Читать книгу The Dream Dictionary from A to Z [Revised edition]: The Ultimate A–Z to Interpret the Secrets of Your Dreams - Theresa Cheung, Theresa Cheung - Страница 9

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.