Buildings Dream Meanings

The environment we put ourselves in reflects our state of mind or the emotions we have about a particular situation. We all have the ability within us to construct successful lives and equally an ability to self-destruct.

A dream that highlights construction or demolition gives us access to those qualities and abilities within ourselves.

2. Symbol of achievement, success.

3. A need to assess attitudes—possibly toward relationships, likely toward situations.

The features of the building mirror the features of the dreamer’s personality. Buildings in dreams can become composite, and therefore confusing. In understanding the dream, we should interpret the main appearance of the building first, as its main function, and the secondary appearance as qualities to be recognised. Various buildings have distinct meanings:

Boarding house or Hotel - also see individual entry in

To dream of a boarding house or hotel indicates that we may not feci secure within our living conditions.

Castle, Fortress, Citadel

The symbolism of the castlc or fortress is that of the defended spacc and therefore can be taken to represent the feminine or the Great Mother.

Courtyard

In dreams, the courtyard is a place of safety and often the shape will be relevant (see Shapes).

Church, temple etc. also see Church Buildings in C and Church in Religious Imagery As an environment for us to consider our system of belief, any religious building will suggest a place of sanctuary and refuge. Although we may not consciously adhere to any particular religion, most of us have principles by which we live, which will surface in dreams in recognisable images.

House

If we are aware that the house is not empty - that there is something in it (e.g. furnishings) it shows some aspect of the dreamer. Someone else in the house suggests that the dreamer may be feeling threatened by an aspect of his own personality.

If there are different activities going on it indicates there is a conflict between two parts of our personality, possibly the creative and the intellectual.

The front of the house portrays the front we show to the outside world.

Going into/out of the house

We may- have to decide whether we need at that time to be more introverted or more extroverted.

An impressive, awe-inspiring house In a dream like this we are conscious of the Self or the Soul.

Moving to a larger house

There is need for a change in our lives, perhaps to achieve a more open way of life, or even for more space. Being outside the house The more public side of ourselves is being depicted.

A small house, or the house where the dreamer was born

The dreamer is seeking security, or perhaps the safety of babyhood, without responsibility.

If the smallness of the house is constricting

We are being trapped by our responsibilities, and may need to escape.

Work on the house; cementing, repairing, etc.

Relationships may need to be worked on or repaired, or perhaps we need to look at health matters. We may need to take note of the damage or decay that has occurred in our lives.

Igloo - also see individual entry Because of its shape, the igloo stands for completeness and sanctuary.

It is warm on the inside and cold on the outside and therefore signifies the difference between the internal and the external.

Pyramid The pyramid is considered to be a focus for power, so for one to appear in a dream is to be concentrating on the power within.

Temple - see Church Buildings in C and Church in Religious Imagery

Tower (obelisk, steeple, lighthouse, etc.)

Any image of a tower is representing the personality, and the Soul within. While there are obvious connotations that conncct it with masculinity, it is more corrcct to perceive it as the Self within a wider context. When thought of in this way attention can then be paid to other attributes of the tower, such as where windows, doors and staircases are placed. This leads to a greater understanding of the Spiritual Self.

Warehouse

The warehouse being primarily a storage place has the symbolism of being a repository either for spiritual energy or for spiritual rubbish.

Components of buildings Balcony (or ledge, sill, etc.)

We all have need for support within our lives and a balcony indicates both support and protec- tiveness. It can also represent the Mother in her protective aspect. Construction or demolition of a building. We all have the abil- itv within us to construct successful lives and equally an ability to self- dcstruct.

A dream that highlights construction or demolition gives us access to those qualities and abilities within ourselves. Doors also see individual entry Doors refer to the openings of the body and therefore, by default, one’s scxualitv.

The front door and back door signifies the vagina and the anus respectively. Breaking down the door can be taken to indicate an inhibition over sex and an unwillingness to face the issues. It can also represent rape or abuse.

Opening and closing the door

While often taken to stand for intercourse. this can show the dreamer’s attitude to sex.

Refusing to open the door

Although the dreamer may not technically be a virgin, for this to occur represents an innocent approach to their scxualitv.

A door between the outer and inner rooms shows there mav be a conflict between the conscious and the unconscious. Barring the door This highlights the dreamer’s need for self- protection.

If an animal or person forces his way in and destroys the lock

Our own protective mechanisms have let us clown. Escaping by another door indicates the dreamer needs to find a new solution to the one he thought of to solve a problem.

Someone knocking on the door signifies that the dreamer’s attention is being drawn to an external situation.

Hall/Passages

Any passage can stand for the passages within the body; for instance the vagina or the anus. Equally; on a psychological level, it signifies how we allow our personal space to be penetrated. Passages also represent the transitions between the various stages of our lives.

Lift A lift usually indicates how we deal with information.

For instance, a lift going down would suggest going down into the subconscious, while a lift going up would be moving towards the spiritual.

It is believed that in the sleep state we leave our bodies. Thus, descending in a lift and getting stuck represents the entrapment of the spiritual by the physical body.

Rooms in a dream can describe various parts of our personalities or levels of understanding, but often signify either the womb or the mother figure. Thus the kitchen would be the home- making part of us whereas a sitting room would be the more relaxed, comfortable side.

A small room with only one door or a basement with water in it is a direct representation of the womb, and may indicate a return to the womb-like state.

A series of rooms

This refers to the various aspects of femininity and often to the whole soul. Anything in an upstairs room An upstairs room usually signifies mental or spiritual attributes, so any object will represent an idea or concept.

The basement or cellar This meaning can be ambivalent, since a cellar can represent the parts of ourselves that we have chosen to suppress. It can also represent family beliefs and habits, particularly if the basement is that of the parents. Leaving one room and going into another If this is a deliberate action in the dream, then it represents a change of state and of leaving something behind. Empty rooms Something, such as comfort or support, is lacking in our lives. Stairs Stairs are often an indication of the steps we must take in order to achieve a goal. Climbing the stairs is indicative of the effort that we must make in order to have access to the more mystical, spiritual side of our being. It can more simply be the exertion we practise in our everyday life. Going downstairs Conversely, in order to have access to the hidden unconscious side of ourselves, we need to ‘go down’ into the unconscious.

A golden staircase

This is such a basic image, with so many interpretations, that particular attention needs to be paid both to other aspects of the dream, and also the dreamers spiritual state at that specific time. Largely it represents a ‘death’, but not necessarily a physical death.

It is more the realisation that we no longer need to be trapped within the physical, but can move towards a more fulfilling life.

It is a way out of the mundane.

Walls A wall signifies a block to progress a difficulty we have or will come up against. Often the nature of the wall will give some clue as to what the block is.

For instance, a wall which looks old will signify an old problem, whereas a glass wall would indicate some difficulties with perception. Walls closing in could describe the remembered feelings of birth, but is more likely to represent a feeling of being trapped by the lifestyle we have.

A brick wall, rampart or dividing wall all signify the difference between two states of reality often the inner psychological state and the exterior everyday world.

Windows Windows will describe the means by which we appreciate the world we live in, the way we perceive reality. Dreaming that we arc looking outwards through a window can suggest that we have a more extrovert view of ourselves and will tend to look at external circumstances. Looking inwards through a window indicates we are looking inwards at our own personality, and perhaps at our own motivation. Opening a window The interpretation depends on whether we are opening the window from the inside or the outside.

If the former, we are dealing with our inner feelings which we may need to escape; the latter shows our attitude to outside opinion.

Breaking through a window (or glass door)

This can suggest the first sexual experience.

Stained glass windows

Because of the connection with churches, stained glass can be accepted as religious belief (also see Colour).

In these dreams he believed the house represented his personality, and the new things he discovered in the house related to new developments in his work.

Many dream researchers subscribe to Jung’s theory and believe that buildings in dreams represent aspects of the self, or constructions we make in our lives. The upstairs represents the conscious mind, and the lower floors and cellars the unconscious, or hidden, mind. Different parts of the building might represent different times in your life, and the attitudes and beliefs you have built from experience. The features of your dream building can also mirror features of your personality; by so doing, they reflect your character, hopes and dreams, and how you feel about yourself.

If you dream of a house or a building, ask yourself what aspect of you the building represents. Does it represent how you see yourself? Is it a symbol of your body, mind or spirit? If the house is crumbling or decaying, are you in need of some kind of psychological, spiritual or physical cleaning and renewal? If the building is burning, does this show your desire to get rid of something that is holding you back? If the building is in ruins, do you feel worthless and manipulated by others? If the building is tall, does this suggest ambitions yet to be fulfilled? Is the house symbolic of your feelings in childhood or other past experiences? What are the conditions like in the house? Ask yourself what personal associations the buildings in your dreams have and what they represent to you.

The environment and your feeling reaction to the building in your dream will all contribute important clues as to its meaning, but it is also important to bear in mind the purpose for which the building is used in waking life. For example, castles and fortresses suggest protection and royalty, whereas factories suggest work and routine. Although high-rise buildings are believed to be phallic symbols, as a type they all have different functions: skyscrapers are homes and workplaces, lighthouses offer hope to sailors at sea, and towers isolate, elevate and imprison.

Churches and religious buildings offer us hope and quiet reflection, libraries and museums supply us with information and stimulate our minds. Courts provide social justice, whilst public buildings symbolize work, tax, bureaucratic or legal matters that need to be sorted. Hospitals are centers of healing and castles are historical icons. Houses, bungalows, flats, mansions and palaces offer different types of accommodation for different types of needs. Prisons are places for criminals to learn the consequences of their actions, and hotels provide a welcome break from home.

If any of these buildings appear in your dream, this chapter will help you interpret the meaning; but for domestic buildings, homes and shops you may want to refer to HOME and MONEY AND SHOPPING. For places associated with entertainment, such as cinemas and theatres, you may want to refer to ARTS AND CRAFTS and LEISURE, and for places of work and learning consult SCHOOL AND WORK.

The condition of the building can reveal the condition of your health, a relationship, or a situation.

What does the building hold? If it is just an empty shell, consider if you’re living superficially, without gaining any real spiritual substance.

Of what is the building constructed? Just like the story of “The Three Little Pigs,” you want your hopes to be based on good foundational material if they’re ever going to materialize in reality.

Are the doors and windows of this building open and accessible? If so, this shows a very open-minded person who may be too exposed. Similarly, a building that appears locked up tight indicates narrow views and large obstacles to intimacy.

What type of building is it? Certain structures carry fairly direct meanings.

For example, hotels, motels, and mobile homes represent temporary conditions, change, movement, and transition, sometimes literally in our living space.

• If you are dreaming of being in a building from your past, it is possible that hurts or what happened back there is being stirred up once again in your life.

If you dream of the house you grew up in, it could indicate that you are either facing conflicts from the past or perhaps putting things from the past to rest.

• Look up the subject of Healing Dreams in the Way of Dreams and Visions for more on this.

• Office Buildings • An office building is where you work and speaks of your life in the workplace and world.

• It is also a good picture of business and wealth. In the Old Testament such business was conducted at the city gate.

• Positive: We have often seen a ribbon cutting ceremony in front a new building.

• This is a picture of a new ministry or division of the ministry that the Lord has established in the spirit.

If you are in intercession and see something like this, then the Lord is calling you to birth the new vision in the spirit.

To release it through decree.

Negative: If you see a building being demolished, you need to decide of this is a good or a bad thing. At times a prophet will be called of the Lord to speak destruction on a work that is not of Him.

• If you are a prophet you might see a building being built or torn down in the spirit.

It is for you to speak that forth in the spirit.

• Jeremiah 1:10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant..