Self-image

How do dreams relate to self-image?

Went to work without my pants…

Dream: I went to work without my pants on. Then I could not find my way home. I ended up in a line at Six Flags.

DreamsMaster: There are three separate but related themes in this dream. Let’s take a look at each separately and then bring them together.

1) Went to work without pants on: Generally when we dream of being naked in public or forgetting to put on fundamental pieces of clothing, this represents feeling exposed and vulnerable. In this case, since you went to work like this, consider if the day before the dream you were feeling unprepared, unprofessional, or in some other way had your guard down.

2) Could not find way home: Trying to get home could represent trying to get to a place of comfort and familiarity within yourself. It could also represent starting over again, home base. Not being able to find the way could represent obstacles in the current approach to trying to solve the problem at hand.

3) In line at Six Flags: The Six Flags that I know is an amusement park with lots of wild rides.

When I put these three themes together, if it were my dream, I’d interpret it like this:

I am feeling exposed and vulnerable in my work environment. My attempts to resolve or avoid the situation are not being met with success. If I stay in line with my current path, I’ll have a wild ride ahead.

As you read my projections onto your dream, does any of it fit for you? If so, I suggest you take a good look at your current life situation and assess if the decisions you’ve been making are truly in your best interest. Also, consider whether these feelings of being exposed or vulnerable signify the need to present yourself with greater confidence.

Finally, if you’re still at a loss, think about what was on your mind the night before the dream, and also try to recall if you felt any similar feelings to the dream the day before. These will help point you toward the problem your sleeping mind is working on.

Read more about Your Dreams…

Cold as ice…

Dream: In my dream, I saw a block of ice falling down from the sky like rain. When I went to pick it up, it turned to water.

DreamsMaster: Water in dreams often represents our emotional state. In this case, a block of ice could represent hardened emotions. The fact that it turned to water when you went to pick it up implies that these hardened emotions are softening.

Think about what was on your mind the night you had this dream. Have you been feeling “cold as ice” toward someone or something, but now those feelings are starting to warm? This dream could represent a sense of healing taking place inside of you, emotionally and/or spiritually.

The symbol in the dream has more the value of a parable: it does not conceal, it teaches.
– Carl Jung, as quoted in C.G. Jung: Psychological Reflections

I always count money…

Dream: What does it mean to always count money in your dreams?

DreamsMaster: Money can represent personal value and self-worth. In this regard, to “always count money” in a dream may symbolize a constant need for reassurance.

Money may also symbolize security, power and freedom. In this case, dreams of counting money may occur at times you may be feeling particularly insecure or powerless in your waking world, and the dreams are your inner-mind’s way of trying to calm yourself or put your mind at ease.

What a dream means has everything to do with the dreamer. Let’s say you own a business and dream about counting money. If you’re feeling happy in the dream, the dream could represent good fortune coming your way. On the other hand, if you’re feeling anxious in the dream, the dream could represent a sense of mistrust. For example, your inner detective may be picking up clues that an employee is stealing from you. Or, you could be anxious about whether or not you are bringing in enough money to meet your needs.

In order to fully understand what this recurring dream means to you, start by pausing to think about what money means to you personally. Also, consider the act of counting it, and the feeling that accompanies this in the dream. If none of the ideas above trigger the “Wa-la!” feeling that comes with an accurate interpretation, start keeping track of when you have this dream, and what was on your mind the day or night before. This should help shine light on the message your inner self is trying to give you.

Three strikes…

Dream: I was at my father-in-law’s house. I went to use the bathroom and realized I had split my pants, so I leave and the house is full of people that I recognize – my ex’s mother, grandmother, and others. I walk over to say hello to his mother and grandmother. I lean over to give his grandmother a hug and kiss on the cheek and when I attempt to release she says to me “no give me more” but I push away and go to lean down and acknowledge his mother and in the process accidentally punch his grandmother in the mouth. Automatically I start apologizing but she gets up and runs out of the house. I look at his mother and tell her how sorry I am and that I will make it right and I run out after his grandmother. As I come out the front door his grandmother is running towards a park across the street surrounded by fence and she runs directly into the fence with her face. Out of nowhere the police show up and she starts fighting them and then they shoot her and a battered cop looks up at me and says, “Three strikes – she hit me 3 times – I shoot on the 3rd strike.” And that’s when I woke up.

DreamsMaster: I get the sense from this dream that you struggle to assert yourself when it comes to setting boundaries and standing up for yourself. If this rings true, it’s likely this personal challenge was particularly keen in regards to your prior relationship with your ex and in-laws. However, unless they were on your mind the night of the dream, there’s something else in your current life that has triggered this same response, and the dream may be sending a message that it’s time to address it. Here are the specific themes in the dream that point me to this interpretation…

– The setting of the dream is your father-in-law’s house: This could represent your sense of self in regards to that period of time in your life, which appears to have been rather oppressive (based on additional personal information shared).

– You went inside to use the bathroom and realized you split your pants: Needing to go to the bathroom in a dream often represents a need to release unpleasant or pressing feelings. Splitting your pants is similar to dreams about being naked, representing a sense of feeling exposed or vulnerable. The way you describe this scene, it appears the split pants inhibited you from actually relieving yourself. Put it all together, this dream scene could represent an inability to fully express yourself for fear of being exposed and vulnerable.

– The drama with the grandmother essentially unfolds when you try to assert yourself and set a boundary with her. Your polite overture of an obligatory hug and kiss was met with her demanding more from you: you tried to pull away and she insisted on pulling you back. You resisted but then paid the penalty with a negative consequence of your actions. At that point you immediately flipped into an apologetic mode needing to “make it right”. Does this describe a pattern in your waking world, where you negotiate away your own needs in an effort to please or meet the needs of others?

– The police could represent your own inner sense of justice. The battered cop explained a “three strikes you’re out” strategy. Perhaps this is the core message of the dream: establish your personal boundaries and honor them by having the courage to stand up for yourself. Remember, you can’t expect others to respect you if you don’t demonstrate respect for yourself.

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.