Body

What does it mean to dream about parts of your body?

Dreams about having cancer…

Dream: Lately I’ve had a couple of dreams about having cancer. In the first dream, I had lung cancer. Four days later I had a dream that I had cancer in my legs. Should I be worried?

DreamsMaster: My approach to dreams is to consider the literal meaning first, and then to move on to the symbolism.

If you haven’t visited a doctor in a long time, maybe now is the time. Perhaps you have been noticing some odd sensations in your body that you’ve been ignoring or pushing away to the “back of your mind”, and your dreams are bringing these unconscious concerns to the forefront.

Another possibility is that the dreams could be serving as a warning. For example, if you smoke, the dream could be throwing up a red flag about the danger you’re exposing yourself to.

If a literal interpretation doesn’t fit, next look at the symbolism. If it were my dream, having cancer would symbolize something in my life is threatening to consume my life force. Along these lines, in response to a dream about lung cancer, you might ask yourself, “Where in my life do I feel like I’m unable to breathe freely, or I’m suffocating?” Similarly, dreaming about cancer in one’s legs might also represent a threat to one’s freedom, or the ability to “run away” from some perceived danger.

This is not a dream to be ignored, whether literal or symbolic. Your innermost self is sending you the message that there’s some type of malignant or negative presence threatening your well-being, and it’s up to your waking self to take action.

See also:

Attacked by a demonic presence…

Dream: I dreamed I was being attacked by a demonic presence. It was choking me, I couldn’t breathe. I felt his weight on me. I was screaming help, help. I could hear myself, fighting this thing off me. My grandson shook me awake, he heard me screaming.

DreamsMaster: My initial instinct with this dream is to recommend you visit your doctor to rule out any health issues that may be causing you to experience this choking sensation and difficulty breathing due to pressure on your chest.

If you’ve indeed been experiencing health issues, then it’s possible that the “demonic presence” was your dreaming mind’s way of visualizing the threat of a violent death, and getting your attention to take immediate action.

If this literal interpretation of the dream does not fit for you, next take a look at the theme and symbolism. The most striking thing to me is the overwhelming sense of powerlessness. The aggressor is not in physical form, so your attempts to fight it off physically fail. One way of viewing this is that whatever the threat you perceive going on in your life right now, your defense must come from your spiritual core. This is where your strength resides.

See also:

Penis cut halfway…

Dream: I dreamt of my penis cut halfway last night.

DreamsMaster: The dream is likely a metaphor for having felt “emasculated” or put down by someone in a demeaning way, left to feel “half the man” that you are, or “cut down to size.” Did something happen recently where you felt your power diminished?

A penis may also symbolically represent performance. From this perspective, it’s possible this dream represents some type of performance anxiety, either literally or metaphorically. Is there a situation occurring in your life where you’re feeling a lack of strength or confidence?

Another angle to consider with this dream is the connection to circumcision, which could lead to an interpretation regarding religion. For example, in religious circles, circumcision represents a commitment or bond. In this context, to dream of a penis cut halfway could symbolize the exaggerated extent of this commitment. If the feeling in the dream is fear or anger, then the dream might be sending the message that the scope of this commitment needs to be reevaluated to determine what boundaries need to be set.

On the other hand, religious or not, the dream could represent a sense of guilt related to sex or sexuality, with the penis cut halfway symbolizing a self-imposed consequence or punishment.

As you can see by the broad array of possible interpretations, the true interpretation of the dream is up to the dreamer. If you haven’t gotten that “Aha!” feeling while reading any off these possible interpretations, then think about what was on your mind when you went to sleep, and it’s likely you’ll easily connect the dots. If it’s still unclear, watch for another clarifying dream from your inner mind in the days ahead.

See also:

Blood spotting…

Dream: I had a dream that I was blood spotting. Can you please tell me what this dream is all about?

DreamsMaster: I’m guessing that by “blood spotting” you mean spotting in the middle of your menstrual cycle. If so, start by looking for any literal meaning. For example:

If you are pregnant, check with your doctor to rule out any problems with the pregnancy.
If you no longer have menstrual cycles and pregnancy is not a possibility, check with your doctor to rule out any gynecological concerns.

Have you been experiencing any symptoms in your waking world, such as cramping or any other type of pain in your abdomen? It’s possible your dreaming mind is pulling together clues that you’ve been dismissing during your daily life, trying to get your attention.

If the literal angle doesn’t fit, next look at what “blood spotting” may mean to you symbolically. Blood in dreams often symbolizes our life force. Along these lines, “blood spotting” could be a metaphor for losing some of your personal power or strength, either literally or figuratively.

What emotion did you experience in the dream when you became aware of the blood spotting? Were you scared, curious, detached? Does the feeling in the dream resemble any feeling you experienced in your waking world recently? Most of our dreams relate to what was on our mind when we went to sleep, so considering your thoughts and feelings ahead of the dream may provide you with more clues.

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Plumbing problem…

Dream: I dreamed that there was a small opening like a really small pipe coming from up under my carpet just running and I was panicking because I couldn’t stop it.

DreamsMaster: The first thing that comes to my mind is that you may be sensing a problem with your plumbing. This plumbing problem could be literal in regards to the home you live in, or it could be a metaphor for the plumbing in your body.

What was on your mind when you went to bed the night you had the dream? Did you notice any wet spots on the ceiling or floor, or a toilet running? If nothing literal comes to mind, how about your health? Have you been experiencing any discomfort anywhere in your body? When’s the last time you were checked out by a doctor?

Water in a dream may also represent one’s emotional state. Along these lines, is there something building up emotionally for you below the surface (symbolism of the carpet covering the floor), that you fear if you let it out it will continue to flow uncontrollably?

In the dream, you were “panicking” because you “couldn’t stop it.” What were you afraid would happen? Did you sense your life was in danger? Or just that you were going to have a really big mess to clean up?

If one of these angles touched a nerve for you, then that’s the one I suggest you create a course of action to address. The dream is no doubt sending you an urgent message, and I encourage you to follow your instincts about it and get whatever outside assistance you may need – a plumber, a doctor, or a friend to talk to.