Categories of dreams Dream Meanings

Categories Of Dreams Dream Meaning: From 1 Different Sources


Gnffith, Miyago and Tago give 34 types of dream themes, from falling to being hung by the neck.

For the lay dreamer it is more useful to put dreams into much broader categories such as psychological. ESP, body, sexual, spiritual and problem solving. In researching the data for this book, some special cluster of dream themes were no­ticed.

For instance a cluster was noted in women past middle age, they dreamt of walking in a town and losing their hus­band. Description of these clusters can be seen in son and husband under family; losing teeth under body; flying; secret room under house; dead people; individuation.

See also dream as meeting place; dream as spiritual guide; dream as therapist and healer; sex in dreams; ESP in dreams.

Dream Source: A Guide to Dreams and Sleep Experiences
Author: Tony Crisp

Closet

You are attempting to hide something. This is a dream about having a hidden agenda or about some sort of avoidance.

A closet is a place used for storage.

The items found in a closet usually fall into one of three categories: frequently used items kept out of sight for the sake of organization, things stored for later use, and forgotten objects that we continue to hold on to even though they have lost their purpose.

A dream that features a closet as a primary image or location may need to be considered through one of these themes. Many objects found in a dream closet connect to shame.

The level of this will correspond to how hidden something is and / or how much fear there is around it. Keep in mind, however, that a closet is also a storage space where we file away things we no longer need on a regular basis. There may be old thoughts, feelings, or ways of being that need to be recognized and discarded in order to make room for new growth that is on the horizon.

The phrase “in the closet” has come to be linked almost exclusively to an individual who is hiding their homosexuality. However, in a dream, this can refer to any hidden side of the self. What you discover in a closet should be viewed through the focus of something you are hiding from or not wanting to face.... closet dream meaning

Devil

Most people will fall into two categories regarding the Devil: the religious and the non-believers. There is a third category of people who don’t necessarily believe in the Devil, but were raised in an environment that embedded certain beliefs that they may have consciously rejected but that still have great power in the unconscious mind.

The first and foremost quality of the Devil is temptation.

The ultimate motivation for the temptation is for ownership of a person’s soul. In the world of psychology and dream work, the soul is akin to your spiritual nature and the totality of your experience as a human being.

The presence of God and the Devil in our world offers each of us a choice:

With whom will you align yourself and on what will you base your life choices? Your higher nature, through the choice of love, or your lower nature, through the choice of fear? The presence of the Devil in a dream indicates that a powerful degree of fear is being expressed. Bondage is another important element associated with the Devil.

The contract he offers is permanent, with severe consequences. In symbolic terms, the Devil could illuminate areas in your life where you feel you have sold out. Look for situations in which you feel stuck for reasons of obligation, financial insecurity, or outmoded satisfaction. Often we make choices that initially provide us with something we desire, only to discover that we pay a price we hadn’t counted on. Real soul-searching may be called for when the Devil appears in a dream. What thoughts or old ways of being must be cast aside for your greater good? From a lighter perspective, what devil-may-care attitude might be inviting you to discover that which your inner critic won’t give you permission to explore? The phrase “the devil made me do it” can be either a misguided excuse for bad choices or a call toward letting go of judgment.... devil dream meaning

Angels

General Meaning: Strong’s 32: aggelos- a messenger, an envoy, one who was sent, an angel, a messenger from God.

Visions Positive:

There are various types of angels that fall into the categories below. Note that the following interpretations relate to visions or prophetic dreams only.

• It is also worthwhile to note that if you often see angels and demons in the spirit that you function in the gift of discerning of spirits. I cover this gift in detail in the Way of Dreams and Visions book.

• Guardian Angels • Psalms 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.

• These angels are issued to you at birth, namely they are your guardian angel. In personal experience, such angels are larger than life and look very powerful in the spirit.

• We often see them dressed in various gear, and they often carry swords and wear sashes.

• Worship Angels • Psalms 148:2 Praise you him, all his angels: praise you him, all his hosts.

• This speaks of the worship angels who worship the Lord in the Throne Room. They are present during praise and worship.

• In personal revelation and experience, such angels usually have wings and sing with the loveliest of voices. They often carry instruments such as harps, tambourines, trumpets and various stringed instruments.

• Messenger Angels • Luke 1:30 And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favor with God.

• Here is a reference to a messenger angel. He is the one who brings messages from the Lord.

• In personal experience, such angels are plain looking, in flowing robes, often bearing a scroll or ram’s horn.

• Warrior Angels • Revelation 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought with his angels • Here is a reference to Michael, the leader of the warrior angels. In personal experience, such angels carry swords, have eyes of fire and look very foreboding.

Negative: 2 Corinthians 11:14 And no wonder; for Satan himself is disguised as an angel of light.

• This speaks of the enemy who appears as an angel of light; a deception. In personal experience, such angels do not reveal their faces and are very bright. They are accompanied by intense emotion and are very forceful.

• Such an angel would try to get you to receive from them or open your heart to them. Doing so would open your heart wide to the enemy, giving him license in your life.

• It is not common for a believer to have experiences with angels, unless they are operating in the gift of discerning of spirits.

• Check all revelations of angels that you receive with someone who is more mature in Christ and will be able to judge the spirit for you. Also consider the following verse that warns against the worship of angels: • Colossians 2:18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, • Although seeing angels in vision can give tremendous direction, it is not something that you should go looking for.

• The New Age cult emphasizes angelic experiences, and you should be cautious of receiving from anyone that emphasizes their experiences with angels and does not share their relationship with the Lord Jesus..... angels dream meaning

20 Common Dreams

Partial excerpt from “Dream Language” by Jim & Michal Ann Goll Various ministries and organizations have logged literally thousands of dreams and therefore have been able to decipher the most common dreams that people have.

The following is not a comprehensive list and they are not listed in any particular order, but they are 20 of the most common dreams that people experience.


Dreams of Your House

This one would easily rank in the top five most common dreams. The house normally represents your life, and the circumstances taking place in the house reflect the specific activities in your life. These dreams may also reflect the church as well.

Individual rooms of the house may represent specific things. For instance, if the bedroom appears, the dream may have something to do with issues of intimacy.

The bathroom may represent a need for cleansing. The family room may be a clue that God wants to work on family relationships and so on.


Dreams of Going to School

These dreams often center on taking of tests. The tests may be for the purpose of promotion. Or you might find yourself searching for your next class-an indication that guidance is needed or a graduation has just occurred. You might be repeating a class you took before, possibly meaning that you have an opportunity to learn from past failures. High School dreams may be a sign that you are enrolled in the School of the Holy Spirit (H.S. = High School = Holy Spirit). There are limitless possibilities.

These are just a few examples. Interesting enough, the Teacher is always silent when giving a test!


Dreams of Various Vehicles

These may indicate the calling you have on your life, the vehicle of purpose that will carry you from one point to another. Cars, planes, buses, etc., may be symbols of the type or even the size of the ministry you are or will be engaged in. That’s why there are different kinds of vehicles. Note the color of the vehicle.

If it is a car, what is the make and model? Observe who is driving it. Are you driving or is someone else driving? If someone else is driving, who is it? Do you know the person? Is it a person from your past? If the driver is faceless, this may refer to a person who will appear sometime in your future or that the Holy Spirit Himself is your driving guide.


Dreams Concerning Storms

Storm dreams tend to be intercessory, spiritual warfare-type dreams. They are particularly common for people who have a calling or gift in the area of discerning of spirits. These dreams often hint of things that are on the horizon –both dark, negative storms of demonic attack for the purpose of prayer, intercession, and spiritual warfare, as well as showers of blessing that are imminent. What kind of storm is it? Are there tornadoes involved? What color are they. Tornadoes can indicate change that is coming good or bad. Also tornadoes can indicate great destruction.


Dreams of Flying or Soaring

Flying dreams deal with your spiritual capacity to rise above problems and difficulties and to soar into the heavenlies. These are some of the most inspirational and encouraging in tone of all dreams. When awakening from a dram where you fly or soar, you often wake up feeling exhilarated –even inebriated- in the Spirit.

Ascending-type dreams are more unusual yet edifying. Remember, we are seated with Christ Jesus in heavenly places far above all principalities and powers.


Dreams of Being Naked or Exposed

These dreams indicate that you will be or are becoming transparent and vulnerable.

Depending on your particular situation, this may be exhilarating or fearful and could reveal feelings of shame. Note: these dreams are not meant to produce embarrassment but rather draw you into greater intimacy with the Lord and indicate places where greater transparency is required. These types of dreams often appear during times of transition where you are being dismantled in order to be re-mantled.


Dreams of Condition of Your Teeth

Often, these dreams reveal the need for wisdom. Are your teeth loose, rotten, falling out, or are they bright and shiny? Do you have a good bite? Are you able to chew your cud? Teeth represent wisdom, and often teeth appear to loose in a dream.

What does that mean? It may mean that you need a wisdom application for something you are about to bit off. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.


Dreams of Past Relationships

This kind of dream may indicate that you are being tempted to fall back into old patterns and ways of thinking. Depending upon who the person is in the dream, and what this person represents to you, these dreams might also be an indication of your need to renew your former desires and godly passions for good things in life.

Seeing a person from your past does not usually mean that you will literally renew your old relationship with that individual. Look more for what that person represents in your life – for good or bad. A person who was bad in your life may represent God’s warning to you not to relapse into old habits and mind-sets that were not profitable. On the other hand, a person who was good in your life may represent God’s desire or intention to restore good times that you thought were gone.


Dreams of Dying

These dreams are not normally about the person seen in the dream in a literal sense, but are symbolic about something that is passing away or departing from your life. The type of death may be important to note. Watch, though, to see if resurrection is on the other side.


Dreams of Birth

Normally these dreams are not about an actual childbirth but rather about new seasons of purpose and destiny coming forth into your life.

If a name is given to the child, pay close attention because that usually indicates that a new season in the purposes of God is being birthed. There are, of course, exceptions to this where an actual pregnancy and birth is going to take place.


Dreams of Taking a Shower

These are cleansing-type dreams (toilets, showers, bathtubs, etc) revealing things that are in the process of being flushed out of your life, cleansed and flushed away. These are good dreams by the way. Enjoy the showers of God’s love and mercy and get cleansed from the dirt of the world and its ways. Apply the blood of Jesus and get ready for a new day!


Dreams of Falling

These dreams may reveal a fear you have of losing control of some area of your life or, on the positive side, that you are actually becoming free of directing your own life.

What a substance you fall into in the dream is a major key to proper understanding. The outstanding primary emotions in these dreams will indicate which way to interpret them. Falling can be fearful, but it can also represent falling into the ocean of God’s love.


Dreams of Chasing and Being Chased

Chasing dreams often reveal enemies that are at work, coming against your life and purpose. On the opposite side, they may indicate the passionate pursuit of God in your life, and you towards Him. Are you being chased? By whom? What emotions do you feel? Are you afraid of being caught? Or maybe you are the one doing the chasing. Who are you chasing? Why? Again, what emotions do you feel during the chase? The answers to these questions and, particularly, the dominant emotions in the dream, will often help determine the direction of its interpretation. Often the Lord appears in various forms, motioning to us, saying, “Catch Me if you can!”


Dreams of Relatives, Alive and Dead

Most likely, these dreams indicate generational issues at work in your life –both blessings and curses. You will need discernment as to whether to accept the blessing or cut off the darkness. This is particularly true if grandparents appear in your dreams, as they will typically indicate generational issues.


Dreams Called Nightmares

Nightmares tend to be more frequent with children and new believers in Christ, just as calling dreams do. They may reveal generational enemies at work that need to be cut off. Stand against the enemies of fear. Call forth the opposite presence of the amazing love of God, which casts out fear, the fear has torment!


Dreams of Snakes

The snake dream is probably one of the most common of all the categories of animal dreams. These dreams reveal the serpent – the devil with his demonic hosts- at work through accusation, lying, attacks, etc. Other common dreams of this nature include dreams of spiders, bears, and even alligators. Spiders and bears are two other major animals that appear in dreams that show fear. The spider in particular, releasing its deadly poison, is often a symbol of witchcraft and the occult.


Dreams of Dogs and Cats

After snakes, the most common animal to appear in dreams is the dog. A dog in your dream usually indicates friendship, loyalty, protection, and good feelings. On the other hand, dog dreams may also reveal the dark side, including growling, attacking, biting, ect. Sometimes these dreams reveal a friend who is about to betray you.


Dreams of Going Through Doors

These dreams generally reveal change that is coming. New ways, new opportunities, and new advancements are on the way. Similar to dreams of doors are dreams including elevators or escalators, which indicate that you are rising higher into your purpose and your calling.


Dreams of Clocks and Watches

Clocks or watches in a dream reveal what time it is in your life, or the need for a wake-up call in the Body of Christ or in a nation.

It is time to be alert and watchful.


These dreams may indicate a Scripture verse as well, giving a deeper message. Are you a watchman on the walls? If so, what watch are you on?


Dreams with Scripture Verses

Sometimes you may have a dream in which Bible passages appear, indicating a message from God. This phenomenon may occur in a number of ways: verbal quotes where you are actually hear a voice quoting a passage, digital clock-type readouts, and dramatizations of a scene from a Bible, just to name a few. Quite often these are watchmen-type dreams, dreams of instructions filled with ways of wisdom.... 20 common dreams dream meaning

Digging

The significance of this dream varies according to the circumstances of the dreamer.

For a person in business cm* in a job, it signifies that hard, or harder, work will be necessary to attain what he wants.

For a professional person, it indicates that a further course of study or acquisition of higher qualifications would be beneficial to his or her aims.

If you don’t fit either of the foregoing categories, then the key to the meaning of the dream lies in the effort involved in the action; if the soil was soft and/or the digging easy, you are in for a happy period of easy living; if the digging was hard and slow going, you can expect to have to struggle for a while yet... digging dream meaning

Cherub

Cherubs are one of the new categories of angels that appear in the Sacred Texts.

Given that their function consists of forming love and wisdom in the hearts of men, dreaming of them is interpreted as an invitation to altruism and to live the emotions in disinterested manner. Cherubs announce the happy circumstances related to higher values of the personality. You have the necessary elements to take a big step and grow.... cherub dream meaning

Playing Cards

Dreams that contain cards are related to working with patterns and all the permutations that are possible when you understand the underlying structure of how life works. Cards are numbered and suited, and through working with these categories, an almost infinite number of possibilities exists. This is an analogy for how life itself works. In this way, playing cards are like a testing ground for becoming more skillful in playing the game of life.... playing cards dream meaning

Dream Types

“I can never decide whether my dreams are a result of my thoughts, or my thoughts the result of my dreams. It is very queer. But my dreams make conclusions for me. They decide things finally. I dream a decision.”
D. H. Lawrence

Just as there are different types of music—classical, rock, jazz—there are different kinds of dreams. Although different types of dream can blend and merge, modern dream researchers tend to break dream types into the following categories:

AMPLIFYING DREAMS
These can exaggerate certain situations or life attitudes in order to point them out sharply for the dreamer. For example, someone who is very shy may dream that they have become invisible.

ANTICIPATING DREAMSThese are dreams that may alert us to possible outcomes in situations in our waking life; for example, passing or failing an exam.

CATHARTIC DREAMS
Such dreams evoke extremely emotional reactions, when the unconscious is urging us to relieve pent-up feelings we may feel unable to express in waking life. For example, you may find yourself bursting into tears on a packed commuter train in your dreams, or you might punch your irritating neighbor or tell your boss exactly what you think of him or her.

CONTRARY OR COMPENSATORY DREAMS
In these types of dreams, the unconscious places the dreaming self in a totally different situation to the one we find ourselves in waking life. For example, if your day has been filled with unhappiness and stress due to the death of a loved one or the end of a relationship, you may dream of yourself spending a carefree, happy day by the seaside. Your unconscious may also give you personality traits that you haven’t expressed in waking life. For example, if you hate being the center of attention you may dream about being a celebrity. Such dreams are thought to provide necessary balance and may also be suggesting to you that you try incorporating some of the characteristics that your dream underlined in your waking life.

DAILY PROCESSING DREAMS
Also known as factual dreams, daily processing dreams are dreams in which you go over and over things that happened during the day, especially those that were repetitive or forced you to concentrate for long periods; dreaming about a long journey or a tough work assignment, for example. These kinds of dreams don’t tend to be laden with meaning, and most dream theorists think of them as bits and pieces of information your brain is processing.

DREAMS OF CHILDHOOD
Dreaming about your childhood may reflect a childhood dynamic which hasn’t been worked out yet and requires a resolution.

FALSE AWAKENING
It is thought that many reported sightings of ghosts are caused by false awakening, which occurs when you are actually asleep but are convinced in your dream state that you are awake. This is the kind of vivid dream in which you wake up convinced that what happened in your dream really happened.

INCUBATED DREAMS
This is when you set your conscious mind on experiencing a particular kind of dream. For example, you may incubate a dream of a loved one by concentrating on visualizing your loved one’s face before you sleep, or you may ask for a dream to answer your problems immediately before going to sleep. The theory is that your unconscious responds to the suggestion.

INSPIRATIONAL DREAMS
Many great works of art, music, literature have allegedly been inspired by dreams, when the unconscious brings a creative idea to the fore. For example, English poet and artist William Blake said that his work was inspired by the visions in his dreams. One night in 1816, Mary Shelley, her husband and a group of friends were challenged to write a ghost story. That night Mary Shelley dreamed of a creature that would later become the monster created by Dr Frankenstein in her yet-to-be-written novel.

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

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

NIGHTMARES
Dreams that terrify us or cause distress in some way by waking us up before the situation has resolved. Nightmares occur during REM sleep and typically arise when a person is feeling anxious or helpless in waking life. Once the dreamer has recognized what is triggering this kind of dream, and worked through any unresolved fears and anxieties, nightmares tend to cease.

NIGHT TERRORS
These are similar to nightmares, but because they occur in deep sleep (stage four) we rarely remember what terrified us, although we may be left with a lingering feeling of unexplained dread.

OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCES
Also known as astral travel or projection, out-of-body experiences are thought to occur at times of physical and emotional trauma. Researchers tend to dismiss the idea but those that experience such dreams say that their mind, consciousness or spirit leaves their body and travels through time and space.

PAST-LIFE DREAMS
If you dream of being in a historical setting some believe this is evidence of past-life recall, although most dream theorists dismiss the existence of past-life or far-memory dreams, or genetic dreams when you assume the identity of an ancestor.

PHYSIOLOGICAL DREAMS
These dreams reflect the state of your body, so, for example, if you have an upset stomach, you may dream that you are being violently sick. These dreams may highlight the progress of serious physical conditions or in some cases predict the onset of them.

PRECOGNITIVE DREAMS
Most dream researchers dismiss these dreams but precognitive dreams are thought to predict real-life events of which the dreamer has no conscious awareness. These dreams tend to happen to people with psychic abilities. They are extremely rare but there have been many instances when people claim to have dreamt of things before they happened. For example, many people reported dreaming about 9/11 before it occurred. Other people tell of cancelling trains or flights because of a foreboding dream. There are also reports of people who dreamt the winning numbers of the lottery.

PROBLEM-SOLVING DREAMS
These occur when you have gone to bed mulling over a problem and found the answer in your dreams. This could be because your unconscious has already solved the dream and sleeping on it gives your unconscious a chance to express itself. Many famous inventions were allegedly prompted by a dream. For example, Scottish engineer and inventor of the steam engine James Watt (1736- 1819) dreamed of molten metal falling from the sky in the shape of balls. This dream gave him the idea for drop cooling and ball-bearings. The model of the atom, the M9 analogue computer, the isolation of insulin in the treatment of diabetes, and, as we have seen, the sewing machine, were also ideas that sprung from inspiration in dreams.

PSYCHOLOGICAL DREAMS
These are dreams that bring things we would rather not think about to our attention. They make us face an aspect of ourselves or our life that might be hindering our progress. They are often about our fears, anxieties, resentment, guilt and insecurities. For example, if you dream of yourself running around and around on the wheel of a cage unable to stop, this could suggest that in your waking life you are taking on too much and not giving yourself enough time to relax.

RECURRING DREAMS
Dreams that reoccur typically happen when the dreamer is worried about a situation that isn’t resolving itself in waking life. When the trigger in waking life is dealt with the dreams usually end. Recurring dreams can also occur when a person is suffering from some kind of phobia or trauma that has been repressed or not resolved. If this is the case the unconscious is urging the dreamer to consciously receive and acknowledge the issue and deal with it.

SEXUAL DREAMS
In dreams, sex can reflect the archetypal pattern which underlies the waking sex life or may represent a hoped-for reunion with another part of ourselves into a whole.

TELEPATHIC DREAMS
This is the kind of dream when someone you know appears in your dream in acute distress and you later learn that that person was experiencing a real-life crisis at the time, such as extreme unhappiness, an accident or even death. It is thought that telepathic dreams are a meeting of minds between two people who are close to each other emotionally.

VIGILANT DREAMS
These are processing dreams that involve your senses. For example, if your mobile rings or a picture falls to the ground while you are asleep, the sound may be incorporated into your dream but appear as something else, such as a police siren or a broken window. The smell of flowers in your room may also become a garden scene in your dreams.

WISH-FULFILLMENT DREAMS
These are the kind of dreams in which we quite literally live the dream; we might win the lottery, date a celebrity, ooze charisma or simply go on a long holiday. In these kinds of dreams our unconscious is trying to compensate for disappointment or dissatisfaction with our current circumstances in waking life.... dream types dream meaning

Anxiety

(see also Fear)

When anxiety features in a dream it may be just that - straightforward anxiety. On the other hand, it may be a disguise for some repressed aggression or resentment.

Ixt us say you dream of the death of a loved one, and you wake up in a sweat and frantic with concern about that person (partner, parent or whatever). It may be that the anxiety you felt in the dream and / or on waking from the dream is what Freud called a defence mechanism - that is, a ruse we adopt for protecting ourselves against unbearable, unacceptable feelings. The first time we experience a strong negative feeling against someone near to us, we tend to ‘put it out of mind’. In realitv, however, what happens to such banished feelings is not that

they disappear; rather, they remain with us, in the unconscious part of our psyche. Rejection of feelings because they are morally repugnant or terrifying in their possible consequences is what Freud called ‘repression’ or ‘suppression’. (Remember: suppression is a conscious act, repression an unconscious act.) What causes us to suppress or repress a feeling of hatred or jealousy or resentment, or a desire to kill or hurt or perform some other socially proscribed act, is anxiety - anxiety about the consequences. Therefore, whenever anxiety reappears in our dreams we need to look for possible repressed feelings or desires that brought the anxiety about in the first place.

‘A dream is a (disguised) fulfilment of a (suppressed or repressed) wish,’ said Freud in his epoch-making book The Interpretation of Dreams; and this, he went on, applied even - no, especially - to so-called anxiety dreams. Freud is wrong, of course, in over-generalizing: many anxiety dreams are quite straightforward undisguised expressions of fears for someone or about some situation. However, do not assume that Freud is wrong with regard to any particular dream before you have honestly examined both your dream and yourself with a view to finding (which may mean recollecting) a negative desire that might be lurking behind the dream’s cloak of anxiety.

One of the categories of dreams that Freud classified as ‘typical’ is the death of a person of whom the dreamer is fond. vSuch dreams, said Freud, always represent the dreamer’s wish that the person should die. Between brothers and sisters there is often jealousy, and wicked wishes arising in childhood may be harboured in the unconscious for a very long time - for as long as we care to leave them there. The same applies to the jealousy and hatred a young child may feel towards a parent.

It may be that your dream of a loved one dying is prompted by a recent worry about the loved one. But dreams whose contents are determined by recent experiences may express feelings that have a long history in your life. Indeed, it could be that, if the loved one in the dream is your partner, any jealousy or hatred you may be feeling towards him or her mav be the jealousy or hatred you felt as a child towards your parent of the opposite sex, now transferred to your partner. Repressed hostile feelings have a way of repeating themselves in one situation alter another, with one person after another.... anxiety dream meaning

Relationships

(1) Personal relationships in dreams are always important. They fall into two categories: first, those that refer to actual waking-life relationships; secondly, those that depict relations between the conscious ego and other parts of the psyche. Meetings with strangers will nearly always belong to the second category: the strangers will be parts of your psyche that you have not yet got to know very well. And even where there is no doubt that the dream is asking you to take a serious look at an actual real-life relationship, you should bear in mind that the quality of your external relationships may be determined by the way your conscious ego relates - or fails to relate - to other parts of your psyche. For example, a man who does not acknowledge the feminine side of his own nature may have very unsatisfactory - perhaps very superficial - relationships with women. In other words, when a dream shows you in relationship with an actual real-life person, it may be inviting you to look at the relationship with a view to understanding yourself better: how you relate to other people reveals yourself (e.g. are you projecting on to the other person some unacknowledged characteristic of your own?).

Patterns in dreams correspond to patterns in your conscious life, or else - occasionally - a dream may present a pattern for you to follow in your life instead of old patterns. For example, a man may relate in dreams to very feminine women. This may represent an established pattern in his waking life, in which case he is being asked to reassess that pattern. Perhaps he is attracted only to very feminine women because he is projecting on to women his own repressed femininity and needs to

integrate his anima. On the other hand, a dream of relating to a woman in a very bold and assertive manner may be the unconscious way of telling a man he needs to display his masculinity’ more.

See also Sex.

An antagonistic or belligerent relationship in a dream probablv indicates a need to be reconciled with the other, whether the other is another person or another part of yourself.

In the dream do you control, or want to control, the relationship? Perhaps the dream is a descriptive one, simply describing how, in fact, you do behave; in which case, your unconscious is probably asking you to review your situation. Perhaps you need to learn to let go, and trust people more. On the other hand, the dream may be a prescriptive one, telling you what you ought to be doing: perhaps you have been too weak and unassertive in the past. Do you tend to be, in your dreams, a mere observer, watching other people relate? Well, it is a good thing to observe, whether what you are observing is external relationships or internal relations between parts of yourself. But the process of self- discovery may be accelerated if you resolve to participate more in future dreams. Try it. Relating with your shadow may be much more revealing than just looking at it.

(2) There may be impersonal or spatio-temporal relationships between dream items or between one episode of a dream and the next. For example, an earlier dream episode may symbolize whatever is the cause of what is symbolized in the following dream episode. (But do not assume that this causal relationship always exists between different parts of a dream.)

If a person is taller than you (in a dream), this may mean that you see that person as superior to yourself.

If the person in the dream represents some part of your psyche, the meaning would then be that your conscious ego tends to submit to this other psychic component.... relationships dream meaning

Soldier

An archetypal character aspect, the soldier resonates with the warrior.

The job of this particular archetype is protection and aggression, but primarily through the ability to divide all things into the two categories of either right or wrong.

A dream with a soldier in it may be asking you to tap into this inner wisdom to face a life circumstance in a very black and white way. Since we live in a time in which war is a very present reality, a soldier also connects to sacrifice at the community and global levels, as they are the individuals in society who are willing to risk their lives to fight for high ideals.

If there is someone in your life who is a member of the armed services, such a dream image may be more personal.... soldier dream meaning

Strength Of One's Dreams

The meaning of a dream is stronger when seen at dawn, or during an afternoon nap, or when fruits are ripening on their trees, or at the time of harvest, or when one's star is in the rising position, or at a time when one is intending to sign a business contract, or if one is thinking of getting married, or at the term of a decade, etcetera. Seeing a dream during a daylight nap is also stronger than seeing it at night. On the other hand, the meaning of a dream becomes weaker and less plausible when seen during the wintertime.

The dream of a righteous ruler or governor is considered to be an inspiration from God Almighty. The dreams of community leaders depend on their beliefs. The dreams of servants come true for their employers. Women's dreams may materialize faster than those of men. Sinners' dreams are a proof against them on the day of judgement, unless they repent before their death. The dreams of rich people are stronger than those of poor people. The dreams of rich people materialize faster than those of poor people. The dreams of poor people are slower when they connote benefits and faster when they connote adversities. Because of their innocence, the dreams of little children are truer than those of teenagers. This is because older children may be busy in their mischief and fulfilling their newly discovered desires. The dream of a drunk person has no ground. Shaikh Al-Karamani explains that "the dream of a scholar is truer than that of an ignorant person, the dream of a chaste person is truer than that of an unchaste person, the dream of a good person is truer than that of a bad person, and that the dream of an elderly person is truer than that of a younger person."

The meaning of a dream also varies depending on how people look in it, their dress, type of work they perform, status, or religion. To someone, the dream may mean glad tiding and mercy, while the same dream could mean the opposite for another person. One may wonder when he receives a gift in a dream, then the same gift reaches him in in wakefulness, or if he suffers an adversity in a dream, then the same adversity takes place in wakefulness. Another person may be promoted in his dream, then the same is conferred on him in wakefulness, or if one sees himself performing his pilgrimage to Mecca in a dream, then he joins the pilgrims' caravan in wakefulness or if one sees someone visiting him in a dream, then the same person arrives in wakefulness, days or hours later.

Finally, in pursuing what we have earlier explained, the elements of a dream are interpreted on the basis of three categories: 1- kind, such as trees, lions, or birds, etcetera, and; 2- specimen, such as the type and name of that tree (e.g. a conifer, a spruce, or a maple tree, etcetera), or what type of bird (e.g. a magpie, a pewee, or a condor, etcetera); and 3- characteristics, such as the nature, or inherent characteristics of a lion, a cat, a crocodile, or their habitat, etcetera.... strength of one's dreams dream meaning

Organizing

Organizing things (such as into categories, stacks, containers, or folders) can represent: Control or organization.

A logical mental process.

Trying to make sense of or understand something.

Prejudging or labelling people or things.

Breaking down an idea or situation to make it more manageable in your mind.

Putting things away or trying to get rid of things, literally or figuratively (such as possessions, outdated beliefs, or memories).

Feeling disorganized or needing to organize your thoughts, your life, or a certain aspect of your life.

See also: Container; Folder; List; Group... organizing dream meaning

Age Differences

Universal Landscape: Consciousness that is rooted in earlier times in life.

Dreaming Lens: What age were you in your dream? Were you watching yourself at a different age? Were other people in your dream the same age as you? Was the setting of your dream related to your life at the age you were?

Personal Focus: Dreams often return us to our past. In some cases, a past setting is witnessed from the current life perspective. Other dreams of this type may transform us into the person we were at the earlier time and to the specific surroundings we visited in the dream. No matter what the actual structure of the dream, any time we return to earlier moments in life, we are exploring who we are today as a result of our past.

Our personal history lives forever inside our memory and, in many ways, who we are today is a function of what occurred in the past. Maturity and wisdom can be seen as a function of how well we call forth lessons learned from past mistakes and simultaneously leave behind outmoded ways of being. This cycle of change and growth is a lifelong process from birth to death. The fundamental ways in which we are impacted by the past fall into two categories: experiential and developmental.

The experiential realm contains all the external elements of life: who our parents were and how they raised us, our social environments, our relationship to school and other institutions to which we are connected. This includes all of the events that transpired throughout our own personal histories.

Developmental issues reflect the internal side of life, and how we relate to the world changes significantly as we pass from one developmental stage to another. Emotional development and cognitive functioning also follow specific and predictable patterns that are based on our age as we pass from infancy into adulthood. What we understand at ten years old is too abstract for a seven-year-old’s mind. These differences exist regardless of outer circumstances.

Knowing what age and level of development you have returned to in a dream can play a key role in your interpretation of it. A perfect example of this is the very common anxiety dream of being back in high school or college completely unprepared for an exam. It was in these settings that we were, for the first time in our lives, faced with the pressure to perform at very high-stake levels. Most adults would agree that as life progresses, the stakes get even higher and the pressure to perform far exceeds the demands of high school. However, since this is where this type of stress is first experienced, our minds contain a powerful imprinting that will forever associate fears of inadequacy and unpreparedness with the origin of these emotions. It would be unusual for an adult to consciously relate a major presentation at work with what it felt like to face a test in math class. In the unconscious mind, however, it is a perfect depiction of such feelings. As a result, moments in our adult lives that have the capacity to inspire similar reactions will often invoke a dream setting that is similar to the time in life where such responses originated.

Often, a dreamer returns to a particular setting and time in their past when they are stuck in some developmental issue. This can last for weeks or years, depending on how much inner work is required to free them from the grips of the past. When an earlier age or setting is prominent in a dream, ask yourself what was going on in your life at that time. How did you respond to such peak moments as moving to a new town, a parent’s divorce, getting or losing a pet, the onset of puberty, or the death of a loved one? Any one of these major events can usher us into a new level of emotional awareness. Identifying the theme of the particular time frame will clarify exactly what underlying issue is being stirred up by current events. (See also Taking a Test, High School).... age differences dream meaning

Bar

Universal Landscape: Collective escapism.

Dreaming Lens: What kind of bar were you in? Was it a place known to you? Were there other people there? If so, did you know who they were? Were you drinking? What were you drinking? What else was happening in the bar?

Personal Focus: The primary focus of a bar is to consume alcohol, therefore, this symbol connects primarily to escapism. Because it is a public place and rooted in the spirit of socializing, there is a second layer of meaning that connects with how people interact in social environments in a spirited and uninhibited way. Your own personal relationship to alcohol and bars in your waking life will play a prominent role in how you interpret a dream that took place in one.

A dream that takes place in a bar could just as easily be expressing a need to relax, lighten up, and party as it could be a warning against the impact of choosing escapism over dealing with things with a clear head. Your reason for being in the bar comes into play with this part of your interpretation. Since one of the primary reasons why people go to bars is to meet people, a dream about a bar may be pointing to a search for some aspect of yourself that feels as if it is missing. If this is the case, the quality in question may be connected to issues that relate to your social life or public persona.

The atmosphere in a bar can run the gamut, from classy to seedy, from subdued to chaotic. Use this information from your dream to add a shade of meaning to your interpretation. The darker the feeling about the place, the more likely you are investigating Shadow material. If you are familiar with the bar from your waking life, consider that the dream is speaking directly to elements of your current experience that center around your relationship with it.

Why you were in the bar will also be a part of your interpretation. Most reasons for going to a bar fall into two categories: to meet people or drink alcohol, or both. If drinking is what is most prominent, then the theme of the dream is definitely about escapism. If connecting with others was part of your storyline, then there are some other things to consider. Any person you are with or looking to meet up with should be interpreted as a Character Aspect of yourself. If this is a stranger, then your unconscious is expressing a message about connecting with some part of you that is not yet clear. That the dream takes place where people are often drunk, may be indicating a need for you to explore why it might be necessary to bring the freedom that alcohol provides into this interaction. Are you too inhibited, or perhaps not reserved enough? (See also Restaurant.)... bar dream meaning

Body Parts

Universal Landscape: Various functionality or physical abilities.

Dreaming Lens: What part of the body were you dreaming of? Was it your own body or someone else’s? Was it separate and disembodied? Did the image involve a loss of functioning? Was there an element of horror to the image? Did the dream have a medical theme?

Personal Focus: The interpretation you give to a body part in a dream correlates directly with its function. The head connects to thoughts and intellect. The neck usually represents issues surrounding communication and the ability to assess a situation. Arms represent activity and strength whereas the hands connect to creativity (fingers can usually be associated with skill and dexterity). The lower body involves issues of being grounded and secure. The legs connect specifically to being in (or out) of control of your movement through life. The direction in which you are heading is often represented by the feet. They also symbolize your relationship to the things for which you are willing (or unwilling) to take a stand.

The Dreaming Lens will provide the perspective with which you should view the meaning you assign to the body part. Most dream scenarios involving the body will fall into one of two categories: decrease or increase. The loss of, or injury to, a body part indicates some sort of hindrance or limitation. The augmentation or expansion of a body part indicates the opposite. Both perspectives can be viewed as positive or negative, depending on the sensation of the dream and/or the residual feelings generated by the dream upon waking.

If the image in your dream is simply a part of the body being highlighted or focused upon, your interpretation need only consider the meaning you assign it. However, if the dream includes a change in the body, you must add this to the mix. Amputation, for example, indicates a drastic loss of functioning, but implies necessity, as a limb is usually only removed to preserve the integrity and healthy functioning of the rest of the body. This shows that choice is involved as well as the need to sacrifice something for the survival of the Self. When in doubt, researching the biology or kinesiology of a part of the body will yield vast resources of information to inform your interpretation.... body parts dream meaning

Choking

Universal Landscape: An overwhelming or dangerous block to effective communication.

Dreaming Lens: Were you choking in the dream? Was someone else? Were they choking on something they swallowed? Was the choking the result of a violent act perpetrated on one person by another. Were you choking someone? If so, who was it? If you or someone else was choking on food, was the choker rescued?

Personal Focus: Any experience that connects with the neck and throat places us in the realm of communication. When someone is choking, their ability to speak is limited or even eradicated. Someone choking or being choked in a dream is dealing with communication issues that are intense enough to be, at least symbolically, a matter of life and death.

If there is some thought or idea that you need to express in your life right now, a dream with this image indicates that there is some sort of block to that expression. This image is so violent that it is likely pointing to something that is very intense, to say the least. When exploring your interpretation, look to where issues of communication are connected to people, places, or things, and where the stakes feel very high.

There are two categories that the idea of choking will fall into. You can choke on something you have ingested, such as food, beverage, or a small object. Or, the choking can be the aggressive act of another person attempting to stifle the breath and perhaps life out of the victim by stopping the flow of breath from passing into the lungs. Whatever the case, the key factor involved is the breakdown of the ability to communicate where the cost and impact could be so great as to cause death.

In the first construct, where there is an object that is being choked in, the object itself needs to be considered as part of your interpretation. If it is food or drink, then some aspect of nurturance and self-care is not being acclimated properly. If it is any other type of object, what it is must be interpreted and that meaning should be incorporated into your perspective of why you are feeling blocked. If you are being attacked by someone, use the Character Aspect technique to identify what part of your personality is choking off your ability to express yourself. If you are choking someone else, consider that you may be trying to stifle a particular way of communicating in the world that may be out of control or not serving you in some way. (See also Strangling.)... choking dream meaning

Cross-dressing

Universal Landscape: Opposing expressions of gender to the outside world.

Dreaming Lens: Were you cross-dressing in the dream? Was someone in your dream cross-dressing? What gender was being contradicted? Was it sexual or erotic in nature? Was it connected to gender identity? Was there a spirit of fun, as in a costume? Was there any shame or humiliation involved?

Personal Focus: The clothes we wear relate to the persona, the part of our self that we show to the world. When gender lines are crossed, the main theme of your interpretation will be the integration of the masculine principle or the feminine principle, depending upon the direction of the switch. Taking on the garb of the opposite sex could mean a desire to incorporate more of those traits into the way people see you.

This can be a confusing area for people, because there are several categories of cross-dressing in the world; each is different and almost entirely misunderstood. Unless you personally fall into one of the categories of people who cross-dress, a dream about being in the clothing of the opposite sex is more connected to embodying principles of energy and expression that are an appropriate and natural part of the journey toward a more integrated Self.

A woman in male drag could be expressing a desire to be seen as more aggressive or powerful. A man in drag might be considering what it would be like to be more receptive in the world and be perceived as more sensitive. Be willing to make sure your cross-dressing dream doesn’t expose a level of inauthenticity in your presentation. Is your sensitivity for real? Is flexing your power really genuine? The context of the dream should give you all the data you need to make an accurate determination.... cross-dressing dream meaning

Dog

Universal Landscape: Boundless masculine energy.

Dreaming Lens: Was the dog known to you? Was it your own dog? Did it belong to someone else? If so, were they in the dream as well? Was the dog dangerous or loving? Was the dog connected to you by a leash, or was it free to move about on its own? Did the dog respond to your authority or resist it? Were there other dogs?

Personal Focus: In the case of the adage dog is man’s best friend, gender plays a significant role with regard to energy. Dogs are a masculine symbol whereas cats are the feminine version of domesticated animals. Both connect to unconditional love and people keep pets as an expression of this. Particular to dogs is an unbridled expression of enthusiasm as evidenced by the excitement they embody every time their human returns home.

How you personally react to dogs will play a significant factor in how to interpret a dream in which this image appears. Most people will fall into one of two categories: either you love dogs or fear them. First, consider the Universal Landscape of the symbol of a dog. Then factor in the Dreaming Lens to deepen your interpretation. The final step is to add the Personal Focus of love or fear and you will have an accurate interpretation.

There are undertones of meaning to this symbol that also connect to the masculine principle. Dogs are by nature dedicated to the person who cares for them. In this way, they represent loyalty and steadfastness. In the arena of socialization, they are very direct in how they evaluate another dog or a person that is new to them. Using their powerful sense of smell, they will sniff each other without hesitation and very quickly establish an order of dominance. This corresponds to the masculine principle of straightforwardness and confidence.

A dog in your dream connects to loyalty and love, which can indicate that issues of commitment and intimacy are being triggered by some event or circumstance. A positive dream experience could be pointing to places in your life that are sparking enthusiasm, or requiring you to become more enthusiastic and joyful. Frightening images involving dogs may be inviting you to investigate unconscious fears around love and connection. A rabid dog represents inner fears of danger that may befall you if you get to close to an intimate situation. An actual dog bite represents the misuse of kindness or consideration. An obedient dog may point to a sense of control in areas of friendship and trust.

Dogs can embody a variety of qualities, from the one that rescues a person in danger, to the harrowing attacker. They range in shape from something tiny enough to put in your pocket to large breeds that resemble small bears. The size and attributes of the dog in your dream will inform you of the scope of the unconscious notions being expressed. ... dog dream meaning

Egg

Universal Landscape: New beginnings; possibility.

Dreaming Lens: How is the egg presented in the dream: as food or as a dormant life waiting to be hatched? What are you doing with the egg(s)? Are you in the egg? Do you know what is in the egg? What are your feelings about what is in the egg? Does the egg hatch in your dream?

Personal Focus: An egg symbolizes the potential for life that lies within it. From this perspective, this symbol always connects to new possibilities and new life. The type of egg in your dream and what it might hatch should provide the foundation of your exploration. The subtleties of your interpretation bring other meanings into the picture, including the context of the Dreaming Lens and your Personal Focus.

Any egg will fall into one of two categories: fertile or infertile. We are so used to consuming eggs in the Western world that it is easy to forget that if fertilized, our breakfast might well have become a chicken. Examine your dream egg to determine whether you perceived it as food or not. If so, your dream may point out issues of nurturing and self-care that are in the embryonic stage and waiting for birth and new life. If the egg is not for consumption, the meaning is more likely to fall on the side of creative possibilities on the horizon.

There are a number of other associations bound up with the image of the egg. The most prominent of these is the age-old question of which came first. There is no answer to this adage. Since either the idea in mind (egg) or the resulting manifestation (chicken) can be born without the other, an egg can represent the spontaneous manifestation of something new, whether the new idea has visible parents or not.

A person who is considered basic and decent is sometimes called a good egg. In this fashion, an egg can symbolize basic values and a sense of goodness. Additionally, the fragility of the shell of an egg prompts us to use the phrase walking on eggshells to refer to situations where we hold ourselves back, usually to hinder a reaction in others. This may be reflecting the care and consideration you direct toward what is new in your life so as to protect the delicacy of life unfolding. Conversely, you may be so careful that you stop yourself from moving toward your goals with certainty and power.... egg dream meaning

Face-lift/plastic Surgery

Universal Landscape: Superficial shift in persona.

Dreaming Lens: Did you have surgery in your dream? Were you contemplating it? Was the surgery successful? Was it unsuccessful or disappointing? Were you performing the surgery? Were you adding to or subtracting from your actual physical appearance? Was there a sense of before and after?

Personal Focus: How others see us is a function of what is known as the persona. The symbolic representation of this is the face. Any alteration to the face is akin to exerting some measure of control over the mask we show to the world. When this alteration is reflected as surgical in nature, the resulting change is manipulated and inorganic. When plastic surgery is being considered in real life, the choice to do so is best if one’s expectations are realistic and the motivation is not based on shame. If the choice is bound up with unconscious feelings of inadequacy, disaster can result.

A dream with this image should be interpreted with all of these considerations in mind. Your personal relationship with the idea of plastic surgery must guide you as well. Filter all of these complex issues through the notion of a desire to shift how you appear to others in a radical way. Plastic surgery is usually chosen in an effort to appear more attractive, desirable, or acceptable than one already feels. Ask yourself how authentic you are being in your interactions with others. This dream could point to something out of balance with how you feel and what you project.

The procedure itself will offer shades of meaning. Any plastic surgery will fall into one of two categories, either adding to or subtracting from one’s natural appearance. Either way, the underlying issue is a sense of inadequacy and a need to cover that up.... face-lift/plastic surgery dream meaning

Victory/winning

Universal Landscape: Mastery over challenge.

Dreaming Lens: What was the victory in the dream? Was there an adversary? If so, who were they? Did you win at a cost and, if so, what did you have to sacrifice to win? Was there a lack of integrity involved in winning? How did it feel to be the victor?

Personal Focus: A game or contest divides the participants into two categories: winners and losers. From many perspectives, winning is the entire point of engaging in competition because of the wonderful sensation that accompanies victory. Losing can be both humiliating and frustrating, often bringing out the worst in people. There is an old adage, “it is not important whether you win or lose, but how you play the game that counts.” This wisdom is not always honored in our aggressive society, and an individual’s response to winning or losing can reveal a great deal about his or her moral and ethical makeup.

Life is very much like a game. Any competitive event in a dream may be symbolic of the game of life. Games of strategy, like chess, represent areas of life that require a tactical approach. Cards and other games of chance rely on luck and highlight how you are handling what life may be currently dealing you. Anything involving mental activity is symbolic of your intellect, while physical contact implies a connection with your emotions and your bodily functions. Something violent, such as a wartime battle, might indicate a more intense inner conflict, where winning represents a high stakes victory for you.

Winning in a dream is either compensating for feeling beaten down by some area of life or celebrating an accomplishment. If choosing one interpretation over the other is not obvious by your current situation, examine the emotional content of the dream for clues. Anxiety is an indication that your unconscious is expressing conflict and a desire to have it resolved.... victory/winning dream meaning

What Are The Most Common Symbols In Dreams?

Exploring the World of Dream Symbols: Categories and Meanings

Dream symbols are highly personal and can vary widely from person to person. They're often influenced by individual experiences, emotions, and beliefs. Despite this, there are many symbols commonly reported in people's dreams. These symbols can be grouped into categories based on their themes and meanings. Here are some of the most common categories and examples of symbols that fall within them:

  • Nature: Dream symbols related to the natural world include water, trees, and animals.

    Water is a common symbol that can represent emotions, the unconscious mind, or the flow of life.

    Animals can represent instincts, primal urges, or specific traits associated with the animal in question (such as a snake representing deceit).

    Trees can symbolize growth, stability, or the interconnectedness of life.

    Other symbols in this category may include mountains, flowers, or the sun and moon.

  • Movement: Dreams often involve movement or changes in location, which can be symbolic of changes in your life or inner world.

    Falling can represent feelings of loss of control, insecurity, or anxiety.

    Flying can represent a sense of freedom, liberation, or the ability to rise above problems.

    Driving or being in a vehicle can represent the direction and speed of your life's journey.

    Other symbols related to movement may include bridges, stairs, or elevators.

  • Body: Dream symbols related to the body can represent your self-image, fears, or desires.

    Teeth can represent power, self-image, or fears of losing something important.

    Hair can represent your vitality, identity, or sexuality.

    Clothing can symbolize your public persona or how you present yourself to others.

    Other symbols related to the body may include mirrors, wounds, or illness.

  • Relationships: Dreams often involve interactions with other people, which can be symbolic of your relationships, social roles, or inner conflicts.

    Being chased can represent feelings of anxiety, stress, or the need to confront and overcome obstacles.

    Meeting someone new can represent a new opportunity or aspect of yourself.

    Being in a crowd can symbolize the pressure to conform or the need for social acceptance.

    Other symbols related to relationships may include family members, friends, or romantic partners.

  • Death and Rebirth: Dreams about death or dying can be frightening, but they can also be symbolic of transformation, change, or the end of a particular phase or aspect of life.

    Rebirth or resurrection can symbolize renewal or the opportunity to start over.

    Other symbols related to death and rebirth may include funerals, births, or ghosts.

It's important to remember that the interpretation of dream symbols is highly subjective and can depend on many factors, including your personal experiences, cultural background, and emotional state. If you're interested in exploring the symbolism in your own dreams, you may want to keep a dream journal and reflect on the possible meanings of the symbols you encounter. Additionally, you can consult resources such as books, websites, or dream analysis experts to gain further insight into the world of dream symbolism. By learning about dream symbols and their meanings, you can better understand your own dreams and use them as a tool for personal growth and self-discovery.

... what are the most common symbols in dreams? dream meaning