Self-image

How do dreams relate to self-image?

Cut off at the knee…

Dream: My friend has asked me about his dream. He has dreamed the same dream for eight nights. He can’t remember anything about the dream except that his right leg is cut off at the knee.

DreamsMaster: Start with asking your friend if he can recall what was on his mind the night he first had the dream. Suggest he look at his calendar and see what events occurred that day, which may have contributed to what was on his mind. Something in his waking world triggered this dream, and the nightly recurrence of it is his subconscious mind’s way of emphasizing the importance of the message buried within.

That said, here are some ideas regarding how to interpret this dream…

In general, look for literal meanings first. In this case, the question would be if he’s been experiencing any problems with his right leg or right foot, such as pain or weakness. If so, the dream is a warning that there may be a health issue, and he should check with his doctor as soon as possible.

If the literal angle doesn’t fit, next look at possible metaphors and symbolism. For example, there’s the saying to be “cut off at the knees” which means to be beaten down, deflated, stopped in your tracks. Can he identify an event eight days ago that may have triggered these feelings in him? There’s also the expression to be “cut down to size”, referring to being criticized or belittled. Did something happen at work or socially that was a blow to his ego or self-confidence?

If he’s active in sports or self-defense, especially if his right leg is his dominant leg, then the dream may represent a sense of feeling powerless and defenseless. Again, look to events/thoughts/feelings that occurred at the original onset of the dream to help identify the trigger.

Thin ice and mice…

Dream: For the past two nights I’ve dreamed of my deceased dad in bed. On both occasions he never spoke. One dream I was walking on ice that was about to break, but i jumped into the bed he was on and the ice stop breaking. The other bed dream there were mice infested in the room we were in.

DreamsMaster: A bed often represents a resting place, and since your deceased dad is in bed in both dreams, perhaps this is a way of you coming to terms with him “resting in peace”. The fact that both dreams are anxiety-provoking leads me to think that something unsettling is going on in your waking life, and perhaps you’re wishing you had your dad to turn to for help.

There’s a clear metaphor in the first dream: Where in your life do you feel you’re “walking on thin ice”, or in a precarious situation? You reached out for your father in the dream for protection. If your father were alive, what words of wisdom might he share with you to get you through this difficult time?

Water or ice in a dream may also represent one’s emotions. Viewed from this perspective, this dream scene could represent a fragile or vulnerable emotional state. If your father died relatively recently (“recently” is purely subjective), or if the dream occurred around the anniversary of his death or other event when you’re particularly aware of his absence, the dream could be connected with a wave of grief surfacing, breaking through the thin veneer of “holding it together”.

As for the second dream, mice may symbolize different things depending on your personal association with mice. From your description, mice infesting a room could symbolize certain situations or people in your life becoming overwhelming. A mouse may also represent timidity. In this case, the dream could be sending you a message to be more forthright – perhaps a trait your dad had, or would encourage you to have.

Teeth rotting…

Dream: Have to meet a lady in a community place to see my children, teeth rotting in front.

DreamsMaster: A dream about teeth rotting in front could be a metaphor for the expression “to lose face”, implying the loss of respect from others. I don’t know you or your life situation, but if this were my dream, it would mean that I feel have done something irresponsible in regards to my role as a parent, and I am feeling exposed and ashamed about it. If this interpretation fits for you, I’d take it a step further and suggest that the takeaway message is to reverse the tide and find a way to “save face” – do the needful to regain your dignity, and become the person your children would be honored to have as a parent.

Shaking hands with the president…

Dream: I dreamed about shaking hands with the president and having a lively conversation with him.

DreamsMaster: A president generally represents someone with power and control. To shake hands with the president in a dream could mean that you’re getting in touch with your own inner power and have a sense of control over your life right now. The fact that the two of you are engaged in lively conversation suggests that this sense of power and control are manifesting in your life in the areas of creativity and communication.

Is it clear in the dream which president, specifically, you are shaking hands with? If so, is he the president of the country you currently reside in, or does he preside over a different country? Is this president someone whose political views you generally agree with, or not? These additional pieces of information can add further clarity to the dream’s meaning. For example, if it’s a president you associate with a specific political position that you’ve protested in the past, shaking hands with him in your dream may mean your position or attitude about that subject has become more aligned with his.

When you awoke from the dream, did you have any recollection of the conversation itself? Also, was this “lively conversation” friendly in nature, or was there an edge of conflict or hostility? The nature and tone of the dialog could shed additional light on the dream’s meaning as well.

See more dream interpretation techniques…

Submit a dream of your own to the DreamsMaster…

Winning the soccer match…

Dream: I’ve been having this recurring dream for five years. In this dream, I’m playing a soccer match. In all these dreams I’m the main player who tries to score goals for my team. In the early days we used to lose our games. Recently, we are winning while playing beautifully.

DreamsMaster: Congratulations! Somewhere in your life, starting about five years ago, you were being met with a challenge that you did not feel you were living up to. But over time you have become more capable and confident about meeting this challenge, and now you are at the top of your game!

I don’t know what the soccer match represents to you personally, but the fact that you’ve turned from losing to “winning while playing beautifully” is a very nice metaphor in your life right now. Enjoy that winning feeling!

Read more about Recurring Dreams…

Submit a dream of your own to the DreamsMaster…