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Original edition first published as The Element Encyclopedia of 20,000 Dreams 2006

This revised and updated edition published by Thorsons 2019

© Theresa Cheung 2006, 2019

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Source ISBN: 9780008366476

Ebook Edition © November 2019 ISBN: 9780007484096

Version 2019-09-24

C ONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Welcome to a Whole New World of Dreams

Introduction: Prepare to Dream

A–Z Bedside Reader

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X Y Z

The 50 Most Common Dreams

10 Common Dreams You Should Never Ignore

Acknowledgments

About the Publisher

W ELCOME TO A WHOLE NEW WORLD OF DREAMS

I dream, therefore I exist.

– J. August Strindberg

Dreams are timeless, but books written about them aren’t. That’s why I’m delighted this Dream Dictionary has earned itself a reissue. The images that appear in our dreams are informed by enduring archetypes and symbols, but also by what is current and relevant to our lives today. Being given the opportunity to update the Introduction and endmatter, and add some additional entries, close to fifteen years after this book was first written, ensures its relevance. I hope this updated version will remain a classic bedside dream companion for many years to come.

Night Visions

We’ve all woken up from dreams that have felt incredibly real, as if what we experienced actually happened, but then we wake up and can’t make any sense of whatever it was that we felt and saw. We wonder what it all meant.

The majority of dream researchers today believe that dreams are not random and meaningless but rich in messages from our unconscious. They are inner communications that, if we know how to interpret them, can be powerful tools for personal growth. Sadly, many of us forget our dreams when we wake up, 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 you are to recall, understand, and work with your dreams, you first need to learn how to make sense of them. This Dream Dictionary is an illuminating guide to the most common symbols that are likely to appear in your dreamscape, a rich resource to help you unlock the wisdom of your night visions. Use it to find out what your dreams are trying to tell you. But before you submerge yourself in the intoxicating world of your dreams, take a moment to find out how you can make the very best use of this book.

How to Use This Book

This Dream Dictionary is arranged in three parts: the Introduction, the A to Z Bedside Reader, and a closing section dedicated to the Most Common Dreams, or dreams you are almost certain to have at some point in your life.

The Introduction has been updated to take account of the latest research into the hows, whys and whats of sleep. It explores the complexities of dream interpretation and what you need to know about unlocking the meaning of your dreams. Although the dominant theme is that dreams have a symbolic and psychological interpretation, there’s also information about precognitive dreaming here, and whether it is actually possible to see the future in your dreams. And if you struggle to remember your dreams, or simply want to have a more active dream life, you will gain a great deal from the advice offered in the dream recall section.

You are strongly advised to read the Introduction before using the A to Z Reader to look up relevant dream entries as the advice in the Introduction will inform and enrich what you discover in the Reader. Be sure to check out the Most Common Dreams section at the end of the book too – preferably before you start using the A to Z Reader. Knowing how to interpret these very common dreams will get you thinking along the right lines and help you interpret all your other dreams. There is also advice about the kinds of dreams you would be wise not to ignore.

The A to Z Bedside Reader is the main body of the book. It’s been lightly updated to include a few new symbols, such as SOCIAL MEDIA, which we are more likely to dream about today than when the Dream Dictionary was originally written. Dream messages can be difficult to decipher until you have learned their secret language, and this section will give you keys to the wealth of creativity and insight stored in your dreaming mind. Understanding what your dreams are trying to tell you can help you transform and grow as a person. Your dreams reveal your deepest emotional and spiritual needs and allow you to experiment with an endless range of emotions, situations, and scenarios in a completely safe way. Only dreams can offer you such excitement, education, and enlightenment.

The entries in the A to Z Reader are arranged alphabetically for ease of use, but be aware that some entries, like dog, for example, are placed in categories, in this instance PETS. You will also find cross-references in many entries to other entries that might be helpful. Common dream symbols are listed as well as classic dream themes, such as FLYING or FALLING, but there are, of course, limitations in the number of entries this book can offer you; dreams invite a world of infinite possibilities and there simply isn’t a book vast enough to contain them all. If you do want a larger resource, thousands more entries can be found in my earlier dream title, The Element Encylopedia of 20,000 Dreams. You are also welcome to contact me about your dreams and how best to interpret them.

How to Contact the Author

You can message me via my reader email – angeltalk710@aol.com – or via my Facebook and Instagram Theresa Cheung author pages. You can also contact me via my website: www.theresacheung.com. Please do subscribe to my email if you visit my website. It’s a way for me to share the latest dream research, reader stories, and interpretation advice.

Feel free to get in touch to discuss your dreams or if you have questions, unusual or supernormal stories, or insights you want to share with me and potentially with a wider audience. I endeavor to reply to everyone who reaches out to me. Please bear in mind that sometimes it can take a while for me to reply if things are super-busy, or if I need to take a little time out to do some dreaming of my own.

And now, without further ado, welcome to the wonderful world of your dreams!

I NTRODUCTION: PREPARE TO DREAM

Once upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was myself. Soon I awakened, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man.

– Chuang-Tzu

Every morning when you wake up and don’t recall any of your dreams – or dismiss the fleeting and surreal images that do surface in your mind as random nonsense – you miss an incredible opportunity for self-development. Hopefully, this book will help make dream amnesia a thing of the past and encourage you to treasure every one of your dreams as something sacred.

Treating dreams as sacred comes naturally to the Malaysian Senoi, a tribe noted by researchers for being completely free of depression and crime. The Senoi are believed to be such a happy and peaceful tribe because they use their dreams as tools for personal growth. From an early age Senoi children are encouraged to pay less attention to what is visible – the material world – and more to what is unseen – the world of the dream. Recording and discussing their dreams and using the insight of their night visions to guide their choices in waking life takes precedence over everything else.

The Senoi may be pointing us all in the right direction here. Many of us simply don’t pay enough attention to our dreams and miss out on a wealth of untapped wisdom. Research has shown that the more you recall and investigate your dreams, the better your creativity and problem-solving skills. Dreams may initially disorientate your logical mind because they typically don’t make any sense, but if you know how to interpret them even the oddest dreams can offer you priceless insights into your waking life. When analyzed effectively they are an incredibly rich source of guidance and healing, as well as the ideal catalysts for positive change and personal growth.

Why Do We Sleep?

Sleep is the balm for hurt minds, nature’s great second course.

– William Shakespeare

To better understand the nocturnal adventures of your mind it helps to know a little about the place where they all happen – the world of sleep. It is during sleep that we abandon conscious control over our body and mind and the unconscious or dreaming mind is allowed to roam free, giving rise to dreams.

We know that sleep is essential for our well-being but, like dreams, sleep remains a tantalizing mystery. It may surprise you to know that, to date, sleep researchers have not yet discovered the exact reason for sleep. For centuries it was thought that we needed to sleep to rest the body and mind, but this was disproved in the 1920s with the first electronic monitoring of the brain.

The brain gives off electrical impulses, and by attaching electrodes to various parts of the head scientists measure brain waves in a process known as electroencephalography. What these brain-wave readings (or ECGs) show is that both the body and the mind are active during sleep. So, if sleep doesn’t rest either your body or your mind, what is it for?

We don’t yet know for sure, but sleep researchers have uncovered some very intriguing things. It seems that when we fall asleep our brains act a little like computers that are offline. This means they are not idle but filing and updating. They do a system check on your body and release hormones to repair damaged tissues, stimulate growth, and fight infections. Sleep is therefore vital for the smooth running of many functions of your body and your brain, including memory, problem solving, and attention. Lack of sleep can lead to dementia, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, premature aging, weight gain, and lowered immunity. In short, sleep is essential, and we spend up to a third of our lives doing it. But despite all this we still aren’t entirely sure why we need it, and most doctors still don’t pay enough attention to the obvious importance of sleep for our physical and mental health.

However, the advent of space travel – of all things – has taught us a little more about sleep and why we need it. Scientists found that the prolonged periods of isolation and lack of external stimulation experienced by astronauts dramatically decreased their need for sleep. There is a sleep control center in our brains and when that gets overloaded with external stimuli we get tired. This explains why sometimes you nod off for no reason. Sleep is so crucial that your brain decides you have had quite enough stimulation and it’s time for you to switch off and recharge. If, however, there has not been enough stimuli from the outside world the sleep mechanism isn’t triggered, and you remain wide awake.

In other words, boredom, loneliness, routine, and the resulting lack of stimulation may account for episodes of insomnia. Although, paradoxically, it is worth noting that overstimulation has also been shown to trigger insomnia. Once again, whenever we edge closer to explaining the whats and whys of sleep, the plot thickens and the mystery remains.

The 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 learn more about sleep and why we need it is to understand what happens to our brains when we fall asleep.

Sleep researchers believe there are at least four stages of sleep, starting from when you begin to doze to when you lose conscious awareness and transform from a waking into a sleeping state. These stages are cyclic and repeat up to four or five times for every eight hours of sleep, each cycle lasting around 90 to 120 minutes. Here’s a brief, and by necessity, simplistic description of what typically happens when you go to bed at night.

During the first stage of sleep, when you lie down and close your eyes your body and mind relax. Heart and breathing rates slow down, blood pressure lowers, temperature drops, eyelids grow heavy, and eyes roll from side to side. During this stage you are semi-conscious and can easily awake. When people are sitting or traveling and they start to doze off, they struggle to keep their heads upright. This is stage one. It’s often called the hypnagogic state (the hypnopompic state is when you are just waking up) and it’s when you are most likely to experience hallucinations that float before your eyes.

In stage two, breathing and heart rate slow even further, eyes continue to roll, and you become more and more unaware of external stimuli or the noises from the outside world. It isn’t until the third and fourth stages of sleep, though, that you are finally sound asleep and it is harder to wake you up. You are now in a deep sleep state known as non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep.

In NREM sleep your brain is released from the demands of your conscious brain and it is rather difficult to wake you. This slow brain-wave sleep cycle typically lasts around 90 minutes. At the end of stage four you move back through stages three, two and one, at which point you enter a fifth stage of sleep called rapid eye movement or REM sleep. This is when things start to get really interesting and the dreams begin.

REM Sleep

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

REM sleep is defined by tiny twitches of facial muscles and slight movements of the hands. Blood pressure rises, breathing and heart rate become faster, the brain is fully active and eyes dart rapidly under closed eyelids as if you were looking at a moving object. If you are a man you may have an erection.

Although dreams can occur during NREM, researchers have discovered that it is REM sleep which is most associated with dreaming. When sleepers are awakened during REM sleep, they typically recall their dreams. Sometimes people feel temporarily paralyzed if woken during REM, as if something heavy and/or malevolent is pressing down on them. This phenomenon may explain supposed succubus, incubus, and alien abduction experiences.

The first stage of REM sleep lasts around 10 minutes and then you fall back into stages two, three and NREM sleep again, and keep moving backwards and forwards between the stages through the sleep cycle. As the cycle continues, however, the REM phase gets longer and longer, with the longest phase lasting up to 45 minutes. Of all the phases of REM and NREM sleep, the final REM phases are the ones from which you are most likely to recall your dreams.

The emotional center of the brain is more active than the logical center when we are dreaming. But, intriguingly, scientists have found that dreaming about faces is linked to the areas of the brain involved in facial recognition when we are awake, suggesting that the dreaming and waking brain may not be as different as is often thought.

We Sleep to Dream

And one day there will come a great awakening when we shall realize that life itself was a great dream.

– Chuang-Tzu

Experiments have proved that sleep is essential for life. Rats typically live for two to three years; rats deprived of all stages of sleep live for about three weeks, and rats deprived of only REM sleep survive for about five. Other research has shown that both NREM and REM sleep are essential for preserving memory, but if people are repeatedly woken during periods of REM sleep – which means they are deprived of their dreamtime – they become anxious, irritable and stressed. This suggests that all stages of sleep are vital for physical and mental health, and REM sleep – when you are most likely to dream – is essential for your emotional and psychological well-being.

Therefore, although we still don’t know why we sleep, it is entirely possible that one of the major reasons we sleep is to dream.

How Much Sleep Do We Need?

We spend up to a third of our lives sleeping, which means that if you reach the age of 100 you will have been asleep for around 33 years. The amount of sleep each person needs to feel healthy and think clearly depends on many factors, including age and activity levels. For example, babies need around 14–15 hours a day, while teenagers need around 9–10 hours. For most moderately active adults around 7–8 hours of sleep a night appears to be the average amount needed, although some people need as few as 5 hours and others need up to 10. Elderly people tend to need a little less sleep, around 6–7 hours a night, and women tend to need more sleep than men. Women also tend to be lighter sleepers and more likely to wake during the night than men.

So, What Are Dreams?

Life is a dream, realize it.

– Sathya Sai Baba

Dreams captivate us. But what are they? Where do they come from? Why do we have them? Do they mean anything? Are they simply a collection of memories and random associations, or insightful gifts from our intuition? Can they help us make decisions in our waking lives?

We have learned a great deal about dreaming – and, as mentioned previously, all the indications are that dreams are crucial for your mental and emotional health – but there is still so much we don’t know: dreams remain as mysterious as ever. This elusiveness hasn’t stopped people theorizing about why we have them.

There is a school of thought which believes that dreams are meaningless, or just random neuron activity responding to biochemical changes. Others believe dreams are simply your brain’s way of decluttering or sorting out and consolidating memories and associations. However, most modern psychologists, scientists, and sleep researchers believe dreams are far more than that.

One prominent theory is that dreams reveal hidden insights, wishes, and truths about the dreamer. The world of the dream is a dramatization of the dreamer’s personal or inner world. Another popular theory suggests dreams can help you process or come to terms with difficult emotions to achieve psychological or emotional balance. Dreams may also help you rehearse, practice, and prepare different responses to situations or scenarios, in other words, they allow you to role play in a safe way.

There is also the popular ‘sleep on it’ view that dreams are a source of creative inspiration and can help with problem solving. One less prominent theory, but which has its supporters, is that dreams are a form of consciousness that can unite past, present and future and offer us glimpses of potential futures.

One thing that unites all these different theories is the belief that, whatever dreams are, they are good for you. They help you live a better, happier, life.

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.

– The Prophet Mohammed

The notion that dreaming is positive, and dream interpretation a powerful tool, dates back millennia. Ancient art and literature are rich in dream references. Back in the mists of time dreams were not so much regarded as tools for personal growth (as they are today) but believed to have supernatural or prophetic significance. For example, the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians all believed dreams had miraculous healing powers, and the Bible promotes the idea that dreams are divine messages.

Other cultures, such as the Australian Aborigines and many African and Native American tribes, have always believed that dreams are a way to enter an unseen spirit realm. To this day, dream interpretation plays a major part in these tribal societies. The Inuit of Canada believe that when a person dreams, their soul leaves their body and enters the spirit realm.

As far as dream interpretation is concerned the Egyptians are thought to be the pioneers, producing the earliest known dream dictionary, written over 4,000 years ago. Called the Chester Beatty Papyrus today, it came from Thebes in Egypt and is kept in the British Museum. It is the ancient Greeks, however, who first proposed the theory that dreams are not from some external or divine source but are internal communications, or the divine spark within. Plato (427–347 BC) suggested that dreams were representations of hidden wishes and desires, while his pupil Aristotle (384–322 BC) suggested that dreams shared collective or similar themes. It was the ‘father of medicine’ Hippocrates (460–377 BC) who presented the idea that dream symbols had a physiological interpretation – for example, fire denoted indigestion – and should be used as diagnostic tools.

Artemidorus (AD 138–180), a Roman living in Greek Asia Minor, is believed to be the first dream researcher to focus fully on dream symbols and themes. He wrote a book entitled Oneirocritica (The Interpretation of Dreams) that is still in print today. He postulated that dream symbols had certain meanings but that the most important aspect of dream interpretation was the personal significance of the dream symbol to the dreamer. (This author is in total agreement with Artemidorus about the personal significance of dreams and their meaning, and can only dream that this dictionary stays in print as long as his remarkable manuscript!)

Throughout medieval 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 end of the 15th century dreams were regarded as no longer significant, and a century or so later even Shakespeare called them ‘children of the idle brain’. The ‘dreams are meaningless’ school of thought persisted well into the 18th century.

During the early 19th century, when the restrictive influence of the Church began to wane and the members of the Romantic movement – in their quest for spontaneous expression – rediscovered the potential of dreams, a revival of interest in dream interpretation began. Popular dream dictionaries, such as Raphael’s Royal Book of Dreams (1830) trickled into the mainstream and set the stage for Freud and Jung, the two giants of dream interpretation whose theories continue to influence the way dreams are interpreted today.

The Revolution of Freud and Jung

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). At the time, when prudish attitudes were prevalent, he caused general outrage with his controversial theory that dreams are wish-fulfillment fantasies that have their origins in our infantile urges, and 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 interpret a dream successfully, 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 encourage personal growth and self-development. However, before we can benefit from such intuitive wisdom, we first of all need to understand the language of symbols.

Other Important Dream Theorists

If you can dream and not make dreams your master …

– Rudyard Kipling

Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler (1870–1937) suggested that dreams are all about wish-fulfillment because they allow the dreamers to have skills and powers denied to them 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.

Noted 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 more popular today than it has ever been, with people from all walks of life using their dreams as unique and personal sources of guidance and inspiration, or as tools for change, growth, and personal development.

Dreams can offer us profound insights into what is preoccupying us and, although they are likely to forever remain mysterious, interpreting them can be healing and empowering, help us understand ourselves better and shape the decisions we make in our waking lives. As we’ve seen, there are different approaches to the interpretation of dreams and you’ll find a fusion of all of these in this book.

Famous Dreamers

Through the centuries, the dreaming mind has been said to be the source of countless insights, revelations, and even history-changing guidance. Here are just a few well-known examples:

Julius Caesar attributed his decision to cross the Rubicon and march on Rome with his army to a dream, in which he saw himself lying in bed with his mother (his seers told him she represented Mother Rome). And his wife Calpurnia saw his assassination foretold in a dream.

St Francis of Assisi had a dream in which Jesus Christ spoke to him from the Cross, telling him to ‘set my house in order’, and so went on to found the Franciscan Order of friars.

Dante reported that the entire story of the Divine Comedy was revealed to him in a dream he had on Good Friday in 1300. When he died in 1321, some of the original manuscript was lost. His son Jacopo recovered the manuscript thanks to a dream in which his father showed him exactly where to look.

Genghis Khan is reported to have received his battle plans in dreams. It is also said that a dream told him he was ‘a chosen one’.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote his famous poem ‘Kubla Khan’ after waking from an opium-fueled dream.

Robert Louis Stevenson was convinced his best stories, including the main device in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, came to him in dreams. Suffering as a child from nightmares, he reportedly learned to control his dreams so he would no longer have nightmares. He said his dreams inspired all his writings.

Days before he was assassinated, Abraham Lincoln dreamed of loud wails coming from the East Wing of the White House. When he investigated, he was told by soldiers on guard that they were weeping for the President, who had been assassinated. Days later Lincoln’s body was laid 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. His data made no sense to him because benzene (we now know) does not behave like a ‘long string’ molecule. While dozing in a comfortable seat, Kekulé saw in a dream the image of a snake biting its own tail. He woke up and immediately understood the mathematics of the benzene molecule – which has a ring rather than a long-string structure.

Italian violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini composed one of his greatest works, ‘The Devil’s Trill’, after 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 wrote that he understood the central notion of his invention of the sewing machine in a nightmare in which he was captured by cannibals. While dancing around a fire and preparing to cook him, the cannibals waved their spears. Howe’s dreaming mind noticed that the head of each spear bore a small hole through the shaft. The up-and-down movement of the spears and the hole in each spear remained with him when he woke. The idea of passing thread through a needle close to its tip, and not at its widest point, was a major innovation in making sewing by machine possible.

One night in 1816, Mary Shelley, her husband, and a group of friends were challenged to each write a ghost story. That night Mary dreamed of a creature that would later become the monster created by Victor Frankenstein in her yet-to-be-written novel.

Niels Bohr said that he developed the model of the atom after he had a dream that he was sitting on the sun with all the planets whizzing around him and hanging by the thinnest 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 song ‘Yesterday’.

In 1964 golfer Jack Nicklaus told a reporter how his dreams helped him practice and significantly improve his golf swing.

Dream Types

To all, to each, a fair good night. And pleasing dreams and slumbers light.

– Sir Walter Scott

Understanding what type of dream you had can help you to interpret it. Just as there are different types of music – classical, rock, jazz – there are different kinds of dreams. Although dream types can blend and merge, modern dream researchers tend to break dreams down into one of the following categories:

Afterlife Dreams

Dreams about departed loved ones can feel incredibly real and bring tremendous comfort, healing, and reassurance to the dreamer, encouraging them to believe that perhaps in some unseen realm the departed loved one lives on. Psychologists believe such dreams are products of grief, but whether they are or not research has shown that people who dream of departed loved ones tend to deal better with their grief than people who do not.

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 lives – for example, passing or failing an exam. We dream the most likely scenarios, or what our fears about these situations are.

Auditory Dreams

These are dreams where you recall sounds or hearing something, rather than visual symbols. Many artists and musicians have experienced these kinds of dreams and used what they heard as inspiration for their work. Sometimes the sound you hear may be the sound of a narrator telling you what is happening in the dream. When this occurs your dreaming mind wants you to concentrate on the narrative or story being told. (Be aware that sometimes external noises from your sleeping environment, like a phone ringing, can creep into your dream.)

Cathartic Dreams

Such dreams evoke extremely emotional reactions, when the unconscious is urging us to release pent-up emotions 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 them.

Childhood Dreams

Dreaming about your childhood may reflect a childhood dynamic that hasn’t been worked out yet and requires a resolution. It may also suggest a need for greater spontaneity in your waking life.

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 to incorporate in your waking life some of the characteristics that your dream highlighted.

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 trip 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.

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 dreams (as opposed to daydreams) is probably a better representation of who we are, not just our waking hopes and fears. Those feelings and thoughts we might be unwilling to acknowledge in waking life often surface boldly in dreams. Dreams we have when we are fully asleep 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.

Epic, Cosmic, or Life-changing Dreams

These kinds of dreams are extremely vivid and rich in archetypal symbolism. They are likely to be the dreams that you can’t forget for many years after you have had them. When you wake up you feel that you have learned something profoundly important about yourself. See also 10 COMMON DREAMS YOU SHOULD NEVER IGNORE, here.

False Awakening

It is thought that many reported sightings of ghosts are caused by false awakenings, which occur 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 occurred.

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 or request. See also Dream-maker, here.

Inspirational Dreams

Many great works of art, music, and 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.

Lucid Dreams

These occur when you become aware that you are dreaming while you are dreaming. It takes time and practice to stop yourself from waking up, but it is possible to learn how to become a lucid dreamer and control the course of your dreams. See also Dream Catcher, here.

Mutual Dreams

This is when two people dream the same dream. Such dreams can be spontaneous or incubated, for example when two people who are close decide on a dream location together and imagine themselves meeting up before going to sleep.

Nightmares

These are dreams that terrify us or cause us 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 of the sleep cycle) 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 who 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 an historical setting, some believe this is evidence of past-life recall. Most dream theorists dismiss the existence of past-life or far-memory dreams, or genetic dreams (when you assume the identity of an ancestor) as evidence for past lives.

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. Alcohol consumption can also affect your dreams, increasing the likelihood of vivid but often disturbing dream images. (Sometimes these types of dreams are called ‘Healing Dreams’.)

Psychic Dreams

The great majority of dreams are symbolic and interpreted psychologically, but a tiny percentage of dreams may fall into an utterly unique category of psychic dreams or night visions. Psychic dreams include dreams of departed loved ones and dreams that are precognitive and offer glimpses of the future or warning signals. Other dreams which fall into this category are dreams that appear to be empathetic or even telepathic, in that the dreamer seems to be somehow sensing what is happening to someone else. Shared or mutual dreams – in which people describe dreaming the same dream – dreams of unborn children, and dreams where your spirit brings spiritual help or healing to others are other types of psychic dreams, or dreams that can bring healing and comfort but which experts struggle to explain rationally. Distinguishing features of psychic dreams is that they often feel real and have no plot or storyline. They also are the kind of dreams that bring great comfort and reassurance and you are likely to remember them for days, weeks, months, or even years after you have had them. See also Can You See the Future in Your Dreams?, here.

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 lives that might be hindering our progress. They are often about our fears, anxieties, resentment, guilt, and insecurities. For example, if you dream you are running round and round on a hamster wheel in 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 recur 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 acknowledge the issue and deal with it.

Sexual Dreams

In dreams, sex can reflect a desire for companionship or sexual frustration in waking life. But it is more likely to represent a hoped-for reunion with a part of ourselves that we are not yet expressing but need to integrate or acknowledge within ourselves to become whole.

Signal or 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 problem 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 analog computer, the isolation of insulin in the treatment of diabetes and the sewing machine were all ideas that sprung from dream inspiration.

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 and empathetic 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 cell phone rings or a picture falls to the floor while you are asleep, the sound may be incorporated into your dream but appears 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 vacation. 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 about while asleep 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, you may, like Lady Macbeth, re-enact the nightmare in this way. Talking in your sleep springs from similar causes to sleepwalking. It is an attempt to carry a dream on verbally. You are more likely to walk, 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. If someone you live with sleepwalks, don’t try to wake them – just guide them quietly and gently back to bed.

Can You See the Future in Your Dreams?

For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see, saw the vision of the world and all the wonder that could be.

– Tennyson

Déjà vu dreams involve dreams of a person, place or thing and then, the following day or a few days afterwards, you encounter whatever featured in your dreams. Precognitive dreams are similar in that they offer glimpses of the future, but they differ in that they predict real-life events the dreamer is typically not familiar with or can have absolutely no conscious awareness of. Déjà vu dreams, in contrast, could be explained as simply being highly likely scenarios because the people, things, and situations you later encounter in your waking life are ones that you are personally familiar with.

Precognitive dreams are rare but there have been many instances when people claim to have dreamed of events they couldn’t possibly have guessed or known about before they happened. For example, many people reported dreaming about 9/11 before it occurred. Other people tell of canceling trains or flights because of a foreboding dream, only to later hear that the train or plane has crashed. There are even reports of people who dreamed the winning numbers of the lottery.

Research suggests that up to 30 percent of people have had precognitive-type dreams. Most dream researchers dismiss precognitive dreams as coincidences, but in recent years a select group of scientists have warmed to the theory that dreams might actually be able to offer us a view of our future or a potential future. Their theory is inspired by the scientifically proven phenomenon of ‘presentiment’: bodily signals, such as a raised heart rate and increased sweating, that something is about to happen before it actually happens. If this intuitive physical sensing of the future can happen to us when we are awake, then it may also happen to us in our dreams while we are sleeping.

Science has a long way to go to prove that it might be possible to see the future in your dreams but the fact the theory is being researched and taken seriously is wildly exciting. We know even less about time – what it is and how it works – than we do about dreams. Both time and dreams remain elusive but enduring mysteries, united by the theme of eternal possibility.

How to Interpret 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 understand or make sense of, it is because the information they contain is relayed to you in a different language: the language of symbols. If you want to understand your dreams you need to learn their symbolic language.

People alive or dead, known and unknown; animals both domestic and wild; landscapes and buildings familiar and strange; and any number of symbolic objects such as shapes, colors, signs, numbers, jewelry, food, clothing, and so on, are just some of the countless number of images that can populate your dreams. These images are not to be interpreted literally but personally. They are your own thoughts, feelings and ideas translated into a series of images that are 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 stressed, you may have a dream where you are being chased by an unknown threat. The number of images that your mind can translate into dream symbols for you to interpret is practically endless.

Words just can’t convey the countless powerful thoughts and feelings that symbols do. These symbols are often chosen from something that has caught your attention in waking life, triggering a memory, conflict, or concern that resonates both in the present and in the past.

Remember, in the majority of cases everything you see, do, feel and sense in your dream is about you. Everything in your dream says something about you. It really is the world of your dreams. If you have seen the movie Inception you may recall the scene when everyone turns to stare at the dreamer. That’s exactly how dreams work. The people in your dreams are all aspects of you, the things in your dream all say something about you, as does the storyline or plot. Waking up to the reality that you are dreaming about yourself is illuminating and gives you a head start as far as dream interpretation is concerned.

Now that you understand that you are the world of your dream, the next step is to interpret the symbols your dreaming mind is sending you. One tried-and-tested way to uncover the meaning of your dream images is by association. You simply express 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, say you saw a bird in a dream. Do you like birds or do they make you nervous? Try to discover what the image means to you right now, for the meanings of your symbols will change over time.

The more you think about and try to interpret your dreams, the more you will begin to understand the significance of your personal images. You’ll probably find that you dream the most about the things that you are familiar with: your family, your colleagues, your friends, your pets. Each time you dream about these familiar things they will have personal significance for you alone. What aspects of your personality do these symbols represent to you?

Remember, most 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 they will die, but rather that some aspect of your relationship with him or her or some aspect of your life is ending. Death in dreams suggests endings of some kind but also new beginnings. 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 cats, what a cat means to you and what a cat means to someone who can’t stand them will be very different. Always bear in mind that your dream symbols and images and their interpretation are unique to you.

If you struggle to understand your dream symbols turn your attention to the emotions of your dreams. How did your dream make you feel? Was it joy or sadness or love or fear? Then, when you have identified the emotion, observe it – but don’t identify yourself with it. You are not your emotions. Your emotions teach you something and you always have choice or free will over what you want to do with your life.

As well as noticing the emotions, start asking questions of your dream. Who are you in the dream? Is there a dream theme? Why did certain people or events or other symbols appear in your dream? Don’t try to get answers in every case. See what associations come up because sometimes just asking the question and paying attention to what surfaces in your awareness following a dream is enough. Bear in mind that everything in your dream is there for a reason: to tell you something about you. If someone you know appears in your dream, what aspect of them is reflected or needed or not being acknowledged within 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 convey a message. 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, optimistic state.

You don’t need to interpret every single dream you have. In the same way that some movies are more compelling and thought-provoking than others, some dreams – such as those when you do fantastic things like flying into space or lying on a sandy beach – 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

Dreams are illustrations…from the book your soul is writing about you.

– Marsha Norman

By far the biggest stumbling block to tapping into the inspiration and insight your dreams offer you is not remembering them.

If you don’t think you dream, think again. Everyone dreams. You simply aren’t recalling them. We all dream several dreams a night. Experts believe 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.

The dreams you have when you are close to waking up are the ones you are most likely to remember, but with a little effort you can boost your dream recall. Remember, research has shown that dream recall is good for you emotionally and will improve your creativity. The following dream recall trips are extremely effective and will have you remembering your dreams in no time if you keep practicing them every day and night. In fact, the more attention you pay to your dreams by thinking about them, writing them down, working with them and reading and re-reading this book, the more likely you are to remember them. Like everything in life, where your attention goes is where things tend to manifest. Your dreaming mind responds the more attention you pay to your dreams.

 Wake up earlier: Set your alarm clock 10 minutes earlier as this may interrupt a stage of REM sleep where dreams are more likely to happen.

 Set the intention to dream: Before you go to bed set your intention to dream. Tell yourself several times when you close your eyes to sleep that you will remember your dreams when you wake up. Think about how much you would love to remember your dreams and how much fun it is to do so. You may also want to write down ‘I will remember my dreams when I wake up and I’m looking forward to it’ on a piece of paper before you go to sleep. Place that piece of paper next to your bed.

 Visualize: One way to make sure you remember your dreams is to talk to yourself in a positive way. You may also want to try this simple 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 out loud so you can hear yourself speaking that in the morning you will remember your dreams.

 Keep still: When you wake up in the morning (or in the night) remain in the position you woke up in, preferably with your eyes closed, as this will help you recall the dream. Any kind of movement will distract your mind. Keep as still as you can and try to remember your dreams. If you can’t recall anything let your mind wander for a while as the chances are dream images will form. Remember, on waking your awareness hasn’t shifted fully from dreams to daily awareness so use this twilight time to re-enter your dreams.

 Write your dream down immediately on waking: As soon as dream images appear write them down or speak them into a voice recorder. Don’t be tempted to get up, brush your teeth, or get dressed and start your day first as this will distract your brain and your dreams will vanish from your memory.

 Keep writing: If you can’t remember anything, write down: ‘I can’t remember anything now but I might later and I will write it down then.’ This sets the intention that you are ready to start remembering your dreams and if dream images appear in your day (and sometimes they do) you will record them.

 Self-care: Be aware that medication, alcohol, too little sleep, anxiety, and stress overload can all block dream recall. If you are consistently not remembering your dreams, practicing relaxation, stress reduction, and self-care in your daily life will boost your chances of better dream quality and recall.

 Diet: Studies have shown that supplementing your diet with vitamin B6, or ensuring you eat a diet sufficient in B6, will improve dream recall. Sources of B6 include eggs, sunflower seeds, tuna, dried fruit, and turkey.

 Unplug: Avoid screen time for at least an hour before you go to bed.

 New Age: An herbal cushion of mugwort mixed with sage and lavender and placed under your pillow or an azurite crystal beside your bed are alternative suggestions for better dream recall you may want to experiment with. Calea Z herbal tea is also believed to boost dream recall, but (as with any herbal remedies) consult your doctor first to ensure it is safe to take.

 Live your dreams: Studies have shown that the more attention you pay to dreams and dreaming when you are awake, the better your dream recall. Your dreaming mind loves it when you incorporate elements of your dreams into your waking life. For example, if you were wearing red in your dream wear red during the day, or if someone you know was in your dream make a point of reaching out to them. When you do this your dreaming self will know you are taking it seriously and will reward you – as everyone likes to be taken seriously.

Capturing Your Dreams: How to Record

Keeping a notepad and pen beside your bed and recording your dreams immediately on waking is one of the best ways to help your dream-recall. Although some people prefer a voice recorder – and you may find talking through your dream easier to do – if you record your dreams in writing you give them greater authority. You also create permanent visual reminders that can help trigger creative associations.

Some dreams are so vivid you can’t forget them but many are so fleeting they can vanish without a trace, 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.

When you write down your dreams abandon any attempt to be logical: dreams don’t speak to you logically. Dreams are not linear or rational. They speak to you in a timeless language of emotions and personal symbols. As you write them down be sure to write everything in the present tense as this helps you step back into the dream as if it were happening again.

If you just don’t think you have time to write down your dreams in the morning because mornings are always so rushed, set your alarm five or ten minutes early and remind yourself of the wealth of creative insight and guidance you might be missing out on. To save time just jot down some key words and feelings from your dreams.

Later in the day, you can transfer the information to a dream diary – one specifically set aside for your dreams. In this diary note down 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 or the story of the dream. Refer to the Dream Types given previously to see if you can identify which type of dream you had.

With practice you will soon get the hang of remembering and writing down your dreams. Writing down your dreams will also help you see them from an outsider’s perspective and make it easier for you to connect dream symbols to your waking life. Read what you have written and see if you can figure out what your dreams are trying to tell you. Remember, it is the personal association your dream symbols trigger that matters the most. Your dream mind wants to bring to your awareness whatever is unconsciously holding you back, so constantly remind yourself of the importance of what you are doing.

If something surfaces that makes you feel uncomfortable you always have the choice to make changes in your waking life. Just because you dream about something terrible does not mean it is going to happen. Your dreaming mind is simply using alarming imagery to alert your attention to aspects of yourself or your daily life which are blocking your chances of happiness. The more you deal with uncomfortable emotions in your daily life the less alarming your dreams are likely to be. In short, frightening dreams only tend to occur when you have issues and problems in your waking life that are triggering them.

Writing down your dreams creates a fascinating record of your dream life for you to look back on in the future to see if there were any connections you didn’t see at the time. Identifying these connections in hindsight can make it more likely you will now notice them in the present.

Finally, be sure to use the entries in the A–Z Reader section of this book 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.

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. You are becoming your own Oracle!

Step-by-step Guide to Dream Incubation

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.

2. Write down your question or desired dream on a piece of paper as if you were going to send it 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 send someone a Facebook friend invite?’

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.

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 right beside your bed so you can reach it easily.

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.

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.

7. Leave your dream intention to incubate. What you are doing here is programming your dreaming mind or self – giving it a particular task to focus on.

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. You may not always want to ask your dreaming self a question; you 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 vacation or loved one – write down a simple description and ask your dreaming self in the same way to give you a happy, inspiring dream.

9. Be willing to keep trying and to experiment as long as it takes.

See what insights your dreams bring you, and if you find dream incubation productive and feel confident enough in the wisdom of your dreams, you may want to use your dreams to help others. Let someone you know and trust give you a question they want an answer to. Then dream on it for them. Tell them what symbols your dreaming mind came up with for them to see if it offers them any helpful insights.

Dream-catcher

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 that flower in your hand? Ah, what then?

– Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Asking your dreaming mind to send you answers to questions you may have can offer you intriguing insights. It may also encourage you to take your fascination with your dreams to even greater heights with a technique known as lucid dreaming.

Lucid dreaming is the ability to know you are dreaming when you are actually dreaming. Once you are aware that you are dreaming you can then take control of your dream and what happens in it. For example, you can decide to fly or visit any place you want in your dream. It’s an incredible high! You can quite literally move mountains and change the world to suit you. Anything is possible.

Knowing you are dreaming is one of the most spectacular and surreal experiences. It is also empowering. You see, if you can choose what happens in your dreams this can give you the confidence to begin to explore hidden potential in your waking life.

Most people have at least one lucid dream during the course of their lives, but lucid dreaming on a regular basis is rare. Everyone can learn lucid dreaming, but it takes a lot of focus, time and practice. There are certain techniques you can learn. Keeping a dream journal is one of them, as is performing regular ‘Am I dreaming?’ reality checks during the day to confirm whether you are dreaming or awake. But how to increase the likelihood of lucid dreaming is the subject of a book in itself. (If you have questions about lucid dreaming, please get in contact with me: see here.)

Eyes Wide Shut

Dreams are not meant to put us to sleep but to awaken us.

– Camille Goemans

Whether you decide to practice dream incubation or not, remember that any dream you have has the potential to take you into 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 to your inner world to illuminate your waking life. They help reveal who you really are, and understanding their true meaning is the beginning of understanding yourself. In the words of Aristotle, ‘knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom’. So, take the time to enjoy the excitement, mystery, wonder, creativity, and pure magic each and every dream brings. Keep your eyes wide open by day and wide shut by night. Dare yourself to discover and believe in yourself and the beauty of your dreams – wherever they may lead you…

A–Z BEDSIDE READER

ABANDONED PLACES According to Jung, places in dreams where people work or live together, such as villages, towns, and cities, symbolize how you perceive yourself within your community, how well you are fitting in. So if places are abandoned in your dream, like a ghost town or a deserted village, this could mirror feelings of isolation or rejection in your waking life.

See also PLACES.

ABANDONMENT 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 plane 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.

See also CHILD (abandoned by parents dream) and SEPARATION.

ABDOMEN

See BODY.

ABDUCTION

See KIDNAP.

ABORIGINAL In dreams, an aboriginal is a symbol of that within you which is unsophisticated and natural. It is the basic, life-affirming energy or intuition within you which may have been repressed by experience; you need to get in touch with this simplicity again to understand yourself or a situation in your waking life better. In short, this dream is urging you to reconnect with your intuition and work with it in your daily life.

ABORTION Dreams about abortion, miscarriages, and stillbirth are likely to leave you feeling traumatized on waking, whether you are pregnant or not. And if you are 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 stillbirth 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 that 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 your waking life taking the credit you deserve? Stillbirth 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.

ABOVE

See POSITION.

ABROAD If you are going abroad or are abroad in your dream, your unconscious is thinking about your own personal freedom or your ability to move freely around your inner and outer worlds. Your dream is giving you an understanding of your feelings toward the widening of your horizons or the making of changes in your life. Pay attention to how you feel in the dream, as this will help you interpret it. The dream could also be about a need to escape from, or leave, a situation, as suggested by the phrase for having a vacation abroad – ‘getting away from it all’. If someone or something arrives from abroad, this represents a change or something new happening in your life. Someone of the opposite sex arriving from abroad indicates hopes for a new relationship or the need for new life to be injected into a current relationship. The dream may also be slang – ‘a broad’ – expressing desire for a particular female.

ABYSS If the deep, precipitous sides of a chasm or large hole threaten to engulf and swallow you up in a dream, or if an abyss suddenly opens up in front of you, transforming a previously pleasant scene into a terrifying one, could your unconscious have been warning you that your position in waking life is not as stable as you might think and that you could be facing unexpected mishaps or pitfalls? Chasms and holes in dreams always suggest an element of the unknown or something in some way risky, and they urge the dreamer to make a decision one way or another in waking life. Perhaps you dreamed of teetering on the brink of a ravine, petrified that you would lose your footing? Such a dream may be warning you that you are in danger of falling into an emotional black hole, out of which you feel powerless to emerge. Also, because the earth is a symbol of the archetypal mother, devouring chasms may represent a devouring maternal figure in your life, intent on dominating you or dragging you under.

ACCIDENTS The traditional interpretation of dreams involving accidents 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 hit by a car on a busy street outside a gas 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 street was, having read somewhere about the growing number of teenagers killed due to drivers’ use of cell phones 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.

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 again. 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 street 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 subconsciously 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 action 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 dream, notice how you emerge. Did you manage to rescue something or someone? If you did, 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.

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.

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 toward 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, which 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 toward 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.

See also CAR CRASH, TRAIN CRASH, PLANE CRASH.

ACHE Dream abscesses may indicate a site of physical illness that is not yet obvious when awake, but it is more likely that they represent swollen and painful emotions that are repressed and may be causing psychological infection. Aches in dreams indicate places where there may be blocked energy relevant to that part of the body. For example, we tend to refer to nagging problems in waking life as headaches and, since the head represents an authority figure, a dream headache may suggest an unresolved issue with an authority figure in your life. Throat aches may suggest an inability to express yourself verbally, while dreams of injury or strangulation to the throat almost always relate to current pressures in your life. Such dreams do not always urge you to speak your mind but they do remind you to be aware of those dynamics around you that are affecting you, as well as urging you to be honest with yourself about how you feel about what is going on. Chest aches indicate withheld emotions, and backaches blocked anger.

The sensation of pain in a dream may be a warning against taking unnecessary risks or an attempt by your dreaming mind to urge you to take a more positive approach to life. Dreams in which you are fatigued or racked with aches and pains may signify that in waking life you are worrying needlessly over problems that really aren’t that important. Take a more relaxed approach. Sometimes, however, your dreaming mind will inflict a pain dream almost as an act of revenge over some supposed fault or misbehavior in waking life. For example, if you are on a diet and have slipped recently, your unconscious may punish you in dreams that have the sensation of pain. Perhaps one of the most horrifying pain scenarios in a dream is to be impaled. Whether this is caused by a slip from a high spot onto railings or a vampire stake through the heart, such a dream refers to the pain of unwanted intrusion or enemies in real life.

ACID

See NEGATIVE SYMBOLS.

ACORN

See POSITIVE SYMBOLS.

ACROBAT

See CIRCUS.

ACTING/ACTOR/ACTRESS This can suggest a desire for public attention, but it can also suggest not expressing your real self – playing a part. If you dreamed that you were acting on stage, how did the audience react to your performance? We all role-play during our waking lives, projecting a persona that may not be entirely who we are in order to make ourselves more appealing to others; it is possible that your unconscious is 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? 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 toward success. If an actor 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.

See WORK.

ACTIVITIES/ACTION 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 toward? 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.

ADAM AND EVE

See APPLES, MUD.

ADDER

See NEGATIVE SYMBOLS.

ADDRESS In dreams, your address represents your present lifestyle or status, while another person’s address suggests some kind of contact with that person. Past addresses indicate the person you once were. If you forget or lose your address in your dream, this suggests a loss of connection or understanding. Your dream is reflecting your real-life confusion about who you are, where you are going, and how you connect and communicate with others. If you had a dream in which you were going through your address book and deleting or checking names, your unconscious was probably sorting the people in your life into those with whom you wish to remain in contact and those whom you want to leave behind. Were there any surprise messages from your unconscious about any particular people if you had this dream?

ADMIRAL

See WORK.

ADOLESCENCE/ADOLESCENT Technically the teenage years or adolescence extends from about the age of 12 to 18, or 21 at the latest. As you grow older, you may find that your dreams look back to your teenage years with feelings of wistfulness. You may not want to go through the torments of adolescence again, but you may like to unite your maturity and experience with your youthful energy and enthusiasm. Whereas dreams of childhood tend to be nostalgic, dreams that feature teenagers tend to be about wish-fulfillment. If you are no longer a teenager, a dream in which you become a teenager again and hang out with your friends at a disco suggests that you are coping with life at present and not taking it too seriously. On the other hand, your dreaming mind may be urging you to chill out more. If you revisit your teenage years in your dream, or dream of teenagers, your dreaming mind may be urging you to recover some of your creativity, energy, and sense of freedom. If the young man or woman in the dream was acting in an immature way, as adolescents are prone to do, could your dream be warning you that your present behavior is stupid, immature, and unproductive? If your dream featured images of school, examinations, or college, the implication may be that you need to broaden your mind or take up new challenges. Alternatively, if school was a place of unhappy memories for you, it could be urging you to have a more positive, upbeat approach to life.

Although the following dreams can be experienced at any life stage, they are believed to be among the most common for teenage dreamers. If you dream of burying a dead body, you may be aware that you have killed someone, although you may not remember why or how. Your concern in the dream is to bury the body before someone makes a terrifying discovery and exposes you. Despite the horror of what you have done, the main issue in your dream is not the fact that you have killed someone but your desire to cover your tracks and avoid discovery. This dream is all about your need for acceptance and to rid yourself of things that are undesirable in your life. The person you have murdered represents what you would like to get rid of; that is why there is no remorse in the dream. The panic in the dream indicates your fear that people will recognize your anxiety. The teenage years are all about deciding what is or is not acceptable or desirable in your life so, not surprisingly, this dream is most common at that particular time. The things you want to bury can include parental expectation, childish hobbies, or activities, and so on.

During your teenage years you are very likely to dream of meeting a celebrity and becoming their close friend. This kind of dream focuses on the importance of feeling accepted and admired within your peer group. It is not uncommon for a teenager to dream about the death or funeral of one or both parents. Such dreams are not predictive, being simple reflections of the death of the past and the beginning of a new parent–child relationship.

See also STAGES OF LIFE.

ADOPTED If you dream of being an orphaned, adopted, or fostered child, this usually suggests that your relationships with members of your family in waking life have created some sense of loss and rejection in you. Dreaming of having lost your parents or being rejected by your parents so you become an orphan, adopted, or fostered child may denote that you feel you didn’t get their unconditional love and attention, and that you have to find your own way in the world without their support. Alternatively you may feel as if you are an outsider in the relationship to your family. Perhaps you have been excluded or perhaps you have little in common with them. Do you consider yourself rejected or at odds with the rest of your family? Whatever the reason, your dream may be suggesting to you that you need to create a surrogate family to get the support you need (this may be with your friends or your partner), and they will be able to help you feel loved, secure, and accepted for who you are.

Another explanation of such dreams is that it is time for you to be more independent and self-reliant by moving away from your parents. When life forces you into permanently or temporarily losing your parents, either by death or by other circumstances such as foreign travel, you may experience dreams of being orphaned. The dream might not refer to your relationship with your family at all, but might be telling you that you are feeling abandoned, unloved, rejected, and misunderstood by your partner, friends, or colleagues in waking life. If this is the case, the dream connects to feelings of belonging or not belonging in waking life. If you are looking after an orphan in your dream, you are attempting to heal that part of you that feels unloved.

ADVENTURE 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 toward a new understanding, and the discovery of inner strength and creativity that can empower the dreamer.

ADVERTISEMENT You cannot escape ads in daily life and you may well find that they pop up in your dreams, too. If an ad does feature in your dream, its purpose will be to highlight your aspirations – so pay particular attention to the content of the ad. What or who was it trying to sell? If your dreaming mind lingered over the ad for shoes, a fast car, vacation, or any other object of your desire, your unconscious may simply be reflecting your waking obsession with it. If the dream highlighted cosmetics or clothes, your dreaming mind may be encouraging you to change your image in some way in waking life.

ADVOCATE

See ARCHETYPES.

AFTERNOON

See TIME.

AGE/AGING You may have a dream in which you or someone close to you appears to age rapidly, sometimes becoming an elderly person or even a skeleton. Such dreams can be frightening, reflecting your anxieties and fears about aging, but some people find such dreams comforting as they can indicate that the aging process is not necessarily a negative experience.

See also STAGES OF LIFE.

AIR You can’t see air but it is crucial for your survival and well-being. The element of air is associated with the Zodiac signs Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. For Jungian analysts, air seeks to establish itself in the realm of the intellect; it is through the process of thinking that we develop ideas and communicate. Air contributes inventiveness, originality, creativity, and versatility to the personality. It gives that feeling of freedom and objectivity, and the ability to appreciate the differences between people. In dreams, air encourages you to let your thoughts soar, helping you to realize your full potential.

When air’s influence is exaggerated in a person, we see them as living in a dream world full of unrealistic goals and flights of fancy. Air should seek to maintain practicality and develop consistency in dealing with the real world. You cannot live without air, so when it appears in your dreams, consider its quality. Is it foggy, misty, clear, or polluted? The answer will give you an idea of the atmosphere that surrounds you in waking life. If you are outdoors in your dream and conscious of the clarity and coolness of the air, your dreaming mind may be urging you to give freedom to your thoughts. Or perhaps you feel released from a recent problem or situation. Air may also refer to the way in which you behave. Are you putting on airs and graces, or behaving in a superior way that demeans other people?

AIR-CONDITIONER This image suggests a need to calm or slow down. If the air is cold this may indicate emotional coldness.

AIRCRAFT/AIRPLANE/AIRPORTS In dreams, aircraft represent a desire for new experiences and excitement. According to Freudians, aircraft are phallic symbols associated with new sexual experiences. Because air symbolizes spiritual aspiration, if your dream featured an aircraft or a plane ride, could your unconscious have been encouraging you to explore your spirituality or rise above the limitations of daily life? Do you feel you are on a fast track to success, or do you just really need a vacation?

In dreams, as in life, airports can be busy, noisy, and crowded places, and they can suggest a phase in your life you are trying to leave behind or a transitional phase. If you are looking in vain for a familiar face at an airport in your dream, this suggests there may be aspects of your old way of life or thinking that you are unwilling to leave behind. If you dreamed of being in the middle of a flight, your unconscious may have been commenting on your current progress in life. Are you flying high or being buffeted by turbulence? Or is everything up in the air or beset by uncertainty? Dreams of being hijacked or attacked in a plane can suggest anxieties about flying, but they can also represent a fear of rape in women. A dream of a plane crash can suggest you have set your sights too high; perhaps you are expecting too much and have doubts about your ability to reach your goals?

See also PLANE CRASH.

ALARM Ringing bells, timers, alarms in a dream may be prompting you to move forward with an idea in your waking life. Loud alarms – such as sirens – warn of impending danger or crisis.

ALARM CLOCK The appearance of an alarm clock in a dream indicates the need to get up and do something; it may also be a reminder of someone or something you have neglected.

ALCOHOL Dreams that feature alcohol can be interpreted in two ways. They could be a warning that you need to take it easy or they could be a suggestion that your life needs more stimulation and excitement. If, however, a drunk appeared in your dream or you got drunk and had a hangover, this may suggest that you have been overdoing it recently. It can also refer to the way you deal with difficult feelings by drowning them in drink. On the other hand, do you feel drunk with success and, if you do, is your unconscious warning you to rein in your exuberance as it is unsettling to those around you? Don’t forget the Latin phrase in vino veritas (wine reveals the truth) and pay attention to what you and other people say in your dream over a glass of wine or beer.

To see whisky in bottles symbolizes your alertness, carefulness and protective nature. If you are drinking alone, this signifies a selfishness that is driving friends away. To dream of drinking wine refers to festivity, celebration, and companionship. To dream that you are breaking wine bottles signifies over-indulgence and lack of control.

ALIEN If an alien appears in your dream, this suggests feelings of being an outsider in a group or society. It may also represent something new and not previously experienced. Aliens in dreams can also suggest that something unknown or frightening in waking life needs to be faced. Dreaming of aliens may also indicate dealing with something unfamiliar in yourself. Are you behaving in ways that are alien to you, for example? Aliens are something humans have never encountered, so the dream is urging you to prepare for the unexpected. Sometimes in dreams, aliens suggest evil forces, but more often than not they suggest that you feel different or set apart in some way from others. Perhaps you have started a new job and feel like the odd one out.

See also STRANGER.

ALLEY If you appear in an alley within a dream you may find yourself facing a dilemma in the near future. The image suggests that you feel you have little choice regarding a certain situation.

ALLIGATOR

See REPTILES.

ALPHABET The alphabet in dreams may refer to childhood or to basic lessons in life. To see letters of the alphabet in your dream symbolizes any object, animal, place, or person associated with or resembling that particular letter. For example, the letter ‘T’ may refer to a type of intersection in a road or a person you know called Tom. Or, you may still be trying to understand some concept or emotion that is still in the primitive stages.

See also LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET.

ALUMINUM

See METAL.

AMBITION 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 them 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.

AMBULANCE The appearance of an ambulance in a dream typically suggests feelings of panic and emergency about a specific situation or person.

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.

AMETHYST

See GEMSTONES.

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.

AMNESIA Typically a sign of avoidance or repression of something or someone in your waking life, but can also suggest unfulfilled potential.

AMUSEMENT PARK Dreams in which you are visiting an amusement park may be a sign that you may need to incorporate more enjoyment within your life. They can also be symbolic of things that can easily distract you from your tasks. If the amusement park is empty or seems shut down, it signifies the need to stop taking yourself so seriously. Consider also how everything in the park is an expression of some aspect of yourself.

See also FAIRGROUND.

ANCHOR

See ABANDONMENT.

ANESTHETIC If you dream that you are having an anesthetic or are being put to sleep for an operation, this suggests that you may be trying to escape reality in some way in waking life or attempting to deaden some emotional pain. There may be something in life you don’t want to face or simply want to forget about for a while. The answer may be simple as taking a much-needed vacation.

ANGEL Angels are celestial messengers sent to guard over us. To imagine one appearing is a symbol of spiritual protection and inspiration. If angels give you advice in a dream, what they tell you should always be taken very seriously. Nowadays, with a greater acceptance of the appearance of angelic figures, they are once again accepted as messengers of enlightenment. If you are religious, visions of an angel in your dream may be taken as validation of belief, but if you are not religious, you can take solace in the thought that you have a spiritual protector watching over you. Another interpretation suggests that dreaming of an angel suggests you are searching for this unconditional love and support in waking life, and the dream is urging you to find these qualities within yourself.

See also ARCHETYPES.

ANGER In a dream scenario, anger may express the tension between your conscious and unconscious urges. The aggressor in the dream will often represent the part of you that is demanding to be acknowledged. Freud spoke of an aggressive drive which he believed revealed itself in all walks of life and in all types of people. He believed that the aggressive drive was just as much present in sex as in war. Alfred Adler, an early disciple of Freud, believed that anger was the most fundamental force of the psyche and, if repressed, it could express itself in dream images of anger and aggression. Whatever may be the trigger, anger is one of the most common emotions to express itself in dreams, either by physical violence or by using symbols of anger such as weapons. Such dreams are likely to continue until the trigger for your anger is discovered and dealt with.

If a person has recurring dreams in which they are assaulting, raping, or attacking someone, this suggests deep-rooted sexual problems that they might want to talk over with a doctor. A single dream in which aggression, sexual or otherwise, occurs is not so worrying and is actually quite common. Such a dream will be expressing negative feelings of anger, hostility, rejection, embarrassment, or envy that have probably been repressed in waking life. Dreams of assassination or murder have the same interpretation. Dreams in which you are evicting someone from their home or your home suggests that there is something in your life you are angry about and of which you desire to be rid. This may be some characteristic within yourself or another person. Dreams that focus on ambushing may have the same theme, but in this case there may be something about the person or thing being ambushed that you want to possess yourself.

Libel dreams in which you are attacking someone verbally may suggest that you are spreading vicious rumors or someone is spreading them about you. Any dream in which you have a feud, dispute, or attack suggests either a disagreement with someone in your waking life or inner conflict with an aspect of your character. Dreams in which you are rebelling against someone or something have the same interpretation. Pay attention to the atmosphere of your dream as it may reveal much about your emotional state at present. The dream may also be describing your feelings of being threatened.

ANIMA/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 their 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 anima may take the form of a party-loving woman who is resolute – or if you are a cautious, rational woman, your animus 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, rational, 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.

ANIMALS Animals in dreams represent primitive drives and desires, such as fear, lust, and anger that can only really be 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 analysed 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 the ‘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 viewpoint?

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, FISH, PETS.

Animal Scenarios

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.

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 toward them.

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, while 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.

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 FISH, REPTILES.

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 their potential for development.

Domestic Animals

Domestic animals symbolize fundamental urges and drives in ourselves which we have learned 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 them. If the dreamer is selling an animal, this could indicate delays and frustrations; the need for inner calmness to help the dreamer through until they see 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

This is 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 vacation 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 your claws into 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 to 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 your 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.

Wild Animals

A wild animal is 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 learned 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.

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-centered 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 wiser 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?

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

See also PETS.

Stealth, ferocity, power, strength, cunning, and the will to survive are suggested by wild cats in dreams – see below.

Chameleon

The dreamer is recognizing in themselves the ability to change and adapt to circumstances.

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 you see yourself killing a deer, this is a warning dream to indicate the possibility of someone hurting you in waking life through no fault of your 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 their 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.

See also PETS.

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, long-suffering 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 willpower that can ‘move mountains’ if directed toward 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.

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.)

See also PETS.

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 they are 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?

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.

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 you dream you are eating a hare, this can suggest envy – yours or someone else’s.

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. Those who dream about a hippo are not satisfied with themselves, physically or mentally. These feelings do not always have a basis in reality but represent how you view yourself. The hippopotamus is considered to be clumsy, ungainly, and fat, and you may also feel this way about yourself. Whether true or not in waking life, this inner feeling of being a loser will hold you back and prevent you from succeeding in life. The dream implies that the image you have of yourself is a figment of your imagination. If you could only shake it off and see yourself in a less critical light, you would feel much better about yourself and be able to attract success into your 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, Artemidorus of Daldis (2nd century ad) lists horses among 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.

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 pun: there’s a ‘Jackal and Hyde’ inside all of us.

Jaguar

Assertiveness and fierce anger.

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 which, 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 they love happily. If lambskins appear in a dream, this suggests that the dreamer or other people have been deprived of joy and comfort.

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 this 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 that they are 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.

Lynx

Shares the same qualities as all the big cats, with an emphasis on the vigilance and the keenness of the lynx.

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?

Panther

A Christian symbol, representing power to protect against evil. It also suggests anger and fierceness.

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, among the peoples of the East, a dream about a pig is interpreted as a good dream that attests to prosperity.

Rabbit

The rabbit breeds easily, so in dreams it is often linked to sexuality. It is also associated with the soft, vulnerable part of us 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.

Rat

The rat is a symbol of fears and anxieties, or is the diseased or devious part of a dreamer or their 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 responsibility for caring.

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

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.

Squirrel

The squirrel represents the hoarding aspect of the personality.

Tiger

Similar to the lion in many ways but with an 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?

Weasel

The weasel highlights the devious and more dubious side of our personalities.

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 tales 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.

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.

ANKLE

See BODY.

ANTELOPE

See ANIMALS.

ANTS

See INSECTS AND ARACHNIDS.

APE

See ANIMALS.

APOCALYPSE

End-of-the-world dreams refer to situations in your waking life that are in the process of some kind of radical change, and that change can be emotional. If your dream is post-apocalypse, this suggests the way you feel about something dramatic that has happened is making you feel emotionally drained or hopeless. If you have this kind of dream it can feel unsettling, but your dreaming mind is using these images to show you that change is inevitable; and if there is huge stress because of big changes happening in your life right now, you will survive. You may feel like it is the end of everything, but whenever something ends something else always begins.

See also CLIMATE CHANGE.

APPLES In Judeo-Christian belief, the apple denotes sin and temptation because of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden after the serpent tempted Eve to eat the apple growing on the Tree of Knowledge. Greek mythology associated the apple with sexual attraction. So if you are married and tempted to bite or steal an apple in your dream, this could represent the attraction of a forbidden affair. Their association with the Tree of Knowledge means that apples may also indicate the self-knowledge and insight gained from experience. On the other hand, they may also symbolize a desire to return to lost innocence.

To see apples growing in a tree in your dream symbolizes wisdom and that well-earned rewards will be gained in the future. Consider also the common phrase, ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’; this may imply that you need to take better care of your health. To see green apples represents developing love or love that has yet to blossom. To see a rotten or half-eaten apple in your dream denotes that what you are striving and aiming for may not only be unfulfilling; it may even be harmful to you. A popular image of the comforts of home and childhood, apple pie probably reflects a desire to return to the security of childhood. Old rivalries and resentments may be expressed if you appear to be served a smaller slice of pie than the others present in your dreams.

See also FRUIT.

APPS

See TELEPHONE.

APRON

See CLOTHES.

ARACHNIDS

See INSECTS AND ARACHNIDS

ARCHETYPES ‘Collective unconscious’ is the term Carl Jung used to describe the part of the unconscious that everyone has access to, a sort of psychic warehouse 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 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/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.

See also ANIMA/ANIMUS.

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.

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 willpower and the absence of self-control.

Advocate

(DREAM IMAGES: ATTORNEY, DEFENDER, ENVIRONMENTALIST, LEGISLATOR, LOBBYIST)

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, while 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 angel 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.

See also ANGEL.

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.

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.

Avenger

(DREAM IMAGES: AVENGING ANGEL, MESSIAH, SAVIOR)

This archetype suggests a need to balance the scale 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 their 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 BEING, MAGICAL/INNOCENT, ORPHAN, BEING 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.

While 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, 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 a 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 on to 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 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, dogs, 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.

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 hoarding 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.

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 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.

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, while 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 IMAGES: 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, 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 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.

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.

ARCHITECT

See WORK.

ARGUE Clear indication that you are feeling conflict about some aspect of your life and that you are perhaps not releasing or expressing these feelings of conflict in your waking life.

ARM

See BODY.

ARMOR If you are dressed in armor in your dream, do you need to protect yourself against something or someone? In donning such heavy attire, you are better protected but you also restrict your movement; perhaps your unconscious is telling you that it might be better to open up about what is troubling you, instead of keeping it a closely guarded secret. If chains feature alongside the armor, this is a symbol of enslavement and unhappiness with your current commitments. If your chains break or are broken, this is a positive sign.

ARREST If you were arrested in your dream or someone else was arrested this suggests the need for some kind of restraint in your waking life or a fear of authority.

ART 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.

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.

See also ARCHETYPES.

ASHES If you were raking over the ashes in your dream, upon which aspect of your past are you reflecting? Ashes in a dream often indicate penitence and sorrow, and the feeling that there is nothing more than can be, as the ashes or memories are all we have left. The important thing now is to learn from the experience. And bear in mind that your unconscious may also use the dream images of smoke, ember, and ashes to warn you that you are at risk of physical or emotional burnout.

ASS

See ANIMALS.

ASSASSINATION

See MURDER.

ASTRONAUT

See SPACE.

ATHLETE

See ARCHETYPES, WORK.

ATOM BOMB An atom bomb in your dream may be a symbol of the end of one way of life and the beginning of another. It may also represent fear of the irrational forces of life and feeling at the mercy of external and uncontrollable forces, or a lack of compassion and disregard for life.

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.

Dreams in which your anger turns into violence and you start attacking someone usually suggest hidden hostility toward 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?

ATTIC To see an attic in your dream represents past memories and experiences. It can also highlight family patterns of behavior and attitudes that have been handed down to you. To see a cluttered attic is a sign urging you to organize your mind and thoughts, but an overly neat attic may suggest an approach to life that is too formal and timid. Ghosts in the attic represent memories that haunt you, while a jumble of unused clothes and equipment reflects unused energy. In some cases, particularly those in which your dream attic is radiant and heavenly, your attic may represent your higher self but in general, such dreams refer to stored material. Whatever your dream attic contains, consider it a clue to making your present circumstances more rewarding.

See also HOUSE.

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?

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.

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 in dreams are those authority figures who exist in both our waking life 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.

Is your partner there cheering you on, or are they 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 do they 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 toward impossible to reach goals.

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.

AUNT For Jungians, an aunt may represent the anima (feminine aspect) of a male dreamer and the uncle the animus (masculine aspect) of a female dreamer. Uncles and aunts in dreams can also be symbols of your unconscious feelings toward your mother or father. The most general characteristic of dreams that feature your aunt is that they depict an aspect of yourself. For many people an aunt is a role model, so if she figures in your dream, she is commenting on the success or failure of certain strategies you may be using in your waking life.

See FAMILY.

AUTOPSY To dream of examining a dead body suggests a need to look within yourself or to search your past experiences for answers or insight. Alternatively, your dream could be urging you to examine what part of you has died or stopped functioning.

AUTUMN Dreams dealing with the autumn mean that a series of ups and downs may be experienced, but the transformations that are felt may be crucial to your personal growth. This time may represent a maturing of your ideas. It is also a time when one cycle ends and trees bear fruit, so it may suggest the fruition of a plan. Autumn may also symbolize middle age. Bear in mind, too, that Keats’ ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ conjures up images of poetry even in dreams. If you dream of autumn, your dreaming mind is urging you to reap what you sow and appreciate your blessings.

AVALANCHE This dream may refer to oppressive forces within your waking life that are threatening to overwhelm you – an avalanche of responsibility, for example, that accompanies the birth of a new child. Therefore if you dreamed of an avalanche, your unconscious is warning you that the foundations of your waking life are under threat. Or maybe you just feel snowed under by responsibilities, or overwhelmed by the avalanche of work your boss requires of you? If you dreamed of being caught in the middle of an avalanche, this suggests you are feeling overwhelmed by circumstances, but if you witnessed an avalanche, you are currently experiencing a destructive force in your life. The dream is urging you to assume control and take precautionary steps to protect yourself from danger. An avalanche dislodges snow and ice, so your dream may have expressed your fear of someone else’s hostility or emotional coldness, and the impact this has in the real world. Snow is white (the color of innocence), so you should also consider whether you are disguising some action in waking life.

AX This can be both creative and destructive, as it is often used to separate the valuable from the worthless. An ax 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 ax belongs to an executioner, do you have a tendency for excessive self-criticism?

See also WEAPONS.

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.

BABY ANIMALS

See ANIMALS.

BABYSITTER If you see a babysitter or nanny in your dream this may indicate that you lack confidence in your ability to handle things yourself.

BACK

See BODY.

BACTERIA Fear of being influenced in some way by other people. In dreams, the presence of bacteria, germs, and viruses also suggests hidden attacks that can weaken or destroy your sense of well-being. They might suggest anxieties about your health or simply reflect a sense of inadequacy in waking life. The word ‘germ’ can also be used in its positive sense as the beginning stages of something, the point at which great growth can occur. If you dream of bacteriological warfare, it suggests the undermining of your personal or social well-being. Any form of infection or virus in a dream might be symbolic of ideas or thoughts that cause irritability or anxiety in waking life, or might be indicating that you are taking in negative attitudes from others to the detriment of yourself. Such dreams may also be a warning about your physical health and the need to boost your immunity.

BAD DEEDS Any negative action in your dream is typically a reflection of negative feelings about yourself or something or someone in your waking life. 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 or counseling is strongly recommended.

BADGER

See ANIMALS.

BADGES

See BUTTONS.

BAGGAGE

See LUGGAGE.

BAKER

See WORK.

BAKING

See FOOD.

BALCONY To dream of a balcony suggests a need for an objective viewpoint. You need to take a step back, move away from involvement and try to see the bigger picture; it may also suggest a need for sunshine and relaxation. For lovers, to dream of saying sad adieus on a balcony signifies passionate attachment to each other. Alternatively, the balcony is a classic Freudian symbol of women’s breasts; if you dream of standing on a balcony, it might represent a wish to return to your mother’s breasts.

BALDNESS If you are bald in your dream or see someone who is bald, this could highlight intelligence but it can also highlight anxiety about getting older or not thinking you are intelligent enough.

BALL/BALL GAMES These suggest challenge and competition in the game of life, but they can also be associated with aggression or sex, as in a man’s balls.

See also TEAM GAMES.

BALLET If ballet or ballet dancing appears in your dream, or if you are performing ballet, this suggests a search for 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.

BALLOON This image suggests there may be something to celebrate in your waking life. It is also associated with new projects that need life breathed into them, or the fear that everything may suddenly deflate. If a balloon is released this suggests the testing of an idea or letting go of someone or something important in your life and a desire to coast along for a while.

BANANA A dreamtime banana is usually interpreted as a symbol of an erect penis, but it may also be reminding you of an area of your life you may have been denying, or suggesting that you are too easily shocked. Dreams of peeling a banana may have a considerable erotic charge. A banana skin lying in your path on the ground in your dream may represent your misgivings about taking a particular course of action.

See also FRUIT.

BANK Banks and vaults in dreams represent your psychological potential. Your unconscious may be urging you to start using your inner reserves and energy rather than locking your talents away. On the other hand, your dream may simply be highlighting your need for financial security. If you dream of robbing a bank, it may suggest that you are depleting your inner resources. If, in your dream, you were depositing money in a bank, this suggests feelings of security in waking life, although such a dream may also contain an element of wish-fulfillment. Banking in dreams can refer to something you are storing within yourself; perhaps you are withholding emotion or important information.

BANKRUPTCY Dreams in which you are bankrupt or heavily in debt may reflect real-life financial concerns, but there are other explanations that have little to do with money. A dream debt may, for example, be a debt of gratitude that you need to pay to someone. Is there someone to whom you feel indebted? Dreams of going bankrupt or ending up in poverty often refer to the loss of personal qualities rather than to financial disaster. Ask yourself what your lost finances could symbolize: the love of your partner, for example, the respect of your colleagues at work, or your own physical energy. Whatever it is you have lost, your dreaming mind is urging you to take the appropriate steps to prevent a breakdown or crash in your waking life.

See also MONEY.

BANQUET If you were attending a banquet or feast in your dream this suggests you may be feeling comfortable with yourself and your life right now, but if you were being force-fed or the food was taken away, the opposite is true.

BAPTISM 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.

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.

BAR In dreams, bars, pubs, and taverns are places in which you can overcome your inhibitions. What is the atmosphere like? If it is friendly, your dreaming mind may be urging you to overcome your isolation. If the atmosphere is pleasant and upbeat, this suggests you are feeling optimistic about your future, but if drunkenness or a brawl occurs, are you about to boil over with uncontrolled anger, or is a situation in your waking life getting out of control?

BARBED WIRE Hurtful remarks are preventing you from moving forward and reaching your potential.

BARBEQUE

See COOKING.

BARBER

See HAIRDRESSER, WORK.

BARK

See TREES.

BASEBALL

See TEAM GAMES.

BASEMENT Even though basements are becoming less common in newly built houses, they are still common in dreams. To dream that you are in a basement symbolizes being deep down in your unconscious mind, in the psychological ‘storage space’ where you sort through things you are finding hard to understand. A basement is the place where you’ve shelved aspects of yourself that aren’t matching your ambitions in waking life. A basement can also indicate the power that is available to you provided you are willing to make use of it, or the way in which your current attitudes are derived from past assumptions and family legends.

To dream that the basement is in disarray and messy signifies some confusion which you need to sort out. It may also represent your perceived faults and shortcomings. Wine is traditionally kept in the cellar and the contents of your unconscious can similarly harbor special treats that you can bring out on special occasions. Try to decide if your dreaming mind took you into the cellar to confront an issue in your life or to make good use of talents you have been suppressing.

See also HOUSE.

BASKETBALL

See TEAM GAMES.

BAT

See ANIMALS.

BATH/BATHING

See CLEANING.

BATHROOM To dream that you are in the bathroom relates to your instinctual urges. You may be experiencing some sort of burdensome feelings and need to ‘relieve yourself’. Alternatively, it may symbolize purification and self-renewal; you need to cleanse yourself, both emotionally and psychologically. To dream that you cannot find the bathroom signifies that you are having difficulties in releasing and expressing your emotions. You may also have overcommitted yourself and are neglecting your own needs.

According to Freud, bathroom dreams are associated with what he called the anal phase of a child’s psychological development. In Freud’s opinion, if parents didn’t handle their children’s potty training well it might mean that these children feel shame about these natural functions and become ‘anally retentive’ in their adult life. The act of excretion in a dream can therefore suggest expression and creativity that might have previously been repressed before; to dream of constipation may stand for frustration and pent-up rage. Jungians regard bathroom dreams on the one hand as indicating a need for self-expression, on the other as anxiety about our public image. Going to the bathroom in a dream may simply show your desire to rid yourself of something that contributes nothing to your well-being in waking life. To see an overflowing toilet bowl in your dream denotes your desire to express your emotions fully. Dreams featuring problems with the bathroom – such as being too dirty or having a broken toilet seat – can indicate that you want to eliminate waste material but are frustrated in some way. Such dreams may be urging you to clean yourself up emotionally. If, however, your dream bathroom is a pleasure to use, this may represent healthy self-expression and the symbolic release of outdated aspects of your life. Bear in mind, too, that your dreaming mind may simply be calling your attention to your actual physical need to go to the bathroom while you sleep. Your unconscious dream recognizes your need and uses your dream to wake you up. On the other hand, if you are happily or defiantly going to the bathroom in front of a large audience, this may suggest anger at your lack of popularity or approval from others.

Plumbing problems in your dream bathroom may reflect trouble in processing your feelings. Do you feel swamped right now? Flooding in the bathroom suggests emotions that are both out of control and out of character.

See also EXCREMENT, HOUSE.

BATTERY This suggests the energy or resources available to you and problems with the battery may depict poor health or even heart problems. If the battery is dead motivation is low or resources are run down.

BATTLE/BATTLEFIELD

See WAR.

BEACH A dream in which you are lying sunning yourself on an idyllic beach with rolling sand, gentle waves and warm tropical sunshine may represent simple wish-fulfillment and a longing to escape the daily grind of your routine and responsibilities. Another interpretation, the Freudian one, suggests that events on dream beaches can highlight your anxieties. For example, dreams of burying any authority figure in the sand may be symbolic of the Oedipal murder of the father figure, while castration may be represented by tall sand castles being washed away by the incoming tide of the feminine or maternal sea. If you dreamed of taking a dip in the sea, pay attention to how you felt.

Beaches are places where water meets the earth, or, in symbolic terms, where the unconscious meets the rational mind. If you dream of emerging from the water, for example, this may signal an end of a period of emotional conflict in your waking life. Do you feel emotionally stronger or emotionally battered by the experience? If you stayed on the shore, do you prefer to remain on the firmness of land and reason, rather than venturing into the perilous depths of the sea or the unconscious mind? Bathing while on vacation lends itself to a Freudian interpretation as a dream symbol of birth or of the desire to return to the mother’s womb. If the sea washed away your footprints in the sand in your dream, is there something in your past from which you wish to move away so you can make a fresh start? If the sand in your dream starts to shift so you lose your footing, could this mirror a concern that the foundations of your life are about to give way?

Vacation dreams can often contain romantic scenes in an arbor or other sheltered retreat such as a cave. Such dreams can suggest a longing for romance but they can also suggest frustration with aspects of your current relationship or love life, as well as a need for adventure and freedom of responsibility from daily chores. If you dream of a vacation from hell in which you are given poor accommodation, are double-booked or experience terrible weather or food, such a dream can warn against over idealism. It also suggests that negative thinking and pessimism will destroy the quality of your life if you allow them to continue. In dreams, desert islands may be symbols of loss or a general sense of emotional insecurity. Alternatively, they may also express a yearning for solitude, clarity, simplicity, and time alone to reflect and work out your priorities.

See also SEASIDE.

BEAR

See ANIMALS.

BEARD If a beard appears in your dream, this suggests feelings about masculine qualities within yourself. If the beard is cut off, it suggests uncertainty or lack of assertiveness while a long, thick beard suggests the opposite. Hairs can the chest or other parts of the body can also indicate male characteristics or expressions of sexuality.

BEAST

See ANIMALS.

BEAUTICIAN

See WORK.

BEAVER

See ANIMALS.

BED In dreams bed symbolizes intimacy and relationships, but also your need to get away from the world and withdraw into yourself to enjoy healing rest. Sometimes they represent sleep and dreams but consider also the well-known saying: ‘you’ve made your bed, now lie in it.’

See also FURNITURE.

BEDROOM To dream that you are in a bedroom signifies aspects of yourself you like to keep private. This room is where you rest, where you retreat, and where you sleep and dream. Bedrooms also suggest sex, love and romance, but typically reflect aspects of your life that are private to you alone.

See also HOUSE.

BED-WETTING This suggests anxieties over lack of control in your waking life.

BEE

See INSECTS AND ARACHNIDS.

BEER

See ALCOHOL.

BEETLE

See INSECTS AND ARACHNIDS.

BEGGAR In dreams, beggars are symbols of low self-esteem as they depend on others for support. They may also represent a form of self-abasement and can remind you of the vanity of material concerns. Beggars, hobos, and vagrants may also send a caution that you need to change some aspect of your life or you too might end up with nothing. In most cases, this nothing will not refer to material concerns but rather to emotional loneliness or to the fact that you have starved a part of your personality into destitution. The clue may lie in the identity of the beggar in your dream. If the beggar is someone you know, have you been denying that person affection? If, however, the beggar is unknown, then perhaps you have been neglected your essential need for stimulation or affection in waking life.

Tramps share a similar symbolism to beggars but also represent a desire for freedom from routine; gypsies are a more powerful representation of this yearning for change, travel, adventure, and a change of routine. The appearance of a dream fortune-teller may suggest unexplored creativity.

See also ARCHETYPES.

BEHIND (SOMEONE) To be behind someone in your dream suggests feelings of inferiority.

BEIGE

See COLORS.

BELL Hearing a doorbell in your dream indicates something new coming into your life; this can be negative or positive, depending on the dream. It could also suggest the desire to hear from someone or make contact with them.

The ringing of an alarm clock in a dream indicates the need to get up and do something; it may also be a reminder of something or someone you have neglected. The ringing of a school bell or the timer on a cooker, kettle, or any kitchen appliance in a dream may also be prompting you to move forward with an idea or gain a new experience in the world. If you are undecided about whether to commit to a person, dreams in which bells feature or you hear bells chiming appear to be hinting at marriage or a deeper emotional commitment. You may, for instance, have a dream in which the door bell rings and your prospective husband, wife, or partner is at the door. Pay attention to your feelings in the dream as they can help you see your potential partners and your feelings for what they really are. So if you have a feeling of dread when the door bell rings, this probably is not a good sign.

BELOW

See POSITIONS.

BELT

See CLOTHES.

BEREAVEMENT Dreams in which you woke up crying or feeling sad because you have had a dream in which you were bereaved can be a cathartic experience, helping you work through grief toward accepting the loss of a loved one in real life. If, however, you were grieving for someone who is still alive and healthy in your dream, have you neglected your responsibilities toward that person, or is your dreaming mind using the death of a loved one as a symbol of something that needs to end in your waking life? What is it about you or your life that the deceased person in your dream could be representing? Inhibition or recklessness, perhaps? Or could the deceased represent a quality that has departed from your life, such as fun or relaxation? You may also fear that your relationship with this person might actually end in waking life. Whatever the identity of the deceased person, dreams of being bereaved also bring up issues of loneliness. Perhaps you feel that your partner is neglecting you, or you feel you are losing touch with your friends. Such dreams may be urging you to make a conscious effort to reconnect with other people.

A house is often interpreted as a symbol of the dreamer and represents the place from which you withdraw to live your inner life. A dark, cold, or empty house can symbolize a profound sense of loss, suggesting that you feel deprived of emotional warmth. Images of ashes and dust in dreams are also often associated with the loss of a treasured person or thing in waking life. If you dream of an empty purse, you are mourning – through a classic symbol of death and bereavement – for the comfort and happiness we all crave. On a literal level, however, it may signify that you overvalue material things in life.

BERRIES There are many berries that can appear within a dream, but they all possess significantly different meanings. Raspberries suggest that a dangerous but entertaining relationship may be on the horizon. If you are eating raspberries in a dream, it may be a reference to some sort of distress that you will feel because of unkind words that may be floating around about you. Blueberries in a dream refer to the dreamer’s youth, as well as to a desire to return to youthful ways. Blueberries are also a symbol of eternity and an optimistic future. If you are gathering gooseberries in a dream, you will experience happiness in the future. To dream of mulberries represents an illness that may prevent you from achieving the goals that you have set for yourself. If you are eating mulberries in a dream, you may be experiencing bitter disappointments in life. The delicious strawberry is a symbol of both temptation and sensuality.

See also FRUIT.

BESIDE

See POSITIONS.

BETRAYAL To dream that you have been betrayed represents your suspicions about a particular person, relationship or situation. This dream often occurs when you are having feelings of insecurity and are faced with major responsibilities in your life at the same time.

See also CHEATING.

BETROTHAL

See RELATIONSHIPS.

BIBLE A symbol of what you hold true or traditional moral standards. Also religion or the way you feel about religion.

BICYCLE/CYCLING For many people, riding a bike was the first experience of mastering a skill and gaining independence, so it can represent youthful enthusiasm or a yearning for a life without responsibilities. It can also suggest growing emotional and sexual confidence and the desire to control your own destiny or power your own progress in the world. How well you ride the bike suggests how you feel about your place in the race of life. The speed of the bike is significant, as it will suggest how strong your desire for independence is. If you fall or lose your balance, you may lack confidence. If you ride the bike downhill you may be taking a risk or need to take extra care. If you ride a bike uphill, more hard work is needed to reach your goals. If your bicycle is stolen this suggests lack of enthusiasm or self-belief. In general, both bicycles and motorcycles symbolize a need for balance in life and the need to reconcile the often opposing demands of the conscious and unconscious.

BIKINI

See CLOTHES.

BILL

See MONEY.

BINOCULARS This symbol suggests a desire to see something more clearly or get to know someone more intimately.

BIRDS 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 toward 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. Sometimes birds in dreams can 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 set off for 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 toward a particular bird, or birds in general: albatross – sign of bad luck; black crow – misfortune; buzzard – beware of gossip; dove – peace; eagle – success in business; goose – improvement in fortune; hawk – a bright future; magpie – a change of plan; owl – disappointment; rooster – if it crows, good news; stork – family problems; turkey – bad luck, unless you are eating or killing it.

See also PETS.

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, while 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, while 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 ‘feathering your 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 from 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.

Flying Birds

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 coming home to roost.

The rooster 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, while 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 with the phrase ‘sitting duck’.

Eagle

As a bird of prey, eagles in dreams suggest precision, perceptiveness, and farsightedness. 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 suggests 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.

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. In dreams the phoenix is typically a symbol of fresh starts and exciting opportunities. This bird of mythology lived alone for hundreds of years and then sang its final song on a nest made of precious spices, an aromatic funeral pyre that ignited by the sun’s rays. A bird emerged from the glowing embers of the fire and this was the embryo of the reborn phoenix. In symbolism the phoenix is also associated with alchemy and resurrection and a new start, emotionally and spiritually. In dreams it may express your yearning to put the past behind you and to be reborn as a new person.

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

A symbol of good fortune when it concerns work or money, but not such a good sign for affairs of the heart.

BIRTH While 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: going off to 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 any time. 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.

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 were 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 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.

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 toward 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.

BIRTH CONTROL

See CONTRACEPTIVES.

BIRTHDAY

See CELEBRATIONS.

BITE Being bitten or biting someone is a symbol of aggression or hostility, either toward you or toward someone else.

BLACK

See COLORS.

BLACK-AND-WHITE DREAMS To dream in black and white suggests that you need to be more objective in formulating your decisions. You may be a little too unyielding in your thought processes, and thus need to find some sort of balance between two opposing views. Consider the views and opinions of others. Alternatively, black-and-white dreams may be a sign of depression or sadness. You may feel that there is not enough excitement in your life.

It is a quite commonly held belief that we dream only in black and white, but many people are able to identify tones of color in their dreams. If this is the case, why is it believed that we dream only in black and white? It may be because dreams that appear to be black and white only appear so because the color is not relevant. This doesn’t necessarily mean, however, that such dreams are in black and white. Black and white is a function of television when the color information is removed, but the same is not true of the mind. For example, grass might not be green in a dream, but it’s not gray as it is in a black-and-white movie; the color simply is not relevant and your unconscious isn’t highlighting it. This non-relevance fools the conscious mind on waking up into concluding that, by implication, the dream must have been in black and white.

BLACKBIRD

See BIRDS.

BLACKBOARD The blackboard sets information out in black and white, so in dreams it can represent unambiguous insights or the need to make your mark on the world.

See also CHALK.

BLACKMAIL If you are blackmailing someone or they are trying to blackmail you in your dream 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 what they want.

BLANKET This image in a dream suggests a deep need for emotional or physical comfort and security. It can also suggest being wrapped up in someone or something or withdrawal and vulnerability.

BLEMISH Feelings of dissatisfaction for someone or about something.

See also BODY.

BLIND One of the things most of us fear is losing control of our faculties. Dreams in which you are blind or you see blind people may represent your refusal to see the truth or face reality. Perhaps you are unable to see any other point of view but your own, and it is time to open your eyes. The blindness may relate to an object you seek but are unable to find because of your blindness; this object is generally your hopes and goals in life, and becoming blind indicates that you have lost sight of your ambitions and are unclear about how to regain your focus. For Freud, loss of sight indicated a man’s fears of being castrated. In the Greek myth that inspired Freud’s theory of the Oedipus complex, Oedipus unwittingly killed his father to marry his mother. Once aware of what he had done, he blinded himself, an act Freud saw as a symbol of self-castration. Another interpretation suggests that blindness is a mystical dream symbol that represents inner vision, wisdom, and self-knowledge. To imagine that you are deaf or dumb in a dream, or unable to make contact with people, may symbolize irresponsibility, laziness, or an inability to get your point across.

BLISTER If you dream you have a blister, consider what irritant in your real life may have caused it. If you burned yourself, have you got too close to the flames emotionally? Dreams in which you are burned alive or someone else is torched suggest the need for some kind of drastic change in your life. Rashes, sores, and eczema are all unpleasant ailments that are not serious but uncomfortable as well as embarrassing. So if these conditions appear in a dream, what are you feeling ‘sore’, uncomfortable, or embarrassed about? Although it may seem a big deal to you, your dream is telling you that you have no need to feel anxious as the situation is not as serious as you might think. The skin is a symbol of how you present yourself in public, so blisters, rashes, burns, and other skin blemishes are recognized as one of the most clearly psychosomatic disorders. In dreams, therefore, a skin rash can express lack of confidence in your ability to face the world. A dream bruise may reflect some emotional hurt or emerging health problem, while scars can carry their figurative sense of hurtful memories and suggest an awareness that emotional healing takes time.

For Jewish or Christian dreamers, boils may express feelings of guilt for how they have behaved toward someone in their waking life; this is because in the Bible, boils were the sixth of the ten plagues visited by God on the Egyptians to force Pharaoh to free the Israelites. Rough skin suggests a rough exterior, while burnt skin might indicate hurt in a relationship with the outside world or people. If you are shedding skin like a snake, you are changing your way of life and leaving old attitudes behind. Pimples and blemishes represent your sense of not being good enough in some way, and a feeling that other people see you as unattractive or see failings in you; they can also indicate shyness and the difficulties you experience being in the company of others.

BLOOD/BLEEDING

See BODY, WOUND.

BLUE

See COLORS.

BLUEBIRD

See BIRDS.

BOAR

See ANIMALS.

BOARD GAMES Games in dreams symbolize the manner in which the dreamer is approaching life. Individual games such as solitaire will indicate your tendency for self-absorption, where excelling or enjoyment is a significant motive. Interactive games such as chess indicate that competition is a significant motive for you. In either case, the dream will be highlighting your thought processes, mental skills, and dexterity. In general, dream board and card games indicate how you are rising to a particular challenge in your waking life, or how successfully you are playing the hand that fate has dealt you.

Little physical effort is required when playing board and card games, so games of this nature tend to focus on your intellectual performance or ability to think and react quickly. Pay attention to the tactics you use while playing and to your overall strategy. Were you calm and controlled with a set of tactics, or were you out of control? Was your game defensive or offensive? What is the dream telling you about your ability to respond to external stimuli in the directing of directing of your life? Are you self-motivated, continually striving to better your skill, or do you rely on competition for motivation? Your answer to questions such as these will tell you much about your current approach to waking life.

Consider too the colors of the pieces or cards you were using and what they might signify. For example, if you were playing with white chess pieces, do you associate yourself with kindness and your opponent with malevolence? If you are accused of cheating in your dream, are you deceiving anyone in waking life? Games in which pieces are moved around a board at the throw of a dice are often designed to mirror life’s challenges, and this is often what they represent in dreams, suggesting fears or concerns about factors you can’t control. The game board reveals the moves you make in life, and a game room stands for a meeting place in which plans and strategies are devised. A TV game show cautions against a desire to consider yourself intellectually superior.

Specific dreams may have their own symbolism: for example a game of backgammon may point to your desire to resolve the secrets of your unconscious (the inner table) before time or the other player stops you. Games that are played with dominos speak of the repercussions of your actions. Pool, billiards, or snooker suggest clever scheming, combined with the skill to accomplish a goal. The condition of the poolroom will give you a clue as to whether this refers to healthy competition or dirty dealings, while the pool table refers to the issue or subject of your plans.

See also CARD GAMES, CHESS, DICE.

BOAT If you dream of a boat, pay close attention to the condition of the boat and to the conditions of travel as they will reveal much about your waking situation. Is there a storm brewing? Is the boat secure or is it in need of repair? If the boat is drifting aimlessly, you may feel you are lacking direction, while if the boat capsizes, this suggests imminent danger or obstacles ahead. If you are enjoying a tranquil boat ride that is slowly but surely heading in the right direction, this could imply a sense of anticipated success with a particular project in real life.

See also TRAVEL.

BODY 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 making 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 HEALTH.

Body Image 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 toward 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 organized 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 toward 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 HEALTH.

Left and Right Side of the Body

Typically, the left side of the body represents feelings, intuition, and the irrational, while the right side suggests the rational and logical. The left side is also associated with maternal influence, and the right with paternal.

Body Parts

In dreams, body parts can be interpreted in the following way.

See also HEALTH.

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 needs 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 misshapen. If you see your pelvis in a dream, you may be dealing with issues of creativity and self-expression.

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?

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.

Breasts

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.

Ears

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?

Eyes/Eyebrows/Eyelashes

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.

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.

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.

Fingers/Thumbs

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 fingernails, this suggests that you enjoy being surrounded by grace, beauty, glamor, and art. If your fingernails are dirty, you may be disappointing your family in some way. If your fingernails 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.

Genitals

If you dream of your genitals, this most likely represents your feelings and attitudes toward sex, and toward 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

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 toward 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.

Hands

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, while 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, while 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. Thankfully you have free will, so positive actions taken now can determine your future.

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.

Legs

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/Shoulders

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?

See also TEETH.

Body Fluids, Functions, and Internal Organs

Blood

Blood is an important symbol, not only of life itself, but also of the soul, of physical strength, and rejuvenation. Whether you were cut or seriously injured, dreams in which you are losing blood or suffer a hemorrhage may therefore refer to loss of moral or physical strength; they may simply indicate a need for more emotional nourishment. Dreaming of drinking blood or receiving a blood transfusion may refer to the opposite: gaining strength and vitality. If a person you know gives you blood in your dream, your unconscious may have signaled that they have the potential to revitalize you. If a woman dreams of blood, it may be associated with the onset of a period, the blood depicting whatever feelings she may have about menstruation. Blood is also a symbol of passion, love, anger, and even violence.

Blood on the ground or bloodstains on clothes in a dream suggest great injury or emotional pain to someone, perhaps to you or someone you know. If you dream of blood in a sexual context, this may refer to loss of virginity, fertility, or menstruation.

Bones/Pelvis/Skeleton/Skull/Spine

In dreams, a human bone represents strength, the structure, and support within yourself, and the need to be aware of your basic instincts. If you are burying a bone, perhaps you are hiding something about yourself or saving something for the future. If you are digging up bones, you are remembering something from the past. Broken bones may reveal your insecurities, depending on which limb is broken. For example, a thick plaster cast around a broken leg in a dream can suggest reluctance to face up to problems that are hindering your progress.

Dreams that feature the spine, back, or backbone are all symbols of your moral power and your strength and ability to stand up for yourself; but if you dream about the pelvis, it refers to your sexual functioning as a whole, including your reproductive success. The pelvis also links in with the way you merge with someone else in a relationship, or if you can allow that merging to happen. Some dreams show the pelvis connected with snakes or lizards; this is a symbol of powerful instinctual drives and urges that can flow up your spine and expand your consciousness.

If you saw a skeleton in your dream, especially if it was in a cupboard, are you concerned that certain things in your life you are trying to hide may come out into the open? The symbol could also refer to feelings or talents you have cut off or killed in real life. If you see a complete skeleton, you may need to reconsider the full structure of your life. The skull and crossbones are a symbol of danger but since the skull is a representation of the head, it can also symbolize intellectual ability. To be conscious of your skull is to appreciate your intellectual skills. To see a skull where there should be a head represents a part of the person that has died. To dream that you are talking to a skull is to recognize the need to be talking to people with whom you may have lost contact. When a skull is talking to you, a part of you that has been rejected or denied is coming back to life. As symbols of death, if you were frightened by skeletons, skulls, and bones in your dream, this could point to your fear of dying or of a loved one’s demise.

Breathing

A dream in which you have asthma or problems breathing may refer to problems in your waking life. In women, it may indicate difficulties with your animus or the male part of your personality; in men, it may relate to your sense of manhood. Alternatively, it may indicate a need for more space, air, or freedom. Dreaming of respiratory ailments or breathing problems can also suggest general anxiety about work, relationships or a difficult situation. Heavy breathing, panting, perspiration, or sweat in dreams is a symbol of some kind of fear, but also of excitement. If you dreamed that you needed an oxygen mask, your dream might be suggesting that you need to get some fresh air into your life, not just in the form of outdoor activity, but in the form of ideas and energy.

Internal Organs

If your dream features images of an appendix, either your own or someone else’s, this indicates something within yourself that may have become a problem; it may also suggest an internal problem to do with appendix itself. If you are having your appendix out in your dream, this represents inner pain or problems that urgently need to be attended to in waking life.

If you dream of your brain, are you concerned about your poor memory? In dreams, brains indicate your intellect, insight, and creativity but they can also suggest what you really think. You may dream of something happening to your brain; something may tear at it, shoot it, or it may be impaled. Things that invade or harm your brain in dreams typically represent current factors in your life that are coloring your perspective or outlook. On the other hand, if you dream of having brain surgery or of prying a foreign object out of your brain, this may reflect a change in your way of thinking.

In dreams, the heart generally indicates emotion, pity, sympathy, and likes and dislikes; not just romantic love but your way of loving all things. It can also reflect problems with not having followed your heart or a change of heart. Being stabbed, shot, or in any way injured in the heart may depict emotional hurt; it could also be a warning of a physical heart problem, reflecting an anxiety about, for example, your high blood pressure.

Unless you are a heavy drinker and your dream is urging you to take better care of your liver, in dreams this organ represents the liver as in someone who ‘does the living’. The dream is reminding you that you are not a machine and life should be lived to the full if you are to find true fulfillment. In dreams, lungs might relate to tension or feelings of being suffocated in a relationship or situation; they may also be to do with smoking and your desire to give up.

Dreams of the ovaries and uterus (for women) and testes (for men) represent not just sexuality, but a sense of validity or adequacy in the real world. Such dreams may also represent fears or feelings about having children or the ability to express your creativity. But if you were to dream of the rectum – a place often seen by children as the origin of babies – it may indicate the place from which things begin, your deeply personal self, your need for privacy, and your resentment of intrusion.

Menstruation

Dreams that feature images of menstruation indicate the very mystery of life itself; the acceptance of the life processes in yourself if you are menstruating in your dream, and non-acceptance if you are not. Such dreams can also represent the desire to have children. If irregular periods, PMS, or problems with menstruation appear in your dream, these may refer to emotional problems needing your attention, or issues concerning sexual selfishness on your part. In his book Our Dreaming Mind, dream expert Robert Van de Castle describes research he did on the subject of menstruation and dreams with the help of nursing students in Miami, Florida. He found that dreams changed according to the different phases of a woman’s menstrual cycle. Before ovulation, more male characters appeared in the dream and the women found them more appealing, with women characters pushed to the background. After ovulation, the dreams tended to be more hostile toward men, depicting them as less attractive. If you are a man dreaming of menstruation, it may refer to your receptive, nurturing nature, or the aspect of yourself that is creative.

Research has shown that in the week or so leading up to menstruation, women who suffer from PMS spend an increased length of time in dream sleep, the dreams they report being extremely vivid and colorful. The conclusion drawn by researchers is that one of the functions of the dreaming mind is to help dreamers deal with difficult states of emotion and anxiety. Dreams that focus on the menopause are likely to indicate change, the end of one phase and the beginning of another.

BOMB

See EXPLOSIVES.

BONE

See BODY.

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 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. 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.

BOOT

See SHOES.

BOSS

See WORK.

BOT

See INTERNET.

BOTTLE This symbol could suggest bottled up feelings but if there is something in it, it may indicate resources you have or are unaware of.

BOTTOM Is there something at the back of your mind? If you are at the bottom of a well (or anything else) it may suggest feeling that you are no longer sustained or held up by your daily routine.

BOUNDARY A dream featuring a boundary or a frontier may suggest challenge and criticism or the ability to overcome problems.

BOX

See CONTAINER.

BOXING If you dreamed of boxing, wrestling, or practicing any kind of martial art, such as karate, judo, or kick boxing, your dream may have had either hostile or defensive undertones. The violence of boxing or martial arts reveals a repressed hostility toward someone or something in your waking life. A knockout can indicate a guilty wish to inflict punishment or pain. Your dream may also be urging you to adopt a more calculated or self-disciplined approach to a certain threat or challenge in real life. At its most basic, boxing is an endurance sport; in dreams, it can suggest a period of uncertainty during which your intuitive and rational halves will be in conflict with each other. Your dream is telling you that if you have self-discipline and patience, you can develop inner strength and resilience.

BOY 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.

BOYFRIEND

See RELATIONSHIPS.

BRACELET

See JEWELRY.

BRAIN

See BODY.

BRANCH

See TREE.

BRAKES

See CAR.

BREAD

See FOOD.

BREAK 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 your fingers.

BREAKFAST

See FOOD.

BREASTFEEDING To dream that you are breastfeeding 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.

BREASTS

See BODY.

BREATH Breathing indicates the presence of life, so in your dream the condition or speed of your breathing may depict your pace of life. If you are holding your breath, this suggests fear and stress. If you are panting or breathing fast, this suggests excitement and stimulation. If you are underwater or not breathing at all, this reproduces the condition of the womb and indicates a need to escape from waking reality. To dream of breathing warm air denotes the possible onset of trouble, while breathing cold air foretells strength and courage. If you are feeling stifled by stale air or oppressive humidity, this indicates an ill-advised friendship that isn’t encouraging the dreamer to fulfill their potential. Or perhaps you feel stifled by your current circumstances in waking life. Alternatively could you be feeling breathless with anticipation? If you dreamed of taking in great gulps of invigorating air, your dream may be urging you to clear the air – resolve a tense situation – in your waking life, or it may have been referring to a sense of freedom and lightness.

BREATHING

See BODY.

BREEZE If you dreamed of stepping outside in your dream and feeling a fresh and gentle breeze, this has symbolic associations with the life force or spirit that is trying to breathe new energy into your waking life. Alternatively, your dream may have been urging you to have a brighter and breezier attitude to your waking life by blowing away the cobwebs and pulling yourself together.

BRIDE/BRIDEGROOM/BRIDESMAID

See RELATIONSHIPS.

BRIDGES If bridges or a bridge appear 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 you to cope with life’s journey and with difficult events such as moving home, divorce, or a new job. If you dream of wandering across a bridge, can you see what potential future was waiting for you on the other side?

BRIEFCASE If you lose your briefcase, handbag, purse, or wallet in your dream, your unconscious may simply be urging you to be more careful with your finances in waking life. Handbags for women and briefcases for men are highly personal items, carrying everyday and emergency objects, not to mention address books and keys, and if you lose either in a dream it might suggest that you are feeling anxious about your identity in waking life. On the other hand, if you were looking through someone else’s bag, you may be curious to know more about them in waking life. As symbols of femininity, handbags and purses in dreams may also refer to female sexuality, while briefcases and wallets may refer to male sexuality.

BROOM Dreams that feature brooms are considered to be a sign of good fortune, suggesting that you are making a clean sweep in your waking life. The dream may be urging you to sweep out something from your past, so pay attention to what you are sweeping up. If the broom is damaged, you may be suffering from low self-esteem or feelings of insecurity. If the broom is being used outside, are you taking too much interest in the outside world and neglecting what is really important to you?

BROTHER In dreams, brothers tend to depict an aspect of yourself rather than the brother himself. They can also represent the characteristics you like or dislike about your own siblings and the dream may be telling you something about those particular characteristics in yourself. An older brother can represent experience and authority, while younger brothers can suggest vulnerability and, in some instances, immaturity. If a woman dreams of a younger brother, it can express either her own or her brother’s rivalry or vulnerability, but if she dreams of an older brother, it might signify her extrovert self.

See FAMILY.

BROWN

See COLORS.

BRUISE

See BLISTER.

BUBBLE This image in a dream suggests day dreaming or something that isn’t real or something delicate that can easily be damaged.

BUCKLE

See CLOTHES.

BUD If you dream of flower-buds in the middle of winter, your unconscious may be mirroring your longing for spring and warmth. It might relate to a budding relationship, a potential talent waiting to be developed, or to someone close to you. The unconscious can sometimes use buds or seeds to symbolize unborn children, the potential germination of an idea. If you picked or nipped your bud this could be urging you to nip something in the bud. If the bud looked plump and ready to flower this could mirror a potential development in your life. To recap: a flower-bud represents new beginnings and your potential, while an opening or blossoming flower indicates development and fulfillment. So, a magnificent bloom could reflect your sense of satisfaction and fulfillment at having realized your potential? If you feel that you are past your prime, a bloom that is losing its petals may echo your sense of regret and loss.

BUDDHA In dreams Buddha characterizes the highest spiritual attainment; enlightenment and the true wisdom that accompanies it.

BUILDER

See WORK.

BUILDING 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, while 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, condos, apartments, 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.

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 toward 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 toward self-awareness. According to dream lore, to dream of a long hallway suggests a period of worry ahead.

See also HOME, HOUSE.

BULB A flower bulb is likely to indicate something that can expand and express its magnificence. It refers to the budding of your talent or the realization of your plans in waking life.

BULL

See ANIMALS.

BULLET

See EXPLOSIVES.

BULLY

See ARCHETYPES.

BULLYING If someone is being bullied in your dream this could represent your unfair treatment of someone in real life. If, however, you are the victim in the dream do you feel vulnerable, abused, and powerless in your waking life?

See also SCHOOL.

BURGLAR/BURGLARY You may dream that a burglar is trying to get into your house; eventually he gets in and you frantically try to hide or call for help. But all to no avail. If you have this dream, it suggests that something surprising has entered your life and is creating tension. The house symbolizes you and the intruder is someone who has crossed the line into your territory, shaking things up. Career changes or new relationships may trigger this dream, as it is drawing your attention to potential drawbacks in a situation that you may not yet be ready to acknowledge.

See also HOME, SHADOW.

BURIAL

See FUNERAL.

BURNING/BURNED To set something on fire 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. To dream of being burned alive may suggest fears or a new phase in your life or a new relationship.

See also FIRE.

BURPING To dream that you fart or burp in public suggests that you are being passive aggressive. You need to express your hidden resentment or feelings in a more direct manner.

BURYING What are you trying to cover up or hide in your waking life?

See also DIGGING.

BUS According to Jung, riding on any form of public transportation suggests that you are being too conformist in your waking life. If you have a dream of being on a bus, your dreaming mind may be urging you to become more independent. A double-decker bus symbolizes the many levels of a problem and the need to consider things from a different angle. If you are waiting at a bus stop in your dream this often represents a transitional time in your life.

BUS DRIVER

See WORK.

BUTCHER

See WORK.

BUTTER

See FOOD.

BUTTERCUPS

See FLOWERS.

BUTTERFLIES

See INSECTS AND ARACHNIDS.

BUTTOCKS

See BODY.

BUTTONS Buttons or 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.

Buttons on clothing hold things together and are used to open and close garments. In your waking life, are you opening or closing yourself to others? See also FASTENINGS.

BUYING

See SHOPPING.

BUZZARD

See BIRDS.

CAGE A symbol of psychological entrapment, a cage in your dream may represent some kind of frustration in your daily life. There may be feelings of inferiority or a desire to break free from social conventions.

CAKE

See FOOD.

CALENDAR A common dream symbol, calendars may be referring to your past or your future. If a date is highlighted in a calendar in your dream, consider first of all whether or not the date has any significance to you; if it does, it is simply reflecting your interest or anticipation. If the date has no significance for you, it might be worthwhile checking your calendar to see if you have forgotten something. If this also is not the case, then calendars and dates in dreams may be drawing your attention to the speed of time, and therefore are urging you to focus on achieving your goals before it is too late. If you come across an old calendar in your dream, this suggests nostalgia for the past, while pages torn from a calendar represent the passing of the years. When you write in a calendar you are recording your experiences and making a record of your past. If you dream of finding a calendar, your dreaming mind may be urging you to make the most of every day. If your dream calendar or diary highlighted an important day, anniversary, birthday, or holiday, your dreaming mind may simply be reflecting your anticipation or your dread of the occasion. Your mood in the dream will help you decide on the significance of the message. If the date of your birthday is highlighted your dreaming mind may be reminding you again that your days are numbered. Alternatively it could be reflecting your desire to be noticed or made to feel special or your discomfort with being in the spotlight. If an anniversary is highlighted in your dream and your mood is positive, your unconscious may have been congratulating you on your past successes or reflecting pride and pleasure at having achieved a personal milestone. If the mood is negative, the opposite would apply. Special days like New Year, Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or other holidays can communicate several meanings and it is important to take your waking associations with that day into account.

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