of vivid dream in which you wake up convinced that what happened in your dream really happened.
INCUBATED DREAMS
This is when you set your conscious mind on experiencing a particular kind of dream. For example, you may incubate a dream of a loved one by concentrating on visualizing your loved one’s face before you sleep, or you may ask for a dream to answer your problems immediately before going to sleep. The theory is that your unconscious responds to the suggestion.
INSPIRATIONAL DREAMS
Many great works of art, music, literature have allegedly been inspired by dreams, when the unconscious brings a creative idea to the fore. For example, English poet and artist William Blake said that his work was inspired by the visions in his dreams. One night in 1816, Mary Shelley, her husband and a group of friends were challenged to write a ghost story. That night Mary Shelley dreamed of a creature that would later become the monster created by Dr Frankenstein in her yet-to-be-written novel.
LUCID DREAMS
These occur when you become aware that you are dreaming when you are dreaming. It takes time and practice to stop yourself waking up, but it is possible to learn how to become a lucid dreamer and control the course of your dreams.
MUTUAL DREAMS
When two people dream the same dream. Such dreams can be spontaneous or incubated, when two people who are close decide on a dream location together and imagine themselves meeting up before going to sleep.
NIGHTMARES
Dreams that terrify us or cause distress in some way by waking us up before the situation has resolved. Nightmares occur during REM sleep and typically arise when a person is feeling anxious or helpless in waking life. Once the dreamer has recognized what is triggering this kind of dream, and worked through any unresolved fears and anxieties, nightmares tend to cease.
NIGHT TERRORS
These are similar to nightmares, but because they occur in deep sleep (stage four) we rarely remember what terrified us, although we may be left with a lingering feeling of unexplained dread.
OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCES
Also known as astral travel or projection, out-of-body experiences are thought to occur at times of physical and emotional trauma. Researchers tend to dismiss the idea but those that experience such dreams say that their mind, consciousness or spirit leaves their body and travels through time and space.
PAST-LIFE DREAMS
If you dream of being in a historical setting some believe this is evidence of past-life recall, although most dream theorists dismiss the existence of past-life or far-memory dreams, or genetic dreams when you assume the identity of an ancestor.
PHYSIOLOGICAL DREAMS
These dreams reflect the state of your body, so, for example, if you have an upset stomach, you may dream that you are being violently sick. These dreams may highlight the progress of serious physical conditions or in some cases predict the onset of them.
PRECOGNITIVE DREAMS
Most dream researchers dismiss these dreams but precognitive dreams are thought to predict real-life events of which the dreamer has no conscious awareness. These dreams tend to happen to people with psychic abilities. They are extremely rare but there have been many instances when people claim to have dreamt of things before they happened. For example, many people reported dreaming about 9/11 before it occurred. Other people tell of cancelling trains or flights because of a foreboding dream. There are also reports of people who dreamt the winning numbers of the lottery.
PROBLEM-SOLVING DREAMS
These occur when you have gone to bed mulling over a problem and found the answer in your dreams. This could be because your unconscious has already solved the dream and sleeping on it gives your unconscious a chance to express itself. Many famous inventions were allegedly prompted by a dream. For example, Scottish engineer and inventor of the steam engine James Watt (1736-1819) dreamed of molten metal falling from the sky in the shape of balls. This dream gave him the idea for drop cooling and ball-bearings. The model of the atom, the M9 analogue computer, the isolation of insulin in the treatment of diabetes, and, as we have seen, the sewing machine, were also ideas that sprung from inspiration in dreams.
PSYCHOLOGICAL DREAMS
These are dreams that bring things we would rather not think about to our attention. They make us face an aspect of ourselves or our life that might be hindering our progress. They are often about our fears, anxieties, resentment, guilt and insecurities. For example, if you dream of yourself running around and around on the wheel of a cage unable to stop, this could suggest that in your waking life you are taking on too much and not giving yourself enough time to relax.
RECURRING DREAMS
Dreams that reoccur typically happen when the dreamer is worried about a situation that isn’t resolving itself in waking life. When the trigger in waking life is dealt with the dreams usually end. Recurring dreams can also occur when a person is suffering from some kind of phobia or trauma that has been repressed or not resolved. If this is the case the unconscious is urging the dreamer to consciously receive and acknowledge the issue and deal with it.
SEXUAL DREAMS
In dreams, sex can reflect the archetypal pattern which underlies the waking sex life or may represent a hoped-for reunion with another part of ourselves into a whole.
TELEPATHIC DREAMS
This is the kind of dream when someone you know appears in your dream in acute distress and you later learn that that person was experiencing a real-life crisis at the time, such as extreme unhappiness, an accident or even death. It is thought that telepathic dreams are a meeting of minds between two people who are close to each other emotionally.
VIGILANT DREAMS
These are processing dreams that involve your senses. For example, if your mobile rings or a picture falls to the ground while you are asleep, the sound may be incorporated into your dream but appear as something else, such as a police siren or a broken window. The smell of flowers in your room may also become a garden scene in your dreams.
WISH-FULFILLMENT DREAMS
These are the kind of dreams in which we quite literally live the dream; we might win the lottery, date a celebrity, ooze charisma or simply go on a long holiday. In these kinds of dreams our unconscious is trying to compensate for disappointment or dissatisfaction with our current circumstances in waking life.
Walking and talking in your sleep
Sleepwalking or moving is an attempt to put a dream into action. Most likely you have grown out of the habit, if you ever had it, but if an occasion arises which is very stressful, we may, like Lady Macbeth, re-enact the nightmare in this way. Talking in your sleep is similar in cause to sleep movement. It is an attempt to carry a dream on verbally. You are more likely to walk or talk or move in your sleep when you are under mental pressure. Most of the time this is totally harmless but some sleepwalkers and talkers can put themselves in real danger. Precautions should therefore be taken. Make sure windows are closed and, if stairs are a hazard, doors locked. If you’re really worried about your sleepwalking, seek advice from your doctor and if someone you know is sleepwalking don’t try to wake them—just guide them quietly and gently back to bed.
Interpreting Your Dreams
‘If the dream is a translation of waking life, waking life is also a translation of the dream.’ René Magritte
If you have ever wondered why dreams often appear so difficult to make sense of, it is because the information they contain is presented in a different language; the language of symbols: of people alive or dead, known and unknown, animals both domestic and wild, landscapes and buildings familiar and strange, or any number of symbolic objects such as shapes, colors, signs, numbers, jewelry, food, clothing and so on.
These images are your own thoughts, feelings and ideas turned into a series of pictures like ordinary scenes in your daily life. For example, if you feel overwhelmed you may have a dream you are swimming but finding it hard to keep your head above water. If you feel confused you may have a dream when you are wondering about lost in a dark forest. The number of symbols and images that your mind can translate into dream pictures is practically endless.
Words just can’t convey the countless powerful feelings that symbols do. These symbols are often chosen from something that has caught our attention in waking life, triggering a memory, conflict or concern that resonates both in the present and in the past.
One tried-and-tested way to uncover the meaning of your dream images is by direct association. You simply go with the first thing that pops into your head when a trigger image from your dream is given. If you don’t immediately get an associative thought, try working through all your feelings about that image. For example, if you saw a caterpillar in a dream. Do you like caterpillars or do you find them a bit creepy? Try to discover what the image means to you right now, for the meanings of your symbols will change over time.
The more you work with your dreams, the more familiar you will become with your personal images. You’ll probably find that you dream the most about the things that you are familiar with every day: your family, your colleagues, your friends and your pet. Each time you dream about these familiar things they will have personal significance to you alone.
The great majority of dreams are not to be taken literally and you need to do a bit of detective work to get to the real message. Just because you dream that a friend is dying does not mean that he or she will die, but rather that they are going through a period of enormous change. In fact, interpreting dreams literally can be harmful. As pointed out earlier, you have your own set of unique dream images and symbols. If you love dogs, what a dog means to you and what a dog means to someone who can’t stand dogs will be very different. Always bear in mind that your dream symbols and images are unique to you.
Although the images and symbols in your dreams do need to be interpreted, their purpose isn’t to mystify you. They are simply trying to get their message across in the best way that they can. If you do find yourself getting tense, confused or frustrated when trying to interpret a dream, let it go. Dream interpretation is best approached with an open mind and in a relaxed state.
You don’t need to interpret every single dream you have. In the same way that some movies are more compelling and thoughtprovoking than others, some dreams, like those when you do fantastic things like flying into space or surfing in Hawaii, are simply to be enjoyed. You don’t always have to dig deep for meaning. It’s good to be aware that a dream might contain a message of importance, but don’t get obsessed with finding meanings for every single detail—just interpret what you can. Dreams, like life, are full of big and little stuff. Don’t sweat the ‘small stuff’.
Capturing Your Dreams: How to Recall and Record
‘Dreams are illustrations…from the book your soul is writing about you.’ Marsha Norman
We all dream several dreams a night and it’s been suggested that we each have 100,000 dreams over the course of our lives. So you might be wondering why you can’t remember a single one. Medications, alcohol, too little sleep and anxiety about the content of our dreams can all block dream recall.
We’re most likely to remember the dreams closest to awakening, but with a little effort you can boost your dream recall. In fact the more attention you pay to your dreams, by thinking about them, writing them down, working with them, the more likely you are to remember them. Keeping a note pad and a pen beside your bed and recording your dreams immediately on waking is one of the best ways to help your dream recall.
Some dreams fade quickly from memory, so it is crucial you capture them as soon as you can. Immediately on waking, write down your dream or dreams—even if this is in the middle of the night; don’t brush your teeth first or leave it until your alarm clock goes off. If you do that, you’ll probably forget all about it and will lose a valuable dream. If you record your dreams in words, you create permanent reminders that you can use to help you figure out what they are trying to tell you.
Later in the day, transfer the information to a dream diary, specifically set aside for your dreams. In this diary include: the date of your dream, any people involved, the moods and feelings expressed, prominent colors, numbers, or shapes, the problems and conflicts encountered, prominent symbols or stories, information about the dream landscape, whether it was past, present or future and, finally, how the dream ended.
With practice, you will soon get the hang of remembering and writing down your dreams. Use this encyclopedia to help you unlock the meaning of your dream themes and symbols, but never forget that the best book you will ever read about dreams is the one you write yourself: your dream journal.
Programing your mind for dream recall
Some dreams are so vivid you can’t forget them but many are so fleeting they can vanish without a trace. One way to make sure you remember them is to talk to yourself in a positive way. Before going to sleep tell yourself that you will remember your dreams on waking. Try this visualization technique.
When you feel sleepy, turn off the lights and settle down in your favorite sleeping position. In a relaxed way, think about your dreams. Breathe in for a count of five, and out for a count of ten. Repeat this, and then breathe normally. Now imagine you have just woken in the morning and, as you slowly move back into consciousness, you reach for your pen and write down your dream. Bring your attention to the present again, and feel comfortable, warm and sleepy. Tell yourself that in the morning you will remember your dreams.
Dream Maker
‘The dream was always running ahead of me. To catch up, to live for a moment in unison with it, that was the miracle.’ Anaïs Nin
Some dream experts believe it is possible to take charge of your dreams and turn them into creative and helpful experiences that can help solve problems in your waking life. To do this you have to get your waking mind to work more fully with your dreaming mind; you need to think about what problem or issue you want your dream to resolve. This is a process called dream incubation.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO DREAM INCUBATION
Step 1: Decide what you want to dream about, what you want your dream to resolve or help you with and what question you want answered.
Step 2: Write down your question or desired dream on a piece of paper as if you were chatting to a friend—because that’s what your dream self is. Be as specific as you can, but don’t ask about silly or trivial matters, such as should I go to this or that party.
Step 3: Read this over and over again during the day and keep it in your mind during the day and again as you get ready for bed.
Top tips for perfect sleep and dreaming
1 Before you go to bed, lessen tension with a relaxing massage or warm bath, some gentle stretching exercises or a short walk. Avoid taking a shower as this will invigorate you.
2 Ensure you leave at least two hours between sleep and your last meal. Food and the process of digestion can encourage strange dream images. If you want a snack, make it light: a biscuit and a glass of milk.
3 Avoid alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes if you want to have a restful, untroubled sleep. Caffeine is a stimulant, and alcohol and cigarettes will inhibit REM sleep when dreaming occurs.
4 Make sure your bed is comfortable, your bedroom well aired and neither too hot, nor too cold. A temperature of 65°F (18°C) is about right. Keep the room dark, as light is a cue for waking, and block out any unwanted sound.
5 The calmer and more relaxed you are the better. Cleanse and calm your mind with some reading, meditation or listen to some relaxing music. If any worrying thoughts refuse to leave, jot them down in a note pad beside your bedside and consider the matter closed until morning. If you want to sleep and dream well—don’t take your worries to bed.
Step 4: Once in bed read over the question again and ask your dreaming self to bring you the answer during sleep. Put the paper under your pillow or near your bed.
Step 5: Tell yourself before you go to sleep that you will have the dream you want and trust yourself to dream the dream that you ask for.
Step 6: Tell yourself you will remember your dream. Be prepared to write down the dream when you wake up and be open to whatever comes to you.
Step 7: Leave your dream intention to incubate. What you are doing here is programing your dreaming self—giving it a particular task to focus on.
Step 8: Stop thinking about your intention to dream. Let it go. Relax and calm your mind before you sleep and don’t stress about whether or not you are going to have a dream.
Step 9: Be willing to experiment and try again if necessary.
You may not want to ask your dreaming self a question and may simply want a happy, harmonious dream. If this is the case think of a place or person you’d like to dream about—perhaps a holiday or loved one—write down a simple description and ask your dreaming self in the same way to give you a happy, inspiring dream.
Dream Magic
‘One of the most adventurous things left us is to go to bed. For no one can lay a hand on our dreams.’ E. V. Lucas
Whether you decide to practice dream incubation or not, remember that any dream you have has the potential to take you to a world of mystery and wonder that can keep you spellbound for days trying to understand it. The dream interpretations that follow will help you unravel some of the mystery, but never forget that you are the dreamer and you do the dreaming and that in understanding your dreams, you can reach a better understanding of yourself.
Use the explanations offered in the pages that follow for the interpretation of your dream symbols, and combine them with your own circumstances to work out an understanding of the likely significance of your dreams. In this way, your innermost feelings, hopes and fears can be highlighted, hopefully resolving issues in your waking life and enriching it by revealing your hidden strengths and creativity.
Dreams offer you an incredible opportunity to connect your outer and inner worlds to illuminate your waking life. So, try to take the time to enjoy the excitement, mystery, wonder and magic each and every dream brings. Dare yourself to discover and believe in your creativity and your dreams—wherever they may lead you.
THE DREAMS
ACCIDENTS, ACTION AND ADVENTURES (#ulink_6a5924a3-feab-5a2b-8319-e50ff130e620)
When you dream that you are the Lara Croft and Indiana Jones of your own adventures, it can be action packed and thrilling; but when you dream that you are in a car or plane crash, the dream can feel rather different.
The traditional interpretation of dreams involving accidents of any kind is that we are receiving some kind of warning to be on our guard against possible danger or hidden aggression, either our own or others’. From a psychologist’s point of view, such dreams may highlight anxieties to do with safety or fear of taking responsibility. Spiritual interpretations of such dreams suggest the need for some kind of intervention from an authoritative source.
According to Freud, accidents in dreams, like slips of the tongue in waking life, are not accidents but dream events with a meaning that can help us to unravel the often incomprehensible maneuvers of our unconscious mind. For Jung, accident dreams, as well as offering insights into our unconscious thought processes, can provide a reaction to a traumatic experience or the fear of it. For example, if you were in a car accident or are anxious about having one, you may dream of being involved in one. People who suffered great trauma, such as rape victims or war veterans, may have nightmares that are exactly like, or very similar to, actual life events.
The most commonly accepted theory is that accident dreams show how your unconscious has noticed things that you may not have noticed in waking life. They are both a reminder and a possible warning. You may, for example, dream of a teenager being knocked down on a busy street outside a petrol station, only to read a few weeks later that a teenager has been seriously injured in just this way. The most likely explanation is that you have unconsciously noticed how dangerous the crossing was, having read somewhere about the growing number of teenagers killed on the roads due to the use of mobile telephones, and without realizing it, you have observed that an accident was highly likely. These kinds of subtle clues and subliminal suggestions are around us every day.
Adventure dreams can be a reflection of your waking life, which may have become more adventurous recently, but it could also suggest the need to experiment, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
The Jungian archetype of the hero, starting out on his adventure and battling adversity in order to learn, mature and grow, dominates the interpretation of adventure-themed dreams. Adventure dreams urge the dreamer to take on new challenges or seek out aspects of themselves or talents that remain hidden in waking life. They point the way towards a new understanding, and the discovery of inner strength and creativity that can empower the dreamer.
Finally, activities or actions within dreams are often concerned with hidden motivations and agendas, and, interpreted within the context of your mood and emotions within the dream, are particularly important. The psychological meaning is that action needs to transfer from dreams to waking life in order for progress to be made. Symbolically the action can give an indication of the dreamer’s spiritual progress.
Typically, activities in dreams are associated with moving forward or making progress in waking life. They reflect how well you are doing in your quest to achieve your ambitions. Do you need to move on? Take another route? Speed up or slow down? That’s why it is particularly helpful to take note of the details in your dream. What was the goal you were running, walking, climbing or swimming towards? Did you feel exhausted or were you in peak form? Were you competing against anyone? Did you reach your destination or achieve your goal? Did you feel satisfied or disappointed? The answers to these questions will help you assess your progress and identify any obstacles or attitudes that may be holding you back.
Accident Situations
ACCIDENT TO THE DREAMER
If you dream that you have an accident yourself, you should take note of the details, especially if it was caused by something you use every day, such as a bicycle, a car or a lawn mower, and check that it is in good working order before you use it the next day. On the other hand, an accident dream could also be warning you of potential danger or loss of control if you continue a particular course of action. For example, you may dream that you are hit by a car as you run across the road to talk to a married colleague you’ve been thinking of having an affair with. An obvious interpretation of this dream is that the accident signifies pent-up guilt for something you have thought, said or done, and that you are sub-consciously punishing yourself over it. You could also be harboring deep anxiety over being found out. Dreams of car accidents might be urging you to slow down before you hit disaster, or telling you that you are ‘driving’ yourself too hard. You need to rethink, or re-plan, your course of actions and set yourself on a better path. Your accident dream may also represent your straightforward fears of being involved in an actual, physical accident. You may just be nervous about getting behind the wheel, or going on a train, boat or plane trip.
Whatever happened in your dreams, notice how you emerge. Did you manage to rescue something or someone? If you did,
Dreams that foretell accidents
A number of well-recorded dreams have appeared to foretell accidents and some researchers believe that accidents in dreams are a warning. Research, however, does not support the idea that dreams predict impending disaster. See also DISASTERS.
The story of the SS Titanic is well known. On 14 April 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg and sunk in the North Atlantic, carrying with her more than 1500 lives. The lack of sufficient lifeboats has often been blamed as the leading cause of fatalities; experts will tell you, however, that there were hundreds of causes leading to the accident, including everything from faulty construction of watertight compartments to a failure to pay attention to numerous warnings of icebergs in the area. What is important here, however, is the huge number of accident dreams that foretold this disaster.
Immediately after the Titanic sank in the North Atlantic, there were at least two dozen reports of people who cancelled their trip because of precognitive dreams they had about the sinking. No one knows how many had the same warning and ignored it, going to a death they could have avoided. There is one businessman that had the same precognitive dream of the Titanic sinking three times and chose to ignore the warning. He still intended to make the trip, until a sudden turn in business forced him to cancel.
this could suggest someone who needs your help or protection. It could also suggest an aspect of yourself that is worth saving. Were you hurt, or did you come out of it unscathed? If you weren’t injured, this could suggest that you have the strength to overcome what fate throws at you, but if you were wounded, you need to take better care of yourself and ‘toughen up’.
ACCIDENT IN THE HOME
Dreaming of accidents in the home means tension may be building up in your home life, although it occasionally means you have unconsciously noticed something that might cause a domestic accident. Therefore check whatever it is that caused the accident; if you dream of falling down stairs, is the stair carpet loose? A dream that focuses on your home may also be saying something about your personality and approach to life. It may be that in order to progress with your life you need to make changes, and these changes may involve destroying what you have built up for some time.
ACCIDENT TO LOVED ONES
To dream that a loved one dies in an accident indicates that something in your own self is no longer functional, and is ‘dead’. It is also symbolic of your own relationship with that person. Perhaps you need to let go of this relationship, or let go of a particular phase in that relationship and move towards the next. For example, the first throes of passion may have ebbed away, but you can replace them with love, stability and commitment.
ACCIDENT AT SEA
To dream of an accident at sea suggests potential problems with those who are close to you, or some kind of disappointment in love. If water overwhelms you, you are likely to feel overwhelmed by emotions. If this is the case, you need to assess how best to manage your feelings and put them into context. If you are trying to save other people in a shipwreck, you need to think about what these people represent to you. For instance, if you are trying to save a baby, perhaps that represents an element in your waking life, such as unconditional love, or wonder and excitement, that you need to develop in your waking life to help you cope with your emotional response.
ACCIDENT TO SOMEONE ELSE
This could be hidden aggression towards that particular person or an aspect of yourself that person represents that you recognize in yourself. It could also suggest anxiety about the welfare of the person in your dream.
CAR CRASH
A dream of a car crash represents tensions about your efforts to ‘get somewhere’ or achieve your goals. You could be driving yourself too hard, or perhaps you are too eager to get ahead. If your car suddenly spins out of control and crashes into pedestrians, your unconscious may be alerting you to the need to have your steering and brakes checked. Alternatively, your unconscious may have been commenting anxiously on the way you are living your life. Are you in danger of losing control, coming to the end of the road, or have you set yourself on a collision course because of your life in the fast lane? If so, pay attention to who you hit in the dream and who was affected by the accident. For men, driving cars tends to relate to sex, so it could be some kind of warning. Perhaps you are being careless or casual in protecting yourself.
PLANE CRASH
Dreams of plane crashes are typically provoked by worries about over-extending yourself, such as a project or business collapsing, or not being able to pay bills. It is likely that you may be afraid of failing in some other way, especially if you are about to take an exam or test, or have set yourself an unrealistic task or objective. Have you been flying too high? See also DISASTERS.
TRAIN CRASH
A dream of a train crash could suggest the need for extreme caution concerning financial matters. It could also indicate an exaggerated sense of self-worth as a stumbling block in the dreamer’s path.
Minor accidents
Accidents from above
To see something hanging above you about to fall implies possible danger. If it falls and misses you, perhaps you have had a narrow escape from some misfortune, or your unconscious is warning you to be alert to potential danger.
Breaking things
To dream that you break something, like a window or a chair, indicates that changes lie ahead and that you want to change the direction in which your life is heading. Alternatively, it suggests that you need to take things more slowly. If you drop or smash things in your dreams, this indicates that you are letting go of—or need to let go of—some project, relationship, person or idea. Be sure to analyze the significance of what is being dropped or smashed. Another explanation for dreams of breaking things is that you are expressing some dismay or regret at how you let something slip through fingers.
Burning
To set something on fire by accident suggests intense emotions and/or passionate sexual feelings. Alternatively, it may suggest that you need to take time off for yourself and relax, or that your unconscious is alerting you to the need for a smoke alarm.
Cut
To dream that you have a cut suggests that you are being let down or being undervalued. If the cuts are on your legs, then it symbolizes an imbalance and an inability to stand up for yourself. To dream that you are cutting or harming yourself in some way, either accidentally or on purpose, indicates that you are experiencing some overwhelming turmoil or problems in your waking life. You are trying to disconnect yourself from the discomfort or pain you are experiencing.
Farting or burping in public
To dream that you accidentally fart or burp in public, suggests that you are being passive-aggressive. You need to express your feelings in a more direct manner.
Slipping, tripping and stumbling
To dream that you slip or that you make a slip of the tongue suggests that you are doing things you do not really want to do, or saying things you do not really mean. If you stumble but do not fall, it may suggest that you will meet obstacles but will be able to surmount them. If you fall, obstacles may lie in your path in waking life and you need to find a way to work round them. Trying in vain to climb a slippery slope suggests you may have taken on more than you can cope with, and are in danger of backsliding under the pressure. It could also be a warning against being a control freak; you cannot control everything and everyone, and need to show more regard for the views of others. To dream that you trip up or stumble indicates that something is out of control in your waking life and you need to deal with it. Things are not going as smoothly as you want, as you are faced with minor obstacles. It could also indicate social awkwardness; perhaps you are worried you might get off on the wrong foot. Does your self esteem need a boost, or are you simply not looking where you are going?
Adventure Scenarios
BEING CHASED
The way we respond to anxiety and pressure in real life is typically manifested as a chase dream. Often in these dream scenarios, you are being pursued by some attacker who wants to hurt or possibly kill you. You may be running away, hiding, or trying to outwit your pursuer. Chase dreams may represent your way of coping with fears, stress or various situations in your waking life. Instead of confronting the situation, you are running away and avoiding it. Ask yourself, who is the one chasing you, and you may gain some understanding and insight on the source of your fears. The dream could also indicate that you are refusing to acknowledge a certain viewpoint or idea. On the other hand, the pursuer or attacker who is chasing you in your dream may represent a part of yourself. Your own feelings of anger, jealousy, fear, and possibly love, can assume the appearance of a threatening figure. You may be projecting these feelings onto the unknown chaser and your dream is calling your attention to your own self-destructive actions. A more direct analysis of chase dreams is that they reflect the simple fear of being attacked. Media hype and overexposure play on this fear and magnify our level of risk.
ESCAPING DANGER
If you wake up before being caught, eaten or beaten, you need to ask yourself what you need to wake up to. What are you missing or avoiding in waking life? Things won’t get better until you face up to them? Dreams about breaking free from jail, cages, ropes or shackles may point to a desire for release from a situation, such as a job that is causing stress. The elation surrounding dreams of leaving jail may suggest feelings about a new opportunity in our life. However, if no joy accompanies the liberation, this could suggest anxiety about the challenges that lie ahead. Breaking out of jail on the other hand testifies to a determination to create your own chances and give free reign to talents that have too long been repressed. Alternatively, if you have been depressed recently, break-out dreams could suggest the need to seek serious help, as the dream may signify a yearning for the ultimate release—death. If, on the other hand, you are rescued in your dreams, or help rescue someone, this can express the need to liberate creative energies or some aspect of yourself that isn’t being developed in waking life.
FALLING
Falling, and the accompanying sense of vertigo, is, along with flying, one of the most often reported dream topics. Falling dreams typically occur during the first stage of sleep. Dreams in this stage are often accompanied by muscle spasms of the arms, legs, and the whole body. Sometimes when we have these falling dreams, we feel our whole body jerk or twitch, which provokes us to awaken.
Typically, the act of falling in dreams suggests loss of control and anxiety in the sleeper’s waking life. The anxiety could be related to work, or it could be related to sexual inhibition or low self-esteem. Such may be the fear of the fall that you could awake with a jolt. If this occurs, it is important to remember the circumstances of the fall in your dream, as this will help you understand its hidden message. According to Freudian theory, dreams of falling indicate that you are contemplating giving into a sexual urge or impulse. You may be lacking indiscretion. According to biblical interpretations, dreams about falling have a negative overtone and suggest that man is acting and walking according to his own way of thinking, and not that of the Lord.
FLYING
Dreams of flying are very common and vary from dreamer to dream. Most typically dreamers don’t go on long, high flights; instead they hover about a hundred or so yards from the ground. The most simple explanation of these kind of dreams was put forward by English physician Havelock Ellis in his book The World of Dreams, in which he suggests that it is our breathing whilst asleep that suggests the idea of flying (and falling) to the unconscious mind. Freud suggested that dreams of flying were nothing else but the desire for sexual freedom, and the idea that dreams of flying are associated with sex is shared by some other dream researchers. However, as with all dreams, there can be many interpretations.
Flying dreams and the ability to control your flight can be representative of your own personal sense of power. If you are flying with ease, and enjoying the scene and landscape below, then it suggests that you are on top of a situation. You have risen above something. It may also mean that you have gained a different perspective on things. Having difficulties staying in flight indicates a lack of power in controlling your own circumstances. You may be struggling to stay aloft, and stay on course. Things like birds, trees or telephone poles may further obstruct your flight. These obstructions represent a particular obstacle or person standing in your way in your waking life. You need to identify who, or what, is preventing you from moving forward. If you are feeling fear when you are flying or feel that you are flying too high, then it suggests that you are afraid of challenges and of success. Are you trying to
Varieties of flying dream
Another way of interpreting flying dreams is that they symbolize your strong mind and will. You feel invincible and nobody can tell you what you cannot do and accomplish. Undoubtedly these dreams leave you with a great sense of freedom.
Flying high
Liberation from something that troubles you. Nevertheless, flying high has its perils. The ancient Greek myth of Icarus warns against flying too high. Your dream may show that you are being overambitious.
Flying low
Native Americans, Tibetan Buddhists and others claim that all people have a light body that can leave the physical body during sleep. The light body can travel great distances and communicate with angels. To dream of flying may indicate the need or desire to develop the mystical side of your nature. Alternatively, it could be a warning to keep your feet firmly on the ground.
Hovering
If you are hovering or floating in the sky and looking down on earth this may represent feelings of optimism and success—the world is at your feet. However, as floating is impossible the dream may also be a warning against pride and over ambition and the possibility of coming down to earth with a bump.
Parachute
If a parachute opens as you fall, this may express your relief following a dangerous event, such as a car accident that you survived. Alternatively, it could suggest the need to bail out of a difficult situation, as a parachute offers a safe way to fall rather than a means to fly.
Shot at
If you are shot at or hit by something when flying, you need to be on your guard against people who might want to restrain your advancement into the higher spheres.
Sun
If you see the sun while flying, this could suggest that your worries will melt away.
Terrain below
If you are flying over muddy or broken places, this could be a warning to be on your guard against potential enemies or misfortune.
Wing color
If you are flying with white wings, this dream could represent the expansion of your awareness and the unfolding of your higher self. If your wings are black this could indicate the need for change in your waking life. See also COLORS.
rise above something in waking life? Are you developing an idea? Are you flying in the face of fortune? Flying into a rage? Flying off the handle? Flying high?
JAIL
Prisons can often stand for a set of beliefs that limit the dreamer’s personal development or progress. The dream may help us escape this limitations by forcing us to confront them and examine what triggered them. A similar symbol of psychological entrapment, a cage, may also represent some kind of frustration with our life. There may be feelings of inferiority or a desire to break free from social convention.
LOCK AND KEY
According to Freudian analysis, a lock is commonly interpreted as a symbol of the female sexual organ with the key representing the phallus. A dream of unlocking a box of treasure may indicate sex as liberating. If, however, the box won’t open this indicates sexual frustration or dissatisfaction with the sexual side of a relationship.
KIDNAPPED AND TAKEN HOSTAGE
If kidnapping features in your dream, this may suggest the desire to dominate or be dominated by another person. If you are the victim but don’t feel afraid, this could lend a sexual connotation to your dream. If you are held hostage in a dream, this could indicate that you feel someone has a hold on you, or that you are subject to some influence that prevents you from doing what you need to do. Hostage-takers often make demands for money, personal recognition and so on. Is there someone in your waking life who is placing unnecessary demands upon you, or making you feel guilty? In some hostage dreams, as in real life, a rapport develops between the victim and the hostage-taker; if this is the case, it could indicate a love-hate relationship in your waking life. Finally, might this kind of dream not also suggest that you are held hostage, not by a person, but by your fears? See also CHANGE AND CONFLICT; NEGATIVE EMOTIONS.
Courage
Courage in dreams involves turning to face your enemy or someone who threatens you, standing up for yourself or someone vulnerable or outwitting those who might want to harm you. How do your dreams display your courage? If you run in fear your dreams are urging you to discover your inner strength. If you stand up for yourself your dreams are telling you about something you need to recognize about yourself in your daily life. The feeling of courage in dreams can play a special role in empowering you in daily life. With or without lucid dreaming techniques the more courage you start to show in your dreams the more courage you are likely to display in your waking life.
PURSUIT
To dream that you are in pursuit of someone or something, suggests that you are being denied your power and influence. You may need to re-evaluate your strengths and concentrate your efforts on something more worthwhile. It is important to identify what exactly you are pursuing, but bear in mind that it may not be a person, or an animal, but an idea.
Activities A to Z
CLIMBING
Dreams of climbing stairs, hills or mountains reflect on your ambitions and your ability to face up to challenges in daily life. Were you climbing with ease or difficulty? See also AMBITION AND SUCCESS.
CRAWLING
To dream that you are crawling on your hands and knees or stomach suggests some kind of humiliation in waking life.
DANCING
A dream of dancing suggests an enjoyment of life and a go-with-the-flow attitude. This dream may contain elements of wish-fulfillment, but there is the underlying theme of years of hard work and dedication. Such a dream may be encouraging you to have more discipline or, alternatively, to have the courage to take up artistic skills. See also ARTS AND CRAFTS.
DIGGING
If you were digging or excavating in your dream you may need to resolve some deep-rooted emotional problems, with or without the help of a counselor.
EXERCISING
Do you need to exercise more in waking life? If you dream of exercising with weights, perhaps you need to lose some weight? Alternatively, your unconscious may be urging you to exercise your mind or your common sense in a particular situation. If you dream that you are jogging, you appear to have your responsibilities under control but you may also feel dissatisfied or bored with certain aspects of your life, especially if you dream you are on a treadmill. If you are jumping or leaping in your dream, this suggests ambition and a desire to move forward with your life, or progress in your career.
If you are kicked, or kick someone else in your dream, perhaps there is something in your waking life that you disagree with or disapprove of. To dream that you are hopping could suggest childish or immature behavior on your part. Alternatively, it may indicate your tendency to jump from task to task, or not being able to stay in one place. If you are stretching in a dream, your unconscious may be reminding you to work on your flexibility, not just in your body, but in your approach to life. To dream that you are skipping suggests you need to be more light-hearted and friendly in waking life. Alternatively, the dream may
Cleaning
Washing in dreams is a fairly common theme, and almost always relates to something that is troubling or worrying the dreamer in waking life. The harder the hands or body are scrubbed, the greater the need for the unconscious to be free of guilt or some kind of burden. The same applies to washing stains in clothes.
If you are taking a shower or bath in your dream, this could indicate a problem that overshadows you in waking life. If you are washing your hair, this is connected to your emotions, and if you are washing your genitals, there may be some kind of sexual adventure in waking life that you are ashamed of. You could also be worried about sexually transmitted diseases. If you are cleaning your home, this could suggest that you want to get more organized in your waking life, but before you can do that you need to dispose of dirt or dust; this may refer to ways of thinking or responding that are clouding your judgments in waking life. If you were watching a washing machine in your dream, this is a reference to your daily routine and the boredom you feel. If you are trapped in the washing machine, you feel stifled by your daily routine; it will therefore be important to make changes in daily life as soon as possible.
indicate that you have skipped something important. See also LEISURE.
PUSHING
To dream that you are pushing something suggests energy and drive to succeed in life. Consider also how you, or someone you know in waking life, may be a ‘pushover’. To dream that you are being pushed signifies that you are under some sort of pressure, or feel coerced into doing something. Alternatively, it implies that you feel you don’t have enough time to complete a task perfectly.
RIDING A HORSE
A dream of riding a horse may be associated with your sex life, and how fulfilled or inhibited you are. If you are enjoying the ride, it could indicate a rewarding love affair, or the desire for one. On the other hand, if you are afraid of falling, you may feel inhibited sexually, or be unable to commit to your partner. The same meaning is applied to dreams of riding a motor cycle or a bicycle. If you were riding another animal, think about what that animal represents in waking life.
STANDING/SITTING
To dream that you are standing suggests that you are asserting yourself and feeling proud of your achievements. To dream that you are sitting indicates indecision and not knowing what to do with your life. It could also suggest laziness.
SKATING
Dreams of skating suggest that the dreamer is enjoying his or her life. If you are performing like a professional skater (and aren’t one), this could suggest that you are about to take off in some way in your waking life. If, however, your skates are out of control, this could suggest that in your quest for enjoyment you are acting recklessly. On the other hand, this dream could be telling you to get your skates on and put more pace and activity into a particular project or relationship.
SWIMMING
Water in a dream almost always indicates emotions. To dream that you are swimming suggests that you are exploring aspects of your unconscious mind and emotions. This is a common dream for people going through therapy or counseling, as it suggests the need for emotional support. To dream that you are swimming underwater suggests that you are completely submerged in your own emotions and need to deal with emotional difficulties. If you dream of diving, perhaps this indicates your desire to throw yourself into a relationship or project. The erotic sensation of water passing over the body led Freud to equate swimming with sexual intercourse. If you feel relaxed and happy, this foretells a long and happy relationship with your partner, but if you are struggling against the tide, the relationship may be in trouble.
THROWING AND CATCHING
If you throw or catch something in a dream, you need to pay attention to what it is you are throwing and catching. Are you throwing something away, or catching something you need, or something you don’t want?
WEAVING/KNITTING/CROCHET/SEWING
Are you bogged down with routine in your waking life? Dreams of weaving, knitting, crochet and sewing could suggest that you need to broaden your horizons, as these tasks all require attention to detail and constant repetition. If you are joining together pieces of fabric, or creating an exciting design, this could, however, indicate that you are bringing together certain aspects of your waking life. If you make mistakes with your craftwork, drop a stitch or break your thread, perhaps you have recently been tactless in your daily life or had a quarrel with someone. Were you successful in patching up your differences? See also ARTS AND CRAFTS.
WALKING/RUNNING/CYCLING
In general, activities such as walking, running and cycling are self-sufficient, pro-active and personal modes of progression, owing their movement entirely to will and physical effort. A possible Gestalt interpretation would be to regard dreams of walking, running or cycling as projections of the dreamer’s developing independence and autonomy. Your competence within your dream activity depicts your emotional stage. If you are agile, this suggests you are coping well. If movements flow, you feel in harmony with your emotions and your sexuality. If, however, you get stuck, feel stiff and cannot move easily, this could indicate that your personal development is held back by anxieties and fears. To dream you are walking is probably a comment on the pace of your waking life, and how well you are coping with all your responsibilities. If you are walking confidently, it could indicate that you are in control and taking things in your stride. Consider your destination. Do you know what it is?
To dream that you are walking at night signifies discontent. If you are limping, this refers to a lack of balance in some area in your life. Perhaps you feel that you are giving more than you are getting back at work, or in a particular relationship. To dream that you are marching suggests teamwork, or the need to involve yourself more with other people in order to achieve results. If you were running or racing and keeping up with the others, this is a positive sign, but if you were falling behind or trying and failing to win a race, you need to rethink your schedule in daily life to relieve some of the pressures on you.
When specific activities appear in a dream, you might also need to consider whether or not you are filling your waking hours with productive and positive activities. It may be that changes need to be made. For example, if you dream of running, this could simply indicate your need to exercise more. Alternatively, it could suggest that you are exercising too much, and need to get balance back into your life.
See also AMBITION AND SUCCESS; LEISURE.
AMBITION AND SUCCESS (#ulink_314afd22-2988-5e56-a1fc-acbe52c89f7e)
We all have ambitions and strive to achieve our ideals of success in waking life. These ambitions often surface in our dreams in symbolic disguise.
According to Adler, dreams are an expression of our ambitious desire for power and success, a way of overcompensating for shortcomings in our waking life. For example, if a person is unable to stand up to their boss, they may safely lash out in anger at him or her in a dream. Thus dreams offer some sort of satisfaction that is socially acceptable.
Although some dreams can be interpreted as wish-fulfillment, most modern dream researchers believe that dreams have another purpose, to periodically present us with reports on our progress to date. Sometimes these updates are purely expressions of wish-fulfillment, and therefore easy to interpret: for example, those fantastic dreams in which you win the lottery, or audition successfully for the lead role in a Hollywood blockbuster. Sometimes, though, dreams are harder to interpret because the dreaming mind speaks in the confusing language of symbols. Understanding such dreams is, however, important because they often contain pertinent observations and warnings—not yet registered by the conscious mind—that can help us achieve our goals in waking life.
Ambition Scenarios
CLIMBING
Freud considered dreams of climbing to represent a longing for sexual fulfillment. Other dream researchers believe climbing dreams suggest moving steadily towards your goals. What you climb signifies the scale of the task you have set yourself, whilst reaching the top signifies the height of your aspirations. Did you reach the top, or have you lost sight of your target?
One step at a time
Climbing a hill
This indicates a harder, and perhaps longer, challenge that you anticipated. Did you experience an uphill struggle in your dreams? If you did, how did you tackle it? Did you see the top of the hill, or did you keep your head down, suggesting that you may have lost sight of your goals. Were you climbing the hill with anyone? Did they help or hinder you?
Climbing a ladder
This could signify a corporate or social ladder, with each rung indicating promotion or another step towards social elevation. Alternatively, the ladder could be interpreted as a phallic symbol representing the so-called masculine qualities of power, drive and ambition that you need to adopt if you want to get to the top. The dream oracles say that to climb a ladder to the last rung means you will succeed in business.
Climbing a mountain
This represents the ultimate challenge of endurance, skill, strength and stamina. Were you equal to the task? Did you tackle it bravely, or with feelings of dread and anxiety?
Climbing stairs
You have great ambition, but are you climbing with confidence or with fear? Your unconscious may be reminding you not to become egotistical and climb too high, as other people despise arrogance and may try to knock you down. A meteoric rise to fame is not as easily sustained as a gradual and well-planned move to prominence. Be cautious, and take one step at a time.
Climbing over walls
If you dream that in front of you there is a wall you need to climb over to get to where you want to be, this suggests obstacles you may encounter in life that you need to overcome before you attain success.
On top of the world
If you got to the top, did you feel on top of the world? If you did, your dream mind is motivating you to re-enact that same feeling of success, achievement and liberation in your waking life. What did you see below you? Did you see people and places that you have distanced yourself from in waking life? If you didn’t get to the top, did you retrace your steps? If you did reach the summit, your dream mind may be urging you to reconsider your goals.
Struggling uphill
In this kind of dream you are climbing or driving up a steep incline. Progress is slow, and it seems to take more than you or your engine can handle. You may even wonder why you took this particular route. From a psychological point of view, the uphill struggle represents a challenge you are dealing with right now that feels like it is too much. You hadn’t expected it to be so tough. The overworked junior doctor, the programer who must create complicated software within a week, the busy mum of newborn twins—all may have this dream. The steepness of the incline is an indication of how difficult the challenge feels to you. The only way to reach the top is to pace yourself, so perhaps this dream is suggesting that you take better care of yourself and get plenty of rest. To put this advice into practice will improve your odds of success, and taking things one step at a time will make the process seem less overwhelming.
JUMPING
The act of jumping up in a dream can suggest trying to better ourselves. Jumping down can signify going down into the unconscious and those parts of ourselves we have yet to discover. Jumping on the spot is similar to dancing and signifies joy. If you made a perfect jump, this could suggest that you have made or are about to make a quantum leap in the form of an important decision. If your jump misses the mark, however, you may have made the wrong choice or are about to make it.
RACING
If you dreamed of racing against rivals or the clock to achieve personal, national or Olympic records, your dream probably relates to your career, as work is often called the ‘rat race’. The clock represents the pressure you feel you are under and the level of attainment you hope to achieve. The other people in the race represent competition or threats to your chances of winning the prize money, admiration or status. If you fly ahead of the competition, you may feel as if you are ahead in waking life, but if you are just keeping pace, this could suggest that you are coping but could easily fall behind. If you’re struggling to keep up, you may not be making the grade in real life. If you know who your dream rivals are, their position in the race will tell you how you think you compare with them. If you aren’t working, racing dreams could suggest a long, hard struggle for success in love and life. If you win the race, this signifies that your potential will be recognized; but an overzealous will to win may reveal a needy desire for others to acknowledge that potential. On the other hand, if you lose the race, especially if you get pipped at the post, this signifies the frustration of understanding the limits of your potential. It can also suggest that lack of confidence is thwarting your progress.
RUNNING
To dream that you are running is considered a positive sign, as it suggests speed, energy and direction. If you are running forwards, this indicates confidence or taking responsibility. To be running backwards or away from something signifies fear, or an inability to achieve your goals. A spiritual interpretation of running dreams could suggest that you are trying to do something too quickly. To dream that you want to run but cannot suggests that your ambitions are harder to accomplish than you thought.
Running events
Hurdles: In your dreams hurdles represent the obstacles that hinder your progress. Did they knock you over, or did you knock them over? Did you navigate your way successfully over them without touching them?
Marathon: If your race was a marathon, this indicates that work or life has become an exhausting slog. If you win the marathon, this suggests you have the confidence to achieve your aims, but if you fail to finish, this suggests that insecurities in waking life are holding you back.
Relay race: In the relay race of your life, were you successful at passing the baton or did you fumble things and ruin your team’s chances?
Desperate for Success Scenarios
CHEATING
Are you cheating in your dreams in order to pass an exam or test? If you dreamed of running, did you take a shortcut in the race? What happened? Were you caught, or did you get the gold star? How you feel about all this is important. Often dreams in which we win by cheating are similar to gray areas in waking life. They are actions that express a lack of self-confidence. Why do you think you couldn’t win the prize without cheating? Why do you feel inadequate? Why are you afraid to lose?
In your dreams, winning by cheating may leave you with an empty feeling. If you get caught cheating in your dream, this can leave you feeling anxious as well, and these feelings are your unconscious reminding you that you don’t feel worthy of the prize. Sometimes, though, cheating dreams can be positive, indicating that you’re beginning to see yourself as a potential winner, but are not yet ready to recognize this inside yourself. The best way to make sense of these sorts of dream is to think about how you feel, and what situation in waking life they may be referring to.
DODGING
If you are dodging flying objects or balls in your dream, this could be an image of your ability to go out of your way to achieve
The audience
Who is the audience in your dreams when you receive or don’t receive recognition? Who is there to see you succeed or fail? How does their presence make you feel? Scared? Supported? Distracted? Proud? Are they cheering you on? Or are they holding you back?
Typically the people we choose to watch and comment on our progress dreamland are those authority figures who exist in both our waking land and our memories. Parents and family members tend to be the most persistent authority figures in dreams about success and recognition. It is up to you to work out how much their values and dreams guide and nourish you, and to what extent they keep you from the finishing line. How often does your boss or a work colleague or an old teacher or friend from school appear in your dreams? Chances are when they do, your dreams are about proving yourself, and either failing or succeeding?
Is your partner there cheering you on, or is he or she absent? Which friends are there to watch your moment of glory in your dreams? If it is someone who hasn’t been in your life for years, what does he or she stand for? We all have authority figures in our dreams and in our lives. They are necessary because they each represent something important. They can guide us, warn us, and give us the feeling that we are supported. On the other hand, they can also undermine us, hold us back when we need to be moving forward, or drive us harder towards impossible to reach goals. See also ARCHETYPES.
your goals. That is, until you have the confidence in waking life to follow your dreams.
FAME
Dreams of being famous or basking in the glory of fame usually reflect a need to be recognized and respected by those around you, but they could also be messages from your unconscious to have more self-belief, and to recognize and give yourself credit for your own abilities. In waking life, you may be a little shy, but your dreams have shown you that within you is the ability to achieve great things, if you have the courage to stand out from the crowd. Alternatively, such dreams could warn people in high positions that it is impossible to be at the top for any length of time and when the moment comes he or she needs to accept that fact with love and understanding. The dream may also imply that the dreamer must remember what modesty is and what things were like before they acquired their present status. Dreams of other people becoming famous suggest that the dreamer may soon receive help from friends who will offer it unstintingly.
RECOGNITION
We all need a pat on the back now and again for work well done. It’s normal to want validation for your efforts. If you are having dreams where you are hoping for and getting a gold star, or a grade A, an honor in front of your peers, recognition at work or reward from someone you want to impress, such dreams are subconscious messages that you’re feeling a bit underappreciated, neglected or unsure of how your efforts are being received. Sometimes this sort of dream can be a gentle reminder that a loved one has lost that loving feeling, and once we realize that, we can address the problem directly. If you receive the recognition in your dream gracefully, this suggests that you are ready to accept the positive aspects of yourself, but if you feel uncomfortable or someone else steals the limelight, then you need to work on your self-esteem.
TREASURE
Dreams of finding treasure or valuable objects or ordinary objects with magical properties have numerous variations, but the one constant theme is the discovery of something precious and magical. The psychological interpretation of such a dream urges you to seek out what is magical in your life, perhaps in the ordinary things you’ve been taking for granted.
TRIUMPH
Dreams are often the perfect forum for experimenting with courageous impulses. Triumphant or courageous dreams when you succeed in a task, pass a difficult test or win when you thought you would lose can bring a great sense of elation. If you have such a dream it could be because you undervalue your abilities. Is it a wish-fulfillment dream to compensate for failures and inhibitions in waking life? Or is it a motivating dream that encourages you to become more confident about succeeding in waking life by rehearsing your success in dreamland?
TRYING HARD
In dreams where you are given a challenge or task and have to work on it for endless hours, do you curse or do you give up? The number of times you attempt to succeed could suggest how important you feel the struggle is that it represents in waking life.
WEALTH
If you dreamed of winning the lottery or acquiring money, jewels or other valuable assets, such dreams are purely wish-fulfillment, especially if you are experiencing financial troubles. It could also suggest that you feel you deserve a pay rise. Symbols of riches, such as precious jewels or cash don’t always represent money, however. For example, gold may not suggest the metal but a heart of gold and a casket of treasure could indicate the people in your life that you treasure. Free association could help you discover what such symbols really mean to you. Do you really believe that money can buy happiness? Thinking about such questions can help you decipher the secret message your unconscious is sending you, and cast a new light on what really matters to you. See also SHOPPING AND MONEY.
Personal Achievements A to Z
Symbols of personal recognition—such as being awarded the highest honor, or stepping on stage to rapturous applause—feature in dreams as reflections of your aspirations. The images you see within your dream reflect your ambitions and the ways in which you hope to reach your goals. Depending upon the details, feelings and other images conjured up, your dreams may be urging you to raise your ambitions, or telling you that your goals are unrealistic.
ADVERTIZEMENT
The purpose of advertizements is to sell something, and a dream in which you see an advertizement or create one may be reminding you about some ambition or target. What the advertizement was displaying is important. If it was clear and convincing, you are keeping your focus in waking life, but if it was confusing, you have not kept your ambitions clear. See also LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT.
ANGLING
If you dream of fishing or angling, what are you fishing or angling for in waking life? Is the dream telling you to take extreme care and to have plenty of patience if you are to achieve your ambition.
AUCTION
If an auction figures in your dreams, what was the identity of the object you, or others, were bidding for? Was it a position at work? Was it for a lifestyle change? Was your bid too low or too high, or did you pay more than the object was worth? If so, should you re-evaluate your ambitions in waking life?
BRIDGE
Crossing a bridge indicates an ability to move forward and achieve the success you long for. It is a dream action which represents your underlying strength to cope with life’s journey, especially in the face of difficult challenges, such as divorce, redundancy or moving home.
DECORATION/MEDAL
To be decorated or to see others decorated for some heroic action suggests that you, or someone else, deserves recognition for some action but has not received it in waking life.
FAWN
To dream that people fawn on you, or satisfy your every whim, could suggest your desire for more attention in waking life, but it could also be a warning against enemies in the guise of interested friends. Dreams of people imitating you could have a similar interpretation.
FLYING BIRD
This represents aspirations, desires and the feeling that your spirit is soaring. Its association with the element of air—itself associated with aspirations and ideals—means a flying bird might have also become a symbol of high-flying ambition and the quest for enlightenment. See also BIRDS.
GIFTS
Could the gift represent a creative talent or skill you aren’t expressing in waking life? If you were given a gift of an expensive box of oil paints, for example, could this be encouraging you to make use of your artistic talent?
All wrapped up
Giving and receiving gifts in dreams indicates a need to give and take within a relationship, perhaps to share with others what we have and to create an environment that allows for give and take. Sharing is a fundamental human need, so if you are giving in a dream, this suggests your internal relationship with yourself, the environment or others. Giving a present usually suggests a need to express love or consideration for another person, whereas receiving it suggests your need for the love and consideration of another person. Receiving a shower of gifts suggests that you are held in high esteem.
A dream of unexpected gifts can have several meanings. The gift can point to the need for you to recognize your own worth. If you are the giver, the dream may be warning you to be more open and direct with other people, so that you are not caught off guard. An inappropriate gift of something you do not like, or have no use for, may indicate that someone’s attentions in waking life are not welcome. If you receive an unpleasant gift in a beautiful gift box, this image may reveal your intuition that someone’s apparently good intentions may disguise selfish motives. Finally, the image of an empty gift box may suggest that in waking life, things are not as attractive as they seem. Perhaps you have to face the reality of a relationship ending, or need to lower your expectations in some way.
A gift of chocolates may hark back to your childhood and infantile oral pleasures. According to Freudian theory, chocolates are a dream image of excrement, representing an anal fixation that may indicate a tendency to be overly formal or uptight. Beware of overanalysing here though, since dreams about chocolate sometime suggest a longing for love, affection and…chocolate.
THE HIGHEST HONOR
If you are bestowed with the highest honor in your dream, such as the Nobel peace prize or a bravery award, this could suggest a desire for your qualities and actions to be recognized by the appropriate person or authority in waking life. Dreaming of winning a particular prize, such as the Booker prize for literature, could be encouraging you to develop your interest in writing and those ideas for a novel that you have never put down on paper. Perhaps you have an unknown potential to be a best-selling author and your unconscious mind is urging you to have a go. The same applies to dreams when you create a beautiful painting or sculpture. Your unconscious is indicating that you should explore your artistic potential.
RECEIVING A DIPLOMA
If you dream of stepping onto stage to receive a degree, diploma or award, this is pure wish-fulfillment. In your dreams, you have the recognition, the qualification, the status, the applause and the sense of achievement you long for in waking life. Although this kind of dream does not predict that your wish will be fulfilled in waking life, it is an indication that you feel you deserve the recognition. Self-belief is a powerful tool in waking life and a key ingredient for success.
SKY
A dream of observing the night sky may be a hint that you intend to reach as high as you can in your particular field.
SPORTING PROWESS
If you are an athlete and dreamed that you scored the winning goal, a perfect 10 or hit a vital home run in a professional game, such dreams are pure wish-fulfillment. If, however, you have little or no sporting ability, it is likely that your unconscious mind is rewarding you for something you have done in waking life for which you haven’t been recognized. For example, your son or daughter may have recently gained entry to university and your dream is congratulating you on the part you played in helping them achieve their success. See also LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT.
STAR/PLANET
A dream of one bright star and your desire to capture it may refer to someone you desire to capture in waking life. A dream of mapping the sky or stars could refer to a number of ambitions you have in waking life—from which you should probably choose one. Dreams of specific planets may also be significant. See also SPACE AND SCIENCE.
TROPHIES, MEDALS AND OTHER PRIZES
These are all symbols of success and achievement, and if you dream of receiving trophies and other prizes, the chances are you are yearning to be recognized and praised for your efforts in waking life. Again the type of prize will give you an idea of the area of endeavor in which you feel you should be rewarded. For example, to be honored with the Nobel peace prize could refer to your peace-making skills
Crowns and Tiaras
Badge
Badges in dreams draw your attention to your right to be part of a team or group of people. It could also mean that you are being singled out for special recognition. The spiritual interpretation is that you need to be accepted, not just as yourself, but as part of a greater whole.
Coat of arms
To see a coat of arms in your dream represents your familial roots and identity.
Crowns
To dream of a crown is to acknowledge your own success and to recognize your ability to forge ahead in life. You may also be about to receive some sort of honor or award. If you dreamt that a crown or laurel wreath was placed on your head or a garland of flowers was placed around your neck, this could suggest that you crave to be acknowledged as head and shoulders above the rest in your waking life. As well as wish-fulfillment, such dreams can also be literal. Perhaps you have recently been promoted at work or been given new authority over a number of people.
Cup
Receiving a cup is less about wish-fulfillment than about the symbolism of the chalice, indicating a receptive state that encourages intuitive development and a go-with-the-flow approach to life. It may be encouraging you to be more open to the feminine side of your nature, and to give and receive in equal measure. A common dream among men is the presentation of the football cup, suggesting they feel as if they should be declared the ‘first among men’.
Diadem/Tiara
The diadem or tiara in a dream suggests mental or intellectual abilities that are not being acknowledged in waking life. It could also signify a desire for the magical and unknown.
Flowers
If you were presented with a bouquet of flowers in your dream, you need to notice who or what gave you the flowers, what kind of flowers they were, and what color they were, as all these messages are significant. The giver may be someone who you already know who holds you in high regard, but if it is someone you don’t know so well, your unconscious may be alerting you to their secret admiration. It is also possible that your unconscious is compensating for lack of recognition from other people and expressing your desire for them to be more demonstrative. If the flowers are dying or have wilted this could suggest that the giver’s admiration is wilting, or that your expectations are disappointed. If the dreamer discards the flowers this signifies bad relations between the dreamer and someone close to him or her, or the people around him or her, both at work and in the family.
Medal
A medal is a reward for bravery or good work, so when it appears in a dream it is recognition of your own abilities and achievements in life. If you give the medal to someone else, then you are honoring a part of yourself represented by that person.
Prizes
Dreams of prizes can denote a feeling of well-being, but they can also indicate financial worries. Gaining a prize can also be associated with winning a loved one’s sexual favors, especially if the prize is accompanied by a bunch of flowers. Prizes can also warn against unwarranted expectations. Jung cites as a universal dream type the Greek myth of Bellerophon, who received the winged horse Pegasus from the goddess Athene, and then presumptuously tried to fly to the heavens—the god Zeus sent a gadfly to sting the horse, and Bellerophon fell crashing to earth.
Shield
A shield is a symbol of preservation and protection. It can appear in dreams as a symbol of protection, or as a barrier between you and the rest of the world. Are you erecting the shield, or is it being erected by someone else?
Trophy
Recognition in your dreams that you have done something you should be proud of and have overcome your fears.
when a feud was about to erupt at work, but no one thanked you for your efforts.
WINNING
If you dream of winning, whether it is a prize, competition or contest, this illustrates your feelings of confidence. It may be a reassurance from your subconscious that you have what it takes to be a success in waking life. On the other hand, dream oracles suggest that this kind of dream can sometimes mean the opposite. If you dream of winning a lottery ticket, this indicates a new-found sense of optimism in your waking life. If you see numbers on a lottery ticket, consider buying a lottery ticket and use the numbers you saw in the dream. Losing or drawing the lottery in the dream, is a warning that you might be surrounded by false friends or that your hopes are unrealistic. See also NUMBERS.
ANIMALS (#ulink_481520df-7ac0-5068-a353-b6ed8a125c0e)
Animals in dreams represent primitive drives and desires, such as fear, lust and anger that can only be really understood on an instinctual level.
Thus, to dream of a certain animal could suggest an aspect of your personality that is instinctual, hidden or striving for recognition. It could also represent a part of yourself you find hard to control. And because we often assign characteristics or personality traits to animals, dream animals may also symbolize gut feelings we have about others. An attacking lion, for example, may depict how we see someone who is being aggressive toward us.
Animal dreams rouse special interest because they contain images that are familiar to us, but at the same time we recognize something that is unfamiliar and obscure. Traditionally, the characteristics of the dream animal are applied to the world of humans, often seeing the animal as a harbinger of misfortune or good luck; for example, a wolf is often thought to predict thieves or misfortune. According to Freud animals in dreams are not predictive of future events but a classic expression of repressed or unexpressed sexual and aggressive tendencies. Jung, however, argued that animals in dreams should be analyzed individually, depending on the character they portray in the dream and the association the dreamer has to them.
Jung believed that animals are sublime and, in fact, represent the ‘divine’ side of the human psyche. He suggested that animals live much more in contact with a ‘secret’ order in nature itself and—far more than human beings—live in close contact with ‘absolute knowledge’ of the unconscious. In contrast to humankind, the animal is the living being that follows its own inner laws beyond good and evil—and is, in this sense, superior and a source of inspiration and guidance.
Although animals are one of the most common dream symbols, dreams that feature them can be complex and hard to interpret. Perhaps the simplest way is to first think about how you feel about the specific animal in your waking life. You may, for example, adore cats and think of them as lovely creatures because you have a much-loved pet cat, or you may associate cats with feeling unwell because you are allergic to them. Thinking about how that animal makes you feel within the context of your dream should help you recognize if that feeling is struggling to the fore, or is already expressing itself in daily life.
If, on the other hand, you have no feelings in particular about the animal in your dream, you need to think about the quality you typically associate with it; for example, a fox with cunning and stealth, an elephant with strength and mystery, or a dog with unconditional loyalty and love. Because animals are thought to represent unedited feelings and drives, it’s possible that your unconscious used the symbol of the fox in your dream to alert you to your own or someone else’s cunning. Thinking about that aspect of yourself—again within the context of your dream—should tell you whether you need to nurture and develop it, tame it or be on your guard against it in someone else.
If you still feel puzzled, it may be that the hidden meaning lies in archetypal, traditional, legendary, mythical or magical associations. Dream animals may also embody a pun. For example, if you dream of a badger, are you feeling badgered or aggravated in some way? If you dream of a zebra, could this refer to your black and white view point?
Dream animals, no matter how problematic, offer us an opportunity to contact and explore both the parts of ourselves that we have shut away and the parts that we have yet to discover. In general, researchers believe that animal dreams mean that the subconscious has woken up and has come to life.
Our dreams will be selective and personal in the choice of animal used to portray our life situation, but as you interpret never forget that animal symbols in dreams typically represent a fundamental push toward life and living it with passion. See also BIRDS; REPTILES, FISH AND AMPHIBIANS; PETS.
Animal Situations
AGRICULTURAL ANIMALS
Neither pets nor wild creatures, agricultural animals often represent personal traits that you may have tamed to a certain extent, although there is always the risk that they will escape conscious control and run wild. It’s important to reflect on the context of the dream involving a working or farmyard animal as it may reflect how you feel about the burdens and responsibilities of your daily life
ANIMALS IN PAIN
To dream that you are rescuing, caring for or saving the life of an animal, suggests that you are successfully acknowledging certain emotions and characteristics represented by the animal. A wounded animal can mean a pain you need to come to terms with that has caused an instinctive reaction, such as reactive anger or terrible fear. To find yourself in the waiting room of an animal hospital suggests a desire to avoid a responsibility or commitment you have in your waking life. To see lab animals in your dream, suggests that an aspect of yourself is being repressed. Alternatively, it suggests that you need to experiment with your fears, choices, and beliefs. Try not to limit yourself.
ANIMALS IN WATER
Dreams about animals in water are symbols of our emotions. Water is a symbol of emotion because water, like emotion, constantly moves and flows. How the animal moves within the water reveals our emotional mood. For instance if the water is calm and beautiful then it shows our emotions are good.
ANIMALS WITH THEIR YOUNG OR BABY ANIMALS
Maternal and paternal instinct; your basic childhood need for love and protection or your own experience of being parented. A baby animal can refer to yourself when young and vulnerable; feelings or memories concerning your childhood; desire for babies; vulnerability; fundamental survival instincts such as crying out for protection and comfort and the need for dependence and bonding. If the young animal is injured or dying, this could suggest problems with maturing or dealing with adult life.
CAUGHT OR CAGED ANIMALS
To see wild animals caged suggests that you are in control of your instincts. If you are in the cage with them, it could suggest a need to break free from constraints. If you dream of an animal tangled in barbed wire or in a trap, this could suggest an unhappy relationship with yourself or someone else. If the animal seems calm, it suggests inner strength during adversity but if the animal panics, unhappy memories or unhealthy habits are limiting your potential for development and growth.
CHANGING INTO AN ANIMAL
Also known as zoomorphism, to dream that you are changing into the form of an animal indicates that you are becoming less civilized and restrained, and becoming more free and instinctive. You may be expressing your new-found freedom and independence. Alternatively, taking the form of an animal can also suggest repressed urges that need to be understood and managed. Consider also the qualities of the animal that you turn into and what happens to you in the dream. According to Jung the end of the dream is particularly significant. Favorable resolutions direct us to the most constructive ways of solving problems, whilst unfavorable dream resolutions contain a warning of negative changes. Dreaming of animal skin could mean you may have found or need to acquire the traits, power and wisdom of the animal concerned.
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
Domestic animals symbolize fundamental urges and drives in ourselves which we have learnt to meet and direct with reasonable success. They still have to be cared for though or they may rebel against what we ask of them. Buying and selling an animal may indicate the need for the dreamer to be aware of possible tensions with the people close to him. If the dreamer is selling an animal, this could indicate delays and frustrations; the need for inner calmness to help the dreamer through until he or sees the light at the end of the tunnel. See also PETS.
KILLING OR EATING AN ANIMAL
Attempting to kill the animal within (our lower brain functions) can cause tension, depression and illness; giving in entirely is no answer either as our higher brain functions need expression also. One of the challenges of maturing and growing is to meet and relate to our ‘animal instincts’, and if possible find ways to express them positively. To dream of eating an animal suggests that you need to draw upon your own inner wisdom and energy, but it can also suggest a desire for sensual pleasure.
NEGLECT OF ANIMALS
A common dream symbol that typically represents neglect of some aspect of your inner nature. For example, you may have been given an animal to look after, usually somebody else’s pet, while they were away on holiday and then completely forgot about the animal, only to discover it later starving, injured or even dead. This dream is reminding you that you have a responsibility to yourself and to see that your own sexual, nutritional and bodily needs are met.
PARTS OF ANIMALS
These have the same interpretation as parts of the human body (see BODY). If a four-legged animal has a leg or legs missing, it suggests a personality that is not fully rounded. If you dream of a tail, this could signify a need for balance and adjustment in tough circumstances. It can also indicate sexual arousal or the penis. If claws figure prominently in the dream, this could suggest spitefulness; desire to hurt; hidden aggression; clinging, or ‘getting one’s claws in someone’.
WATCHED, ATTACKED OR CHASED BY AN ANIMAL
Hiding from or being trapped by animals can suggest you are feeling controlled or threatened by your urges or the emotions or feelings of others. If the animal is watching you, your unconscious is reminding you not to forget or neglect the instincts that it represents. If the animal is attacking you, this could indicate that you are in the grip of a rage that you fear you may unleash. Your dream is urging you express or deal with your anger in a controlled way. If an animal is chasing you in a dream, this may suggest that in real life you are in flight from some area of your personality that wants to be expressed. If you are trying to find refuge from animals—either by building a defense or running away—this indicates a struggle with instincts that threaten your safety in waking life. In some cases dreams of being threatened or attacked by animals may be telling you that you are repressing your instincts—perhaps being too civilized—and you should try and loosen up more. Being bitten by an animal could indicate aggression from someone close to you or that our own aggressive instincts are not under control. Any threat from a sinister animal suggests fears and doubts you may have about your ability to manage your emotions. See also SURREALISM AND FANTASY.
Animal noises
If you hear animals making sounds in your dream, you need to consider what these sounds mean to you in waking life and then to make a symbolic link. For example, if you hear an animal barking, wailing or whining for attention, these sounds could be calling your attention to the qualities that that particular animal represents to you. If you hear ominous growling, roaring or cackling, it could reflect pent-up anger either within yourself or another person. If you hear braying, it could indicate a need to overcome basic animal instincts. If you hear bleating, you may be taking on new cares and responsibilities that could be positive or negative depending on your attitude towards them. See also SENSES.
WILD ANIMAL
The symbol of a deep-rooted instinct or the beast within you. Freud suggested that dreams of wild animals represented our most sensual passions, and sometimes the ‘evil instincts’ that lie deep within our unconscious. The more wild and dangerous the beast, the greater the danger that suppressed aspect of yourself will break free from the control of your conscious mind and force you to confront and deal with it in waking life. If you dream of a herd of wild animals, this could suggest you are meeting, or need to meet, aspects of yourself you have not yet learnt to direct or usefully integrate. Taming or harnessing a wild animal indicates a need to control your instincts and if possible make them productive and useful.
Do animals dream?
It seems that they do, although we can’t know for sure. All we can measure is whether or not they have REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is more or less associated with dreams. All mammals have REM sleep, and that increases the likelihood that they do dream.
Because REM sleep is recognizable in mammals and birds, but not in snakes and other reptiles, scientists think that most warm-blooded animals dream. Studies have monitored the sleep of goats, sheep, cats, dogs, rats, mice, monkeys and apes, and all had dream periods and symptoms; all except the spiny anteater, which seems to be a dream-free mammal.
Watch a sleeping dog or cat sometime, and you can tell if it is dreaming of running after something. Its eyes twitch, sometimes it moves its paws—something could be happening in its dreams.
WISE OR TALKING ANIMALS
To dream of wise animals suggests important information from your intuition or inner wisdom. This intuitive wisdom is within every one of us and the result of thousands of years of life experience. Many cultures all over the world represent great wisdom and holiness as animals or animal-headed beings. To dream that animals can talk represents a wisdom inside yourself that is innocent and simple. It could also represent your potential to be all that you can be.
Animals A to Z
More than anything else, dream animals represent powerful instinctive reactions to situations, for example, fight or flight, the urge to find a mate and protect our young, the desire to have standing and recognition within a group, and so on. When instincts need to be understood, expressed or controlled in some way animals can often appear in our dreams to symbolize them. By understanding animals in dreams and the qualities they represent, we can approach life in a more instinctive, simple and natural way.
Bear in mind though that there is a huge difference in meaning between wild animals and domesticated animals in dreams. In general, domesticated animals or pets, such as a dog or rabbit, represent those urges we have more control over and are therefore less threatening to our conscious desire to be in charge. The wild animals we dream of are more threatening to our ego, but they are also more powerful, because if we can develop a working relationship with them they offer incredible potential for growth.
APE/MONKEY
To dream of apes, monkeys, gorillas or baboons suggests a link with the impulsive, imprudent, inquisitive side of ourselves, such as the self-centred grabbing of food, or sexual gratification without concern for the needs of the other person. It can also suggest the ability to mimic or copy, as well the childish, foolish and infantile side of the dreamer’s character that delights in mischief-making.
On the other hand, to dream of apes or monkeys, especially if they are white haired, can link in with the dreamer’s own unconscious wisdom: the wonderful experience of existing, of being alive with all the powers of a living creature such as strength, passion, awe and wonder in meeting life and the stars. Does your dream monkey reveal a wider side of you? The three mystic monkeys cover their eyes, ears and mouth showing that they ‘see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil’. Do you need to keep your own counsel?
Idioms: make a monkey of; monkey business; monkey with; monkey tricks; monkey’s uncle; monkey on your back.
BADGER
Define what you associate with the badger. For most of us, the play on words will feature strongly as a dream about badgers can often refer to badgering people, or feeling badgered and needing to get away from the influence of other people.
BAT
Bats can see in the dark suggesting thoughts or influences that emerge from our intuition or inner wisdom.
BEAR
Often represents the mother figure in dreams and depending on the dream, this image can be caring or uncaring, or possessive and all devouring. If the bear is recognized as male, then it could refer to an overbearing person, or perhaps the father figure in a person’s life.
The bear is largely a solitary animal that prefers to live and survive alone. This, and its human way of standing, may be major reasons for bears appearing in dreams. We can therefore link the bear with feelings about living alone or surviving by one’s own strength. Because of the bear’s ability to hibernate, it can also represent our ability to recreate ourselves after a period of rest and reflection.
Bears in dreams may also link to feelings we have about becoming independent, or meeting strength and independence in someone else, or even wild rage as ‘the bear with a sore head’. If the latter is the case, it could suggest your relationship with someone who is touchy or grouchy or powerfully possessive in a smothering relationship. It could also indicate the danger of sudden unpredictable reactions.
Idioms: look out also for possible plays on words, such as bare facts; bearing with something or someone; bearing ones soul; bearing in mind; a bearer of tidings; come to bear; overbearing; getting one’s bearings; bear fruit; bear-hug. If there is a hint of money in the dream, this might refer to a ‘bear market’. Does your dream bear mean that you need to take on the power of the bear? Can you ‘bear’ up—keep your spirits raised—or do you need to enlist help to do so?
BEAST
Many dreams feature beasts or animals that are of no particular characteristic or type. In some cases the beast is terrifying and we awake with a feeling of dread. Such creatures are usually an expression of memories, or instincts and drives, which have been repressed or avoided in our waking lives for one reason or another. See also SURREALISM AND FANTASY.
BEAVER
Beavers are typically associated with industriousness and independence, although the word does also have sexual connotations with the female sexual organs. If a dam is being built, this could suggest holding back feelings or the need to conserve energy. In Native American tradition the beaver is considered holy and if a beaver should speak to you in a dream, this may be an expression of your inner wisdom trying to make itself heard.
BOAR
Boars are symbols of the magical spirits that protect the woods. If they appear in dreams, they can suggest protection from danger and hardship in waking life.
BULL
When bulls appear in dreams they might refer to powerful instinctual responses that can sweep us along or cause problems if we try to deny them. Such instinctual urges may be to do with lust and desire, anger at people invading our space, paternal or maternal love and protectiveness, or simply an aggressive bullish trait within ourselves or someone else. It can also suggest personal traits to do with being earthy, basic or sexual in our approach as well as strength, obstinacy and power. If the bull is aggressive, this shows the frustration that can arise from basic drives being thwarted. For example, a person may have a high libido and feel frustrated with a partner who does not care for sex as much. If the bull is wounded or killed, this suggests a killing of natural urges or drives for sex and procreation. If the bull is sacrificed, this can suggest generosity and self giving. The ridden bull indicates harmony between instinct and decision making.
In many cultures or myths around the bull there is the theme of the Hero confronting and overcoming the bull; for instance Theseus and the Minotaur. Victory over the bull therefore represents the human struggle and victory over instinctual or reactive forces influencing consciousness. From this victory a new life or consciousness can be born.
Idioms: like a bull in a china shop; red flag to a bull; take the bull by the horns; bull at the gate; scoring a bull’s eye. For example, if your dream is of someone acting like a bull in a china shop, knocking everything over, it could be a warning to slow down and take more care. If you dream of hitting the bull’s eye, it means you stand every chance of achieving your goals. If you are a bully in your dreams, perhaps you are trying to impose your will on others. If you are being bullied, you need to stand up to someone.
CAMEL
Suggests the dreamer’s ability, or the ability of someone the dreamer knows, to face adversity—especially over the dry and barren aspects of life. It may also link with inner strength, endurance, patience and plodding perseverance. Occasionally the camel’s hump may suggest pregnancy or the desire for children.
CAT
Jung saw cats in dreams as representing the hidden or secretive side of a person’s nature. Cats often feature in dreams of women to represent the urge to care for someone or in some cases a desire for sex and the need to reproduce. In men’s dreams, a cat or group of cats may refer to a woman or group of women, or to the intuitive side of men’s nature, perhaps warning him of hidden dangers; cattiness, jealousy in a relationship. On the other hand it can also suggest independence, stealth and fertility. An alley cat indicates promiscuity. In some dreams, a black cat, depending on
Big cats
Stealth, ferocity, power, strength, cunning and the will to survive are suggested by wild cats in dreams.
Jaguar
Assertiveness and fierce anger.
Leopard
The leopard’s spots—which can be seen as eyes—represent watchfulness or the need for it. As with all the big cats, leopards in dreams suggest anger, speed, courage, passion and, in some cases, cruelty.
Lion/Lioness
Generally a positive symbol that suggests physical strength and success in waking life. It can also suggest self-assertion or the need for it to be expressed in waking life because of the lion’s roar. If, however, the lion is small or injured or in a vulnerable situation, this could suggest that the dreamer feels he or she is in a dangerous place, but also that these difficulties can be overcome with strength and daring. If a lion is chasing you, this is most likely due to a struggle with natural feelings of anger or aggression.
Idioms: lion’s den; lion’s share; head in the lion’s mouth
Lynx
Shares the same qualities as all the big cats, with an emphasis on the vigilance and the keenness of the lynx.
Panther
A Christian symbol, representing power to protect against evil. It also suggests anger and fierceness.
Tiger
Similar to the lion in many ways but with the emphasis on uncertainty and unpredictability. For example, tigers in dreams may suggest the possibility of plans changing unexpectedly. It can also warn against trusting a new acquaintance. The tiger can also represent sexuality but, depending upon how it is presented in the dream, a sexuality of uncertain elements—for example, will I be attacked or ignored.
Idioms: fight like a tiger; paper tiger.
what the dreamer associates with it, may indicate good or bad luck or fear in general. If the dream suggests cats are to be feared, this can indicate fear of the female in oneself, fear of females or a particular ‘catty’ female, or difficulty in meeting feelings and intuition. If you are allergic to cats and dream of one, it might signify a negative and threatening reaction to a situation or relationship. If cats speak in your dreams, this suggests sexuality, femininity and an ability to express it.
Idioms: copycat; bell the cat; cat and mouse; cat’s whiskers; cat out of the bag; cat and dog life; cat on hot bricks; something the cat brought in; a cat’s paw; cat amongst the pigeons; while the cat’s away. See also PETS.
CATERPILLAR
Often this represents male sexuality, or sexual intercourse, but it can also suggest untrustworthy acquaintances. If moving to chrysalis stage, this suggests you may be moving towards making very profound life changes. If already a chrysalis, a new aspect of yourself is forming and is ready to emerge. Caterpillars may also indicate a desire to withdraw from social activity.
CHAMELEON
The dreamer is recognizing in themselves the ability to change and adapt to circumstances.
COLD-BLOODED ANIMALS OR REPTILES
The unfeeling, cold, almost inhuman element in some human instincts is often suggested by cold-blooded animals or reptiles. See also REPTILES, FISH AND AMPHIBIANS.
COMPOSITE OR DEFORMED ANIMALS
To dream of animals mixed up with each other, for example, half animal-half man, could suggest confusion in finding the best approach to a situation in waking life. Perhaps the qualities of the animals in the dream need to be assimilated and integrated? The dream could also suggest that the dreamer is recognizing his or her potential for development.
COW
Similar to the bull in many ways but suggesting the female aspect of a person’s nature, in particular a willingness to put the needs of others before one’s own. Cows can symbolize motherliness, receptiveness, nurturing and the feminine energy that can lead or direct the masculine energy in oneself. They may also indicate being taken advantage of by someone in some way.
DEER/REINDEER/ANTELOPE
The gentle side of oneself that can be hurt or wounded easily by cynicism and aggression or criticism. Generally, a deer symbolizes vulnerability and, in some cases, lovesickness. In a man’s dream, the deer may depict a young woman the man is in pursuit of. If the dreamer is pursuing a deer, this indicates success in overcoming fears. If the dreamer sees himself killing a deer, this is a warning dream to indicate the possibility of someone hurting them in waking life through no fault of their own. To dream of a stag suggests male sexual drive and virility, courage, and both life and healing energies. The stag may also represent a man or father figure that the dreamer admires in some way and the dream expresses the dreamer’s desire to become more like the admired person. Finally, a deer or reindeer herd have a strict hierarchical structure and the dream could suggest that the dreamer needs to recognize his or her own place in the world. Is it time for you to branch out from this place in the world and make new connections? Are you in the process of renewal or do you need to be?
DINOSAUR
The dinosaur indicates the most primitive, unsocialized, basic urges of human nature such as fear, reproduction, and survival. Such instincts are still alive within us and need to be integrated otherwise they remain in a primitive form, perhaps in conflict with our personality. To dream of dinosaurs could also indicate some aspect of our personality or approach to life that is outdated and no longer needed for survival.
DOG
The dog depicts natural urges that are well integrated, but still have the tendency to revert back to the spontaneous or ‘wild’ state quite easily. For instance, our anger might usually be well under control but, if someone teases us, we might unexpectedly erupt with uncontrollable anger. Like the cat, the dog can also represent affection or caring. A black dog suggests depression or fear of death.
Idioms: die like a dog; dirty dog; dog eared; dog eat dog; dog in the manger; gay dog; go to the dogs; let sleeping dogs lie. See also PETS.
DOLPHIN
Sea-dwelling mammals much loved by man. However, despite their fondness for human companionship and joyous sense of fun, dolphins in dreams can foretell anxious times ahead; this is especially the case if a dolphin is seen leaping out of the water. See also REPTILES, FISH AND AMPHIBIANS.
DONKEY/ASS
In the Bible, the ass carries Christ and is often thought to represent humbleness and humility but it can suggest the stubbornness arising perhaps out of long-entrenched habits and automatic behavior. Generally the donkey represents the plodding, longsuffering body and its basic needs, and a dream in which the dreamer is riding on a donkey hints at progress, even if it is slow. Do you feel impatient with your progress or overburdened? Are you refusing to give way on an important issue? Don’t forget about Eeyore, of Winnie the Pooh fame. Eeyore is a depressed and sluggish donkey. Are you feeling that way?
A dream that features a donkey braying implies that the dreamer is on a liberating journey from some kind of family or health trauma. A dream in which the donkey is tied up attests to the dreamer’s fierce will power that can ‘move mountains’ if directed towards a positive goal. If the ass or donkey is being ridden by or pulling someone else, you may be feeling you are doing all the hard work in a relationship, or working like a beast of burden.
ELEPHANT
To dream of an elephant is to recognize the qualities of patience, long memory, strength, wisdom and loyalty. It’s a particularly good sign if you are riding it. If other people are riding the elephant, it could suggest help from a friend or a close strong friendship. To feed an elephant suggests meetings with people in key positions. If you run from a herd of stampeding elephants, this could suggest being afraid of your own strength or inner power. If a rogue elephant stampedes, it could represent a chaotic element in yourself that threatens to wreak havoc in the waking world if it isn’t controlled. The question is, can we meet this enormous strength and energy in ourselves and learn to direct it positively? The elephant’s trunk is sometimes said to be a sexual symbol indicating the ability to satisfy needs.
Idioms: white elephant; pink elephants; rogue elephant; memory like an elephant. Is there a memory you are holding onto that you need to get rid of? Do you need elephantine strength for a task?
ELK/MOOSE
Suggests the wild drives or emotions that can carry us along, or trample us.
FERRET/ERMINE
Suggestive of inquisitiveness—the ability to ferret or find out things—as well of selfish actions that can injure another person’s feelings. (The ermine was traditionally linked with virgin saints and thus purity.)
FOX
A fox symbolizes shrewdness in dealing with life’s challenges, but also a tricky person or relationship, or false or deceptive rumors. It also suggests unpredictable behavior and a refusal to conform. If the dreamer chases a fox in a dream, it suggests that he or she is too detached from reality and is in danger of floating in a sea of untruths. Do you need to be as ‘wily as a fox’ at present? Does your dream fox need protection from the hunt and if so, what can this be linked to in your daily life?
FROG
Symbolic of the deeply unconscious psychobiological processes which can transform us from a tadpole/sperm into an air-breathing frog. In dreams, frogs suggest an extra, deeper element to ourselves and if we can integrate it, our life will become richer. The frog has also been associated with the power of resurrection and renewal by meeting that which we find difficult or repulsive in life and ourselves. The frog into the prince story suggests this power to transform the dark, unformed side of oneself, the toad or beast, into something which is fully aware and radiant.
Game animals
Game animals—notably the deer, rabbit and hare—offer encouragement, and dreamers should view their presence optimistically. The rabbit’s renowned ability to breed offers the promise of fertility in women and virility in men. Hares are closely associated with the moon goddess and they suggest an ability to see the magical in everything. Deer are also viewed as animals of the spirit. Due to the branching nature of their antlers, stags have been linked with the ‘tree of life’, and are thought to impart intuitive wisdom to those who dream of them.
GOAT
Traditionally a symbol of virility, and so if a goat appears in a woman’s dream, it can be linked to a lover she desires, or to fertility and procreative power. Similarly, if a goat appears in a man’s dream, it attests to the amount of importance he ascribes to his virility and, in context with the rest of the dream, should be interpreted in this way. It can also suggest the ability to ‘climb’ and survive difficulties, personally or socially. Occasionally it is connected with natural drives which, if they become repressed, are associated with the devil. If the goat is attacking, this may indicate somebody butting into your life or some form of conflict.
Idioms: separating the sheep from the goats; get my goat; an old goat (an aging man still lusting after women).
HARE
In past cultures, the hare was often given great respect. It stood for intuition, rejuvenation and resurrection, and thus of the immortal nature of humans. Because of the hare’s habit of bounding up suddenly from hiding places, to dream of a hare suggests sudden, powerful intuition. If the hare appears as a supernatural figure giving advice or as a sacrificial animal, it indicates the ability to draw on hidden potential and make great changes in life. On the other hand dreams about hares and rabbits can also symbolize timidity and inhibition as far as sex is concerned. Having said that, if the hare is running or in flight it could suggest that great changes are about to take place, and a positive change in status, environment and finance are on the cards. If a person dreams he is eating a hare, this can suggest that he or she is envious of someone’s good fortune or that someone is envious of them.
There is a legend that a hare breeder has only to tell a hare to kill itself and it will do so, thus showing its capacity for self-sacrifice. Are you making sacrifices at the moment? Are you thinking clearly or doing yourself an injustice?
HEDGEHOG/PORCUPINE
If a hedgehog or porcupine appears in a dream, it might indicate that the dreamer, or someone they know, is very prickly, easily offended or irritated by the remarks or actions of other people. It might also represent a vulnerable part of oneself that is quick to withdraw, but can react by lashing out and hurting others.
HIPPOPOTAMUS
A dream about a hippopotamus suggests the dreamer is suffering from feelings of inferiority. He or she is not satisfied about him or herself, both physically and mentally. These feelings do not always have a basis in reality but represent how the dreamer views him or herself. The hippopotamus is considered to be clumsy, ungainly and overweight, and the dreamer may also feel this way about themselves. Whether true or not in waking life, this inner feeling of being a loser will hold the dreamer back and prevent him or her succeeding in life. The dream implies that the image the dreamer has of themselves is a figment of their imagination. If they could only shake it off and see themselves in a less critical light, they would feel much better about themselves and be able to attract success into their life. Dreams about hippos can also represent concerns about fertility and childbirth as the female hippopotamus represents the Egyptian Great Mother, Amenti, the goddess of childbirth.
HORSE
Studies show that the animals that most often appear in dreams are horses, along with cats and dogs, and women seem to dream of horses more often than men do; indeed, Artimedorus of Daldis (2nd century AD) lists horses amongst the most common dreams of women. Some dream interpreters suggest that horses represent male sexuality.
According to Freud, horses symbolize the sexual drive. Jung noted that horse dreams could often be indicative of health conditions. Horses, like dogs, represent urges and passions in ourselves that we have learned to harness or direct, and in general they represent positive things that are about to happen in a dreamer’s waking life. Horses suggest the sort of enthusiasm or feelings of well-being that can carry us through the day and through life. Having said that much depends on the context of the dream; for instance, if the dreamer falls off the horse, this may suggest relating badly to urges and passions and the resulting tension this creates. If the horse is wild, this suggests undirected energy, such as sexual desires which override personal or interpersonal needs.
Idioms: back the wrong horse; from the horse’s mouth; don’t look a gift horse in the mouth; horse sense; you can lead a horse to water; wild horses; workhorse; horsing about; getting on your high horse; eat like a horse; back the wrong horse; beating a dead horse. For ‘equestrian issues’ and dreams concerning working or domesticated horses, see also PETS.
HYENA
The appearance of a hyena in a dream suggests taking advantage of someone, or being taken advantage of. A dream about an attack by a hyena may foretell an attempt to ruin the dreamer’s reputation.
JACKAL
Similar to ‘dog’, but a wilder version. The jackal is a cunning scavenger and as a result is sometimes associated with death. It can also see in the dark and the ancient Egyptians believed the jackal to be a pathfinder in the underworld—i.e. the unconscious—leading the dead to the other world or enlightenment. Be aware too of the ‘Jackal and Hyde’ phenomenon that exists inside all of us.
KANGAROO
A dream about a hopping kangaroo suggests a problematic relationship, or the potential for problems, if one person spends too much time with other people or refuses to commit. It could also indicate problems with concentration and focus in waking life.
LAMB
The childlike, vulnerable, dependent, innocent, pure part of a person that Christlike has the power to defeat evil. A dream about slaughtering lambs will suggest success at the expense of peace of mind. If wolves or dogs are tearing lambs apart, it means innocent people are suffering at the hands of unscrupulous others. A dream about carrying lambs means that the dreamer is carrying the burdens of the people he or she loves happily. If lambskins appear in a dream, this suggests that the dreamer or other people have been deprived of joy and comfort.
MOLE
Associated with solitude, seclusion and the avoidance of human company, the mole can represent the attitude of a recluse. It might also indicate problems festering beneath the surface, as in molehills.
MOUSE
Suggestive of the mousy, shy or timid part of the self, dreaming of mice could also suggest small but important developments or subtle changes that can gnaw away at our self-esteem. Dreaming that you are a mouse could mean you feel dull, undistinguished and lacking in confidence in waking life. The sexual organ which goes in and out of a hole is another association. If a person sees a mousetrap or a mouse caught in a trap, it could mean they need to watch out for people who gossip or take advantage of them.
OTTER
Ancient cultures saw the otter as a pure, holy creature and to see an otter in a dream suggests an ability to adapt to circumstances without ‘drowning’ and to clearly see what is really going on under the surface of everyday life.
OX
Very similar to ‘bull’, with the possible exception that oxen are often castrated, so dreams in which they feature could suggest frustration. Can you recognize the strength of the ox within yourself? Are you engaged in a task that demands great commitment?
PIG/WILD BOAR
Pigs are symbolic of a life governed by untamed physical needs and passions; they can also suggest impossible ventures, or inappropriate behavior and neglect of the spiritual side of life. By contrast, amongst the peoples of the East, a dream about a pig is interpreted as a good dream that attests to prosperity.
Idioms: pig in a poke; happy as a pig in shit; make a pig of oneself; pig in the middle; pigs might fly; pig headed; piggy bank (is your dream linked to savings?).
RABBIT
The rabbit breeds easily, so in dreams it is often linked to sexuality. It is also associated with the soft, vulnerable part of ourselves that can be easily hurt or hounded. If the dreamer is hunting wild rabbits, this could suggest that they are being criticized, attacked, ‘hunted down’ or hounded. See also PETS.
RAM
Representing masculine sexual energy, the ram can also indicate a refusal to conform or be part of a group, together with an unconscious desire to lead rather than follow.
Idioms: battering ram; ramming one’s point home; like a ram among sheep.
RAT
The rat is a symbol of fears and anxieties, or is the diseased or devious part of a dreamer or his or her situation. It can also represent something which is repulsive in some way. The dreamer may be experiencing disloyalty from a friend or colleague. Other associations are of dirt and squalor, or of time gnawing away at our life and the unacceptable parts of oneself. By contrast, dreaming about a pet rat suggests the opposite: vulnerability and the responsibility for caring.
Idioms: rat on someone; rat race; smell a rat; feeling ratty; cornered rat; rats leave a sinking ship.
SEAL
Dreaming of a seal suggests the dreamer is at one with the life they have chosen to lead. If the seal is wounded, injured or hunted, the opposite might be suggested.
SHEEP/LAMB
Sheep in dreams represent the aspects of oneself that conforms to social pressures, such as feeling part of a crowd or being herded by others. Dreaming of sheep can also suggest aspects of ourselves that are the same as other human beings or working hard to accomplish a goal. If the dreamer is caring for sheep, this may indicate a desire to grow spiritually.
Idioms: make sheep’s eye at someone; follow like a sheep; being sheepish.
SNAKE
See REPTILES, FISH AND AMPHIBIANS.
SQUIRREL
The squirrel represents the hoarding aspect of the personality.
TOAD
To dream of a toad suggests that the dreamer needs to become aware, and come to terms with, what is ugly in life, or in his or her behavior. However, the ugliness does have within it the power of transformation and growth into something beautiful.
UNICORN
A symbol of purity and a return to innocence; can also suggest the control of the ego, and selfishness. See also SURREALISM AND FANTASY
VERMIN
Dreams involving any sort of vermin suggest that you need to contemplate, or take into consideration, something that is unwanted or that has invaded your space.
WEASEL
The weasel highlights the devious and more dubious side of our personalities.
WHALE
The whale is a mammal that lives beneath the waters and it suggests the power of rebirth, our ability to reinvent our approach to life, or circumstances in life which are holding us back. See also REPTILES, FISH AND AMPHIBIANS.
WOLF
Dreaming of a wolf suggests that the dreamer may be feeling threatened by other people, or may be vulnerable in some situation. The wolf, as suggested by fairy stories like Red Riding Hood, also represents the female fear of powerful male sexuality, and yet might also figure in female sexual fantasies. Wolves are also symbols of repressed sexuality and anger.
Idioms: wolf at the door; wolf in sheep’s clothing; cry wolf; throw to the wolves; a wolf (a man who lusts after women and pursues them like a predator).
ZEBRA
In dreams, the zebra has much the same significance as the ‘horse’, but with the additional meaning of balancing the black and white aspects of the personality into a powerful whole.
ARCHETYPES (#ulink_142e428d-7c5b-549d-a157-b27a5b244a4e)
‘Collective unconscious’ is the term Carl Jung used to describe the part of the unconscious that everyone has access to, a sort of psychic storehouse for all humankind.
The contents of this storehouse are called ‘archetypes’: patterns and symbols that can be found within the unconscious of everyone. These archetypes represent the broad human memory within each of us. They appear as mythical images that occur in every culture throughout recorded history—the images appearing in the dreams of our ancestors are those that speak to us today.
According to Jung, dreams are attempts to guide the waking self. He thought that the purpose of life—and for him, dreams play an important role in it—is to understand and integrate all parts of ourselves; dreams are simply one aspect of the self trying to communicate with the conscious part. Dreams don’t disguise the unconscious, they reveal it, through archetypes.
Sigmund Freud disagreed with Jung, as he believed that dreams were disguised attempts to hide, not reveal, true feelings from the waking mind. Freud did, however, recognize a concept of ‘archaic remnants’, inherited—rather than learned—beliefs, through which basic emotions and responses are represented. For example, the mother figure is a universal symbol of nurturing and protection.
Today, most dream researchers believe that we are more likely to see archetypal figures in our dreams at transition points in our lives than at other, more stable times. Change generally brings about anxiety and self-reflection. Going from education to the workforce, singlehood to marriage, or childless to parent are some typical archetypal transitions. Many of these archetypes are very familiar to us already, because they can be found in myths, legends, fairy tales, books and movies: the wicked stepmother, the authoritative father and the vulnerable maiden. We are as familiar with the superhero in films like Spiderman or Batman, as we are with the character of the dastardly joker or villain. All these characters are archetypes, and enduring representations of basic human qualities, instincts and experiences.
The first step in analysing an archetype, as with any symbol, is through personal reference. For example, a dream about monsters may refer to our inner fears, but it
Jungian constructs
The Persona
In your dreams are you wearing a disguise or mask? Are you a regal persona or did you become a superhero? Are you using cosmetics or wearing a wig? Are you worried about your appearance in some way? Are you naked? Are your clothes torn and ragged? If so, this kind of dream concerns your persona or personas, as we all have more than one.
The persona represents your public image, the part of yourself that is presented externally by what you say, wear and look like. The word is obviously related to the words ‘person’ and ‘personality’, and comes from the Latin word for mask. So the persona is the mask you put on before you show yourself to the outside world.
Your persona’s wardrobe of masks comprises the various faces you use to present yourself to different audiences in waking life—for example, your family, friends, colleagues and strangers. We wear these masks to help us relate better to different groups of people, but these masks are not the real you. Depending on the context of your dream and how you felt, your unconscious may be warning you that one of your personas is in conflict with your true self, or that you need to adopt a different persona to achieve your goals.
The persona is rarely personified in a dream. It is usually a dream theme, rather than a dream figure: for example, the persona can be said to be present in a dream in which your clothes are stained, or you are naked or inappropriately dressed. At its best, the persona is just the ‘good impression’ you wish to present as you fill the roles society requires of you. But, of course, it can also be the ‘false impression’ you use to manipulate people’s opinions and behaviors. And, at its worst, it can be mistaken, even by yourself, for your own true nature; sometimes we believe we really are what we pretend to be!
The Anima and the Animus
A part of our persona is the role of male or female we must play. For most people, that gender role is determined by their physical sex. But Jung, like Freud and Adler and others, felt that we are all really bisexual in nature. When we begin our lives in the womb, we have undifferentiated sex organs that only gradually become male or female, under the influence of hormones. Likewise, when we begin our social lives as infants, we are neither male nor female in the social sense until society molds us into men or women.
In all societies, the expectations placed on men and women differ, but in our society today, we have many remnants of traditional expectations. Women are still expected to be homemakers and nurturers; men are still expected to be strong breadwinners. But Jung felt these expectations meant that we had developed only half of our potential.
The anima is the unconscious female aspect present in the collective unconscious of men, and the animus is the unconscious male aspect present in the collective unconscious of women. The function of the anima/animus is to help the dreamer establish a good working relationship with his or her male/female counterpart. This is an important step in the development of the personality.
The anima or animus is the archetype through which you communicate with the collective unconscious generally, and it is important to get into touch with it. It is also the archetype that some researchers believe guides our choice of partner. We are, as suggested by an ancient Greek myth popularized by Plato in the Symposium, always looking for our other half—the half that the Gods took from us—in members of the opposite sex. When we fall in love at first sight, then we have found someone that ‘fills’ our anima or animus archetype particularly well!
If someone of the opposite sex played a leading role in your dreams or aroused feelings of deep yearning, attraction and fascination, then your dreaming self has witnessed the appearance of the anima/animus, the opposite of your conscious personality. This is why if you are an indecisive, shy man your animus may take the form of a party-loving woman who is resolute—or if you are a cautious, rational female your anima may take the form of a spontaneous, passionate man. The anima/animus may be either positive or negative and both can be symbolized by people you know or don’t know in waking life, as well as mythical, symbolic, and legendary characters, or by objects that somehow represent the masculine or feminine to you. Typically, the anima is personified as a single figure image; for example, a young girl, a witch, or an earth mother. It is likely to be associated with deep emotionality and the force of life itself. The animus may be a plurality of figures, for example a band of robbers or a council passing judgment, although it is also often personified as a wise old man. It is likely to be presented as logical, rationalistic, and judgmental.
By introducing the anima/animus, your unconscious is urging you to seek balance and compensate for those attitudes or behaviors that dominate your thinking and being in waking life. Heeding the promptings of your anima/animus can help you become a more content and rounded personality, and perhaps strengthen your relationships with the opposite sex
The self
The most important archetype of all is the self—the higher, more spiritual aspect of the personality. In dreams it can appear in many forms; most typically as a child or baby, suggesting vulnerability, freshness, spontaneity and potential. It can also be symbolized by the circle, the cross, and the mandala figures that Jung was fond of painting. (See SYMBOLS.) To a woman, the self may also be presented as a wise old woman, priestess, fairy godmother, biological mother, queen or princess. To a man, the self may manifest as a king, priest, wise old man, guru, prophet or philosopher.
The shadow
Did you dream of someone, perhaps a stranger, or someone you know who behaved in a repulsive, hateful or shocking way and your instinctual response was one of loathing? If so, you may have encountered your shadow. In waking life, your consciousness represses your shadow, but in dreams it can come to the fore. A useful indicator of your shadow is the quality you despise most in other people, such as boastfulness or cowardice. When your shadow appears, it may be telling you to embrace that part of yourself you find hard to accept, so that you can enhance your creativity.
The shadow is the unacceptable or unknown aspect of ourselves. It derives from our pre-human, animal past, when our concerns were limited to survival and reproduction, and when we weren’t self-conscious.
Symbols of the shadow include the snake, the dragon, monsters, and demons. It can appear in many different dream disguises: a foreigner, gypsy, tramp, prostitute, murderer, thief, stranger, alcoholic, drug addict, rapist, burglar, crippled, deformed, blind, a servant or someone following you. It often guards the entrance to a cave or a pool of water, which is the collective unconscious.
The shadow is not always represented as an enemy in dreams. It often contains values that are needed by consciousness and only becomes hostile when ignored or misunderstood. Although it suggests the ‘dark side’ of the ego, the shadow is actually amoral—neither good nor bad, just like animals. An animal is capable of tender care for its young and vicious killing for food, but it doesn’t choose to do either. It just does what it does. It is ‘innocent’. But from our human perspective, the animal world looks rather brutal, inhuman, so the shadow becomes the part of ourselves that we can’t quite admit to.
may also be a carry-over from the horror film you watched the same night. The next step is to take into consideration the other images in the dream, as well as the feelings and general atmosphere.
When archetypes appear in your dreams you will rarely feel indifferent to them and your instinctive response is crucial to the interpretation. Do they make you feel angry, inspired, sad, protective, frustrated or liberated? Never forget that such images spring from the deepest levels of the unconscious, and it is up to you to discover why they have been conjured up.
Jung contributed to our understanding of dream archetypes with constructs of his own, which some dream researchers find helpful in interpreting dreams. Although Jung believed that there is no fixed number of archetypes which we can simply list and memorize, he did believe that most archetypes are aspects of the following constructs: the persona, the anima and the animus, the ego, and the shadow. As you interpret your dreams you might want to consider these constructs along with the other archetypal images suggested in the pages of this book.
Archetypes A to Z
The archetypes listed here are just a few of the many ancient patterns that exist in human consciousness and manifest as symbolic figures, played by yourself or someone else, in your dreams. See also SYMBOLS.
ADDICT
[DREAM IMAGES: CONSPICUOUS CONSUMER; GLUTTON; WORKAHOLIC ETC.]
Besides the usual suspects—drugs, alcohol, food and sex—one can be addicted to work, sports, television, exercise, computer games, spiritual practice, negative attitudes, thrill seeking and many other activities. When this archetype appears in dreams, it suggests the need to confront some kind of addiction and restore balance in your life. From a symbolic perspective, the shadow aspect of the addict represents a struggle with will power and the absence of self-control.
ADVOCATE
[DREAM IMAGES: ATTORNEY; DEFENDER; ENVIRONMENTALIST; LEGISLATOR; LOBBYIST ETC.]
The advocate embodies social justice and a sense of devotion to championing the rights of others in the public arena. The shadow advocate manifests in commitment to false or negative causes, or in committing to causes for personal gain. If this figure appears in your dreams, you should ask yourself how much of your life is dedicated to the welfare of others, and a willingness to take action on their behalf.
ALCHEMIST
[DREAM IMAGES: INVENTOR; MAGICIAN; SCIENTIST; WIZARD ETC.]
The alchemist, wizard and magician are capable of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. Whereas a wizard is associated with magical powers, the magician tends to be seen more as an entertainer. The alchemist tries to turn base metals into gold, but in its highest manifestation, alchemy seeks complete spiritual transformation. The scientist and inventor are associated with advances and developments in human history. The shadow sides of these archetypes are found in the misuse of the power and knowledge to transform people’s lives. This archetype may appear in your dreams if your work or living situation demands that you be especially inventive. On the other hand, it could suggest that you, or someone you know, may be using skills and knowledge for unethical purposes.
ANDROGYNOUS BEING
[DREAM IMAGES: HALF MAN-HALF WOMAN; HERMAPHRODITE; TRANSVESTITE]
The symbol of a person who has attained the perfect balance of male and female characteristics, an androgynous being represents the union of opposites, an important idea in Jung’s theory. In dreams, this archetype is not so much referring to your sexual nature, but more to the union of your inner and outer world. Your interpretation will depend on how this dream image made you feel; were you relaxed and natural, or did you feel repulsed or confused? The latter suggests disharmony, whilst the former suggests harmony.
ANGEL
[DREAM IMAGES: FAIRY GODMOTHER/GODFATHER]
Angels are typically represented as winged beings who intervene at times of great need, or for the purpose of delivering a message of guidance or instruction from God to human beings. Therefore in dreams, angels represent your higher self-image and offer guidance from within, but they can also represent an evil being of similar powers: the fallen angle who has been led astray, or is leading other people astray. Bear in mind, too, that the dream may refer to someone in your life who is an angel because of the loving and nurturing qualities of character that they embody. One may also play the role of a fairy godmother or godfather by helping someone.
ARTIST
[DREAM IMAGES: ARTISAN; CRAFTSPERSON; SCULPTOR; WEAVER ETC.]
In dreams, the artist archetype suggests the need for self-expression. The shadow artist indicates an eccentric nature and the madness that often accompanies genius. In evaluating your relationship to this archetype, recognize that the need to inspire others in some way—for example through teaching, writing, listening and encouraging—is as much an expression of the artist archetype as actually holding a brush in your hand. See also ARTS AND CRAFTS.
ATHLETE
[DREAM IMAGES: FITNESS INSTRUCTOR; OLYMPIAN; SPORTSPERSON ETC.]
This archetype represents the ultimate expression of the strength of the human spirit as represented in the power and magnificence of the human body. Athlete dreams should not be interpreted in terms of whether your body is perfect in form and function, but whether you have the willpower and strength of spirit to achieve your goals. The shadow aspect of athletes may manifest in dreams about cheating, suggesting a lack of honor in yourself or someone you know. See also LEISURE.
AVENGER
[DREAM IMAGES: AVENGING ANGEL; MESSIAH; SAVIOR]
This archetype suggests a need to balance the scales of justice in your waking life. Dreams about bringing war criminals to trial, or legally pursuing corporations that harm society, or saving the world from impending disaster are examples of the avenger archetype in action. The shadow side of the avenger manifests in dreams with acts of violence and a burning desire to get even at all costs as their themes.
BEGGAR
[DREAM IMAGES: HOMELESS PERSON; INDIGENT ETC.]
Homeless and penniless, the beggar is associated with dependence on the kindness of others, living on the streets, starvation and disease. It is easy to believe that when this archetype appears in your dreams, the interpretation should be a negative one, but this isn’t always the case. People don’t just beg for money; they can also beg for attention, love, authority, success and material objects. Learning about the nature of generosity, compassion and humility, and understanding what it is you really need, are fundamental to interpreting this dream image.
BULLY
[DREAM IMAGES: COWARD; DEMANDING BOSS/TEACHER; GANG OF INTIMIDATING THUGS; SCHOOL BULLY ETC.]
The archetype of the bully manifests the core truth that the spirit is always stronger than the body, and your relationship to this archetype should be evaluated within a framework far more expansive than evaluating whether you bully people or are being bullied. Consider whether in waking life you are giving up on things and people too easily. Conventional wisdom holds that underneath a bully is a coward trying to keep others from discovering his or her true identity. If the theme of cowardice or intimidation by a boss, teacher or gang of thugs appears in your dreams, perhaps your unconscious is urging you to stand up to being bullied by your own inner fears.
CHILD
[DREAM IMAGES: CHILD OF NATURE; DIVINE; MAGICAL/INNOCENT; ORPHAN; WOUNDED]
The child of nature archetype inspires deep, intimate bonding with natural forces. Although the nature child is loving and giving, it can also have an inner toughness and ability to survive—the resilience of Nature herself. Nature children can develop advanced skills of communicating with animals, and in dreams reflecting this archetype, an animal often comes to the rescue of its child companion. Such dreams can reflect a compassionate, nature-loving aspect of our character, or the need to stop abusing the environment (understood in its widest sense) and reconnect with nature.
The magical child embodies qualities of wisdom and courage in the face of difficult circumstances. In dreams, it suggests the power of imagination and the belief that everything is possible. If, however, the magic is not put to positive use, the dream image is a negative one, and indicates lack of energy and action in waking life.
The orphan child is the major character in most well-known children’s stories, including ‘Bambi’, ‘Cinderella’, ‘Hansel and Gretel’, ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘Little Orphan Annie’, ‘The Matchstick Girl’, ‘Snow White’ and many more. The pattern in these stories is often reflected in the dreams of people who feel from birth as if they are not a part of their family or community, or who fear surviving alone in this world.
The wounded child archetype in dreams holds the memories of the abuse, neglect and other traumas that may have been endured during childhood. From a spiritual perspective, a wounded childhood cracks open the learning path of forgiveness. The shadow aspect may manifest as an abiding sense of self-pity, a tendency to blame your parents for your current shortcomings and to resist moving on through forgiveness.
Whilst dreams about children that never grow old reveal a determination to remain eternally young in body, mind, and spirit, they can also suggest an inability to grow up and embrace the responsible life of an adult. Peter Pan is the most obvious example of this archetype—he resists ending a cycle of life in which he is free to live outside the boundaries of conventional adulthood. For women, this archetype may manifest as extreme dependency on those who take charge of their physical security. A consistent inability to be relied on, and the inability to accept the aging process, are also markers of this archetype.
Carl Jung claimed that the dream symbol of a child is a metaphor for the forgotten things in childhood. For example, your dream may be telling you that you have forgotten how to play, or that you should take a more innocent, carefree attitude. The symbol of the child also represents possibilities and paves the way for future changes in the personality. In addition, it can also represent the part of you that needs security and reassurance. See also BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD.
CLOWN
[DREAM IMAGES: COURT JESTER; FOOL; TRICKSTER]
If a clown appears in your dreams, ask yourself if you need to bring humor into a situation or carry truth into closed circles or closed minds. Did a clown or trickster try to undermine you in your dream? Did someone you know play a trick on you? Playing pranks is associated with the clown or trickster, who delights in challenging the status quo and rebelling. Although confusing, this attention-seeker is worthy of your attention, as it represents the part of yourself that wants to challenge you out of your complacency. If you listen to the message, the clown can transform your waking life into a more carefree, spontaneous and happy one.
DAMSEL
[DREAM IMAGES: PRINCESS; YOUNG GIRL ETC.]
The damsel in distress may be the oldest female archetype in all of popular literature and the movies. She is beautiful, vulnerable and in need of rescuing. If this image appears in your dreams, it may suggest your intense desire to be rescued or protected by a loved one; it may also suggest the need to go it alone. When disappointed, a damsel must go through a process of empowerment and learn to take care of herself in the world.
DESTROYER
[DREAM IMAGES: ATTILA; MAD SCIENTIST; SERIAL KILLER; SPOILER]
The impulse to destroy and rebuild is archetypal. We are bound to that cycle so that new life can begin. Dreams which have destruction as a theme, or where you or someone else are destroying things or people often refer to releasing emotions or behavior that are destroying us. It can also represent an aspect of yourself that destroys relationships or promotes attitudes and opinions that destroy others’ dreams or potential.
DETECTIVE
[DREAM IMAGES: DOUBLE AGENT; PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR; SHERLOCK HOLMES; SLEUTH; SNOOP; SPY ETC.]
Positive characteristics of the detective include the ability to seek out knowledge and information that supports solving crimes and protecting the public. The shadow side of these archetypes can manifest as voyeurism, falsifying information, or selling out to the highest bidder. If the detective archetype appears in your dreams, it could be encouraging you to become more inquisitive. On the other hand, it could be questioning your motives for seeking out information.
DON JUAN
[DREAM IMAGES: CASANOVA, GIGOLO, SEDUCER, SEX ADDICT]
Although associated with sensuality and sophistication, this archetype represents a man preying on others for the sake of conquest alone. Like the Femme Fatale, if the Don Juan archetype appears in dreams, it can make us aware of falling into sex-role clichés, and misusing the power of romantic attraction and pursuit.
ENGINEER
[DREAM IMAGES: ARCHITECT; BUILDER; SCHEMER]
The characteristics of the engineer reflect the grounded, orderly, strategic qualities of mind that convert creative energy into a practical expression. This archetype also manifests as a talent for designing solutions to common dilemmas. Are these talents ones you are expressing or need to develop? The shadow engineer manifests as a master manipulator, designing and engineering situations to one’s own advantage, regardless of the needs or desires of others.
EXORCIST
[DREAM IMAGE: SHAMAN]
Shamans and exorcists conduct rituals for the release of negative spirits, and if this archetype appears in a dream, it suggests a form of possession by destructive or antisocial impulses in oneself or others, and the need to confront it.
FATHER
[DREAM IMAGES: PATRIARCH; PROGENITOR]
This dream archetype represents the guiding wisdom that comes from within. A true father guides and shields those under his care, sacrificing his own desires when that’s appropriate. The shadow father emerges when that caring guidance and protection turns into dictatorial control or abuse of authority. See also FAMILY.
GAMBLER
The gambler is a risk-taker who plays the odds. In dreams of winning lotteries and gambling at casino tables it can suggest following hunches, and believing in your intuition, even in the face of universal doubt. To assess whether you are a gambler, review your ability to follow your intuition and what others might consider risky inner guidance. Ask yourself how many of your decisions are based on gut instinct, rather than facts and figures. Alternatively, gambling dreams may refer to the way you are focused on looking for lucky breaks, rather than doing the hard work needed to succeed.
GOD
The God archetype, whether represented as deity or a worldly power in dreams, represents the ultimate in male dominance. On the positive side, a God can be benevolent and compassionate, willing to use his powers to help others out of love for humanity. The shadow God easily becomes a dictator or despot, oppressing others with those same powers, or using his physical attractiveness to get what he wants without ever returning the affection he elicits. Such dreams suggest that you have a life-long sense of great power. Are you using this power selfishly or selflessly?
GODDESS
The oldest religious tradition on earth may well be Goddess worship, which some archaeologists trace back further than 30,000 years. It was certainly natural to worship the archetype of woman as the source of all life, especially in the age before male warriors replaced Her with their combative sky gods. The Goddess archetype in dreams can be inspiring as it embodies wisdom, guidance, physical grace, athletic prowess and sensuality. If a particular goddess appears in your dream, study the specific qualities of that goddess and evaluate how much of your sense of self is reflected in one of those patterns. For example, Venus/Aphrodite: love and fertility; Diana/Artemis: nature and hunting; Minerva/Athena: strength, clear thinking; Ceres/Demeter: motherhood; Juno/Hera: queenship and partnership; Proserpina/Persephone: mysticism and mediumship; Sophia: wisdom
GOSSIP
The gossip archetype is associated with rumor-spreading, backbiting, and passing along information that is exaggerated, harmful, and intended to disempower. If a gossip or gossiping figures in your dreams, the archetype is connected to lessons of truth, integrity, and honoring the trust another has placed in you.
GUIDE
[DREAM IMAGES: CRONE; EVANGELIST; GURU; SAGE; SPIRITUAL MASTER; WISE WOMAN]
You do not have to be a professional preacher or guru to have this archetype, as we can all learn to lead others spiritually through developing our own intuitive spiritual awareness and passing on whatever we have learned with genuine humility. If a guide or spiritual master appears in your dreams, your unconscious is urging you to pass your wisdom onto others. Alternatively it can warn against controlling others rather than guiding them.
HEALER
[DREAM IMAGES: ANALYST; CAREGIVER; COUNSELOR; NURSE; THERAPIST; WOUNDED HEALER; INTUITIVE HEALER]
The healer archetype in dreams is encouraging you to guide and support others in some way. Alternatively, it could be urging you to heal and transform your pain into a sense of direction and purpose. The shadow of the healer manifests through a desire to take advantage of those who need your help.
HEDONIST
[DREAM IMAGE: BON VIVANT, CHEF, GOURMET]
This archetype has an ‘appetite’ for the pleasurable aspects of life, from good food and wine to sexuality and sensuality, and when it appears as a theme in your dreams, it could simply be urging you to enjoy yourself more. As scientific research has shown, pleasure can improve our health and extend our lives, and needs to be part of a balanced life. The shadow hedonist may manifest as pursuing pleasure without regard for other people or one’s own good health.
HERO/HEROINE
The hero is a classic figure in ancient Greek and Roman literature, often portrayed as one who must confront an increasingly difficult path of obstacles in order to mature into adulthood. Today this archetype still holds a dominant position in the social mind, and can appear in dreams as a superhero or heroine, or similar icon of male and female power. Such dreams suggest that you have within you the courage and determination to face the challenges that lie ahead.
JUDGE
[DREAM IMAGES: ARBITRATOR; CRITIC; EXAMINER; MEDIATOR]
One need not be an attorney, judge, or critic by profession to identify with this archetype; it can appear in your dreams if you are, or need to be, a natural mediator or are involved in interventions between people. It can also appear if your unconscious requires you to learn justice and compassion. The shadow judge manifests as consistently destructive criticism, judging without compassion or with a hidden agenda. Legal manipulation, misuse of legal authority, and threatening others through an association with the law are other expressions of the shadow.
KING
[DREAM IMAGES: CHIEF; EMPEROR; LEADER; RULER]
The king is an archetype that represents the height of temporal male power and authority. He represents the father figure in your life, or the dominant ruling power—the part of you that is in control. Both benevolence and cruelty in their extreme expressions are associated with this archetype. Whether your kingdom is a corporation, community, family or your own life, such dreams suggest the need to rule compassionately.
KNIGHT
Loyalty and self-sacrifice are the knight’s great virtues, along with a natural ability to get things done. The black knight donning dark armor and riding a black horse represents the shadow characteristics of this archetype, especially the absence of honor and chivalry, or loyalty to a questionable cause. In its negative aspect, the knight can fall into a pattern of saving others but ignoring his own needs. Such dreams may be urging you to find a balance between self-sacrifice and self-neglect.
LOVER
This archetype appears not only in the dreams of those who are romantically inclined, but also in anyone who exhibits great passion and devotion. One can be a lover of art, music, gardening, dog, cats, nature, or needlepoint. Such dreams are related to a sense of affection and appreciation of someone or something, and the need to find or express that passion. The shadow lover figure in dreams of a lover who doesn’t turn up or lets us down in some way suggests an obsessive passion that has a destructive effect on your physical or mental health and self-esteem. See also RELATIONSHIPS; SEX.
MENTOR
[DREAM IMAGES: JEDI; MASTER; TUTOR]
Mentors do more than just teach; they pass on wisdom and refine their students’ character. In dreams, they represent aspects of yourself you can trust, or people you can rely on. In its shadow aspect, however, the mentor can take on an overbearing attitude that is more about imposing control than imparting wisdom. They can appear, for example, in dreams about people who undermine you or refuse to help you for no good reason.
MIDAS/MISER
Midas turned everything he touched into gold, including, tragically, his beloved daughter. The archetype is associated with entrepreneurial or creative ability, and appears in dreams where wealth and luxury figures strongly. That Midas was a king symbolically implies that the Midas figure has the power to generate wealth for an entire kingdom, yet is interested only in his personal aggrandizement. Greed is his downfall. For that reason, lessons of generosity are a large part of the characteristics of this archetype. The shadow Midas or miser creates wealth by hording money and emotions at the expense of others, and refusing to share them.
MONK/NUN
If a monk or nun appears in your dreams, the positive aspects of this archetype are fairly obvious: spiritual intensity, devotion, dedication, persistence, and perhaps wisdom. Are these qualities you need to develop within yourself? The monk archetype can also suggest the ability to be single-minded, assiduous, devoted to a spiritual path or to any great achievement that requires intense focus. On the shadow side, the role of a religious recluse could be seen as being removed from the real world, overly pious, even privileged in the sense of not having to be concerned about earning a living, or raising a family.
MONSTER
Your innermost fears or negative attitudes that are seen as larger than you can handle. See also NIGHTMARES; SURREALISM AND FANTASY
MOTHER
[DREAM IMAGES: MATRIARCH, MOTHER NATURE]
The mother archetype appears in many forms—mother, princess and witch—and is symbolized by the primordial mother, or ‘earth mother’, of mythology, by Eve and Mary in Western traditions, and by less personal symbols, such as the church, the nation, a forest or the ocean. According to Jung, someone whose own mother failed to satisfy the demands of the archetype may well be one that spends his or her life seeking comfort in the church, or in identification with ‘the motherland’, or in meditating upon the figure of Mary, or in a life at sea. In dreams, mother figures suggest nurturing aspects of ourselves and others, or the need for greater compassion and selflessness; they can, however, also suggest the shadow side, which is overprotection, abandonment, cruelty and abuse. Bear in mind that the qualities that are associated with this archetype can be expressed in other than biological ways, such as giving birth to books or ideas, or nurturing others. See also FAMILY.
NETWORKER
[DREAM IMAGES: COMMUNICATOR; COURIER; HERALD; JOURNALIST; MESSENGER]
Although networking seems like a very modern skill tied to career advancement in the media age, it is actually quite ancient. Networking would also have been an integral part of any military alliance as well as all social and clan confederations in prehistory. If a messenger or journalist appears in your dreams, this suggests that you have the skills to bring information—or power—and inspiration to others. The question is will you use these skills for the good of the group, or for personal gain?
PIONEER
[DREAM IMAGES: EXPLORER; PILGRIM; SETTLER]
The pioneer discovers and explores new lands, whether that territory is external or internal. The passion to explore the South Pole is as much a pioneering endeavor as the passion to explore medicine or spiritual practice. Even initiating new fashions, art, music, or literature may qualify as expressions of this archetype. The core ingredient is innovation—doing and creating what has not been done before. In dreams, this archetype suggests a need to step on fresh and undiscovered territory in at least one realm. The shadow pioneer manifests as restlessness and a compulsive need to abandon one’s past and move on.
POET
The poet combines lyricism with sharp insight, finding the essence of beauty and truth not only in the great epic affairs of humanity, but also in everyday acts and objects. Great poetry extols momentous events and great deeds, and also expresses wonder at the hidden joys and sorrows that most of us might overlook. If you dream you are a poet, or a poet figures in your dream, this suggests the need and the ability to discover beauty in the people and things around you, and to express it in a way that helps others, too, see that beauty. The shadow poet turns his gift for lyricism to negative or destructive effect, as in songs or poems written in support of military aggression or genocide. See also ARTS AND CRAFTS.
PRIEST
[DREAM IMAGES: EVANGELIST; MINISTER; RABBI; VICAR]
A priest may represent traditional religion with its spiritual rules and regulations. Are you making moral judgments? Alternatively, the priest could represent your own spiritual wisdom. The shadow side of this archetype manifests in lapses of personal morality.
PRINCE
The true prince is a ruler-in-training who is in service to the people over whom he will rule, whether that is a literal kingdom or a figurative or spiritual one. The shadow prince can manifest as a young man with great feelings of entitlement, or an heir apparent who uses his position solely for self-aggrandizement. Are you dedicated to service, or do you feel that the world owes you a living?
PROSTITUTE
This archetype activates the aspects of the unconscious that are related to seduction and control. Prostitution should also be understood as the selling of your talents, ideas, and any other expression of the self—or the selling-out of them. This archetype is universal, and in dreams it relates to the need to birth and refine self-esteem and self-respect.
QUEEN/EMPRESS
Freud believed that the king and queen represent the dreamer’s parents, whilst a prince or princess represents the dreamer. The queen is a symbol of power and authority in all women. She may also stand for the unconscious, intuition, nature and the instincts. Jung saw royal figures as representations of the animus and anima—the male and female principle—and the queen personifies the feminine forces within the psyche, the unconscious feeling for life. The shadow queen can slip into aggressive and destructive patterns of behavior, particularly when she perceives that her authority or capacity to maintain control over the court is being challenged. The ice queen rules with a cold indifference to the genuine needs of others—whether material or emotional. The queen bee is a mixed image—the astonishing ability to power the entire hive without leaving her ‘chamber,’ yet at the cost of enslaving the rest of her community.
REBEL
[DREAM IMAGES: ANARCHIST; NONCONFORMIST; PIRATE; POLITICAL PROTESTER; REVOLUTIONARY]
The rebel in a support group can be a powerful aid in helping the group break out of old tribal patterns. In dreams, it can also help you see past tired preconceptions in your field of professional or creative endeavor. The rebel can also lead you to reject spiritual systems that do not serve your inner need for direct union with the divine and to seek out more appropriate paths. The shadow rebel, conversely, may compel you to rebel out of peer pressure, or for the sake of fashion, and so become mired in another manifestation of conformity.
SEEKER
[DREAM IMAGE: NOMAD; VAGABOND; WANDERER]
This dream archetype refers to the search for wisdom and truth wherever it can be found. The shadow side of the archetype is the ‘lost soul’, someone on an aimless journey, without direction, ungrounded, disconnected from goals and others.
SERVANT
[DREAM IMAGES: INDENTURED SERVANT; SLAVE]
To dream that you are a slave suggests that you are not taking charge of your own life. Have you become so consumed by the needs of those around you that you have lost all focus on the value of your own life?
STUDENT
[DREAM IMAGES: APPRENTICE; DEVOTEE; DISCIPLE; FOLLOWER; PUPIL]
The student archetype suggests an open mind and the ability to absorb new information as an essential part of one’s well-being. The shadow student usually manifests in learning all the tools of the wrong trade or misusing the knowledge learned. The shadow can also show up as the eternal student who never embarks on the sea of life in earnest, but manages to find ever new reasons to continue being schooled without ever putting that knowledge to the test. See also SCHOOL AND WORK.
TEACHER
Teaching is the art of communicating knowledge, experience, skill, and wisdom to another. Teaching, or offering instruction of any kind, can manifest through parental guidance, business apprenticeship, or by inspired instruction in ethics or kindness. If this archetype appears in your dreams, it can suggest that others seek you out for the richness of your experience or that you need to seek out someone or something to teach you the ropes. The shadow teacher manifests as a desire to manipulate or abuse those you are instructing, and to
The feminine and masculine principles
The feminine principle is embodied in the archetype of the great mother: the complete woman within whom the primary qualities of femininity manifest in harmony. Whether you are a man or a woman, take note of the female figures in your dreams—be they a person, animal, quality or object—as they carry a message from your unconscious. If the selfless, loving mother figure appears in your dream, ask yourself if you need to develop motherly qualities within yourself. If the dark side of motherhood appears—dominating, criticizing and devouring—ask yourself if you or someone you know has a damaging, suppressing effect on you or someone else. If the romantic, innocent princess figure appears in your dreams ask yourself if you need to rediscover your optimism. If the seductress appears, ask yourself if you are being warned against selfishness and immaturity. If you dream of a wise woman or a witch, ask yourself if you are working with integrity or if you are alienating others with your selfishness.
The masculine principle is typically represented as the wise old man or father and suggests so-called masculine qualities of strength, authority and virility. If any of the masculine archetypes appear in your dream ask yourself if it is highlighting an aspect of yourself that you need to take a closer look at. If a father figure appears in your dreams he may simply be a role model of authority with compassion but if the ogre appears he may represent a threat of some kind to your authority. A dream that features a young, idealistic prince may be encouraging you to recapture some of your youthful optimism, while dreaming of a wastrel may be a warning that it is time to act with maturity and take on responsibility. If a warrior appears in your dreams, this could suggest the need to take decisive action in waking life, be it to promote your aims or to make a decision. If you dream of the high priest or his counterpart, the black magician, you need to question your motives or those of the person you feel they might represent: are they altruistic and wise, or selfish and misdirected? See also FAMILY; PEOPLE.
be more concerned with recognition than with imparting knowledge.
THIEF
[DREAM IMAGES: BURGLAR; CON ARTIST; PICKPOCKET; ROBIN HOOD; SWINDLER]
Symbolically, theft can take many forms, including plagiarism, stealing ideas and even affection. If the figure of a thief appears in your dreams or you become a thief, it suggests that you may be taking what is not yours because you lack the ability to provide for yourself; you therefore need to learn self-respect. This archetype prods you to learn to generate power from within.
VAMPIRE
See SEX.
VICTIM
When we become a victim in our dreams, it can be a tremendous aid in letting us know when we are in danger of letting ourselves be victimized, often through passivity, but also through rash or inappropriate actions. It can also help us to see our own tendency to victimize others for personal gain. In its shadow aspect, the victim shows us that we may like to play the victim at times because of the positive feedback we get in the form of sympathy or pity. Our goal is always to learn how to recognize these inappropriate attitudes in ourselves or others, and to act accordingly.
WARRIOR
[DREAM IMAGES: AMAZON; CRIME FIGHTER; GUNSLINGER; MERCENARY; SOLDIER OF FORTUNE; SAMURAI; SOLDIER]
The warrior archetype represents loyalty, physical strength and the ability to protect, defend, and fight for one’s rights. To be unbreakable and to fight to the death is a large part of the warrior archetype, which is also associated with the passage from boyhood to manhood. Such dreams appeal to our fantasies of independence, and the power to defend ourselves and right wrongs. The shadow warrior distorts or abandons ethical principles and decency in the name of victory at any cost. The warrior archetype is just as connected to the female psyche as to the male. In today’s society, the warrior woman or Amazon archetype has emerged in its glory once again through women who liberate and protect others, especially women and children who need vocal and financial representation. The concept of the spiritual warrior directs us to use the classic warrior virtues of heroism, stoicism, and self-sacrifice for conquering the ego and gaining control of our inner lives.
ARTS AND CRAFTS (#ulink_f5fde519-b28d-5d5c-a8d2-821f9a15e131)
Dreams of the creativity of artistic endeavor are as common as action and adventure dreams. Whether you dream of composing a symphony, painting a masterpiece, writing a best-selling novel, singing in an opera or designing a scrapbook, such dreams with yourself in the artist’s role represent the creative or intuitive side of your nature.
You may feel a need in waking life to express yourself in some way, to be more creative or to enjoy public recognition. If you are meeting an artist in your dreams, this suggests that you are becoming aware of an aspect of yourself that is creative. If, however, you are watching another artist at work, this suggests that you are recognizing artistic or creative ability in yourself but remain passive about it.
Dreaming of creating something will be less significant if you are a naturally creative person than if you are not. If you have never been artistic or worked with crafts, dreaming that you are a potter making a pot—or an author completing a novel—may carry the implication that you should do so, or at least be more imaginative and creative in your waking life. See also LEISURE; MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY.
Arts Situations
In general, dreams about the performing arts, i.e. dancing, singing and acting, suggest that you are concerned with your personality and how you appear to others.
ACTING
This can suggest a desire for public attention but it can also suggest not expressing your real self—acting a role. If you dreamed that you were acting on stage, how did the audience react to your performance? We all role-play during our waking life, projecting a persona that may not be entirely who we are, in order to make ourselves more appealing to others; so it is possible that your unconscious was commenting on how your performance was perceived. The part you were playing and the scene you were acting could be particularly relevant to situations in your waking life. Were you a tremendous success on stage and did you receive a standing ovation? If you did, your unconscious may be telling you that the image you are presenting is convincing to others. If, however, your act was not well received, this might suggest that the image you are projecting is unconvincing to others and unhelpful to you.
If you dreamed that you were unwilling to step into the spotlight, this could suggest that your unconscious is mirroring your reluctance to be someone you are not in waking life, or it could simply suggest that you dislike being the center of attention. If you forgot your lines or needed the assistance of a prompter, you could be suffering from a lack of confidence in waking life, perhaps because you feel unprepared in some way. You may also be relying on someone else in waking life to guide you towards success. If an actor or actress dies or is dead in your dream, this could suggest that a particular role you have been playing in life has outlived its usefulness and relevance. On the other hand, dreams about acting may simply be reminding you that life is not a dress rehearsal and that you only have one chance to make a success of it.
Idioms: act a part; act on impulse or information; acting up; caught in the act; get in on the act.
ARTIST
To dream that you are an artist painting a picture is a reference to the creative and intuitive side of your character. The dream alerts you to talents that you may not know you have. It urges you to recognize the artist within, that aspect of yourself that is in contact with the irrational, creative side of your unconscious.
AUDIENCE
To dream that you are in front of an audience suggests that people you know in waking life are paying close attention to your actions. It could also refer to your fear of having your private thoughts and feelings discovered or revealed. If you are part of the audience, you need to pay attention to the plot of the play. Symbolically, the stage is a representation of your own life play. By observing and being objective about the action being played out, you can gain a new perspective on your life.
AUDITION
If you are attending an audition in your dream, this could refer to feelings of insecurity about expressing yourself in waking life. You may also feel as if you are being put to the test in some way, or that you are in a vulnerable situation. The response of the audience will reveal how you feel others perceive you.
BOOKS
To dream of books can symbolize knowledge, wisdom, intelligence, the search for knowledge and the ability to learn from the opinions of other people. If you are surrounded by books in your dreams, this might suggest that you are more concerned with theory than practice. Depending on the kinds of books that figure in your dream, they can also suggest the world of
Circus
Circus dreams represent the instinctive, passionate, creative sides of our nature. How well are these instincts performing? Have they been brought under control? If you’re enjoying the performance, this suggests that you are expressing your creativity. If you dislike or are bored by the performance, your dream mirrors a sense of frustration in your daily life. If you are performing in the circus it might be a sign that you need a more fulfilling job where you can show off your talents. If an animal escapes or you feel unhappy about the animals being involved in the performance, this could indicate a change of direction in your life or a love interest outside marriage. The circus audience in your dream is also significant because it suggests how your efforts are being received in waking life. Finally, don’t forget that circus dreams may simply be an observation that your waking life resembles a chaotic circus and has become thoroughly disorganized.
If your unconscious portrayed you as a juggler in your dream, was it referring to the many commitments you have to juggle or manage in your waking life? Did you drop any of your dream balls or did you keep them in the air? If you were walking a tightrope or performing acrobatics in dreamland, this may suggest that you feel you are treading a fine line to maintain balance in a tricky situation in waking life. If you were dressed as a clown, sporting a huge smile painted on your face, do you feel under pressure to present a cheerful front to others during your waking hours, when you actually feel the opposite? If someone you know was transformed into a clown, they may be the ones feeling under pressure to ‘perform’ in waking life. Also consider if your dream clown was a manifestation of the archetypal trickster/clown whose jokes have a serious meaning.
imagination and escape. Are you surrounded by literary novels, racy best-sellers or fascinating biographies? If the books are very old, this suggests learning and inherited wisdom. If the books are account books, this indicates a need to take care of financial matters.
Sacred books, such as the Koran or the Bible, signify a search for hidden or sacred knowledge. Dreaming of a sacred book can also represent a need to know you are heading in the right direction. To dream of an encyclopedia suggests a hunger for knowledge and new experience, as an encyclopedia represents collective human wisdom. On the other hand, it can also suggest information overload and a need to find focus. To dream you are searching in a dictionary suggests a need to find answers to a particular problem or situation in your life. It can also suggest an over-reliance on the opinions of others. If you look up a particular word in your dream, this can be very significant (see LETTERS AND COMMUNICATION; SOUNDS). Finally, a poem is the ultimate form of self-expression, so if you are a poet, or a poet figures in your dream, or you are reading poetry, your unconscious is urging you to find a creative outlet in waking life.
DANCE
In dreams, dancing and skating (see ACCIDENTS, ACTION AND ADVENTURES) usually express a sense of happiness and celebration, or a freedom of movement and emotion. Perhaps you are feeling pleased about a particular project or relationship. You may also be feeling a sense of freedom from restraint. Other things may also be expressed by dance. For example, if you danced with another person, the intimacy could suggest sexual intercourse. If a man and a woman dance together, it could suggest a union of the masculine and feminine aspects of your personality. If, however, the dance was awkward, this suggests a lack of harmony. Animals dancing can suggest a feeling of harmony with your unconscious drives and sexuality. Skeletons and dark things dancing suggest meeting what you fear in your waking life.
DRAWING
This could simply mean that you have latent artistic talents that should be given expression. But it can have other meanings. Are you overdrawn at the bank? Are you drawing on inner resources? What you draw is very significant, as it can reveal the issues and problems you are trying to resolve in waking life. An ancient tradition says that if a woman dreams she is drawing with a pencil and then rubs it out, her lover will be unfaithful.
MAKE-UP/GREASEPAINT
Actors use make-up to help convince their audience that they are not themselves, but someone else. In waking life, are you—for good or bad reasons—involved in some kind of deception?
MUSEUM
In dreams, museums typically suggest old-fashioned ideas or ways of thinking. They can also represent places where we store cherished memories; the living past within us that we can learn from, but also need to move away from in order to progress.
MUSIC
Many of the world’s greatest composers claimed that they heard their greatest works whilst dreaming, or immediately after waking. Mystics talk of the music of the spheres, the ethereal music that symbolizes the harmony of the universe. In dreams, music represents harmony and the creative potential. Your dream music can also express the emotions you are currently feeling in waking life. Is the tone happy, sad, angry or threatening? If the music you hear is discordant, it may suggest that your creative potential isn’t being expressed. See also SOUNDS.
Dancing in the dark
Ballet
If ballet or ballet dancing appears in your dream, or if you are performing ballet, this suggests a search of poise and balance in your waking life. The ballet dancer symbolizes music and the inner aspect of feeling. You may be aware of the creative side of yourself and feel the need for controlled movement to express it. Dreams of ballet may be wish-fulfillment if becoming a professional dancer was, or is, your dream; alternatively, they may refer to losing or keeping your balance in some waking situation. They may also be encouraging you to persevere with artistic skills, or they may be a general comment on your attitude to work that demands discipline.
Ballroom dancing
Who was your partner? If the two of you were dancing together as one, this could suggest your longing to get closer to the person you were dancing with. If you didn’t know the identity of the person with whom you were dancing, it could suggest longing for a relationship or greater intimacy in the relationship you already have.
Disco dancing
If you were dancing alone, this could be a simple expression of joyful feelings in waking life. If you were dancing with a group of people, this could suggest good team spirit in waking life. A dream about a discotheque is a sign that the dreamer may be feeling excited but confused about a new relationship or project
Line dancing
Were you dancing in line with people you know in a country music scene? If so your unconscious may be reflecting on your tendency to conform or else your habit of stepping out of line or of failing to conform to the behavior your loved ones expect. Were you dancing in line or were you out of step?
Other kinds of dancing
Dreams that feature movement could indicate that you need to move on take another route, or speed up your progress in some way. Dancing a jig or waltz can suggest simple, innocent pleasures. Jumping or leaping in a dream can suggest ambition or the desire to improve your status. If you were at an exercise class, perhaps in waking life you should take more exercise?
Musical harmonies
Clarinet/Flute/Recorder
Wind instruments express extremes of emotion and excitement. Because of their shape, wind instruments are sometimes associated with masculine virility, but can also represent anxiety. The flute expresses the sound of the spirit and, as such, it can be a symbol of both joy and sorrow. A musical pipe suggests connection with the rhythm of life.
Cymbal
Associated with rhythm and sound, the appearance of cymbals in a dream suggests the need for a basic sense of harmony. The cymbals consist of two halves and represent the reconciliation of passion with practicality. There can also be a link with sex as, along with the drum and tambourine, they are used to induce an ecstatic state.
Drum
The basic rhythm of life needed to stay healthy and happy. The importance of being more in touch with your natural urges. If you are playing the drum, this suggests that you are responsible for the rhythm of your life.
Gong
If you hear the sound of a gong in your dreams, this suggests the end of a phase in your life and the beginning of another. If you are striking the gong, this suggests a need to find strength in waking life or to wake up to the reality of a particular situation. See also SOUNDS.
Guitar
If you are playing the guitar in your dream, this can suggest your need to be more creative in daily life. If you hear guitar music, it can indicate a need for caution or the possibility of a new romance.
Harp
The harp is the symbol of music and indicates the correct vibration we need to create harmony in our lives. To harp on about something is a term used to describing keeping on about something in waking life, and dream harps may well be urging us to be persistent in some activity.
Horn
A musical or hunting horn in a dream suggests some kind of summoning or warning in waking life.
Organ
In dreams, an organ can often represent the dreamer’s feelings about religion, but recall that in some circles, organ is a slang term for penis. The organist as an image in a dream is the part of us that knows how to bring the parts we play into harmony. It represents the discipline and determination we need to manifest in daily life in order to make ourselves heard.
Piano
In dreams, pianos, piano players and piano playing are symbols of your own creativity. To be a great piano player you need to learn and practice, and the same applies to using your creativity. Pay attention to the piece you are playing. Is it one you have composed, or is it by someone else? Often in life we need to be creative with someone else’s work. Is it time for you to create something of your own?
Tambourine
If you are playing the tambourine in a group, this suggests your ability to participate effectively in life. If you are playing alone, you have some control over the basic rhythm of your life.
Trumpet
In a dream of a trumpet, it suggests the need to be ready for action. It may be alerting you to some danger you might be facing. Angels are often depicted blowing trumpets, and it could also suggest the call to reach your potential and find the best within yourself.
Violin
If you are playing a violin well in your dream, or hear violin music, this could suggest that you are expressing your creativity with skill. If you aren’t playing well, or the music sounds discordant, this could suggest the opposite. Violins can also represent sexual intercourse or even masturbation. Be aware of the term, ‘get the violins out’, as your dream may be suggesting that you are trying to get unnecessary sympathy. It could also relate to ‘fiddle’ as another word for violin. Are you ‘fiddling about’ and doing nothing constructive? Are you playing ‘second fiddle’ and feeling second best in waking life?
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
To see musical instruments in your dream suggests an anticipation of fun and pleasure in your waking life, but if the instruments are broken, this denotes the interruption of pleasure.
ORCHESTRA
If an orchestra or musical concert figures in your dreams, it refers to those aspects of your personality that must work together with one another in order for you to function properly. Such dreams suggest ways for you to bring all these aspects of yourself together to create a balanced whole. If you orchestrate something, this means you make it happen and this dream may also be urging you to take action in your waking life. If you find yourself conducting an orchestra, this means that you need to take control, but are you creating sweet music or disharmony? If you are a member of an orchestra, you are a vital part of a greater task. Are you in or out of tune? This could refer to your waking life, in which you might be blending in harmoniously with friends and colleagues, or conflicting with them.
OPERA/SINGING
If you are watching an opera in your dream, this suggests that you need to observe the drama taking part around you in waking life. If you are taking part in an opera, but not singing, this suggests that you need to inject more drama into your waking life. If you are singing in the opera, you are beginning to express your emotions more fully in everyday situations. If you hear singing in your dream, this suggests that you are, or need to be, in touch with your emotions and creativity. Singing is a way of raising your vibration to a higher level, emotionally and spiritually. If you are singing, this is a pure expression of joy and love of life. If you are singing alone, you have learned to enjoy your own company. If you are singing in a choir, you are able to express yourself well in a group.
PAINTING
To be looking at paintings or painting in a dream suggests that you are paying attention to new ideas, and making changes in the way you think and feel. It may also refer to the need to take note of the details of a certain situation in your life. Painting has a lot to do with self-expression, and what you are painting and the colors you are using are important. If you are painting a miniature, perhaps you need to concentrate on small details. If you are painting a nature scene, perhaps you need to spend more time in the fresh air. If you are painting larger pictures, perhaps you need to see the larger picture. The actual image that you are painting in your dream may symbolize the way that you are visualizing your current situation in your waking life. If you are painting as in decorating, this could suggest making changes in the way you feel about yourself. It could also represent changes in your appearance or lifestyle. See also COLORS; PLACES.
PHOTOGRAPHS
Photos in dreams represent some aspect of yourself that you need to be looking at, perhaps your younger self, or a part of yourself that you have grown out of but need to understand. If you are developing photos, this suggests discovering hidden talents or abilities. If you are looking at family photos or an album, this refers to an appreciation of past influences in your life. If the photo is of yourself, this suggests you need to take an objective look at yourself, especially if you are given the photo in your dream. You need to stand back and see clearly. If the photo is of someone you know, perhaps you need to look at that person’s qualities and make use of those qualities yourself. If the photos in your dreams come to life, this indicates your continuing involvement in what the picture depicts, or that the past as a whole is still influencing you.
If you are taking a photograph, this suggests that you need to remember or take notice of something. If you are using a camera in your dreams, this might suggest that you need to remember what is important in your life and perhaps take more notice of certain situations or people. You may have noticed something out of the ‘corner of your eye’, but not yet have processed it into waking consciousness. If you are being filmed or having your picture taken, you need to take a careful look at your thoughts and responses to certain situations.
PICTURES
Pictures in dreams often represent situations in our lives, or a view we may have about something. The subject matter will suggest what we should be looking at in our lives. The condition of the picture will be significant, as will the colors (see COLORS). If a drawing fails to appear, a video refuses to focus or a photo refuses to develop properly, there may be something wrong with your own vision of an important part of your life. Are you seeing things clearly?
PLAY/PANTOMIME
Typically, plays in dreams are images of yourself and your life projected by your unconscious. They represent an aspect of your past or your character that you are repressing in waking life or, depending on the play, particular moods or feelings. Alternatively, such dreams can suggest a desire to escape from the pressures of everyday life. If the play is a tragedy, is the routine and repetition of your life restricting your creativity? If the play is a comedy, do you need to lighten up a little in waking life? If what you are watching is a pantomime, has the time come to stop fooling about and get serious about something or someone in waking life?
STAGE
To be on stage in your dream suggests a desire to become more visible. If the stage is open air, this suggests communication with a large audience, not just a selected few. If the stage is moving, this indicates your desire to keep moving, even when acting a role. Carl Jung once wrote, ‘The whole dream-work is essentially subjective, and a dream is a theatre in which the dreamer is himself the scene, the player, the prompter, the producer, the author, the public, and the critic.’ In other words, dreams are themselves like a theatre in which your problems, hopes and fears are acted out by characters generated by your imagination. To dream of a theatre is therefore like a dream within a dream. If you dream of watching or acting a play, pantomime or circus, consider what aspects of your personality each character represents. Do these characters raise the curtain on some of your most poignant questions and experiences in life? This dream is showing you your life, the way you behave and the way you present yourself to others from a new perspective. The scenes being played out are typically ones that are being played out at present; they are experimenting or exploring an idea, relationship or situation. For example, if you watched members of your family or a group of friends performing a play, your unconscious may be telling you that in waking life they may be deceiving you in some way or not revealing their true feelings. If the stage was empty, your unconscious may be referring to the lack of creativity in your waking life and the need for more color, variety and stimulation. A curious superstition claims that if you dream you cut new teeth, it is a sign that you will hear of the birth of a child who will do great things in theatre.
Idioms: set the stage for; stage fright; stage-manage; act a part; act on; catch somebody in the act; get in on the act; get one’s act together; act one’s age; play a role.
VENTRILOQUIST
To see a ventriloquist in your dream symbolizes some sort of deception in your waking life that is affecting you in a negative way. If you are the ventriloquist, there is a part of yourself that you are not revealing in waking life.
WRITING
If writing figures in dreams, this is an attempt to communicate information when spoken words are inadequate. Your dream may be reflecting your true thoughts and feelings. If you are writing down names and addresses in your dream, this may be a reminder to remember your friends and take note of your enemies. It also suggests a need to reflect on something, or sort out your ideas and decisions. Perhaps the instrument with which you are writing is significant. For example, to write with a pencil or chalk would suggest the information is less permanent than were you to write with a pen or fountain pen, and a typewriter or word processor would suggest that the information is connected to business, rather than personal, issues. Writing a novel or writing in general can also suggest a desire to leave your mark on the world in some way. If the writing is by someone you know, this refers to their influence over your life and thought processes in waking life. If you are writing to someone you know, he or she may represent the nature of the issues you are trying to express. If you dream of someone else writing, this can show an aspect of yourself that is seeking to express itself.
Crafts and Creativity Scenarios
HANDICRAFT
In dreams, doing any handicraft, from embroidery to pottery, suggests that we have situations in hand, but also that we need to take responsibility for our actions. Pay particular attention both to what is being made and to how well it is being made, as it will reflect a situation in your waking life.
KNITTING
If you were knitting or doing crochet, the symbols may be indicative of some waking situation. For example, if you dropped a stitch in the dream, have you been tactless in waking life? If there was a break in your yarn, have you argued with someone? Wool has from the earliest of times represented warmth and protection, and if you are knitting with wool or see wool in your dreams, it can suggest gentleness or motherly qualities within yourself. Be aware, too, of the phrase ‘pulling the wool over someone’s eyes’. There might be things that you don’t know about or don’t wish to see at the present time.
MAKING A SCRAPBOOK
If you are making a scrapbook in your dreams, or looking through one, this is about making memories. Are you taking the time to treasure the uniqueness of each new day in your waking life?
NEEDLEWORK
If you are sewing in your dreams, your dream may be suggesting that your waking life has been taken over by boredom and routine. This is because sewing requires constant attention to detail and much of the work is repetitive. Your dream may be urging you to broaden your horizons. If you are sewing pieces of fabric together in your dream, this may suggest that you are bringing aspects of your life together.
PLANTING A SEED
A dream of a seed or a pip may suggest the germ of an idea that will grow into something important, if you find the determination and patience to follow it through. A dream about spreading manure carries the same implication, suggesting that an idea or notion needs feeding and nurturing. See also NATURE AND THE SEASONS.
POTTERY
If you are a creative person, a dream about making a pot may refer to another aspect of your life that is just as important as your creative work. If you are not creative, such a dream may suggest the need to find ways to express your creativity in waking life. Try to recall every detail of what you are making. To see, or work with, clay in your dream represents the ability to change or shape your mind. Alternatively, it indicates your need to set some goals and plans for yourself. You have some growing-up to do and need to plan for the future. According
Mending
To dream that you are mending a garment symbolizes your attempts to fix a problem or situation in waking life. In your dream, are your attempts successful or are you frustrated by lack of resources?
Buttons
Buttons hold things together and are used to open and close garments. In your waking life, are you opening or closing yourself to others?
Needle
In dreams, needles signify the power to heal through penetration. In other words, some concept or knowledge has to be introduced from outside. This may feel uncomfortable at first but it will eventually make us feel better. Depending on whether or not you are using the needle or it is being used on you, the ability to have penetrative insights can come from within or without. From a Freudian perspective, the needle can also suggest masculine sexuality.
Pins
If you dream that you are pricked by a pin, this signifies a difficult situation or relationship. You may be feeling anxious or feeling the need to hold together a particular relationship. Consider the pun of someone who may be a ‘prick’. Alternatively, to see pins in your dream may suggest you are feeling stifled or trapped, as indicated by the phrase ‘being pinned down’. If a pincushion appears in your dream, this can indicate stinging or hurtful comments in waking life. You may be feeling manipulated or attacked in waking life, or perhaps you are being hurtful to someone else. For particular materials used in mending, for example, cotton, linen, silk, see also CLOTHES AND IMAGE.
Scissors
In dreams, these can suggest cutting remarks or decisiveness and taking control. They can also suggest separation or independence—as in cutting the umbilical cord—or the need to get rid of someone or something out of your life that isn’t working anymore. The type of scissors may be important for the dreamer. Surgical scissors, for instance, could suggest the need to be more precise. Kitchen scissors might suggest a need to be more practical. If the scissors are blunt, this suggests you may be creating problems through speaking bluntly. If you are sharpening scissors, this suggests the need to be more tactful. If you dream of a hairdresser using scissors, this could refer to your fear of losing authority and status. In folklore, clean scissors suggest that you have nothing to fear from your enemies. If the scissors are rusty or broken however, this is a less favorable.
Tape/thimble/thread
Tapes are used to measure things in waking life. In your dreams they can suggest a need to measure and evaluate the potential of a current project you are involved in. To use a thimble in your dream suggests that you need to be thinking of the welfare of others. Ancient dream oracles say that losing a thimble is a sign of misfortune but receiving or buying a thimble signifies new friendships. To see thread in your dream suggests that you need to strengthen commitments and relationships in waking life. Ancient dream oracles say that to see broken threads in your dream signifies unreliable friends.
to Freudian interpretation, clay symbolizes feces. But to see a clay pot in your dream signifies devotion, healing, virtue or purity.
SCULPTOR
If you are a sculptor in your dreams, you are working on finding yourself and are overcoming obstacles by getting to the core of things. If a sculpture appears in your dreams, you may find it hard to accept things as they are really are. You may also be overly concerned about projecting a positive image. A statue, bust or obelisk often suggests the desire to put someone or something on a pedestal. If you are doing this, you increase the feelings of remoteness and unattainability of that person or thing in waking life. If a statue comes alive in your dreams, you may revive a long-lost interest or rebuild a friendship. Ancient dream oracles indicate that dreaming of being a statue is a sign that your fortunes will change for the better.
WEAVING
Weaving is taken to symbolize life itself and the way in which we run our lives. Most cultures contain images in which our fate is being woven in a pattern. Although at the mercy of chance, we are supposed to be in control of that pattern.
BAD DEEDS (#ulink_9b0fb62a-9bd1-57ac-93c6-2cf1b067b697)
Any violence or negative action in your dreams is typically a reflection of your own inner feelings.
According to Jung, negative actions in dreams symbolize the shadow or dark side of your nature. The shadow is everything that you are repressing or denying, the hidden side of yourself that you refuse to recognize. By conjuring up such images in your dream, your unconscious is urging you to bring these hidden feelings into the light of day so that they have less hold over you, otherwise you are in danger of projecting this ‘other self’ onto other people.
Dreams about violence, crime and other actions may not only reveal your inner feelings about yourself, they may also reveal your feelings about the situation around you or in some cases, your feelings about other people in your life. The type of negative action highlighted in the dream will be worthy of your attention if you are to fully understand yourself and your situation. Although disturbing, and unfortunately more common than positive actions in dreams, dreams in which the action focuses on bad or negative feelings, words and actions are seldom predictive, so you don’t need to worry that the horrifying events will be repeated in your waking life. Recurring dreams of committing rape are a different concern, suggesting violent urges that are in danger of spilling over into your waking life. If this is the case, professional therapy and counseling is strongly recommended. See also ACCIDENTS, ACTION AND ADVENTURES; NEGATIVE EMOTIONS; NIGHTMARES.
Crime
DECEPTION
If you find yourself lying or cheating in your dream, or overhear someone else doing so, this indicates that you are feeling guilty about not being honest in waking life or that someone is cheating or being dishonest with you. If you have recurring dreams in which cheating or lying feature, your dreaming mind is suggesting that you are living a lie in waking life and that you need to be true to yourself. Dreams of stealing, cheating, forgery, fraud and blackmail send the same message. If you are an accessory or witness to a crime in your dream but didn’t commit it, this suggest your feelings of guilt about colluding with something or ignoring something you knew to be wrong. If, however, a crime or deception was committed against you in your dream, ask yourself whether someone is committing a wrong against you.
PUNISHMENT
You may have had a dream in which you committed a crime and found yourself being punished for your actions. You may have woken from such a dream feeling extremely relieved that you have not committed a crime or been punished, but lingering feelings of anxiety may stay with you. Try to identify your feelings about such a dream as they will help with the interpretation. Did you feel guilty or angry that an injustice had been done to you? If you can discover how you feel about the punishment, this may hold the key to the interpretation. If you felt guilty, perhaps there is something in your waking life that you feel is wrong or is destroying your peace of mind. If you are actually caught in the act in your dream and find yourself awaiting or being sentenced to punishment of some kind, this is a clear message of disapproval from your dreaming mind and a warning that if you don’t change your ways, you will be in danger of being found out in waking life. Try to identify who punished you in your dream. If it was someone you know, you may be feeling remorseful towards them in waking life, but if it was someone you do not know, you may be feeling guilty about breaking a law or rule in waking life or showing disrespect for authority.
If a lynch mob attacked you, have you committed a crime against society in general by not paying your taxes or dropping litter? If you dreamed of being accused of a crime you did not commit and nobody believed your protestations of innocence, do you feel you are being treated unfairly in your waking life? When the punishment was pronounced in your dream, did you feel that is was out of proportion to the wrongdoing. If you felt the punishment was far too severe, this suggests that you are feeling extremely guilty about someone thing you have done in waking life. If you were whipped in your dream, do you feel as if life has dealt you some harsh blows?
If you were arrested in your dream, this suggests the need for some kind of restraint in your waking life, or a fear of authority in general. If a crime scene or forensic team appears in your dream, your dreaming mind is encouraging you to understand your motives. If you were chained, imprisoned or sentenced to death in your dream, see NEGATIVE EMOTIONS. If your dream features the ultimate crime of murder, see NIGHTMARES.
STEALING
Dreams of stealing, pickpocketing, burglary, robbery, theft, petty crime or taking what is not yours generally suggest that you feel envious of another person in some way and want to have what they have. The key to the dream’s interpretation is to identify who you are thieving FROM and what you are trying to take. If you are blackmailing someone in your dream or they are trying to blackmail you, this indicates emotional blackmail that you may be using to try and force someone to do as you want, or emotional blackmail used on you by someone else to get from you what they want.
Violence
ACCIDENTS
Dreams of accidents and catastrophes are examples of violent, negative actions with destructive consequences that warn you of the need to take urgent remedial action in an area of your life that is about to collapse into chaos. See also ACCIDENTS, ACTIVITIES AND ADVENTURES.
AMBUSH
Dreams in which you ambush or abduct someone reflect your desperation in waking life to ward off potential humiliation. If the person you are ambushing is someone you know, you also need to consider if you are secretly envious of this person in waking life. If this is the case, your unconscious may have been expressing your desire to capture or kidnap the qualities you admire and make them your own. Alternatively, you may have a hidden desire to control that person. If, however, you were ambushed, abducted or kidnapped in your dream, this suggests that someone or something in your waking life is trying to take control of you. Your dream expresses your surprise and uncertainty about losing control.
ATTACK
Dreams in which your anger turns into violence and you start attacking someone usually suggest hidden hostility towards someone or something in your waking life. If you do find yourself punching, kicking or fighting with someone in your dream, try to think about what triggered the violent attack. It is possible that your dreaming mind conjured up the image of an attack as a safety valve through which you can release your frustration. Another interpretation suggests that dreams in which you inflict violence on someone or something may be prompted by a sense of helplessness or resentment in waking life. Perhaps there is someone whose authority you find powerless to resist? If this is the case, your dream may be compensatory by allowing you to exact revenge against the person or object of your resentment. It is also possible that your unconscious was encouraging you to stand up for yourself.
Alternatively, dreams which feature violence can symbolize your hidden desire for power and control in waking life. When interpreting this dream, try to identify whether the target of the violence represented an aspect of yourself, particularly if the victim was a stranger. Or could your unconscious have conjured an archetypal image of the stranger to bear the brunt of your anger?
RAPE
A dream of rape can be incredibly disturbing and you are unlikely to want to dwell on it, but it might be worth your while to ask yourself why your dreaming mind would put you through such an ordeal. If you have been a victim of sexual violence, then your dream may have been trying to resolve your feelings about the trauma. If this isn’t the case, however, your dream may have been warning you about a predatory person in your life or warning you about someone in your life who is forcing you to do something against your will.
Whether you are raped by a person of the same or the opposite sex in your dream, the images reinforce your feelings of powerlessness and shame at having to bend to (non-sexual) demands in waking life. Your dreaming mind may have sent you this shocking image to encourage you to assert yourself and fight back. If you are raping someone else in your dream, this expresses your desire to humiliate or put someone in their place in waking life. If you witnessed someone else being raped in your dream but could not or would not prevent it, the message is again one of powerlessness and your feelings of frustration at being unable to right a wrong in waking life, or protect someone who is vulnerable. See also NIGHTMARES; SEX.
SHOUTING
Arguments and shouting in dreams, as in waking life, suggest that you are feeling in conflict or have opposing views on something or someone. Alternatively, they may be simply a release for negative feelings about someone or something that you are unable to express in waking life; in other words, your dream is allowing you to vent your frustration. The dream may also refer back to anxiety you experienced as a child when your parents were fighting and you felt powerless to stop them.
VICTIM
If violence or negative actions are directed against you in your dream, you may be punishing yourself in some way or feel guilty about something. Alternatively, you may be feeling vulnerable. If you knew your attacker, you may be unconsciously aware of a real threat that they pose to you in waking life. Another interpretation suggests that if others are behaving violently towards you in your dream, you need to take care not to upset others in waking life.
If your dream portrayed you in front of a firing squad, this is a symbol of your feelings of victimization in waking life. If your attacker was female, this may represent the archetypal terrible mother or huntress archetype, whilst a terrible male attacker may have represented the archetypal villain or ogre. In either case, try to identify who or what it is in your waking life that makes you feel so consciously or unconsciously afraid. If your dream attacker was an animal, the most likely interpretation is that the animal represents a problem within yourself rather than an external threat. The type of animal attacking you and your personal associations with it will be significant. Your unconscious often employs animals to symbolize aspects of your ‘animal’ or instinctual nature, so it is possible that you have neglected a basic human
The shadow
According to Jung, the shadow is the repressed or unacceptable part of your own personality, so if a shadow or shadowy figure appears in your dream, this represents an aspect of yourself that you are rejecting. The image may also suggest feelings of being overshadowed, put in the shade or feeling inferior in waking life. The shadow may also express a fear of the unknown, or of negative impulses.
A shadow can be a sign of coming events or a shadow cast from the future, because you often see a person’s shadow before you see them. Bear in mind that the shadow or hidden part of your personality can express itself in many different guises in your dreams, although there is usually an air of disrepute, danger or negativity about the image.
Idioms: afraid of your own shadow; shades of; shadow of your former self.
urge or instinct that the attack is an attempt to have recognized.
If a dream attack leaves you feeling battered and bruised from the array of blow and kicks that rained down upon you, it is possible that your unconscious is trying to kick-start you into action. Is there something you need to do or have you been lazy recently? If your injuries are serious, however, this suggests deep emotional hurt. Try to identify who attacked you or stabbed you in the back, as this could help you with your interpretation. Try to recall also if any weapons were used, as weapons often have phallic or sexual associations. If blood is pouring out of your wounds, perhaps you are feeling drained of energy and vitality, or someone is sapping your strength.
Superstitions
Bad luck superstitions have been around for centuries and vary from culture to culture. Here are some of the most common in Western culture and their appearance in your dream may, depending on the context and mood of the dream, be a sign of misfortune or of the need to be cautious and consider all your options before moving ahead
Friday the thirteenth: The Scandinavians believed that the number thirteen was unlucky due to the twelve mythological demigods being joined by a thirteenth, an evil one, who brought misfortune upon humans. It was also said that Christ was crucified on Friday and the number of guests at the party of the Last Supper was thirteen, with the thirteenth guest being Judas, the traitor.
Walking under a ladder: A leaning ladder forms a triangle with the wall and ground. Triangles represent the Holy Trinity, and violating the Trinity by breaking it (walking through it) would put you in league with the Devil himself.
Black cats: Although sometimes thought to be a symbol of good luck (in ancient Egypt, the Goddess Bast was a black, female cat), during the Middle ages cats were thought to be demons in disguise and should thus be destroyed.
Spilling salt: Salt used to be an expensive commodity used mainly for medicinal purposes. For this reason, spillage was to be avoided at all costs. The idea that it is unlucky to do so probably stems from the belief that Judas spilt salt during the Last Supper.
Other superstitions associated with bad luck and misfortune include: A bat flying into the house. An owl hooting 3 times. 3 butterflies together. Looking at the new moon over your left shoulder. A 5-leaved clover. Breaking a glass whilst proposing a toast. Putting a shirt on inside out. Red and white flowers together. Hearing a rooster crow at night. Cutting your nails on a Friday. Putting a hat on a bed. Getting out of bed left foot first. Violets blooming out of season. A picture falling. Breaking a mirror. Singing before breakfast. Opening an umbrella indoors. Giving away a wedding present. Stepping on cracks in the sidewalk. An itch inside your nose. Crossed knives. Seeing an owl during daylight. Spilling pepper. Killing a sparrow. Black birds. Dropping a wedding ring. Breaking a plate, especially if it has not already been cracked. Mending a garment whilst wearing it. Signing contracts in the months of April, July or November. Spilling ink. Breaking a bottle. Fastening a button into the wrong buttonhole. A candle falling over. Stepping on board a ship with your left foot. Tripping over when you leave your house.
NEGATIVE SYMBOLS IN DREAMS
Dream symbols can have both positive and negative associations, but some dream symbols do tend to have more negative associations than positive and these include:
Acid: This suggests a corrosive, negative influence in your life. Adder: There may be a situation in which another person cannot be trusted. Atom bomb: Fear that someone else might destroy your happiness. Avalanche: A destructive force in your life. Bad: If you feel bad in your dream, this suggests that something is off balance in your waking life and that your environment is not positive for you. Barbed wire: Hurtful remarks are preventing you moving forward. Bed wetting: Anxieties over lack of control in your life. Behind: To be behind someone in your dream suggests that you feel inferior to them. Bite: Being bitten or biting someone is a symbol of aggression or hostility. Boar: Lust and gluttony. Brutality: The darker, more animalistic side of your nature. Burglar: Violation of personal space. Chain: Restriction. Choke: Inability to express yourself. Crooked line: Insincerity. Devil: Personification of the evil side of yourself. Dirty: Not at ease with your body, or lack of trust in someone or something. Drowning: Feeling overwhelmed. Earthquake: Emotional upheaval. Empty and failure: Lack of energy and enthusiasm. Falling: Lack of confidence. Gall: Feelings of bitterness. Hole: A difficult or tricky situation; can also suggest emptiness. Hood: Deceit. Ice: Frozen emotions. Immobility: Feeling stuck. Leak: Losing energy. Leper: Feeling inferior or unworthy. Maggots: Impurities that can eat away at you; fears of death and illness. Mantis: Something devious within your life. Marsh: Feeling held back or bogged down. Mist: Emotional confusion. Noose: Fear of being trapped. Obscenity: lower aspects of the self. Parasites: Someone is attempting to live off your energy. Poverty: Feelin g deprived of the ability to satisfy your basic needs. Pus: Something which is festering and has gone bad in your life. Sadism: Desire to cause harm to yourself or others. Scar: Old hurts that have not been dealt with. Sick: Bad feelings you need to get rid of. Tar: Emotions have become contaminated. Torture: Trying to come to terms with a great hurt. Traitor: An aspect of yourself that is letting you down. Trespassing: Intruding on someone else’s personal space; lack of healthy boundaries. Unemployment: Not making the best use of your talents. Vampire: Fear of the unknown and negative energy. War: Conflict. Winter: Time in your life which is unfruitful. Wound: Hurt feelings or emotions. X: An error or something of which you need to take notice. Yawn: Boredom, but also a warning against aggression or abuse.
BIRDS (#ulink_e4b8a4ad-a9fd-590c-917f-b06d2aa431f4)
What sets birds apart is their ability to fly and escape the boundaries and limitations of earth.
For this reason, they are a universal symbol of transformation and the progress towards wholeness and harmony. Their association with the element of air—itself associated with aspirations and ideals—means they have also become a symbol of high-flying ambition and the quest for enlightenment. In Greek mythology, birds are often messengers of the gods, so in psychological terms they show that the unconscious is offering you wisdom and insight. Birds can take a bird’s-eye view of the world and are therefore associated with the ability to take an objective overview of a situation.
Birds can also symbolize relationships with other people. For example, thieving birds, such as magpies, may suggest a threat to a relationship and the possibility of an affair; territorial birds, such as blackbirds, might suggest jealousy. Baby birds of all species can symbolize relationships with children or dependents. Freud believed that birds were sexual symbols that represent the penis, whereas Jung believed that birds in dreams were messengers from the unconscious, offering insight and wisdom. Some people call women ‘birds’, and birds in dreams can sometimes denote the feminine principle or the anima in a man’s dream.
Birds in dreams therefore represent freedom, transformation, insight, objectivity, relationships, intuition and the ability to see the bigger picture. If you see a bird alight, appear or take flight in your dream, ask yourself if you are wishing you could escape from pressures and responsibilities. Do you want to be free from a situation and alight at pastures new? Do you want freedom from a particular relationship or an outstanding debt? Or is it an attitude or situation you want to rise above? Do you long to travel or take flight? Alternatively was your unconscious referring to a ‘flight of fancy’, something you were hoping and wishing for in waking life? Or do you need to see the bigger picture and leave the details behind? And finally, because your unconscious conjures up bird images to reflect certain attitudes or situations in life, you also need to consider the symbolism associated with the following bird situations and different types of birds. At all times, the condition or health of the bird is important. If the bird is suffering in any way, this will suggest a certain degree of frustration. If the bird is flying or is in good condition, feelings of freedom and liberation may be indicated.
For centuries it was considered a good omen to dream of birds, but bear in mind that there are also many negative superstitions about birds. Here are some well-known ones that might influence your dream interpretation and your feelings towards a particular bird, or birds in general: albatross, sign of bad luck; black crow, sign of misfortune; buzzard, beware of gossip; cock, if it crows good news; dove, peace; eagle, success in business; goose, improvement in fortune; hawk, a bright future; magpie, a change of plan; owl, disappointment; stork, family problems; and turkey, bad luck, unless you are eating or killing it.
Bird Types and Situations
BIRD COLOR
The colors, as well as the general interpretation for birds, are significant here. For example, black birds represent one’s shadow side and white birds one’s open, expressive and free side, whilst golden-winged birds represent ambition. A display of plumage represents the way you see yourself. Is the plumage a gorgeous display of vibrant color, or a disappointing shade of shabby brown? See also COLORS.
BIRD EGG
Often a symbol of money in dreams, as in ‘nest egg’. The condition that the egg is in will say a lot about your current financial situation, or your dreams of financial success. A clutch of eggs can also express your wish to have a large family, or represent the dawning of a new, exciting idea. If the eggs are smashed, have your dreams and hopes been smashed in some way? If you dream of hatching birds, this may suggest the birth of new ideas, projects and relationships, whilst if baby birds appear in your dreams, they are usually symbols of childhood and new beginnings.
BIRD’S NEST
A symbol of independence, refuge, home and security, which might indicate that you need something to fall back on. Alternatively, it may signify a prosperous endeavor, new opportunities, or an imminent fortune. Making a nest suggests homebuilding and the accumulation of material possessions, as in ‘feather the nest’, or partnership with someone else and the parental urge. If you dream of birds leaving the nest, it might suggest that you are taking on new responsibilities in waking life or are the parent of a child who is about to leave home. Similarly an empty nest can suggest your own sense of loneliness. Has your brood flown away to make their own way in the world?
BIRD SONG
If you hear bird song in a dream, the same interpretation as for birds in general applies. Pay attention to the sound. Is it sweet, happy, anxious, excited or alarming? All these impressions will help you with the interpretation.
CAGED BIRD
This can indicate restraint or entrapment or feeling stuck in a job, lifestyle or relationship. Is your freedom somehow restricted in waking life? Are your inhibitions stopping you expressing your personality? Is your job humdrum? Is your partner possessive? If you opened the door in your dream and let the bird out to fly away with joy in your heart, this is almost certainly a message from your unconscious to take steps in waking life to release yourself from restrictions and or inhibitions. If the bird wouldn’t or couldn’t fly away, are you putting limitations on yourself? If the bird’s wings were clipped, is someone deliberately holding you back? Freeing a bird from its cage relates to expressing your emotions. If the bird in the cage is a pet bird, this often suggests happy memories. See also PETS.
Feathers
Your interpretation of feathers will be influenced by whether or not you are allergic to feathers but there are some common associations with features. If you are allergic to feathers, they may have a negative interpretation, but in general, feathers represent the beauty of the bird from which they came. If you know the bird from which the feather came, see the BIRDS A TO Z on page 84, and follow that interpretation. If you don’t know the species, the general interpretation for BIRDS applies. The color, or colors, of the feather are also significant. (See COLORS.) Feathers can also represent flight to aspects of yourself, and because of their connection with wind and air can suggest a connection to the more spiritual side of yourself.
If a feather drops on you from above in a dream, this is a message from your unconscious but what is that message? Features are light and so do you need to lighten up and take a more relaxed and softer approach to life? A white feather suggests cowardice. A black feather relates to the unconscious and your ability to explore it. Feathers on a ceremonial headdress suggest achievement (having a ‘feather in your cap’). Features may also suggest disagreements of some kind; has someone ruffled your feathers? Alternatively are you taking a featherbrained or frivolous approach to some aspect of your life? Or do you need to feel comforted in some way? Feathers are often stuffed in pillows and are therefore associated with warmth and comfort.
FLYING BIRD
Represent a sunny outlook in life, rising above everything, a sense of freedom, independence and liberation, as if a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Flying birds can also suggest aspirations and desires, and if the bird is flying high, an expansion of your viewpoint. Another interpretation is that flying birds represent sex, a similar form of release and uplift.
FLOCK OF BIRDS
A group of birds can often symbolize yourself and the people in your life. Are the birds flying in the same direction? If they are, this can suggest harmony; if they are not, confusion may be indicated. Are the birds huddled together? If they are, do you prefer to surround yourself with people similar to you, as in ‘birds of a feather?’ A flock of birds can also represent your need to be part of a group that you identify with and admire; but is the flock celebrating or stifling your individuality? If the birds are in a tree, the branches of the tree may represent your family life, and the leaves and birds your thoughts. If the birds are fighting, this suggests disagreements about viewpoints, or differing opinions, in waking life. If a bird is attacking you, it may represent an attack on your ideas and opinions, such as being criticized by a parent; another interpretation is it symbolizes a fear of others, or of going beyond your boundaries.
LARGE BIRD
A large bird represents the power of the unconscious to uplift or terrify, and can also suggest a threat or a parent.
WOUNDED OR DEAD BIRD
If dead birds appear in your dreams, they might represent a threat to your freedom, depression or the loss of purpose and meaning. In your waking life, an ideal or hope may have died, or your creativity has been stifled. Wounded, molting or songless birds can also represent problems that are constantly on your mind.
Birds A to Z
BLACKBIRD
Ancient dream oracles suggest that to see a blackbird in your dream is a bad omen, bringing about misfortune for you in the coming weeks. It is a good sign, however, if the blackbird is flying. Modern dream researchers suggest that anxiety is expressed by the presence of black birds, or a blackbird in particular, in dreams. If the blackbird is attacking someone or something in the dream, it is a comment on how you may be relating to your emotions in waking life.
BLUE JAY
If a blue jay appears in your dream, it could be calling your attention to something or someone you are neglecting in waking life. Alternatively, it can also suggest the need for humility, as you may be arrogant and over-confident.
BUZZARD
An almost universal symbol of death and decay. It could represent an ugly or rotten part of yourself or your life.
CANARY
If the canary is healthy, it represents your own happiness. The opposite also holds true—if the canary is hurt or injured in any way, your own pain or injury is being mirrored.
CARDINAL
If a cardinal appears in your dream, it represents a sense of vitality and happiness. You feel as if you could accomplish anything.
CHICKADEE
Is there something or someone unique in your waking life that you need to pay more attention to? Small miracles happen every day in the most ordinary of activities. Perhaps your children are reaching milestones of development? Is your garden blossoming? Have you noticed how much your family and/or partner is supporting you?
CHICKEN
To see chickens in your dream can symbolize cowardice and stupidity, or chatter and gossip. Listen closely to what people may be saying about you or what you are saying about others. Alternatively, chickens can also show that there is potential for growth but this may only come about with the support of others. A group of chickens can also suggest that something you have done in waking life is about to rebound on you: as in chickens come home to roost.
The cock suggests male sexual characteristics and so the need to be more assertive. It is also the symbol of the new day and of keeping watch. Less positively, it might suggest that you are being overbearing and trying to rule the roost. The hen suggests being totally immersed in the concerns of motherhood. If a hen crows in your dream, this is taken to represent maternal domination. A group of hens may symbolize gossip and calamity. It may also suggest being ‘hen-pecked’ or that you feel being picked on, like chicken feed. Chicks represent babies or very young children in your life, or your feelings about your own childhood. They can also point to vulnerability. Are you counting your chickens before they have hatched?
CORMORANT
Symbol of introspection or inner wisdom. Are intellectual theories and ideas, or your studies in waking life, helping you to understand yourself better?
CRANE
Symbol of maternal love and of acts of kindness performed by yourself or others. Can also suggest the ability to cope with difficult situations and/or emotions in waking life.
CROW
To see a crow in your dream represents darker aspects of your character that need to be managed. Traditionally, crows are symbols of approaching death or bad news but they can also represent wisdom and or deviousness.
CUCKOO
Interpreting the presence of the cuckoo in your dream is difficult, as it can be a symbol of unrequited love or deviousness, whilst also being the herald of spring and an indicator of change from old to new. Do you need to change your direction or alter your approach in how you approach some situation? Alternatively, there may be someone in your life whose presence is unwelcome or annoying.
DOVE
The peaceful, calm side of a man’s nature can often appear in a man’s dreams as the dove. To see doves in your dream suggests peace, harmony, and innocence, or the longing for these in your waking life. The dove is furthermore a symbol of the Holy Spirit in Christianity, so if this resonates with you, your unconscious could be urging you to seek fulfillment. In particular, to see white doves in your dream symbolizes loyalty and friendship. It may also represent a message from the unconscious to become aware of your potential, and let go of thoughts of hate and revenge. A pair of turtle-doves billing and cooing at each other in your dream may suggest that you are longing to find a gentle, loving person with whom to settle down. Doves that are building a nest symbolize a joyous home life and obedient children.
DUCK
To see a duck in your dream can suggest childish behavior. If flying, it can represent freedom from superficiality; if swimming, it can represent the unconscious. Ducks can walk, swim and fly and may therefore represent your flexibility and ability to adapt to various situations. They may also warn against being superficial in the process, especially if you see a white duck. When interpreting the meaning of birds in dreams, it’s always helpful to mull over any meanings that are attached to their names. For example, if you dreamed of an albatross, do you feel as if a burden has been placed around your neck? If a duck waddled in, are you trying to duck out of a situation, instead of confronting it head on? Or is criticism like water off a duck’s back to you? Perhaps have you taken to a new hobby enthusiastically like a duck to water? Alternatively, the dream may indicate that you are setting yourself up or being set up in some way, as associated by the phrase ‘sitting duck’.
EAGLE
As a bird of prey, eagles in dreams suggest precision, perceptiveness and far-sightedness. They also suggest dominance and supremacy. If you are the eagle in your dream, or associate yourself with it, this represents your wish to dominate. If you feel threatened, someone may be trying to dominate you. Eagles symbolize nobility, pride, fierceness, freedom, courage, and powerful intellectual ability. Eagles also indicate persistence, and the desire to realize your highest ambitions and greatest desires. If the eagle is chained or has its wings clipped, this suggests that you may be feeling trapped in a desperate situation where you feel you can’t express yourself. To discover what is holding you back, consider what the eagle is chained to. To see a nest of young eagles in your dream signifies social advancement. If you kill an eagle, this suggests your ruthless determination to succeed: nothing is going to stand in your way even it if means upsetting people around you. If someone else kills the eagle, then your power may be taken away from you. If you eat an eagle in your dream, this shows that your strong and powerful character will lead you to success.
FALCON
As a bird of prey, the falcon has similar symbolism to the eagle and hawk. It is a symbol of freedom and hope over those who feel they may be restricted, but also suggests that your success may make others jealous. If you are hunting a falcon, you may be too aggressive in waking life and this aggression could cost you dear.
FLAMINGO
If a flamingo appears in your dreams, you may be experiencing or longing for new experiences or situations. You may also be in danger of worrying about how you appear to others too much.
FOWL
Symbol of potential worry, or of disagreements with friends in waking life.
GOOSE
A symbol of conformity, but also a sign that you are well grounded and practical. Geese are thought to represent loving relationships and, like the swan, can represent the possibilities of new beginnings. A flock of geese could be a warning against some kind of misfortune or silliness. Are you trying to kill the goose that laid the golden egg? Wild geese can represent the soul, the wanderlust and longing for freedom within all of us.
GULL
To see gulls in your dream represents the relationship between your emotions and your logic. If the gulls are soaring, you have a clear perspective on things but if the gulls are wounded or dead, this suggestions confusion and struggles between what your heart and your mind are telling you.
HAWK
As a bird of prey, with all the aggressive intentions associated with this class of birds, could your unconscious be urging you to watch someone like a hawk?
HUMMINGBIRD
To see hummingbirds in your dream can suggest concern with the details of your life, or the need to show that concern. Alternatively, it indicates your inability to commit to a relationship or project.
IBIS
Often associated with the stork, the ibis can be a symbol of determination and ambition.
JAYBIRD
Symbol of enjoyment and contentment. If the jaybird is dead or wounded, however, this suggests domestic troubles.
KINGFISHER
A symbol of dignity and calm.
LARK
Symbolic of a desire to transcend the mundane and fly high, if larks fall during flight, this suggests that your success will be bittersweet. To hear larks singing in your dream foretells of success in business, or happiness in a new situation. If the lark is dead, wounded or injured this denotes sadness and gloom. If you kill a lark in your dream, this suggests a loss of innocence.
LOON
Symbol of unconscious wisdom and your ability to search deep within for answers. To dream of a loon may also be a metaphor for someone who is ‘loony’, or crazy.
MAGPIE
Because of the belief that magpies are thieves, dreaming of one may suggest that someone is trying to take something away for you. Alternatively, it can be a sign of good news.
MOCKINGBIRD
Symbol of independence that can easily cross over into cockiness. You may be taking credit for the work of others, or getting what you want at all costs.
NIGHTINGALE
To see silent nightingales in your dream signifies disagreements among friends that can be easily resolved if communication is resumed. If the nightingales are singing, this suggests harmonious relationships or the desire for them.
OSTRICH
The ostrich famously sticks its head in the sand, so are you attempting to run away from responsibility? Are you not facing reality and living in a world of your own? You may be in denial, or unwilling to accept a situation.
OWL
Owls have the ability to see in the dark, and therefore represent your intuition or ability to really see what is going on around you and within yourself. The owl is also a wise advisor, but because of its association with darkness, it can also suggest fear or danger. In Jewish lore, it is unlucky to dream of an owl, but lucky to dream of any other bird. In some ancient traditions, the owl is connected to death. Death in this sense may also represent a symbolic death, such as an important transition in life or the end (death) of one phase and the beginning of a new one.
Idioms: wisdom of the owl; night owl. To hear the hoot of an owl denotes disappointments, and forewarns that death creeps closely in the wake of joy and health. To see a dead owl signifies a narrow escape from a difficult situation or illness.
PARAKEET
If a parakeet appears in your dream, it might suggest that your unconscious mind is trying to send you a message. The details of the dream should help you discover what that message is.
PARROT
To see a parrot in your dream represents gossip, repeating what others have said or copying the actions of others. It may also mean that you, or someone else, are being repetitive.
PARTRIDGE
A sign of independence and your leadership skills. On the other hand it can also suggest some kind of deception is occurring.
PEACOCK
To see a peacock in your dream is a sign of pride and vanity. In some traditions, however, it is a sign of the soul and because the peacock can shed its feathers and grow new beautiful ones, for Christians it is a symbol of resurrection or new life. As a male bird displaying its feathers, the peacock is a symbol of male sexuality and may be a warning against arrogance over your success. It also indicates a surge of new understanding from the plain and unadorned bird to the beauty of the fully-plumed bird.
PELICAN
To see a pelican in your dream represents devotion, sacrifice and compassion for others.
PENGUIN
Penguins are symbols of adaptability, but they can also represent stupidity or coldness in a relationship. They could be a sign that your problems are not as serious as you may think and that you need to keep your cool and remain level-headed.
PHEASANT
Depending on the circumstances of the dream and the condition of the pheasant, a symbol of prosperity and good fortune in your waking life.
PHOENIX
The phoenix is a universal symbol of rebirth, new life and immortality; of the power in oneself to transform from the depths of darkness or depression into new awareness.
PIGEON
To see a pigeon in your dream represents gossip or news. You may also be expressing a desire to return home.
QUAIL
To see a quail in your dream is a symbol of courage and good fortune. On the other hand it can also represent deviousness. To see a live quail is a sign of good luck. To see a dead quail symbolizes bad luck, especially in gambling. To shoot a quail in your dream suggests disagreements with your best friend. To eat quail in your dream warms against extravagant spending.
RAVEN
To see a raven in your dream can be suggestive of betrayal, disharmony, misfortune and dishonesty, but if the raven is talking, it can indicate insight. The meaning is complex, as it can symbolize both evil and wisdom.
ROADRUNNER
To see a roadrunner in your dream represents intellectual prowess, but might suggest that you are running from idea to idea. Do you feel the need to stop and consider your next plan of action?
ROBIN
Symbol of new beginnings and growth. It may also be a pun on someone whose name is Robin.
ROOSTER
Are you, or someone you know, being arrogant and over-confident with little regard for the feelings of others? If you hear a rooster in your dream, this suggests bragging. If roosters are fighting in your dream, this indicates rivalry and disagreements.
SEAGULL
Symbol of freedom and ambition.
SPARROW
Symbol of hard work, business and discipline.
STORK
Symbol of birth and babyhood, or new life and new beginnings.
SWALLOW
Symbol of hope and new beginnings.
SWAN
The swan is often regarded as a divine bird. In a dream it suggests grace, beauty and dignity, especially if the swan appears swimming in a pond. In mythology, it represents the soul and its connection with the side of your nature that may be hidden. It may also be linked with endings or death (’swan song’) as well as purity and innocence. On the other hand do you sometimes wish you could ‘swan around’ in your waking world?
TURKEY
Have you been foolish or irresponsible in some way? Or have you not been thinking clearly? Alternatively, the turkey is associated with Thanksgiving, and therefore suggests family and a time of togetherness. If you are hunting turkeys in your dream, this suggests that you are trying to succeed through dishonest means. If the turkey is flying, you may soon rise from obscurity into a position of prominence. If you see sick or dead turkeys, your pride may have been injured in some way.
VULTURE
The vulture is a scavenger and feeds on the spoils of others. Are people around you taking advantage of you or are you concerned about the well-being of dependents? Alternatively, a vulture in your dreams can suggest that past experiences can give valuable insights into a current situation or problem. Do you need to ‘pick off the bones’ of a failed relationship or project, so that you can learn from your disappointment and move forward with your life?
WOODPECKER
The woodpecker symbolizes industry and diligence, and so to dream of one may suggest that there is something in your waking life that you have overlooked and need reminding about. In mythology, the woodpecker is the guardian of both kings and trees, and it is thought to have magical powers; therefore in dreams they may indicate that you have hidden powers and potential that need to be developed.
YELLOWBIRD
Symbol of good fortune when it concerns work or money, but not such a good sign for affairs of the heart.
BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD (#ulink_e9a60add-c43a-506a-b51f-9a34fa6f30bd)
Whilst pregnant women often dream about giving birth in anticipation of the upcoming event, dreams of giving birth typically have very little connection with the biological process of reproduction and more to do with a sense of being reborn, of fresh beginnings, of ideas coming to fruition or a period of personal growth. This sense is mirrored in everyday language: ‘giving birth to a new idea’, which refers to a project, not a baby.
For Jung, dreams about giving birth were important because he believed they represented a stage in the process of what he called ‘individuation’, the growth of the human psyche to maturation and wholeness. Birth therefore represents the start of an important new stage in your life and psychological development. We tend to dream of birth at the beginning of a new life stage, way of life, attitude, ability or project. We also have such dreams when we need to let go of the past and come to terms with the new. Birth is symbolic of new beginnings: beginning college, starting or ending a relationship, launching a new career and moving house are all associated with birth themes in dreams. Although women from their teen years onwards tend to have birth dreams more than men, it can happen to anyone at anytime. There may often be something strange or unusual about the birth of the child. These details are important as they can symbolize what part of your life is changing and how others will receive this new development.
Jung also claimed that the symbol of the child, as with the symbol of birth, represents new beginnings and possibilities, and paves the way for future changes in your personality. A common theme in mythology is the ‘divine child’ or mystical hero or savior; for instance, the baby Jesus who saves the world from damnation. The divine child is the symbol of the true self, both vulnerable and pure, but also capable of great transforming power. In your dream, it may represent your true self urging you to explore new possibilities and reach your full potential. Therefore dreaming of a baby or child who could be yourself, one of your own children, a child you know or an unknown child, gives access to your own inner child. We all have parts of ourselves which are childlike, curious and vulnerable, and when we are able to get in touch with these parts we are reminded of our true potential for wholeness.
Although dreams of birth and childhood may appear to be simply nostalgic memories, most dream researchers believe that they have a strong bearing on your current circumstances in waking life. For example, your dream may be telling you that you have forgotten how to play or that you should take a fresher, more innocent approach to life. They may also be manifestations of an unconscious desire to escape from the responsibilities and problems of waking life. In addition, they may represent a part of you that needs reassurance and comfort, or a part of you that needs to care, to love and to begin anew. As such they can represent important psychological, spiritual and physical needs.
Birth and Baby Scenarios
PREGNANCY
If you dream that you are pregnant, or hoping to be, this is an example of wish-fulfillment. It may also indicate a fear of getting pregnant or anxieties about pregnancy and giving birth. Pay attention to your reaction to pregnancy dreams. Were you overjoyed, horrified, terrified? If you were terrified, it could be that you are worried you may have got pregnant by accident and your unconscious is urging you to be more careful in waking life. Men who dream of being pregnant may also be giving unconscious expression to their apprehension about becoming a new father. If you are a woman, a dream about being close to birth may again be wish-fulfillment. Many expectant mothers claim to have had dreams about their unborn baby as it develops in this womb, and this could be an unconscious method of bonding. On the other hand, your unconscious may be presenting you with an unborn baby scenario to give you the opportunity to experience or role-play how you might feel if you were in that situation.
There is, however, an entirely different interpretation for pregnancy dreams that is especially pertinent if you are not pregnant, or hoping to be, or if you are a man. Pregnancy dreams if you are not pregnant suggest a yearning for unconditional love and acceptance. They can also indicate a period of necessary waiting before the completion of a project. A new area of your personality or potential is developing or ‘hatching’; the seeds of a new concept are sprouting. If you are currently mulling over a new project or idea, pay attention to the details in your dream as they can reflect your feelings of confidence or anxiety about how well your idea is developing. Were you plagued with morning sickness or did you sail through your pregnancy without a setback?
If you felt sick and uncomfortable in your dream, this may reflect your waking anxieties, whereas if you glowed through your pregnancy, this may reflect your growing confidence. If you dream that someone else is pregnant, this can suggest an aspect of yourself that is ready to develop new skills. If a woman dreams about a man being pregnant, this suggests her desire for a man to take more responsibility in waking life. If a man dreams he is pregnant, this suggests the discovery of new talents or potential within.
ABORTION/MISCARRIAGE/STILL BIRTH
Dreams about abortion, miscarriages and still birth are likely to leave you feeling traumatized on waking, whether you are pregnant or not. And if you were expecting a baby such a dream is likely to be a nightmare. If this is the case, your dream was simply playing out your natural feelings of anxiety. However, most dreams about abortion, miscarriage and still birth aren’t to be interpreted literally, as they refer to a concept you may have been mulling over, or an idea that is not realizing its potential or is not supported by your confidence or desire. There may be a need to reject a feeling, emotion, belief or concept which could be problematic in waking life. Decisions need to be taken which will help you get rid of what is no longer wanted in waking life.
How did you feel about the abortion in your dream? If you were distressed, perhaps someone or something is trying to prevent you from succeeding. If you were relieved, your unconscious may be urging you to change direction or change your mind. Perhaps the concept is too demanding or the idea is flawed in some way. On the other hand, the dream may also have referred to something or someone about which you feel guilty. Dreams that focus on miscarriage may have the same interpretation but they may also refer to a miscarriage of justice, especially if you felt anger in your dream. Is someone in waking life taking the credit you deserve? Still birth dreams are in some ways more devastating and sad than dreams about miscarriage, as the baby has been brought to full term with the only element missing being the spark of life. In dreams, a still born baby may represent a talent you have allowed to die, or a relationship that has died due to neglect.
Birth control
To see or use contraceptives in your dream suggests that you are not allowing your creativity to express itself and that you are holding back some aspect of yourself. Alternatively, it signifies your anxieties about pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases. In waking life, birth control is used to prevent a pregnancy and the details of the dream should indicate what it is in waking life you are trying to prevent. This could be pregnancy, but it could also refer to the suppression of creativity, maternal and paternal feelings, anxiety about sexual activity, and feelings or attitudes regarding responsibility.
GIVING BIRTH
If you are a woman and you dream of giving birth, the first question to ask yourself is do you actually want to get pregnant? If you do, your dream may be an example of wish-fulfillment. The purpose of your unconscious was probably to fulfill your fervent desire for all to go well. There have also been recorded instances of women and men dreaming about the birth of a baby before they even knew they were expecting; somehow the dream was a response to the presence of an actual fetus, not yet detected by doctors and pregnancy tests. If you are pregnant and you dream that labor and delivery was difficult, it probably reflects anxieties about the impending birth. The same applies to dreams about giving birth to an animal; they are simply mirroring your concerns and anxieties. If you are a prospective father, your dream may also be depicting your hopes and fears for the welfare of your unborn child.
If you are not pregnant, birth dreams can indicate a desire for children but are more likely to represent something else in waking life. The birth of a child signals a new beginning and the emergence of new life; in dreams the meaning is much the same: a new way of life, a new attitude, a new discovery, a new project and so on. If you hear about a birth, or watch or witness a birth in your dream, this also suggests the beginning of a new and fruitful cycle in your life. Birth dreams therefore are an expression of big changes that have been occurring for a long period of time. Did the dream delivery go well or was it difficult? Again, the answer may indicate the likely ease of turning your hopes into reality. If this doesn’t apply, then dream births may symbolize your brain child, perhaps an idea or a project you are longing to complete successfully.
Alternatively, did your dream focus on one aspect of birth—the umbilical cord, for example? If the cord was wrapped
Birth dreams during pregnancy
Pregnancy is one of the most life-changing, and physically and emotionally demanding challenges a woman can face in her lifetime. Research shows that the dreams of pregnant women can comment on the physical, psychological and emotional issues she has to deal with. The most common dream themes at this time concern animals and water. In the early stages of the pregnancy, these dreams may be gentle and calming, but towards the end of the pregnancy they can be traumatic or even become nightmares. Such alarming dreams are considered a normal reaction to the anxiety every woman unconsciously feels about her unborn baby and about giving birth.
It is also very common for pregnant women to dream about having the baby and these dreams are again often bizarre and disturbing; for example, dreaming about a baby that is born dead, malformed or with a monster’s head. It has been suggested that such anxiety dreams serve a purpose: they release a lot of unconscious tension and fear, allowing the mother to be more relaxed at birth.
around the baby’s neck, this may indicate that your ideas are being strangled or in danger of being strangled. If the cord was neatly severed, this can indicate that your ideas have been cut free and are now independent of you. If there were problems cutting the cord, this could be a symbol of a grown-up family that is beginning to leave home. Or it may be that you yourself are finding it hard to fly the family nest and branch out on your own. If you are not able to see your baby after a difficult labor, this can indicate that you are laboring in vain in waking life and aren’t being rewarded by the sight of your mental offspring.
BABY
If a baby is born or appears in your dream, were you the proud parent? If you were, this suggests a budding talent or creative potential that is just emerging. If you give birth to two or more babies, this may symbolize groups of ideas or personal talents. On the other hand, it could also suggest that you need to lavish extra care and attention on your ‘brainchild’ if it is to be a success; if the dream baby is premature, this message is stressed further.
If you are looking after someone else’s baby in your dream, it could indicate that in waking life you feel as if you have been left ‘holding the baby’ in some way. Did you enjoy holding the baby or feel panicked by the responsibility? If you felt anxious, maybe you are worried about the responsibility that has been placed upon your shoulders in waking life. Pay attention to the behavior of the baby. If the baby is happy, this suggests that you are fulfilling the needs of your brainchild, but if the baby is distressed, this suggests that your idea, project or talent isn’t being developed or cared for.
If you lost or injured a baby in your dream, this can suggest a loss of confidence on your part and an inability to put in the hard work required to see a project to completion. If you are the parent of a young baby and you have this kind of dream, it could indicate that you are finding it hard to cope with the demands and responsibilities of caring for a baby in waking life. Your unconscious could also be highlighting your sense of guilt about not being a perfect enough parent and your desperate need for time to yourself.
If, however, procreation in waking life is not at the forefront of your conscious mind, dream babies may be an expression of an unconscious counterpart trying to acquaint you with the baby, or your own inner child, within. This is an aspect of yourself that is dependent on others for financial or emotional support, or the part of you that longs to be reborn and relive your life again. Or perhaps this ‘baby’ is a part of the personality or aspect that has not been ‘born’ or expressed before. If your dream baby is born with an adult body and a baby head, this suggests an approach to life that is still immature. If your dream baby is born with a baby body and an adult head, it suggests adult intellect but emotional and sexual immaturity. If the baby is beautiful, gifted or remarkable in some way, this represents the emergence of personal insight and previously unconscious elements of yourself.
A baby boy in your dream suggests the birth of a new phase of self-expression and new activities and achievements, whereas a baby girl suggests new aspects of feeling and relationships with others. If the baby is crying, this indicates that your fundamental needs for love, support, comfort and happiness are not being met. Is there something distressing you at a feeling level that you are not acknowledging? If you drop a baby in your dreams, this suggests carelessness in dealing with your basic needs, especially as it concerns connection with others. It can also refer to a mistake or missed opportunity, or a feeling that someone has dropped or lost interest in you. If the baby is smiling, this suggests a deep level of comfort, security and satisfaction.
HOLE/TUNNEL
Some dream researchers believe that birth dreams lead us back to life in the womb and the traumas associated with our own experience of birth. The psychoanalyst Nandor Fodor has written extensively about the subject of birth dreams, and gives the example of a woman who was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck and who, in adult life, frequently dreamt of being strangled. She also gives an example of a person who received a head injury during birth, and in adult life frequently dreamt of being scalped. For example, dream attempts to escape from a tunnel, especially if small and dark, may refer either to memories of birth or to strategies you need to develop to reach inner resources. Seeing or going into a hole in your dreams may refer to a place, such as the womb, into which you might fall to feel protected.
FOSTERING AND ADOPTION
Dreams of fostering and adoption suggest a new approach to life, or taking on the responsibility of someone, or something, that needs your care and help to grow. If you fostered or adopted a baby in your dream, did you welcome the child into your home with love and gratitude? If you are thinking about adopting or fostering, your dream could reflect your feelings about this, but if this isn’t in your plans, the dream may be showing you how satisfying it can be to offer love and guidance to someone who needs your care. Do you need to find an outlet for your urge to love and nurture selflessly in waking life? This doesn’t have to be a child, but perhaps a partner, a pet, a friend, a project or a charity. If you dreamed of fostering or adopting someone you know in waking life, perhaps you long to lavish attention on that particular person.
BAPTISM AND NAMING CEREMONY
To dream of being baptized suggests a new influence is entering your life. You are leaving old attitudes behind and opening yourself up to new possibilities. Is there an idea or a concept that is about to be presented to an appreciative audience? Or perhaps your unconscious is urging you to transform your mindset radically and make positive changes to your lifestyle? If godparents appeared in your dream, were they people you knew? If they were, perhaps your unconscious is suggesting that they are the ones you should turn to for help. If you didn’t know who they were, you should seek out the necessary help and support.
Baby extras
Breast-feeding
To dream that you are breast-feeding symbolizes tenderness, love, nurturing and motherly love. It indicates your unconscious connection with the nurturing principle. To see someone nursing or dream that you are nursing suggests that you are nurturing, or need to nurture, aspects of yourself.
Cradle and cot
To see a cradle in your dream represents a new project or a fresh start. As a precognitive dream it may represent pregnancy, and in a man’s dream it can represent the need to be protected and cared for. Your dream may be telling you to regain some control and independence in your life. An empty cradle suggests fear about not having children, or fears about the responsibility of becoming, or being, a mother. If you are rocking the cradle, this may be a reference to your power: think of the saying ‘the hand that rocks the cradle’.
Dummy/feeding-bottle/nappy/pacifier/rattle
If you are pregnant, any baby-related items that appear in dreamland may be reflections of your current preoccupation with all things baby. If you are not pregnant or thinking about starting a family, baby-related items in dreams link in with the birth theme of new beginnings and possibilities. They can also represent your desire to be supported, loved and protected. If you dream of a baby sitter or nanny, this may be a warning or a comment on your own security and ability to handle things by yourself.
Nursery
A nursery full of babies suggests that starting a family may be high on your agenda, but it can also mean that you may be thinking about keeping a pet, or nurturing a group of people or a project. If the nursery is badly run, this is a reflection of your anxiety about leaving your children or a sick family member under other people’s supervision. If the nursery school in your dream is full of very young children, this suggests that your ambitions will take you far, but if the nursery is empty or deserted, your plans may be unrealistic and you should review them before proceeding further. If you dreamed of being back at kindergarten, or some other environment strongly associated with the early years of learning, it may be that your unconscious is transporting you back to that time in order to remind you of a valuable lesion that you learned, or failed to learn, there. For example, did your kindergarten teacher encourage you to join in with the activities, and have you been aloof in waking life recently? On the other hand if you dreamed that you were playing around with your friends and driving the teacher to distraction and received a bad report as a result, could this be a pattern that is being echoed in waking life? By reminding you of the relationship between cause and effect, your unconscious may be urging you to stop using immature strategies to gain popularity or impress others, and start applying yourself instead. See also SCHOOL AND WORK.
If you are baptizing someone, this means you are ready to pass on your knowledge to others. There is also a possibility that you may be having religious beliefs imposed on you if you have this dream. Baptism is symbolic of many things: rebirth, regeneration and renewal and the common theme for all these is the sense of optimism surrounding them. If you are a Christian, baptism is associated with a washing away of original sin and the start of a new life as a Christian; your dream may have been denoting your wish to be reborn or—depending on who is being baptized or christened—your desire for someone else to undergo a transformation of some kind. On the other hand, your unconscious may also be recalling a baptism you witnessed in waking life.
Childhood Scenarios
ABANDONED BY PARENT/CARER
You may have a dream in which you are a child again and are being left at school, in a shop, in the street or park by your mother and running after her, perhaps not being able to reach her or not being heard. To be abandoned by a parent or carer in a dream—or to be separated from them so you feel lost and vulnerable—may represent a sense of not being wanted when you were young. This may not actually have been the case, but you may feel that way. Alternatively, such a dream might also suggest that you are searching in waking life for the emotional freedom to be yourself and to be independent. On another level it may be pointing to your need to find guidance or help from others; many people have dreams of childhood abandonment after the death of a loved one. If you are trying to attract your parents’ attention but they cannot hear you, such a dream may be saying that you feel neglected emotionally and you need to express your feelings and be understood by others.
BOY/GIRL
If the child in your dream is a boy, you know the dream is commenting on your feelings about the boy but referring these things to yourself. For example, if the boy is disruptive, it may depict your own desire to cause disruption of some kind in waking life. It may also indicate a male child in waking life who is giving you cause for concern. If you do not recognize the boy, it suggests that you need to be a little more adventurous and bring excitement to your life. In a man’s dream, an unknown boy can represent new potential and the part of himself he needs to ‘father’ in order to grow and mature. In a woman’s dream, an unknown boy can suggest your developing ability to express your feelings in actions.
If the child in your dream is a girl, this may be a symbol of your spontaneous, vulnerable side trying to emerge, regardless of whether you are male or female. In a man’s dream, it can refer to feelings about a daughter, or emotions and sexual feelings towards the opposite sex in general. In a woman’s dream, the girl can represent a sister or a daughter, but can also represent aspects of the dreamer portrayed by the girl. According to ancient dream oracles, threatening a girl or boy in a dream is an ominous sign that indicates you should take extra care of your health in the weeks ahead.
CHILD
A dream about a child (under the age of thirteen or so) may be a dream about yourself. If you are having a wonderful time playing and dressing up, the dream may be encouraging you to have more fun in your adult life. A dream about a child refusing to share or being inconsiderate may be a comment on your own weaknesses. Has your recent behavior or approach to life been a little childish? If you are the child in the dream, this can suggest a need to shed some of your current responsibilities in real life or express your real self.
If you are caring for a child or infant, and not really wanting to, perhaps someone in waking life is being demanding and requiring too much attention. If you want to have a child and dream of one, you may become a parent in the not-so-distant future. If you lose a child, whether your own or an unknown child, you may be anxious that you have taken on responsibilities you cannot handle. If the child is one of your children, look up son and daughter. If your dream did not evoke specific memories of your own childhood or an unknown child appeared, your unconscious may have summoned up an archetype in the staring role—that of the inner child. Whether your inner child was portrayed by you or by another character in the dream, he or she represents the part of you that, Peter Pan-like, has never grown up, or a part of you that you have banished from your waking life, but longs to be rediscovered. Your unconscious may therefore be highlighting your own immature behavior, or else your longing to recapture childhood innocence. Once again, the clue lies in the child’s behavior.
If the child in the dream is bullying another child, this could be related to how you are cruelly treating someone in real life. If, however, you are the victim in the dream, do you feel vulnerable, abused and powerless in waking life? If the child in the dream is happily playing with their toys, do you long to return to the optimistic, childhood state of mind before the realities of life closed in avenues of opportunity? Do you long to return to a time when anything seemed possible? Try to remember the child’s behavior—was he or she friendly or unfriendly, smiling or throwing a tantrum and consider whether the dream is commenting on your own current life and behavior. Do you have a tendency to fly into a childish rage when you don’t get your way in waking life?
CHILDREN
Children in a dream are symbols of joy and warmth, or of your desire for joy and warmth in waking life. If children are giving flowers, fruits or sweets, this suggests unexpected success or happiness. If, however, the children are quarrelling, this indicates domestic problems. Children in dreams can also represent feelings about your childhood, or current feelings of dependency or vulnerability. What is happening to the child in the dream will help you determine the interpretation.
If the children in your dream are boys, they symbolize high energy levels and new beginnings. If the boys are playing, this suggests the resolution of domestic or financial problems. If, however, the boys are quarrelling, this dream may be a warning to listen to the advice of people around you, especially if they are older than you. Perhaps you have been acting rashly. If one or more of the boys are injured, it is a serious warning to take a sober look at how you run your day-to-day life.
If the children in your dreams are girls you know and they are smiling, friendly or affectionate, this suggests that your general attitude of honesty will be much appreciated by those around you. If you don’t know the girls, this can suggest the beginnings of a new relationship. If the girls are untidy, disruptive, crying, angry or abusive, this could be a warning to show more understanding to your partner and those around you to avoid arguments and unnecessary misunderstandings.
EXAMINATION
Fear of failure can often originate in childhood and stem from fears of abandonment, so dreaming you are a child sitting for an examination or revising for a test and worrying that you won’t pass may express a fear of failure. Dreams of being late, unprepared or failing an examination show that you feel unprepared for the challenge life is currently throwing at you. Examinations are stressful and they can highlight your shortcomings. Your dream is urging you to stop fearing failure, to emphasize what is right and not what is wrong, and to give yourself permission to succeed.
Childhood Dreams
The following dreams are typical of childhood and mirror the stresses, experiences and questions associated with this stage in life. It is possible, however, to have one of these dreams at any stage in your life. See also STAGES OF LIFE.
BECOMING A SUPERHERO
In this dream, a child may find themselves faced with an evil force or power and, as in the breathing underwater dream, just when the situation becomes desperate or hopeless, they find that they transform into a superhero with extraordinary powers. As a superhero, they destroy their enemies and resolve the conflict. Not surprisingly, this dream is more common with boys than girls, perhaps because from an early age boys are influenced by superhero role models, such as Spiderman or Power Rangers. The dream may also continue into adulthood.
The child who has this kind of dream tends to be coping with some kind of problem or obstacle; for example, financial hardship, or family tensions and conflicts, and the dream may reflect these tensions. The child may feel that they are trapped by the situation and are helpless to do anything about it; the dream refers to their desire to make problems disappear magically. But this kind of dream may point to more than a wish for magical powers, as it also shows the dreamer that within them these magical and unique powers are just waiting to be discovered.
BREATHING UNDER WATER
In this nightmare with a happy ending, a child may dream that they are drowning and unable to reach the surface to breathe. Then, incredibly, just as they realize they are going to drown, they continue breathing and can breathe underwater in their dream. Like the dreams of flying, this dream is also about discovering abilities during times of crisis or when thrown into a particular situation. The water theme suggests a sense of being overwhelmed and vulnerable to the situations that surround us. It shows that a sense of panic is not only natural but necessary to discover the ability to breathe (survive) in a new environment (underwater).
This kind of dream tends to be outgrown by the time one reaches the age to leave home, but it can and does re-emerge if you are thrown into difficult, new or challenging situations in adult life. It should be seen as a reminder of your ability to survive tough circumstances, even when you feel out of your depth. The dream can also arise among adults who find themselves not only in a difficult new situation, but in a situation that does not allow them to express their own concerns.
Childhood dreams
Research has shown that sensitive or gifted children tend to be more prone to dreams and nightmares. Dreams in childhood often mirror the stress and confusion that is associated with the early years of our lives. Frightening dreams or nightmares are common to children up to the age of around eight. If you are a concerned parent, simply talking about the dream with your child can help dissipate the tension around them. Avoid the instinct to tell the child that it was just a dream and that dreams aren’t real, as this may discourage your child from confiding in you, or simply frustrate them because you don’t take it seriously. You may also have a child who dreams with their eyes open for a few seconds after the dream is over and they are awake. In general, such experiences are not signs of a disorder, but if you are concerned, talk to your doctor or a pediatrician.
FLYING
Dreams about flying are common to late childhood and early adolescence. The dreams vary: some dream of jumping or falling from a great height, others run and jump into flight, whereas others jump from a great height and discover that they can fly. Dream researchers believe that dreams about flight can reflect the drive within each of us to be free to express, explore and experience life, so it makes sense that we dream most often about flying during a stage in life when we are becoming aware of abilities that will take us places later in life.
MONSTERS
Monster dreams in childhood reflect dramatically frightening things that have disturbed a child, in particular how frightening it can be for a child when the people they love and trust behave in an angry or scary way. This may be, for example, when a loving mother loses her temper or a caring dad disciplines his child. According to some psychologists, children dream of monsters because they are unwilling to believe anything bad about the people they are dependent on. If you are a parent and feel that you are reflected in monster dreams, try to encourage your child to share these dreams with you. Bear in mind that, in some instances, the monster may reflect someone else in your child’s life: a sibling, an uncle or aunt, or even a neighbor. This is particularly so among school-age children who have to meet the expectation of peers and teachers.
PERFECT MONSTERS
This dream is common to the middle childhood and preteen years. In the dream there is a repetitive task that needs to be performed usually at the command of monsters. The task is usually something gruesome or sinister, like digging graves or sorting body parts. The dreamer is horrified by the task but numbed by the repletion and tedium, and in the dream more likely to be upset about the workload than the actual nature of the task. This dream often reflects the stress of young children who feel they must achieve and meet standards imposed upon them. The unconscious is reminding them that the casualties of a task-orientated approach to life may be other desires, interests and feelings. Although many dreams during this stage of life reflect the joy of achievement and the desire for recognition, this dream represents the tension associated with high achievement.
SINISTER TOYS
Another very common childhood dream is of a toy or other harmless object, such as a book or pencil, that suddenly becomes menacing. Again such dreams can reflect tensions about situations the child find threatening or disturbing. If your child has such dreams, you may want to consider if a normal aspect of your life, for example, a camping trip or relatives visiting, is making a child feel uncertain.
SOMETHING IN THE BEDROOM
One of the most common dreams of early childhood is that there is something scary in the bedroom: a monster in the wardrobe or aliens in the corner of the room. A child may feel as if something or someone is coming to get them. These kinds of dreams tend to reoccur and it is easy to assume that something is upsetting the child in waking life; it is worth noting, however, that these dreams are amongst the most common in childhood, as a child reaches out to discover the world with all its excitement—and sometimes dangerous possibilities. If there is tension in the home or a lot of uncertainty and inconsistency, this can trigger stressful dreams for a child. Scary monsters tend to represent people, whereas bugs or slimy things may represent situations. You may have to be patient and gentle, and create a feeling of stability as your child learns to adjust to changes in the world around them.
WILD ANIMAL ATTACK
When children begin school they often dream of wild animals attacking, such as lions, bulls, alligators and bears. Wild animals tend to reflect a person or situation that is upsetting the child. For example, a child may be worried about parents who are constantly fighting, and this fear can be symbolized as a bear fight. Or a child may be frightened by a strict head teacher, who subsequently appears in their dreams as a mean lion.
Childhood Revisited Scenarios
It is during childhood that we learn many of the fundamental rules and responsibilities of life. It is also the time when we develop our personalities and become increasingly socialized. It makes sense, therefore, that dreams of revisiting a place or a scenario from your own childhood often focus on lessons that you learned, or failed to learn, and these lessons may be relevant to your current situation. If you dreamed of a particularly happy childhood memory—for example, you are seven years old and your dad brings home your first bike, or you are five years old sitting happily on your mum’s lap sucking your thumb—the dream could either be pointing to your nostalgia for a time when life was full of fun, or it could be more concerned with your present feelings of insecurity. The dream is reminding you of a time when life was simple, and in so doing, it compensates you for your current feelings of confusion. If you are facing a difficult decision, it could also have been highlighting your need to put yourself forward and take a risk by focusing on your new bike—something you wanted but also feared, as you weren’t wholly confident riding it yet.
Consider, too, whether your unconscious has cast archetypal figures in the role of your mother and father. Relation-figures in dreams of childhood can often represent archetypes rather than actual family members. Alternatively, if your unhappy childhood returns to haunt you in dreams (which may reoccur), your unconscious may be forcing you to relive those miserable times in an attempt to make you confront the source of your distress and deal with it, now that you have an adult understanding of the situation. Your unconscious is trying to help you come to terms with what happened to you, so you can put it behind you.
ACTIVITIES AND ENVIRONMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH CHILDHOOD
Dreams about activities and environments associated with childhood can be either motivating or discouraging, depending on the details of your dream and how you felt. For example, if you had a happy time playing with your dolls or a toy train set, your dream may simply be reminding you of the simple pleasure of letting your guard down from time to time to do nothing useful but play and relax. These kinds of dreams are particularly common if you have been extremely busy recently and haven’t had time to have fun. If, however, you were bored by the toy or activity in your dream, your unconscious may be urging you to put away childish things that don’t really give you stimulation and satisfaction, and to spend your time more productively.
Toys in dreams not only reflect your desire for more play, or urge you to grow up in some way, they can also suggest nostalgia for childhood that has been lost. Dolls are especially important because they so resemble the human form, and because children endow them with emotions and characters. Your dreaming mind may therefore use a doll to symbolize something or someone in your life. For example, if you stick needles or pins in the doll, or mistreat it in any way, this can represent negative feelings towards a particular person. Many doll dreams use the doll as a target for violence and, if this is the case, it could also refer to how the dreamer felt as a child when smacked emotionally or physically—like a helpless child. Dolls can also represent emotions that the dreamer would like to discharge on someone else, or the feeling of wanting to be a precious doll to someone. It may also express some undeveloped part of the dreamer’s personality and the need to relearn some childhood lessons we may have forgotten.
If you dreamed that you were in a playground surrounded by other children, were you enjoying yourself or did you feel left out? If you felt exhilarated, your unconscious may once again be signaling your need to have more fun in waking life, but if you felt aloof or alone from the other children, it could suggest that you prefer to play no part in the immature behaviour currently displayed by a group of people in your waking life. See also references to toys and games in LEISURE.
BODY (#ulink_a61c2519-53d0-5003-aaef-2dd84420fc78)
Typically, dreams about the body, or parts of the body, occur for four reasons.
The first is that in waking life, your body and/or body image has taken center stage. For example, if you had a manicure yesterday or cut yourself shaving, your unconscious may simply be recalling that. The second reason is that dreams about your body, or body parts, can signal ailments before you consciously recognize what is wrong with you; sometimes even before there are any physical signs. This isn’t to say every nightmare suggests serious illness, but if you do have a dream about any part of the body that is injured or painful, especially if it is a reoccurring one, it might be worth booking an appointment for a check-up.
The third reason is that some dreams about the human body are simple reflections of the dreamer’s feeling about their own body or appearance. These dreams can be significant markers of the dreamer’s self-esteem regarding their physical appearance. If in the dream the body appears beautiful and healthy, then the dreamer may be feeling good about themselves. However, an unattractive or unhealthy body could point to signs of insecurity, or body image problems.
The fourth reason is that in dreams, the body often represents the ego, the self or the lifestyle of the dreamer. That is why broken bones or injuries can symbolize emotional pain, or losing parts of yourself. When you lose or give up parts of yourself in order to fit in with or please others, psychologists call this ‘fragmentation’. We all do this to a certain extent in our lives, but when we do it too much or for the wrong reasons, the unconscious may send out warning signals. The dreaming mind may then express its concern in body image dreams, not only about your health and happiness, but about your ability to cope when your true nature is profoundly censored.
For instance, if you dream of missing a hand or foot, or having an organ or other body part removed, this can be a sign that a portion of your potential is being lost as a result of a path you have chosen in waking life. A common dream is one where you lose teeth; this is a great example of your dreaming mind issuing you with a warning. It is asking you just how far you are willing to compromise, and reminding you that what you are losing may be irreplaceable.
If body images appear in your dreams, it can help to think of body-related expressions you may use to describe feelings; for example, ‘I lost my head,’ ‘feels like I’m losing my right arm,’ ‘I don’t have a leg to stand on,’ or ‘can you stomach it?’ When we say these things, we are not being literal. We haven’t lost a leg or an arm, we are expressing an emotional response and our unconscious uses images to express the emotions these phrases convey; typically, a sense of loss of direction, helplessness or confusion. Such dreams often begin to make sense when you view the body images as parts of yourself, and connect their meanings to your emotional responses. See also SICKNESS AND HEALTH.
Body Images Scenarios
ANESTHETIZED, COLD OR DEAD BODY
The image of an anesthetized body can represent a deadening of feeling, or a loss of passion and creativity in waking life. The same meaning applies to coldness of the body, with the implication of emotional coldness, lack of enthusiasm or distancing oneself from others. If the coldness is in the lower part of the body, this suggests sexual coldness and again, lack of passion. Coldness in the chest (heart) suggests lack of feelings or feeling cold towards someone. Cold feet indicate a fear of doing something or indecision. The image of a dead body in a dream depicts feelings and potential to which we have not given expression in daily life.
APPEARANCE
How your body appears in a dream can offer vital clues when it comes to interpretation. In many cases, the interpretation is fairly obvious: if you are smiling you feel confident, if you are frowning you feel annoyed. Are you confident and tidy in your dream, or are you tired and unhappy? All these factors represent the state of your mind, and perhaps your health, at the time of the dream. If your body disappears in a dream and you become invisible or you aren’t aware of your body, this clearly suggests that you are feeling ignored, isolated and perhaps lonely. If you leave your body in a dream, this indicates a need to get away from cares and responsibilities. If you grow tall in your dream, your unconscious may be mirroring waking feelings of satisfaction with yourself; but if you were horrified to shrink small, it may be that you feel insignificant and looked down upon, or that you long to shrink away from a problematic situation. To dream that you are becoming fat is to recognize that you need to widen the scope of your activities in some way. It can also indicate fear of taking on too much responsibility.
DISEASED, DISMEMBERED, INJURED AND DEFORMED BODY
If the body is diseased in a dream, this suggests a sickness of attitude or it could simply indicate extreme emotional and physical fatigue. A dismembered body indicates emotional and mental distress; perhaps you are tearing yourself apart over something or someone, or your life is falling apart. Half a body dream images suggest a lack of balance in your life between your outer and inner life. If the top half of your body is missing, this indicates lack of reasoning and emotional intelligence. If the bottom half is missing, this relates to loss, or denial of instincts and sexuality. If the body is injured or you see injuries, this suggests emotional scars or hurts, or repressed anger. If the body is cut open, this indicates a vital change within yourself or the release of emotional tension. In times past, such dreams were interpreted as the release of ‘evil spirits’, hence the association of a sometimes painful release of tension.
Loss of limbs in a body usually indicates a sense of inadequacy, sometimes connected with the limb that is lost. For example, loss of legs could suggest an inability to stand up for yourself or someone dependent on you. Loss of an arm could indicate an inability to influence other people, or to give and receive. If your body is burnt in the dream, this suggests an emotional scar, and if the burn is painful, this suggests that you are relating to this hurt in an unhelpful, self-destructive way. If, however, the burning isn’t painful, it has a more positive interpretation: feelings of potential and new beginnings.
Marks on the body in a dream suggest things you carry with you in life, or experiences that have marked you. If your body is crawling with maggots, this indicates the need to cleanse your body of toxins, infection or resentment. A murdered body in a dream represents aspects of your life that you find hard to deal with, such as anger towards a family member. Sometimes such anger may be a way of avoiding the real issues involved and, if this is the case, the dream murder may show how you feel about being ‘murdered’ by lack of love or trust. If you are pulling things out of your body in your dream, this suggests growing self-knowledge; you are becoming aware of thoughts and emotions of which you were previously unaware. See also SICKNESS AND HEALTH.
Ugliness
Dreaming that you are ugly may indicate anxiety about what others think of you. The central question when it comes to interpretation is whether you believe yourself to be ugly, or whether others are imposing this view on you. Perhaps your feeling of physical inadequacy is due to a change in your waking life, such as being pregnant.
Other changes that may influence your body image include a shift in physical or moral behavior, such as smoking, drinking, using drugs, becoming sexually active, or participating in sexual experiences you once considered taboo. This dream is worth serious consideration as how we feel about our bodies is often a significant part of how we feel about ourselves overall as a person. If you are having recurring dreams of personal ugliness, then counseling for self-esteem or eating disorders may be worth considering.
Toilet and elimination themes
Elimination in dreams can symbolize release and self-expression. When we urinate or eliminate, we are ridding ourselves of bodily waste and when these actions occur in dreams your unconscious is referring to the removal of emotional waste, such as unhappy memories. So, if you dream of rushing to the bathroom, what are you trying to flush out of your system in the real world? Or do you wish you could purge yourself of destructive, negative emotions such as jealousy or envy? Is there something you need to let go of in your waking life? Did you find it hard to let go in your dream or did everything go smoothly. The answer will help you see how emotionally blocked or constipated you are.
Perhaps you were searching frantically for a toilet in your dream, but couldn’t find one. If this is the case, you need to find the catalyst for emotional release. Dreams about being clogged-up, or about a lack of toilets, are not so much about emotional baggage as about a lack of proper outlets for your own creativity and self-expression. They can also suggest that you are the kind of person who takes on the problems of other people, leaving no room for your own. Dreams about frustrating attempts to find a toilet could also suggest that you have over-committed yourself in waking life, and that there is no opportunity for you to express your own feelings and talents. On the other hand, you may also feel that you have been taken advantage of or dumped on by someone in waking life? Finally, such dreams may also be due simply to a physical need to pee in the night.
Other elimination dreams include using a toilet in a strange place, in front of people or in the middle of a conversation. In such dreams, the elimination represents the expression of an opinion or insight unsuitable for public consumption, or not appropriate to the situation. It could also reveal concern that you might have been too impulsive in the way you have expressed yourself, and your dreaming mind is urging you to bear in mind the possible impact of your words. If you can’t find a private toilet in your dream, perhaps you are living or working in a crowded environment and your dreaming mind is compensating for a lack of privacy and personal space in your waking life. If you dream of a bathroom and a toilet, this may suggest your need to clean up your sexual attitudes or attitude to others and yourself.
If you put anything down a toilet in your dream, take careful note of what it is, as it will symbolize what your dreaming mind considers to be the least important or unpleasant aspect of yourself or your experience. Urine suggests letting go of strained feelings or the release of sexual feelings. Feces indicate letting go of parts of yourself that you need to let go of. It can also indicate new beginnings, as excrement makes great fertilizer. Evacuation of the bowel usually highlights a need to be free of responsibility, or sometimes the need to be uninhibited. If you are eliminating over someone in your dream, this can indicate a repressed desire to belittle that person or feel superior.
Playing with excrement can represent money, so playing with it in a dream may suggest anxiety about money and fear of responsibility. If the excrement is transformed into an animal, this suggests that the dreamer is coming to terms with the fact that he or she is responsible for managing their own instincts. If you are vomiting in your dream, this indicates a discharging of unpleasant feelings, or experiencing something unpleasant. Finally, if you realize you are sweating in a dream, you are alerted to the amount of energy you may be expending handling your own emotions and fears in waking life.
LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE BODY
Typically, the left side of the body represents feelings, intuition and the irrational, whilst the right side suggests the rational and logical. The left side is also associated with maternal influence, and the right with paternal.
External Body Parts A to Z
In dreams, body parts can be interpreted in the following way
(#ulink_6d4ce500-170e-5057-bc21-1a080b5d4fd6):
ABDOMEN/STOMACH/BELLY
When dreams focus on your abdomen, belly or stomach, they are referring to repressed feeling and emotions. The stomach is often seen as the center of emotions. This symbol may also have purely physiological origins if you have been experiencing constipation or indigestion. From a psychological point of view, seeing your abdomen in your dream may imply something in your real life that you ‘cannot stomach’ or have difficulties accepting, something you want to get out of your system. If your abdomen is exposed, this signifies trust and vulnerability, and in women it may indicate a desire for motherhood. If you are injured or shot in the stomach, this is about emotional hurt. Traditional folklore says that dreaming of your abdomen can foretell infidelity. A shriveled abdomen warns of lies, a swollen abdomen promises success. To see your navel in your dream represents your being and self. The dream may suggest that you need to find your center and middle ground.
ANUS
This suggests repressed emotion or an aspect of childish behavior, as the child’s first experience of control is when they gain control over bodily functions. Consider also if you or someone in your life is anal retentive and perhaps need to loosen up a bit. To see buttocks in your dream represents your instincts and urges. It can also indicate feelings of insecurity, especially if the buttocks are misshaped. If you see your pelvis in a dream, you may be dealing with issues of creativity and self-expression.
Idioms: pain in the ass; talking out of your ass; an asshole; head up the ass; all tits and asshole (i.e. unable to reason)
ARM/ARMPIT/ELBOW
To see your arms in your dream highlights your ability to reach out to others. Alternatively, it may represent the struggles and challenges in your life, loss of confidence and not being able to reach out or create. Consider also the pun, ‘arm yourself’, which implies that you need to protect yourself, or be more aggressive and take a firmer stance on things. So if arms appear in your dream, are you defending yourself, fighting or being held, or showing passionate commitment?
To dream that your arm has been injured or your arms are tied up signifies your inability to care for yourself, or your helplessness in reaching out to others. The right arm signifies your outgoing nature and is associated with masculine energy, while your left arm signifies your supportive or nurturing nature, and is associated with feminine qualities. Losing either arm may suggest that you are failing to recognize its respective characteristics. To dream that you rip someone else’s arms out, indicates that you are extremely upset with something that this person has done or represents, but you have not been able to fully express your anger.
If you see, notice or smell someone’s armpit in your dream, this represents the characteristics and personality that you choose to display to the public. To smell your armpit in your dream indicates that you are hoping for some kind of acceptance in waking life. If you see your elbow in your dream, perhaps you need more personal space in waking life?
Idioms: give one’s right arm; arm twisting; at arm’s length; with open arms; one hand tied behind the back; babe in arms; strong-armed tactics.
BACK
To dream of your back represents parts of yourself hidden from view, secrets that you are keeping from other people or aspects of your personality you would prefer not to think about. Your dream could be pointing to some aspect of your life that is behind you, or a situation that is over. Maybe your dream contains some other play on words: is someone getting your back up? Do you feel the need for a pat on the back? Do you need to watch your back? Is somebody on your back or trying to dominate you? Are you engaged in a back-breaking task? Is your back against the wall? Do you wish someone would get off your back? Have you been stabbed or scratched in the back? Traditionally, seeing a back in your dream forewarns that you should not lend money to anyone. In particular, lending money to friends will cause a rift in your relationship. If a person turns their back on you, this may suggest that you may be deeply hurt in waking life or that other people may not be ready to share their thoughts with you.
Idioms: backbreaking; back to the wall; pat on the back; stab in the back; turn one’s back on; scratch my back; get off my back; rod up one’s back.
BREAST
Usually, to be aware of breasts in a dream indicates your connection with the mother figure, and your need to be nursed and cared for. Does a part of you long to again be an infant without responsibilities? Alternatively, breasts represent sexual arousal and raw energy. Seeing naked breasts can also denote a feeling of exposure and invasion of privacy. In particular, for a woman, the dream may indicate anxieties about becoming a woman/mother. If a chest appears in a dream, this indicates a sense of social confidence or good feelings about yourself. Alternatively, it represents feelings of being overwhelmed and being dangerously confronted by something. Consider also if the dream is telling you that there is something that you need to ‘get off your chest’. If nipples appear in your dream, this signifies dependency. If you squeeze pus out of your nipples you may be feeling inadequate sexually.
EAR
If you see ears in your dream, this suggests that you could be more responsive or receptive to guidance and assistance from others. Alternatively, it signifies your immaturity and lack of experience. Such dreams may be about the need for the dreamer to listen to their own true feelings and make a connection with their unconscious self. Dream ears may also reveal a concern on the part of the dreamer that someone close to them is not being totally straightforward. If you have more than two ears in your dream, you may be feeling valued and respected. The size of ears in a dream can have important interpretative associations. Small ears could suggest that someone is not telling you the whole truth, whereas large ears can suggest the help and support of a colleague or friend. Ears being pulled in a dream can represent disagreements in waking life. If there has been a dispute, perhaps the time is right to move forward with a sensible solution. If you are cleaning wax out of your ears, perhaps you are not listening, or refusing to listen, to the opinions of others. Are you turning a deaf ear?
EYE/EYEBROW/EYELASH
Any dream connected with the eyes is associated with observation and judgment. It suggests wisdom, enlightenment and the dreamer’s attitude to, and understanding of, the world. These windows of the soul can give vital clues to the state of your true health and well-being. Are the eyes bright? If they are, this suggests awareness. Are the eyes happy, sad, angry, kind? What color are the eyes? All this can tell you a lot about your way of looking at things. Darker eyes are linked to emotional and romantic relationships, whereas pale eyes are seen as connectors to the more social side of one’s world.
If the dream eye is wide open, this can refer to innocence or the excitement caused by a new undertaking. Narrow eyes on the other hand may be a symbol of deceit or cheating. Dreams about eyes may also be a pun on ‘I’ or the self. If you dream that your eyes have turned inside your head and you can now see the inside of your head, then it symbolizes insight and something of which you need to be aware. This dream may literally be telling you to look inside yourself, and trust your own intuition and instincts. To dream that you have something in your eye could represent your critical view and how you tend to see faults in others.
To dream that you have one eye indicates your refusal to accept another viewpoint. To dream that you have a third eye symbolizes inner vision and insight. You need to start looking within yourself. To dream that your eyes are closed suggests your refusal to see the truth about something or the avoidance of intimacy. You may be expressing feelings of hurt, pain or sympathy. To dream that you have crossed eyes denotes that you may be getting your facts mixed up. Loss of eyesight suggests loss of clarity, and, depending on which eye is lost, can be the loss of logic (right eye) or intuition (left eye) If eyesight is regained, this suggests a return to clarity or clear-sightedness. Lack of eye contact suggests avoidance of intimacy.
To notice eyebrows in your dream represents expressions of disbelief, surprise or doubt. Eyebrows are also thought to reflect dignity and honor, and could indicate the fact that you are about to be recognized or appreciated by some unexpected source. If hair is being shed from the eyebrows, you may be worried about how others view your status. Eyelashes are thought to represent secrets or secretive pursuits.
Idioms: you must be blind; I saw it with my own eyes; all eyes; eye opener; evil eye; sheep eyes; one in the eye; turn a blind eye; easy on the eyes; keep your eyes open.
FACE
If you dream of your own face, it may represent the persona you present to the world and not your real self; this is particularly so if you are putting on make-up. A dream face therefore refers to how you would like to be seen. If a beautiful face appears, this may be connected to feelings of pride and satisfaction. If the dream face is unknown, this suggests a possible change in the dreamer’s waking life. If a dream face is being washed or cleaned, this can have links to guilt or sin, as the act of cleaning indicates a desire for a fresh start. If the faces are familiar, it could be a portent of future social gatherings. To dream that your face is flawed or pimply represents erupting emotions. You may have suffered an attack on your reputation in waking life. If you are blushing, this suggests embarrassment and feelings you do not want to reveal to others. An elderly face may simply be a projection of life in the future. However, aged faces also carry symbolic ties to the notions of wisdom and longevity.
If you are hiding your face, you may be ashamed of something or be feeling low in confidence. If your forehead is fine and smooth in your dreams, this suggests good judgment and intellectual ability. To see a wrinkled forehead, however, suggests worries and burdens. If you see your cheeks in your dream, this symbolizes commitment, intimacy and closeness. To see rosy-colored cheeks in your dream signifies enthusiasm and energy. Bear in mind the significance of puns too; are you facing up to your problems, or do you need to deal with someone or something face to face? Ancient dream oracles say that to see your face in a mirror in a dream means that a secret will be discovered.
Idioms: face the facts; face the music; face value; flat on one’s face; face-lift; long face; blue in the face; poker-face; two faced.
FEET/TOES
If you see your own feet in your dream, your unconscious may be advising you to keep your feet firmly on the ground, as feet symbolize your foundation, stability and sense of understanding. Such a dream signifies your need to be more practical and sensible. Alternatively, it represents mobility, independence and freedom. Perhaps you are reconsidering the direction of your life and your dream is advising you to move forward one step at a time. Slow-walking or lazy feet may reveal uncertainty, whereas feet marching powerfully link to feelings of confidence and purpose. Thereafter, the strength and determination of your dream feet may indicate how you are approaching a certain task.
For a Christian, dreaming of washing feet is a sign of forgiveness, but it can also mean that you are keeping a safe distance from a current problem and will return to it when you feel better able to tackle it. In India, to dream of the feet may symbolize divine qualities in the dreamer, since the feet are considered the holiest part of the body. Consider also the pun of putting your foot in your mouth or putting your foot in it. If you are walking barefoot in your dream, you have your feet firmly placed on the ground in waking life. Loss of a foot or feet in a dream indicates feelings of helplessness in waking life. To see toes in your dream represents the minor details of life and how you deal with them. If your toenails are growing in your dream, this symbolizes an extension of your understanding in a particular matter. If your toe is hurt, perhaps you are feeling anxious about moving forward with someone. If someone is kissing your toe, they may be trying to reassure you in waking life.
FINGER/THUMB
According to Freud, fingers and thumbs are prime examples of phallic symbols. They can, however, also represent physical and mental dexterity or quickness, as well as their opposite: clumsiness and ignorance, as expressed in the saying ‘being all thumbs’. In some cases, fingers may be expressive of your feelings, and many of the idioms involving fingers—the finger of scorn, the accusing finger, the finger of suspicion—suggest problems with self-image and trust. If a finger is pointing at you in your dream, you could feel guilty about something you have done. Alternatively, the dream could be pointing you in a new direction.
Fingers can also denote partnership, especially if the wedding finger is highlighted. If your fingers are injured or cut off, perhaps you feel anxious about your ability to accomplish some demanding task or perform in some waking situation. Consider what aspect of yourself the dream is pointing out. If the dream focuses on your finger-nails, this suggests that you enjoy being surrounded by grace, beauty, glamor and art. If your finger-nails are dirty, you may be disappointing your family in some way. If your finger-nails break, you may be trying to avoid some situation or trying to get out of a responsibility. Dreaming of a thumb suggests awareness of how powerful you are, depending on whether the thumb is pointing upwards (positive) or downwards (negative). The latter was used as a death signal by the ancient Romans in gladiatorial games. According to ancient dream oracles, an extra finger suggests that you will receive an inheritance.
Idioms: at your fingertips; snap your fingers; itchy fingers; fingers crossed; get one’s finger out; beckoning finger; fingering things; put your finger on.
GENITALS
If you dream of your genitals, this most likely represents your feelings and attitudes towards sex, and towards your femininity or masculinity. To see an exceptionally large or small penis suggests doubts and anxieties about your sexual drive and libido. For a man, a penis represents not just sex, but the whole drive of life, and his self-expression and capability in the world. In a woman’s dream, the penis represents desire for a partner as well as a relationship to so-called male characteristics, such as ambition and aggression. If the penis is bleeding, this suggests emotional hurts that are inhibiting libido and self-expression. Testicles in a dream depict the male sexual drive, so loss of testicles, or small testicles in a man’s dream, could suggest anxiety about sexual performance with a woman. In a woman’s dream, testicles could indicate her feelings about sex with a man or what she is doing to the man in herself.
Dreams of a vagina are more to do with self-image. In a woman’s dream, a vagina represents her receptivity, her nurturing feelings, her desire for a mate and the sense of connection with other women. In a man’s dream, it highlights his need to thrust forward both physically and mentally. If the vagina is bleeding, this suggests fears about sexuality and femininity. See also SEX.
HAIR/BEARD
In dreams, hair is a symbol of strength and virility. If the hair is in a good condition, the dreamer may be feeling vital or strong, but if hair is in a bad condition, this can reveal feelings of low self-esteem or a lack of strength. If you are combing hair, this suggests your attempts to untangle a particular problem or attitude you have in waking life. If your hair is being cut, perhaps you are trying to create order, or sort out your responsibilities. Traditionally, a haircut represents success or an achievement in a new project, but if you are unhappy with the haircut it can also indicate a loss of strength and worries about your self-image. Another interpretation is that cutting hair suggests conformity, as long hair was a symbol of rebellion in the 1960s. If you are cutting someone else’s hair, this may be a warning to be on your guard in relation to anyone around you who is acting negatively towards you.
Hair blowing in the wind or flowing free suggests you need to feel free and express your feelings in an uninhibited way. Brushing hair indicates clarity of thought. Changing your hairstyle or washing your hair suggests a change in attitudes or a change of mind; you may want to ‘let your hair down’. If hair is disheveled, this suggests mental confusion. A plait or a ponytail suggests discipline and self-restraint, and also links in with childhood. If the hair is overly perfumed, this can be linked to your vanity. If you applied the perfume yourself, then perhaps you are acting in an arrogant way about something in your life. A wig signifies a false attitude or persona. If you are bald in your dream, this can highlight your intelligence, but it can also highlight anxiety about growing older. Alternatively, it could suggest a loss of self-esteem or, according to Freud, a fear of castration. Dreams about hair loss can also represent worries about getting older.
If a beard appears in your dream, this suggests feelings about manhood, or so-called masculine qualities within yourself. If the beard is cut off, it suggests uncertainty, whilst a long, thick beard suggests the opposite. Hairs on the chest or other parts of the body can also indicate male characteristics or expressions of sexuality.
Idioms: keep your hair on; make your hair curl; hair-raising; didn’t turn a hair; put hairs on your chest; let your hair down; tear your hair out; split hairs.
HAND
Hands can signify power and creativity. You use them to express yourself and as extensions of your personality. Consider the nature of the gesture of your hands in your dreams because it signifies what sentiments your dream is trying to express. If the hands are dirty, perhaps you are behaving in an inappropriate manner and you need to think about cleaning up your act. A fist can suggest anger or passion, folded hands can suggest acceptance, joined hands affection, and upheld hands justice or a blessing. Clasped hands indicate friendship, a hand on the breast submission, and, if the hands are placed together, this suggests vulnerability. If hands are covering the eyes, this represents shame or disgust, whilst hands bound or tied up suggest feelings of restriction. If you place your hand on someone else in a dream, this can suggest a pledge of service and wringing your hands suggests grief. If hands are raised to the head, this can indicate the need for greater care and thought. A handshake suggests contacting an aspect of yourself or the growth of a new friendship.
Generally, left hands symbolize feminine, receptive qualities, whilst right hands symbolize so-called masculine, active attributes. Sometimes in dreams the left hand can suggest cheating. If you hold a different object in each hand in your dream, this indicates some kind of conflict between your beliefs and your actions in waking life. To dream that your hands are injured denotes an attack on your ego. Large hands signify enormous powers of self-expression. To dream that your hands are hairy denotes that you will play a part in falsely incriminating someone. To see blood on your hands signifies that you are experiencing some sort of guilt. To dream that you are washing your hands represents a worrisome issue that you need to work through. If you dream about the palm of your hand you may be thinking about your future (see PALMISTRY). Thankfully you have free-will, so positive actions taken now can determine your future.
Idioms: second hand; in the hands of; bite the hand that feeds; hands are tied; soil one’s hands; hand to hand; hand to mouth; hands off; hands on; helping hand; hard hand; open handed; lend a hand; upper hand.
HEAD
To see a head in your dream signifies wisdom, intellect and logic; it may also represent your accomplishments. That the head stands for the themes of decision making, intellect and thought is fairly obvious, given the huge number of idioms for head and face; if we think of an idiom such as ‘to lose one’s head’ or ‘to lose face’, it is fairly clear what dreams of headless or faceless bodies might mean. Dreams may also use the image of a head to show that you are in two minds about something, or in the process of changing your mind. For example, if you change your head in your dream, this indicates a change of attitude, being uncertain about something, or even being two-faced.
Idioms: in over your head; swollen or big head; head in the sand; egghead; square head; off the top of my head; hold your head up high; head over heels; get it through your head; heads up.
LEG
To see your legs in your dream suggests that you have gained enough confidence to stand up for yourself. If your legs are weak, then you may be feeling emotionally vulnerable. If you see the legs of someone else in your dream, this may indicate your admiration for them. Perhaps you need to adopt some of the attitudes of this person. If your legs are wounded or crippled, this signifies an inability to stand up for yourself. Perhaps you are lacking courage and refuse to make a stand. If one leg is shorter than another in your dream, this suggests some kind of imbalance in your life. You are placing too much emphasis on one thing and ignoring other important aspects of your life. If you have three legs in your dream, then perhaps you have taken on too many responsibilities. According to ancient dream lore, if you have a wooden leg in your dream, you will have many new worries. Bear in mind leg-related idioms such as: legless, didn’t have a leg to stand on, can’t stand up for myself, ball and chain on my legs.
To see thighs in your dream indicates strength and endurance, and it refers to your ability to make things happen. To dream of your knees indicates feelings of inadequacy and vulnerability. You may have taken on more than you can handle. To see your calves in your dream suggests movement and versatility, and your ability to jump from situation to situation. It can also suggest that you are involved with someone who is needy and over-dependent. To dream about your ankles indicates that you are seeking support and direction in your life. Ask yourself where you want to be headed. Bear in mind the phrase ‘Achilles heel’; could dream of heels be referring to your vulnerability or a particular weakness?
MOUTH/JAW/LIPS/TONGUE
The mouth represents the devouring, demanding aspects of yourself; it can also signify your need to communicate about something that is upsetting you. If the mouth is open, this may represent your receptive side, as in mouth-watering. On the other hand, perhaps too much has been said and it is time to close your mouth—in other words shut up. A dream of your mouth being buttoned or sewed up can again suggest regret over what has been said or done. If you dream that you are chewing, it might suggest that you are mulling over, or considering, something. If you are pulling something out of your mouth, perhaps you need to clear the air by expressing your feelings, or do you have a nasty taste in the mouth?
To see your own tongue in your dream signifies self-expression. Have you said too much or do you need to say more? If you rip someone’s tongue out in a dream, this means that you are extremely upset by what someone has said in waking life but have been unable to express your anger. To dream of your own jaw in your dream represents your stubbornness, determination and forcefulness. If your jaws are tight, this could suggest unexpressed anger and other powerful feelings that you are holding back. If lips appear in your dream, this is associated with sensuality, sex, love and romance, as well as communication, as in ‘read my lips’.
NECK/SHOULDER
To see your own or another person’s neck in your dream signifies your need to control your feelings and keep them in check. Consider the familiar phrase, ‘don’t stick your neck out’, which serves as a warning against a situation. If your neck is injured, this can indicate a separation between heart and mind. If your neck is thick, perhaps you have been quick-tempered recently. Consider also the following idioms: breaking one’s neck, up to one’s neck, stick one’s neck out, dead from the neck up/down. Shoulders in a dream suggest strength, responsibility and burdens. Do you feel that you have much responsibility to bear in waking life? On the other hand, shoulders can also represent support and your ability to soothe others, as in the phrase ‘a shoulder to cry on’. To see your throat in your dream symbolizes the ability to express yourself and communicate your thoughts and ideas. If your throat is sore, perhaps you are having problems expressing yourself. Alternatively, you may need to swallow your pride. If a graceful, long neck appears in your dream, this suggests good fortune in waking life.
NOSE
The nose in dreams represents curiosity and intuition. To dream that hair is growing on your nose signifies extraordinary undertakings needing a strong will and character to be carried through. To dream of a bleeding nose is prophetic of disaster and danger. Consider also the following idioms: have a nose for, nose out of joint, rub one’s nose in, up one’s nose.
SKIN
Your skin is your shield against the outside world and your dream may be referring to the way you present yourself to others. A skin rash may be a pun, suggesting that you are making rash decisions or it may highlight concerns about your appearance. Are you thick skinned and reluctant to express your feelings?
Idioms: under one’s skin, a thick skin, skin alive.
TEETH
Dreaming about teeth falling out represents feelings of insecurity or inadequacy, and such dreams often occur at transition times in a person’s life. This is because losing your milk teeth is associated with the loss of childhood innocence. The dream could also highlight anxieties about getting older. According to Jung, if a tooth is being pulled out in a woman’s dream, this represents giving birth and in general it has associations with some kind of painful experience or loss that will lead to a new beginning. Animal teeth represent aggression and false teeth concern about self-image.
If you are toothless or see someone without teeth, this suggests loss of effectiveness or feelings about aging. Don’t, however, neglect the possibility that the dream may have been triggered by toothache or a recent trip to the dentist. If teeth are rotten or decayed in your dream, perhaps you have said something you regret. Spitting out lots of teeth indicates something you need to spit out or admit in waking life. If you are brushing your teeth in your dream, this may suggest you are experiencing a hard struggle in waking life; it could also, of course, echo your dentist’s plea to take better care of your teeth. If something is lodged between your teeth, this suggests that a problem which seemed impossible in waking life may be easily resolved.
If one tooth is far larger than the rest of the teeth in your mouth, you may be worried that something in your personal and working life won’t be the success you hoped it would be. Clean teeth or teeth that glisten are linked to strong friendships or financial security. If the roots of the teeth are featured, you may be thinking about the stability of your waking relationships. If the roots are healthy, you are satisfied with these, but if the roots are twisted or unhealthy, this suggests concerns in that area of your life.
Idioms: show one’s teeth; get one’s teeth into; grit your teeth; teething troubles; long in the tooth; milk teeth; tooth fairy; cutting one’s teeth.
Body wisdom
If you look at the body in your dreams as a representation of your life and potential, the images can translate into a view of your current well being. Don’t worry overly about dreams that seem to be a kind of warning; instead try to be honest with yourself, put the pieces of the puzzle together in your mind and begin to make positive changes.
1 (#ulink_8915af4b-7881-5554-bad8-35e4166c9d72) or dreams of internal organs, fluids and other bodily functions, see under SICKNESS AND HEALTH.
BUILDINGS (#ulink_4e80192e-2765-5b92-a697-5cc7c036ebb4)
Carl Jung talked about recurring dreams he had in which he would discover parts of his house that he didn’t know existed.
In these dreams he believed the house represented his personality, and the new things he discovered in the house related to new developments in his work. Many dream researchers subscribe to Jung’s theory and believe that buildings in dreams represent aspects of the self, or constructions we make in our lives. The upstairs represents the conscious mind, and the lower floors and cellars the unconscious, or hidden, mind. Different parts of the building might represent different times in your life, and the attitudes and beliefs you have built from experience. The features of your dream building can also mirror features of your personality; by so doing, they reflect your character, hopes and dreams, and how you feel about yourself.
If you dream of a house or a building, ask yourself what aspect of you the building represents. Does it represent how you see yourself? Is it a symbol of your body, mind or spirit? If the house is crumbling or decaying, are you in need of some kind of psychological, spiritual or physical cleaning and renewal? If the building is burning, does this show your desire to get rid of something that is holding you back? If the building is in ruins, do you feel worthless and manipulated by others? If the building is tall, does this suggest ambitions yet to be fulfilled? Is the house symbolic of your feelings in childhood or other past experiences? What are the conditions like in the house? Ask yourself what personal associations the buildings in your dreams have and what they represent to you.
The environment and your feeling reaction to the building in your dream will all contribute important clues as to its meaning, but it is also important to bear in mind the purpose for which the building is used in waking life. For example, castles and fortresses suggest protection and royalty, whereas factories suggest work and routine. Although high-rise buildings are believed to be phallic symbols, as a type they all have different functions: skyscrapers are homes and workplaces, lighthouses offer hope to sailors at sea, and towers isolate, elevate and imprison.
Churches and religious buildings offer us hope and quiet reflection, libraries and museums supply us with information and stimulate our minds. Courts provide social justice, whilst public buildings symbolize work, tax, bureaucratic or legal matters that need to be sorted. Hospitals are centers of healing and castles are historical icons. Houses, bungalows, flats, mansions and palaces offer different types of accommodation for different types of needs. Prisons are places for criminals to learn the consequences of their actions, and hotels provide a welcome break from home. If any of these buildings appear in your dream, this chapter will help you interpret the meaning; but for domestic buildings, homes and shops you may want to refer to HOME and MONEY AND SHOPPING. For places associated with entertainment, such as cinemas and theatres, you may want to refer to ARTS AND CRAFTS and LEISURE, and for places of work and learning consult SCHOOL AND WORK.
Building Types A to Z
ANCIENT BUILDING
The pyramid is said to be a focus of spiritual energy, so it if appears in your dream, your unconscious is drawing your attention to the power within. Dreams about old or ancient buildings refer to the past and experiences that have been lived through, such as a former life with another person. Ruins suggest a now irrelevant way of life or approach to life. The ruins may belong to a castle, and this suggests that the defenses you once built up are no longer necessary. Mansions and palaces in dreams have a similar interpretation as houses, but with the emphasis on those possibilities within us that have yet to be developed and explored. There is a sense of something special or wonderful happening within yourself, as palaces are places of enchantment and treasure in fairy tales. However, palaces may also represent a warning against adopting a pretentious façade and living beyond your means.
CASTLE/CITADEL/FORTRESS
If you dream of any of these, it suggests a defensive attitude. Do you have a real fear of being overwhelmed or defeated by a group of schoolmates or colleagues? Or are you feeling so vulnerable that you are putting up emotional defenses to protect yourself? The symbol of the castle is that of a place where you can defend yourself from attack, so it may represent the methods you use to protect yourself from ‘attack’. On the other hand, your dream may highlight your self-imposed isolation from others, and the sense of security you get from being self-reliant.
If your stronghold came under siege, did you identify the faces of your attackers? Are these people you know in waking life? And did your dream defenses hold firm? If they did, this suggests that you are successfully fending off attempts to wound or get through to your emotions. If you are a man who dreamed that you are laying siege to a castle, the Freudian interpretation is that it expresses your desire to have sex with a woman who has resisted your advances. The castle is also a place of historical interest, so it may suggest a need to look to the past for inspiration. It can also represent a mandala, a symmetrical pattern that symbolizes the psyche. If a courtyard or moat appears in the dream, this again refers to protection or the desire to feel safe and secure. The shape of the moat or courtyard will also be relevant.
CITYSCAPE
Did you dream that you were wandering around a city, either familiar or unfamiliar to you in waking life? If you did, were the streets friendly and welcoming, and the buildings clean and bursting with life and activity, or did you feel unwelcome, jostled about and intimidated by the place? According to Jung, places in dreams where people group together to live and work, such as cities, towns and villages, refer to how you perceive yourself within the community, and how well you are fitting in. So if you dreamed that you felt happy and secure in your dream city, the chances are you relate well to other members of the community in waking life. But if the buildings on the sidewalk or pavement seemed to close in on you, or you were wandering around hopelessly lost, perhaps you are feeling intimidated by others in waking life and have lost your sense of direction, or even identity. If the city was abandoned like a ghost town, does this mirror your feelings of isolation in waking life?
COMPONENTS OF A BUILDING
If you dream of a balcony, ledge or sill, this suggests a need for support and protection in your life. An elevator or lift in a dream usually suggests how we deal with information. If the lift is going down, we may be going down into our unconscious for self-understanding, whereas a lift going up could represent moving towards greater self-understanding. Halls or passageways in a dream can, for Freudians, represent passages within the body, such as the vagina or penis. On a psychological level, they can suggest how we let others invade our personal space. On a spiritual level, passages can represent the different stages of our life. A hall is the center of a building and to dream of entering a hall may therefore represent the beginnings of a journey towards self-awareness. According to dream lore, to dream of a long hallway suggests a period of worry ahead.
Walls in dreams indicate potential blocks to your progress, or difficulties you may be up against in waking life. They suggest obstacles that are stopping you from getting what you want. This may be something from real life or something within yourself. Perhaps you are being like a brick by refusing to show your feelings, or have come up against a brick wall with a particular problem or issue. If the wall looks old, this suggests the problem is old. If the wall is made of glass, this suggests problems with perception. If the wall is closing in, the dreamer may feel trapped by their current lifestyle. A brick wall, rampart or dividing wall all suggest the difference between everyday life and the inner psychological state. According to dream lore, if you find a gateway through a wall, this is a sign of good fortune. See also entries for doors, rooms, stairs, staircase and windows in HOME.
Exploring a building
Dreams about exploring a building are encouraging you to explore your own personality or resolve an ongoing conflict. In other words, the dream is encouraging you to make more of your attributes and abilities, as unexplored potential and new ideas lie within you. This is especially true if you find yourself exploring unfamiliar rooms in a well-known house in your dream. If the building is run down or dilapidated, this may suggest a personality or body in need of attention, but if the building is well cared for and clean, it suggests confidence and good self-esteem. A building under attack may suggest that someone or something is trying to break in. If a building is under construction or being demolished, this refers to your own ability to construct and destroy your life. If the building is familiar, the reference may be to the actual building itself; for example, if you dream of a structural fault, you might want to get the design checked out. If the building you are exploring in your dream is a public building such as a factory, law court, prison and department store, the building often represents the function suggested by its nature, such as work, education and healing. Bear in mind, though, that if these images appear in your dreams, they will also have personal connections and feelings associated with those buildings. For example, if a factory feels like a museum, both associations should be considered. Finally, consider carefully how you react to the building in your dream. Were you intimidated by it or did you feel comfortable? If the former, your dream may be warning that you are over-reaching yourself in waking life. The latter is more reassuring.
FACTORY
A factory in your dreams is likely to refer to conformity with society, a typical reaction to a life that lacks individuality, productivity and work. In some cases, it can also refer to the automatic functions of the body, such as breathing and digestion. A factory on strike may suggest an obstacle to hard work, such as lack of discipline. An endless production line clearly suggests frustration with your career or relationships. A dream of waterworks can suggest associations with water and the womb, turning the dream into a gigantic representation of the mother figure in your life. A dream of being confined in a barracks may be a warning that your life is too restricted, and that you are too much under the influence of someone else. If you dream of a warehouse or other storage place, this suggests memories, past experiences or aspects of yourself that you have put on hold; for example, career ambitions whilst you raise a child.
FARM
If a farm appears in your dream, you may be longing for a more simple, down-to-earth approach to life. If there is manure in the yard, this may point to obstacles that prevent you realizing your dream. If you dream of a windmill, the windmill may represent your creativity as the windmill grinds flour for bread. If you are the family breadwinner, you might identify with this dream. Images of a stable in your dream may suggest repressed sexuality, as horse-riding is a Freudian symbol of sex. For Jung, the horse represents humankind’s harnessing of natural forces, making the stable a place where the dreamer can face these forces with confidence.
HOSPITAL
In dreams, hospitals can either mean a place of safety and healing if you have had a positive experience of hospitals, or vulnerability and disease if the experience was negative. Generally though, hospitals are symbols of healing, representing an aspect of yourself that longs to be pampered and cared for, relieved of the burdens of responsibilities in the waking world. If you find hospitals threatening in your dream, this may suggest that you feel apprehensive about putting control of yourself out of your own hands and into those of others in your waking life. If you are a hospital patient in your dream, this suggests a period of transition after something has not gone well, or a time of rest when you can learn from the experience and find new ways to get back on track. If you are visiting someone in hospital, is a part of you diseased, not well or in need of special attention? Either way, if you have a dream that focuses in some way on a hospital, this suggests that you are in need of some tender loving care, both physically and emotionally. See also SICKNESS AND HEALTH.
HOTEL/B&B/PUB
Dreams that highlight hotels, bed and breakfasts, and boarding houses suggest that you are not currently feeling secure in your situation. They can also indicate a short-term situation, relaxation and escape, or activities separate from home life. For business people, hotel dreams may refer to work. If you are about to take a vacation, your dream may simply reflect your excitement at the thought of the holiday. But if you are not going on holiday, the dream implies that you have reached a transitional stage in your life and the dream hotel mirrors how you feel about this change of circumstances. Perhaps you have recently moved to a new area, or a relationship has broken up and you are adjusting to your new single status. Was the hotel a bright, uplifting place or was it depressing and dirty? All these details will help you with the interpretation. Bear in mind, too, that hotels, although advertized as home from homes, are in fact impersonal places run by others—so do you yearn for anonymity or do you dread losing your identity? If the hotel has a gymnasium, this suggests challenges, finding ways to gain new skills, or concerns about your physical health and well-being.
If you were in a public house or bar in your dream, this suggests the sociable, easy-going side of yourself, as a bar or pub presents an arena in which you can overcome your inhibitions. If there was a jovial atmosphere, this can suggest a wish to be less isolated in waking life or a new, optimistic approach to life. If, however, there was a brawl, this can suggest repressed emotions boiling over into anger. Drunkenness also suggests loss of control, a desire to forget the past, or an avoidance rather than a facing of emotions. An inn is like a pub, but with the difference that it offers a place to sleep overnight. It also suggests a more tranquil, rural environment, perhaps pointing to your desire to deal with repressed impulses from the unconscious in a secure, secluded environment. (For dreams of restaurants and canteens, see also FOOD AND DRINK.)
HOUSE
For the psychologist Carl Jung, building a house was a symbol of building a self. In his autobiographical Memories, Dreams and Reflections, Jung described the gradual evolution of his home on Lake Zurich. Jung spent more than thirty years building this castle-like structure, and he believed that the towers and annexes represented his psyche. In dreams therefore, houses may represent your life structures or what you have created for yourself as a way of life; for example, values, attitudes and goals, or things you feel ‘at home’ with, or feel you can be yourself with.
When interpreting dreams of houses, how you feel about the house is of particular importance. Houses can be forbidding places, and if you feel anxious in your dream, this suggests that something about your personality is bothering you. That you noted a particular part of the house in your dream may offer a clue, and the different rooms and everyday things in the house are also important as they represent different aspects of your feelings and make up. It is common to dream of returning to a house from your past that you knew or lived in. This dream may be nostalgic or it may reflect a longing to return to the innocence of childhood. If you dreamed of leaving a house, the message is that you are ready to move on in waking life. If the house in your dream felt like it was your home, see also HOME.
LAW COURT/PRISON
A law court in a dream may make you focus on your capacity to make fair judgments in complicated matters concerning work, friends or family members. It may also highlight your feelings of being on trial in waking life, or a sense of guilt about having broken a promise, or a moral or social law. Perhaps you are anxious about being judged by others or feel that there something that you should be punished for. If you find yourself bundled into prison in your dream, perhaps with the clang of heavy gates swinging shut in your ears, this may be drawing a parallel with your sense of confinement in waking life. So, if you have any kind of dream about prisons or being jailed, ask yourself who or what is restricting your freedom in waking life. Do you feel suffocated emotionally by your partner or parents, or do you feel trapped in a dead-end job? Or has your own shyness locked you into a self-made prison in the waking world?
Dream houses
The front of the house and activities outside the house represent your persona, the face you show to the world, whereas whatever is inside the house reveals your inner life. If the house is being attacked or burgled, this suggests criticism or social pressure from others. If the house is burning or falling down, this represents leaving old attitudes behind. If the house feels cramped and dark, there is a feeling of restriction in waking life, whilst structural faults suggest broken relationships or illness. If work or repairs are being carried out on the house, perhaps certain relationships are breaking down or health matters need to be attended to.
An impressive big house in dreams suggests that we are conscious of our potential. If the house is small, the dreamer is perhaps seeking security and freedom from responsibility. If you were living in a bungalow in your dream, there may be a suggestion that you are living too much on one level, both practically and emotionally. If there are unfamiliar rooms in a well-known house, this represents unexplored potential. If other people are in the house, they suggest different aspects of yourself you may feel threatened by, or other people you are involved with, or about to be involved with, in waking life. Going into or out of the house suggests that we may need to decide whether we need to be more introverted or extroverted. If you go into another person’s house, this suggests that you are getting involved with that person, perhaps being a part of their life. If you see a loved one move into someone else’s house in your dream, this may be your fear of their infidelity, but it may also reveal a growing distance in your relationship. Planning or altering a house, or building an annexe may refer to a change in your lifestyle or approach to life. Rows of houses represent other people. According to dream lore, country houses suggest tranquility; building a house, a growth in confidence; a new house, a busy social life; an empty house or moving house, financial worries; a big house, good fortune, and a small house, misfortune.
If you are buying a house in your dreams this may relate to making a decision to change in waking life, or wanting to make some kind of change. Buying a house involves decision making and this points to the importance of clarifying what it is that you want in waking life. If the house in your dream is an igloo, this is a symbol of security and completeness and, because it is warm on the inside and cold on the outside, it points to differences between what you feel on the inside and you do and say on the outside. In general dreaming about a flat or apartment has the same meaning as dreaming about a house, but the interpretation depends on whether or not you have lived in an apartment or flat before. If you did, were you living alone in the flat or did you share, and what was this like? This will influence the feelings associated with the image in your dream.
LIBRARY/MUSEUM
In dreams, a library can represent a storehouse of your experiences in life as well as your intellect. If the library is well ordered, this suggests that you handle knowledge well. If the library is chaotic, with books missing or wrongly shelved, this suggests that you may be suffering from information overload or have difficulty processing information. If someone distracts you in the library in your dream, it may suggest that the ideas being considered in waking life are not worth your attention. If you are working on your psychic and spiritual development, the library will have added significance as a place where the collective wisdom of humankind is collected. The more we develop psychically and spiritually, the more we have access to this collective wisdom—also known as intuition and the collective unconscious.
Like libraries, museums feed minds by giving people the opportunity to study objects from the past for their historic, scientific and artistic interest. When trying to interpret dreams about museums, any exhibit that caught your eye is important because it may be pointing to something from your own past that has a bearing on your present situation. If your dream involved visiting a cinema or theatre, refer to the relevant entries in ARTS AND CRAFTS and LEISURE.
LIGHTHOUSE
A lighthouse may appear in a dream as a beacon guiding you to safety through dense fog. Bear in mind that a beacon or lighthouse can also indicate a rocky area you should avoid, and therefore contains a warning about the direction in which you are heading. Such a dream may be urging you to rely on your own resources to avoid floundering. For Freud, the lighthouse was, of course, a phallic symbol rising above the maternal symbol of the ocean.
RELIGIOUS BUILDING
Any religious building suggests a refuge where you can gather your thoughts and consider your beliefs. Even if you are not religious, in dreams religious buildings highlight your spiritual, peace-loving and idealistic potential. Most of us have principles we live by and these may surface in your dreams in the symbol of a religious building. If you are walking past a church or religious building in your dream, this suggests that you are not making contact with the best part of yourself. Is your waking life so crammed with obligations that you don’t have time to explore your inner world for some much-needed reflection, meditation and contemplation? If you entered a temple in your dream and immediately felt enveloped in a sense of calm, was your unconscious suggesting that you would enjoy better health if you treated your body as a temple, putting your physical, emotional and spiritual welfare first? Dreams about religious buildings may also be an expression of anger against dogma; again it depends on the feelings evoked by the building in your dream. Did you feel relieved or tense? If a vault features in your dream, it may represent your highest spiritual ideals, as vaults often appear in churches or temples with painted stars in imitation of the vault of the heavens. A vault may also recall a crypt or burial chamber, and as such, it may conjure up thoughts of death. See also RELIGION.
TOWER
According to Freud, a tower is a phallic symbol, signifying in its sturdiness the sexual self-confidence of a male dreamer. In dreams, towers represent psychological constructions you may have built in your life, ranging from an attitude to an entire way of life. For example, a tower may be a defensive erection of inner attitudes, suggesting an imprisonment by your own anxieties or a desire to shut yourself away from the world; alternatively, it may be an attempt to reach the heights of awareness or recognition.
If you are standing at the top of the tower in your dream, observe how you feel
Towering above the rest
Freudian dream interpreters relate towering structures in dreams to phallic symbols, and therefore to macho tendencies, on account of their thrusting shape. So if you dreamed you were living in a luxury penthouse thousands of feet above the city or that your office occupied the top floor, could your dream have highlighted your ambitions? Do you secretly long to rise above everyone else financially, professionally and socially? Dreaming of a spire may indicate pride and ambition or yearning to attain spiritual heights, and an obelisk in a dream may be a phallic symbol. A chimney in a dream may be another phallic symbol especially if it was a tall factory chimney. In both the waking and the dream world, skyscrapers are symbols of elevated social and professional status and the ‘greed is good creed’, so if you dreamed of them, perhaps your unconscious was highlighting your waking ambition.
The most prominent and famous landmark in Paris, the city of romance, revolution and passion, is the Eiffel Tower. If it appears in your dream, it presents a powerful erotic symbolism, as it is a strong image of thrusting sexuality. The clock tower, also known as Big Ben, which sits alongside London’s Houses of Parliament, may be a symbol of an encounter with destiny or some life-changing event. Ticking clocks often represent the passage of life (see TIME) and the clock tower combines this with the phallic form to form an image of courage and emotional development. Evoking great and solemn occasions, the chimes of Big Ben, or any clock in a church tower, relate to important life changes, such as marriage, the birth of a child or moving house, or important shifts in attitude, such as forgiveness, resolve and determination.
Some other buildings
Airport
A desire to rise above worldly problems and responsibilities; may also be associated with high ideals. See also TRAVEL.
Bank
Where ‘treasures’ are stored; material security. If you are making a deposit, you are adding to your assets. If you are making a withdrawal, you are calling upon them.
Barn
Associated with labor. Since this is a storage place and home for animals, the dream may be implying that you have an inner storage place containing the essentials for inner growth.
Beauty parlor/hairdressers
New ideas, thoughts are cleansed, created and rearranged.
Boarding house
The essentials are provided but payment is required.
Cleaners
Clean up some aspect of your personality or have you been ‘taken to the cleaners’?
Firehouse
Contains what is needed to put a fire (anger, passion) out.
Funeral parlor
Something dead needs to be laid to rest or reviewed. ‘It’s your funeral.’
Railroad station
Travel, change; waiting to get on the right track in life’s journey. See also TRAVEL.
Restaurant
The nourishment is provided, but payment is needed. The type of restaurant is important. In a fast-food restaurant or cafeteria, the dreamer is required to do much to help; in an elegant setting, the basic needs are provided but more is expected in return.
School
Lessons to be learned; more growth is required; associated with school days; raise thinking to a new level.
Service station
Re-energize your body, physically, mentally and emotionally.
Store
Book store—learning, study, research; clothing store—shopping for a new means of expression; department store—temptation and choices; drugstore—healing prescriptions; health food store—healthier diet; old-fashioned grocery store—inadequate nourishment; music store—harmony; supermarket—eating and living habits. See also MONEY AND SHOPPING.
as you gaze down at the activity below. Were you relieved to be far removed from other people or did you feel imprisoned? Towers in dreams can also suggest an emotionally impregnable figure in the dreamer’s life, for example an authoritarian father, or male authority in general. There may also be a reference to a ‘tower of strength’, or a person on whom you can rely for support and comfort. If your tower has no door, you are not in touch with your inner self. If there are no windows, you can’t see all the good things about yourself.
An ivory tower suggests innocence, but it can also suggest arrogance, intellectual aloofness and the loneliness such an attitude can bring. A square tower suggests a pragmatic, practical approach, and a round tower suggests spiritual harmony. If the tower is round on top of a square building, this suggests harmony in mind, body and spirit. How you get to the tower in your dream is important in your dream. If your steps are difficult to climb, this suggests you are a private person. If the door is jammed, you are not ready to understand yourself. If the door is bolted, you must make the effort to go in. Once inside the tower, you can use other explanations in this encyclopedia to interpret what you encounter.
CHANGE AND CONFLICT (#ulink_a5c74392-82f9-579d-aa93-2fe3e3b6a69c)
Dreams about change are common because the experience of change is an inescapable fact of life and whether the change is minor, such as a new hairstyle, or major, such as getting married, all change involves both loss and gain.
Dreams about conflict are also very widespread. This is because, in the same way as with change, we all experience conflict to some degree in our daily lives. We do not, as a result, spend all our lives feeling hostile, but every one of us experiences varying degrees of tension and anxiety.
Understanding conflicts and changes can help us manage them better, and many dream researchers believe that dreams are an invaluable tool for self-understanding. For example, Freud believed that dreams reflect hidden conflicting aspects of our personality, whilst Jung believed that the process of adapting to change or conflict was vital for survival and dreams offered an insight into that process. Adler believed dreams could solve problems, and theorists from the Gestalt school believe dreams increase self-understanding.
Dreams about change and conflict should therefore be listened to closely. They are a way of processing the thoughts and feelings surrounding that change and/or conflict and by so doing they can lead us towards psychological healing and personal growth. See also STAGES OF LIFE.
Change Scenarios
CELEBRATIONS
Dreams about birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and any other rite of passage ceremony all contain symbolism associated with change. Notice how you felt in the dream. How did other characters react to the change event? Was there a sense of happiness or sadness in the air? Did obstacles prevent the ceremony from running smoothly?
DISGUISES
Dreams of yourself or other people in disguise can often suggest change. The wearing of a mask relates to the appearance you present to others (as well as to yourself), and sometimes it is hard to remove the mask, perhaps because you are being forced to wear the mask by others. This may be a warning that you risk losing all sense of self. Notice who was disguised in the dream and what they were disguised as. If they were disguised as something sinister, perhaps this suggests fears in your everyday life. If they were disguised as something light-hearted, perhaps this is an element of wish-fulfillment, reflecting a desire to drop pretences and replace them with more fun and spontaneity in your life. According to Jungian symbolism, wearing a veil over your head indicates a desire to be invisible and to withdraw from the outside world.
FERTILITY
Given their associations with fertility and growth, dreams about the birth of a baby or animal, or of tending gardens and vegetation are associated with new beginnings and positive change for the dreamer. Dreams that involve other new beginning such as new jobs, new houses and new relationships are also symbolic of aspects of life change. To understand the meaning of the dream—and what particular change it is pointing to—you need to pay attention to how you feel in the dream, as well as noting any details within in.
Dream change in art
The subject of dreams and change has often been portrayed in art and culture. For example, in his classic novella Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka used this notion of change when Gregor Samsa awakes to find himself transformed into an insect. Surrealist artists, in particular Salvador Dali, used images of dream change to inform their work. For example, Dali’s ‘Metamorphosis of Narcissus’ is based on the myth of Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection.
GOODBYE
Dreams that contain images of death, or of saying goodbye or farewell to family and friends, also suggest times of change. Such dreams do not mean that someone is going to die or that certain people are going to leave you, rather that a particular phase in life is coming to an end. The dream should contain clues regarding which phase in life is being referred to. If you are the dead person or the dead person is unknown to you, then some aspect of your personality or some issue in your daily life needs to be left behind. If a friend dies in your dream, perhaps that friendship has run its course, or perhaps your friend is about to get married and the nature of your friendship will change.
LABYRINTH MAZE
According to Jung, the enclosed labyrinth is a symbol of the unconscious, and a dream of entering a labyrinth represents rapid change and a journey towards self-discovery. As in the Greek myth of Theseus, who entered King Minos’ labyrinth in Knossos to kill the Minotaur, descent into the unconscious may sometimes involve confronting impulses we would rather ignore because they challenge or threaten us. If you see a maze in your dream, it may also indicate the need to find direction in life and the skills needed to negotiate change. If a map or chart of a maze appears in your dream, this may be a reassuring sign that you are on the right path.
RUIN/DESTRUCTION
If the dream centers on some kind of radical change such as revolution, war, fighting or combat, this suggests some kind of conflict in your life. Images of destruction can also relate to life changes that quite literally break with the past. A house left in ruins, for example, may suggest a family broken by divorce; fallen trees may symbolize a move to a new location. See also TREES.
TRANSFORMATION
Dreams in which obvious changes occur, and people and things are transformed into something or someone else, suggest changes in awareness. A landscape might change from dark to light (negative to positive), a person may change from male to female, or objects may take on human characteristics. These changes are often depicted as occurring immediately in dreams, like a speeded-up movie, and they reflect changes in waking life.
Bizarre transformations of objects into living things, such as a pencil turning into a snake, a doll into a donkey or a table into a swarm of wasps, suggest untapped potential within you that can help you cope with change. To clarify what this potential is, refer to the symbolic interpretation of the objects that have been transformed. Shape-shifter dreams, in which people you know suddenly transform into something else, typically a monster or beast, represent unpredictable people in your waking life. For example, someone might be kind and caring towards you until they transform under the influence of alcohol. On the other hand, the shape-shifting may be some kind of moral test. Can you uncover the beauty behind the monster’s mask? What lies below the outer skin of the dream beast? Try to make a connection to your waking life.
Sudden changes from winter to spring in a dream, or from night to day, may also suggest new directions and developments in the dreamer’s life. If the other way round, and the switch is from day to night, or spring to winter, this may suggest the need to confront and deal with dangerous impulses. If the landscape suddenly becomes unfamiliar in your dream, this can point to an unwillingness or an inability to cope with the new. However, if the new environment is welcoming and friendly this is a positive sign. A return to the comfort of the childhood home or a familiar environment is widely interpreted by Freudians and Jungians as a desire to return to the security of the womb during times of change and conflict.
If something is transfigured in a dream, such as when an object or person is surrounded by light, this suggests that light has entered the person during a period of transition and they are becoming more self-aware. If you become invisible in your dream, it can indicate that you feel ignored in waking life—that you and your life are insignificant to others. It can also mean that you are hiding from others or yourself. If you have this type of dream, it might be time to look at how you present yourself to other people.
TRANSITION
The following dreams tend to be common during times of change or transition. A dream of waking and getting up, when in fact you are still asleep, may signal reluctance to face change or a new challenge—such as a new job or new relationship. Then again, perhaps this false wakefulness is the mind’s way of preventing us from waking up, thereby exemplifying Freud’s theory that the purpose of all dreams is to prolong, rather than interrupt, sleep. Dreams of a vehicle careering out of control suggest worries about losing all sense of direction in life, especially if you are the driver, passenger or bystander unable to influence the events.
A rudderless, drifting raft or boat suggests loss of direction, but some believe that sometimes not knowing where you are going can be a way of discovering your true self. A raft is an image of survival and, in some ways, this image suggests the ability to ride out the sea of troubles rather than be overwhelmed. Strange reflections in the mirror are often said to suggest personal identity problems during times of conflict—if it’s your face, and your eyes are closed, this is a refusal to confront reality and if it is someone else’s face, this may indicate a sense of inadequacy when compared to them. No face at all is the ultimate identity crisis; a fear of death itself. If a bridge appears in your dream, this is a clear symbol of transition from the present to the unpredictable future. Crossing the bridge suggests that you possess the strength within to cope with life’s journey and with difficult events such as moving home, divorce or a new job.
Conflict Scenarios
ABANDONMENT/FEAR/LOSS OF CONTROL
Dream images connected to feelings of abandonment, fear and loss of control all have some form of conflict as their theme. For example, dreams about missing a bus, train or airplane all point to some kind of tension in the dreamer about failing to achieve a goal. Dreams about being abandoned or left alone by a group of loved ones suggest feelings of anxiety about being left out, or being different from the crowd. Anxiously searching for the right road or path could point to fears about losing your identity. If you are happily wandering alone in your dream, this may suggest a feeling that the source of your problems lies outside yourself. Dreams about anchors and lifeboats also tell of the fight for survival in daily life. If you dream of being lost in dense vegetation, towering trees or tall reeds, you may feel that your progress is being thwarted by obstacles. As in the tale of ‘Hansel and Gretel’, this dream may evoke longing for the comfort and warmth of home.
ARGUMENTS
If you dreamed that you had a heated argument with someone, try to identify who that person was. Your dream may mirror real-life hostility between the two of you, or you may be consciously unaware of your aversion to that person or their aversion to you. Your unconscious may use the dream as an outlet to release feelings of aggression, or it may use the dream to alert your conscious self to the hidden aggression. If, however, you can find no reason for hostility between the person in your dream and yourself in waking life, then perhaps the dream argument represents an aspect of yourself—this interpretation is even more likely if you are arguing with someone you don’t know. Try to recall what the person looked like and what the argument was about. If the dream focused on a young person arguing with an older person, perhaps the dream represented tension between the part of you that longs to be more spontaneous and the part of you that is a stickler for routine.
ATTACK/ATTACKER
If you are being attacked in your dreams, this suggests you are feeling threatened in some way, perhaps by your own impulses, or perhaps by other people and their attitude or remarks to you. If you are the attacker in the dream, who or what are you attacking? Attack is almost always a form of defense, so may also suggest defensiveness about some issue in, or aspect of, your life. There is also a positive side to attack, as new ideas and positive changes can threaten our old way of life and habitual way of thinking about things. If you are attacked by an animal in your dream, this suggests anxiety about aggression in yourself or other people. If you are attacked by a shadowy or frightening figure, this may depict feelings of fear and pain associated with the past. How you deal with the attack is important. If you run from it, the trauma is not being dealt with in waking life.
DANGER
Dreams about earthquakes, landslides and volcanoes all point to inner turmoil or emotional conflict that is shaking the foundation of the dreamer’s world. The dream may often come close to being a nightmare, but such dreams are warning you about something that is going on in your waking life to which you need to pay attention. A dream about a natural disaster is unlikely to be prophetic; it is more likely to be referring to something dangerous in your waking life. For example, an avalanche dream may refer to oppressive forces in waking life threatening to overwhelm you—an avalanche of responsibility, for example, that accompanies the birth of a new child. If you are swept away in the dream, you are being urged to find something, or someone, to hold onto in waking life to regain stability. If you dreamed that the earth was cracking open beneath you, this threat may be echoed in changes at work or insecurity within a relationship.
An explosion may reflect sudden changes in waking life or the release of emotion. What damage has the explosion inflicted in the dream? If anything was broken, interpret its symbolism; if someone was clinging on to you in the dream, who are they? If you dreamed you were in danger of thunder or lighting, again this may refer to emotional turmoil in waking life; but a dream about being struck by lighting could refer to sudden insight. If you dream that you are falling into a dark hole, is there some situation in waking life out of which you feel you cannot climb?
Dreams featuring alarms may be caused by car or house alarms that go off in the night; if there is no external stimulus of this sort, and your dream features a house alarm, does this allude to your family? Does someone need protection at this time? Was the alarm effective in the dream? If the alarm failed to go off, this is an extremely significant symbol. If your dream features a car alarm, this may allude to some kind of rash behavior and, as men often equate cars with sexuality, you may want to consider it in this context.
Dreams can also often warn of dangers of which we may be unaware in waking life. For example if you dream of overspending, this may suggest you are expending too much emotion on a particular person. If you dream of escaping from a prison to a happy landscape, this may be a warning that you need to relax more. There are other practical warning dreams. For example, you may dream that your car brakes fail and in waking life find that this is indeed the case. There is usually a simple explanation as your unconscious mind may have registered the fault, but this kind of dream should not be ignored (see ACCIDENTS, ACTION AND ADVENTURES). Similarly dreams of bodily aches and pains and other signs of poor health are also worth taking note of. See also SICKNESS AND HEALTH.
DISOBEDIENCE
Dreams that feature some kind of disobedience, mutiny and rebellion are about conflict with authority, such as a parent, a teacher, a corporation or even the government. If you were disobedient or rebellious in your dream, whose authority were you up against? To whom is it that you feel you need to assert your individuality and independence? On the other hand, your unconscious may have simply allowed you to give vent to feelings of resentment in the safety of the dream world. If you dreamed that you refuse to comply with your boss, or with someone who gives you directions in waking life, this may reflect your mounting anger or exhaustion in the face of demands and responsibilities being placed upon you.
If you felt liberated in your dream, perhaps this is a sign that you need to stand up for yourself more in waking life. If you were involved in a mutiny, do you long to rebel against authority? If you went on strike, such a dream may reflect feelings of frustration and exhaustion in waking life. If you found yourself engaged in arm wrestling, are you engaged in a real-life battle of wills? An alternative explanation for dreams of rebellion against an enemy, known or unknown is that you are in revolt against some part of yourself. Try to remember what you rebelled against in your dream and why, and see if you can draw a parallel in waking life.
DROWNING/CRAWLING/FALLING
Drowning in deep water suggests floundering in the depths of the unconscious. As with dreams of pursuit or being chased, this dream alerts you to areas of your unconscious that are creating conflict and need to be examined with care. Falling and jumping in an attempt to escape from hostile pursuers in a dream is a desperate escape mechanism and suggests that you might have more success if you turn at the last minute to face your enemies, having found the strength to confront them. Dreams in which you are trying to run from something or someone but find you cannot—perhaps because your feet are weighed down or stuck in the mud—can be interpreted in much the same way.
Crawling through a narrow space, tunnel or small enclosure, or trying to squeeze through a tiny corridor or hall points to your creative energies struggling to find expression; these are, however, also common-place dreams expressing anxiety about a challenging and imminent event such as a review at work, an examination or even the birth of a new baby. Being chased, not knowing who or what is out there in the darkness, or vainly trying to push through the crowds in a busy bar, street or department store also suggest that certain repressed aspects of your personality, or unexamined aspects of the self, demand to be dealt with. To be trapped in a dream signifies that you feel you are trapped by outside circumstances. To be aware of trapping something or someone is to try to hold onto them, and if you trap a butterfly or animal, you are trying to capture your inner self. Feeling trapped in dreams also suggests an inability to break free from old patterns of thought and behavior without outside help. See also NEGATIVE EMOTIONS.
FIGHTING
If you are fighting an unknown enemy in your dream, this may represent a struggle with the shadow side of your nature and the unwelcome aspects of your personality. For example, there might be a battle between your moral code and your sexual desire, or between your intellect and your emotional needs. Conflict can also occur between your personal drives and social, political and economic drives. The fight may also represent a battle between yourself and another person, and your conscious and unconscious needs. If the enemy is someone you know, perhaps you have unsuspected feelings of animosity towards them. A fight between a younger and an older person in your dream may suggest a rivalry between the dreamer and authority.
A fight between people of the same age may represent the struggle for recognition or sibling rivalry. Similar interpretations can be applied to any kind of struggle in your dream. Such fights usually depict a fight for freedom, independence or the truth. Your unconscious may also be urging you to work out why there is a conflict, and may be suggesting that there is a more subtle way of dealing with it than with fists. According to Freudians, the struggle depicts the battle between your father or mother for the attention of the other parent.
Idioms: fight it out; fight like cats and dogs; looking for a fight. See also BAD DEEDS.
Forbidden desires
Desires that are forbidden in waking life can be repressed by our unconscious, and when this happens, a conflict ensues between the conscious mind and the unconscious drives that are striving for expression. According to Freud and other dream analysts, we can use our dreams to safely explore this conflict and allow forbidden desires a mode of expression. For example, you may have a dream in which your sister falls ill if you have had an argument with her in waking life; if you are attracted to someone who is married, you may have a dream about having an affair with them.
Dreams can also express the conflict between what you ought to do and what you want to do so; for example, you may have a dream where you tell your boss exactly what you think of them. Other conflicts can center on thinking versus feeling, or rationalization versus intuition, and your dreams can be used to develop and resolve this conflict (see ARCHETYPES). For example, if you are a scientist you may have a dream that you fall passionately in love with a stranger. Your unconscious is urging you to develop the intuitive, impulsive, unexplored and underdeveloped aspect of your nature.
KILLING
If you dream about killing a person, an animal or see people or animals being killed, this does not mean you have latent violent tendencies. Instead it can mean the death of thoughts and actions that have been restricting your personal growth. A deliberate act of murder might suggest hostility, with the identity of the victim and murderer assisting with the interpretation. Killing an authority figure typically suggests a desire to escape social or personal constraints. Killing a parent points to unresolved childhood conflicts, perhaps deep-seated resentments that have not been expressed. If the parent was of the opposite sex, Freudians might consider it as evidence of the Oedipus complex. A dream of poison—either poisoning someone or being poisoned yourself—may refer to some underhand action we are taking or which is being taken against us. Look for clues in the dream. Who or what is being poisoned? Is someone you know in waking life poisoning your attitude unbeknownst to you? What is the color of the poison? Are you poisoning yourself in some way?
VIOLENCE
If you have a dream where the conflict contains gruesome, explicit images of violence, try to relate these to your waking life. If you can’t think of any waking parallels, consider the identity of your opponent in the dream? Is this someone you recognize or is it a hidden part of yourself? Was your opponent serious or light-hearted? Was anyone hurt in the dream? Was the conflict resolved and how so? Any violence in dreams is a reflection of your own inner feelings about yourself and sometimes about the situation around you. Seeing yourself as a victim of self-imposed violence suggests self-blame, perhaps related to the end of a relationship or the death of a loved one, both of which you may feel could have been avoidable had you had acted differently. Dream violence towards yourself may also express low self-esteem, self-loathing and destructive urges that should be dealt with before they erupt into waking life.
If, on the other hand, you are lashing out at others in your dream, this may reflect your struggle to fight the undesirable impulses within yourself. Violence towards an old person can indicate resentment against authority. Violence towards a child may indicate the dreamer’s inability to accept and express the child within themselves. If you dreamed that you were attacked or threatened with attack, it may be a warning of an attack in waking life. This may not be a physical attack but an attack on your integrity or character.
WAR
People who have been in a war situation may be plagued by dreams that recall their ordeals, but for those who have never seen war, such dreams usually refer to private battles raging either within themselves, or between themselves and other people. Are such battles necessary, or would reconciliation be better than victory? Are you being too hard on yourself? Carl Jung believed dreams of war to represent a conflict between the conscious and unconscious minds, which is a struggle between the deep instinctive forces and the rules of conscious conduct. However, sometimes turmoil is needed in order for the personality to develop and grow. If you can accept the part of yourself that is trying to find expression, you may be able to draw up a peace settlement. Anger, sorrow or pity are usually found in dreams about war; whichever of these emotions you feel will show the feeling or action in waking life that has provoked the dream.
The clue to the dream’s subject may be found in the identity of the opposing armies, or the landscape, in the soldier’s clothing and the course of the battle may be suggesting a similar action in waking life. Which army did you belong to? If it was a savage army, perhaps your dreaming mind is suggesting that your true allegiance lies with your instincts, but if you belong to a modern, sophisticated army, the dream may be telling you that your inclination is to follow the rule of your intellect. If you witnessed the outcome of the battle in your dream, or admired the victorious army and its winning tactics, this may give you an indication of how best to resolve the conflict within yourself.
Although war and battle dreams may indicate disagreement between two individuals, they may also point to explosive disagreements between certain groups of people in your life; for example, disagreements in the workplace or differing opinions within the family. Your dreaming mind may be warning you that you will soon be entangled in that conflict and this is especially so if a battlefield features in your dream. The battlefield may indicate the area of conflict and your dream may be indicating whether you should take sides or act as peacemaker. A battlefield scene may also represent your working environment or a
Particular weapons
If you can identify the weapon used in your dream and the symbolic meaning associated with it, you can get a better idea of what your real problem might be.
Axe
This can be both creative and destructive, as it is often used to separate the valuable from the worthless. An axe or hatchet can be a symbol of emotional readiness to cut out dead wood so you can free yourself from whatever is holding you back. If the axe belongs to an executioner, do you have a tendency for excessive self-criticism?
Bladed weapons
Although daggers and knives are symbols of violence—indicating concealed hostility towards someone—they are also symbols of male selfesteem and can stand for the secure presence of a father in waking life. But if a dagger or knife is used against you in your dream, this may suggest a threat from someone or a reminder that you are being confronted with a dangerous or precarious situation in waking life, as in ‘being on a knife’s edge’. A knife has the ability to cut into things and perhaps pinpoint what is bothering you or what needs to be cut out.
Swords
Swords feature in legend, religion and mythology and are often wielded to subdue evil forces, representing the triumph of good over evil. Swords can also denote kingship, as exemplified by ‘Excalibur’, the sword of King Arthur, suggesting justice or the highest source of authority. Being double-edged, swords can evoke feelings of guilt or remorse, but they also suggest spiritual strength and, like axes, the ability to cut away what is non-essential. The sword when sheathed may be a symbol of the self within the body. The lance shares the symbolism of the sword, but its phallic shape often points to sexual issues.
Idioms: put one’s knife in; on a knife edge; under the knife (surgery); cut it out; cut the atmosphere with a knife; doubleedged sword; cross swords; sword hanging by a thread (threats hanging over you); Sword of Damocles.
Bow and arrow
The bow and arrow can be a symbol of tension, especially sexual tension, as in Cupid’s bow. If the arrow is fired to the skies, this can express a wish to devote yourself to a higher purpose. Arrows also suggest being pierced by some intense emotion, or being hurt by someone. Were you the target or were you taking aim? Did the arrow hit or fall short? Was it a poisoned arrow? Arrows are also used symbolically to point the way, so an arrow in your dream can direct you to the right choice, perhaps relating to a decision you need to make in waking life.
Bullet/Ammunition
Bullets or ammunition can suggest verbal attacks in the context of dream conflicts. If the ammunition belongs to someone else, this represents things that you feel other people can use against you, such as lies, anger and so on. If you have the ammunition, it can represent assets you have that can build your confidence, things you could say or do to wound others if you had to. If you run out or don’t have any ammunition, you may be feeling hopeless about a situation and unable to defend your position.
Explosive
Bullets, cannonballs, bombs and mines all explode on detonation or impact. If you fired any of these, your dreaming mind is warning you that you are in danger of exploding with frustration or anger. Are you currently on a short emotional fuse and in danger of detonating with burning anger? What was your target in the dream? This may help you understand what triggered your anger. On the other hand, could an explosive situation be building up around you? Again, if your firepower ran out, this could indicate lack of ammunition in a conflict in your waking life; perhaps there just isn’t enough reason for you to be involved.
Gun
Guns, pistols or rifles in a man’s dream typically suggest male sexuality and defenses used against emotions. The unconscious may have selected this weapon to denote his sexual performance and if he fires blanks concerns about failing virility may be indicated. But because a person can feel impotent in other areas of life a misfiring gun may also suggest general feelings of powerlessness. If a gun appears in a woman’s dream, it may indicate her desire to be more assertive sexually. If you are shooting the gun in the dream, you may be behaving in quite an aggressive way in waking life. Are you defending yourself in the dream or shooting for pleasure? If you are shot by a gun, you may be feeling wounded or the target of criticism or hurtful comments in waking life. If you shoot the gun in your dream, this suggests anxiety about expressing emotions or hidden hostility. Bayonets are thrusting weapons used in conjunction with guns, and in dreams they suggest extreme danger and a desire for total control, either aimed at someone else or directed against you.
Idioms: shot in the arm; shot in the dark; shot to pieces; long shot.
Nuclear bomb
If the cloud from a nuclear bomb appears in your dream this is a terrible symbol of utter destruction. However, its shape will be significant; if it appears in mushroom form, it can also be a symbol of regeneration and renewal after the destruction. See also DISASTERS.
battle you are waging with yourself, such as the battle to give up smoking, the struggle to keep to a diet and so on.
If you dream of war, rather than simply a battle, different interpretations are appropriate. War has a more global effect that one-to-one combat or fighting, and this would suggest that you need to be more conscious of the effect your actions have on others. The outcome of war should be the establishment of order, and dreams of wars coming to an end can have a positive interpretation, suggesting that this natural process is taking place on an inner level.
Idioms: in the wars; on the war path; war of nerves; declare war; battle stations; battle your way through; battle scarred.
WARFARE
If, in your dream, you were part of a regiment, this may suggest that you feel safe in numbers, as a part of a crowd or group of people. If you feel sorrow or guilt or resentment, this may reflect your attitude to the group of people you associate yourself with in waking life. Taking part in guerrilla actions suggests secret plans in waking life, whilst a preoccupation with a helmet and protective clothing may mirror a desire to ‘take cover’ in waking life. A dream in which an invasion takes place may be symbolic of an invasion of your space in waking life, either real or psychological. If a tank appears in your battle, this is an aggressive phallic symbol. It can also suggest an attack on convention and an indiscriminate flattening of all those who stand in your way. The torpedo also symbolizes male sexuality but, unlike the tank, it delivers destruction by stealth. High-tech missiles, cannon, field guns and other forms of artillery also present variations on the phallic symbol. On the other hand, they may also symbolize obstacles or ‘hot shots’ you feel are against you as you pursue your goals. This may be particularly the case if you are a woman in a stereotypically male profession.
If an air raid takes place in your dream, this indicates emotional attack from people or feelings you have about the events around you. A bomb suggests an explosive situation or sudden events that have produced anxiety. It can also suggest your own anxiety. If an underground mine figures in your dream, this can suggest bringing to consciousness potential and innate wisdom. A dream explosion with billowing clouds graphically mirrors the damaging consequences of exploding with pent-up fury or tension in waking life.
Idioms: I feel blitzed; come as a bombshell; put a bomb under someone; earn a bomb.
WEAPONS
Weapons in dreams appear for numerous reasons. They are associated with aggression and hostility towards someone, perhaps you. They can be a warning that you need to take defensive action against something or someone that poses a real threat to you. They may also represent a secret desire within you to hurt someone. If you dream of using a weapon against someone, do you harbor hidden anger and aggression that you have not expressed in waking life? If you do not know the person you are attacking, your weapon and victim may be symbolic representations of aspects of yourself you do not like or find hard to deal with. You may have inner conflicts that need to be resolved, or ‘killed off’. If so, what does your unknown victim look like, and how does he, she or it react to the threat? All this may provide you with important clues. If you have a weapon used against you in a dream this may suggest that you have done something to upset people around you or it may be that you feel you have become the victim of circumstances. If you are shot in the dream, this may be referring to internalized aggression, past hurt or a fear of being hurt.
According to Freud, almost every weapon is a phallic symbol and many dream researchers still subscribe to this view. If a man dreams he is attacking a woman with a weapon or hunting a woman, it may reveal an equivocal attitude towards women. A woman who dreams of being attacked may be expressing sexual insecurity or a fear of men. Weapons or firearms that malfunction in dreams or fail to work may indicate a sense of powerlessness to handle challenges in daily life. They may also suggest anxiety about sexual performance or an inability to express ideas confidently to other people. If a work tool or other object is used as an offensive weapon, this suggests a skill or authority that has turned against you, as might happen if a teacher was taking advantage of a pupil. The atmosphere of the dream will provide the best clue for analysis, but ancient dream oracles suggest that this dream generally means you have enemies who pretend to be friends. In other words, ‘watch your back’.
CLOTHES AND IMAGE (#ulink_695e232a-3593-54da-8616-681c57fccb0b)
Dreams about clothes are very common and they usually tell you something about your self-image.
In waking life, clothes protect, conceal and reveal and so in dreams they depict the façade, or persona, you create for other people; by so doing, they tell you where you may be vulnerable or exposed in waking life. The colors and condition of your dream clothes are especially important as they may symbolize how you are feeling about yourself, or how others perceive you. For example, if you were dressed in brightly colored designer clothes and were basking in the admiration of others, this may indicate good self-esteem, whereas if you were dressed in dark, shabby-looking garments in dreamland, and you felt miserable and self-conscious, it may be that this is how you are feeling in the real world.
Dreams about clothes can often focus on whether you are wearing the right outfit for the right occasion. For example, you may turn up at a party dressed totally inappropriately, you may have problems getting dressed, or you may find yourself walking naked down a busy street. Such dreams are rarely about sex and more about feelings of vulnerability, although they are sometimes about freedom from inhibitions. See also COLORS.
Clothing Scenarios
DRESSING IN OTHER PEOPLE’S CLOTHES
Clothes are the protective layer that keeps you warm, but they are also a way to express your personality or hide imperfections. In dreams, what you wear is often a symbol of your self-image or inner self, and if you dress in clothes that obviously belong to other people, this is a clear sign that you have problems accepting yourself as you truly are. It can, on the other hand, suggest admiration for the person whose clothes you are wearing.
For Jungians, wearing clothes of the opposite sex may signal the dreamer’s need to express the anima (female aspects of the male nature) or the animus (male aspects of the female nature). For Freudians, a child dressing up in adult clothes, particularly if the clothes are those of the opposite sex, may suggest childhood rivalry with one parent for the affections of the opposite sex parent. If you are simply changing outfit in your dream, this may suggest altering your mode of behavior, role or mood. If you astonish yourself by shopping for, buying and wearing unusual clothes in your dream that you would never normally wear in waking life, then your unconscious may have been suggesting that you have become too set in your ways and outlook, and that it is time to open your mind up to new opinions. Is it time for you to break out of your rut and for other people to sit up and notice you?
On the other hand if you dress casually in waking life and dream of wearing a business suit, your unconscious may be urging you to adopt a more business-like approach. If you were surprised by the color of the clothes in your dream—either your own or those belonging to someone else—then see if that color has significance for you (see COLORS). If you find yourself dressed in expensive designer clothes you couldn’t normally afford, this may also be simple wish-fulfillment, especially if you are fashion conscious.
EXPOSURE
If you expose yourself in your dream, either deliberately or by accident, you need to ask yourself why this happened. In your waking life, are you too open, too naïve, too trusting, or not open or trusting enough? If you feel embarrassed in the dream, then the chances are you feel that you are already exposed or in danger of being exposed in some way in waking life. If, on the other hand, you are enjoying your freedom from social constraint, then your unconscious may be urging you to be more open or free from convention in waking life. Exposing yourself in a dream may also have something to do with truthfulness; perhaps you need to be more honest and direct in waking life.
NAKEDNESS
One of the most common and often embarrassing dreams is to find yourself naked in a public place, wearing only your underwear or clothes that are see-through. Nakedness may represent a longing to return to childhood innocence, as the dream represents the real you, stripped of pretence and social conditioning. Do you have a desire to be seen for who you are or to reveal your essential personality without having to create a façade? Another interpretation is that nakedness expresses a latent exhibitionism or simply a desire for sex. Freud once stated that his favorite dream was of being naked in a crowd of strangers.
From a Freudian perspective, a naked female is usually an expression of sexual desire for dreamers—men or women—who are sexually attracted to women. Freudians see the naked male in much the same light as the naked female, as an expression of sexual desire for men. In Jungian terms, nakedness suggests aspirations for love and rebirth, or a desire to attain spiritual awareness and to renounce the material world. According to this interpretation, nakedness is also an expression of beauty, creativity and divinity. Ancient gods such as Venus, goddess of beauty, and Diana, the goddess of the hunt, are often depicted naked.
A naked child is particularly associated with the Jungian archetype of the divine child, and more generally with innocence and lack of inhibition. If you are covering up a child’s nakedness in the dream, this indicates a general discomfort with emotional expression. Many psychologists favor the interpretation that dreams of nakedness highlight feelings of vulnerability. Such dreams may be interpreted as a fear of sexual relationships, but they are more likely to signify fears and anxieties about yourself, and the way you appear to others. Perhaps you feel failure or rejection if you reveal your true self. In your waking life, you therefore need to overcome feelings of vulnerability and learn to be more self-confident.
Being partly dressed in a dream may suggest that you are not prepared for what lies ahead. It might be wise to re-examine your plans and your future. If the people in the dream seem unaware that you are underdressed or naked, this suggests that you shouldn’t worry about showing your real self to others. It may also signify that you are not worried about what others think of you, or that you long to show sides of your true personality to others. To dream of being ashamed or frightened may indicate a fear of showing your real feelings. If, on the other hand, you are disgusted by your own, or another person’s, nakedness, or other people are disgusted with your own nakedness, this suggests anxiety about discovering the naked truth about yourself, another person or a situation.
If you positively welcome the nakedness of other people in your dream, it may express a frustration with what, in waking life, you perceive to be their affected behavior—you wish they could be more natural. It may also suggest that you can see through people and see them for who they are. If you are sufficiently secure within your own self-image in waking life, you will not be afraid of being stripped in public in a dream. For example, dreaming of appearing naked in a strip show could suggest that you are anxious about being misunderstood, or that you welcome the opportunity to express and reveal yourself.
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