Self-image

How do dreams relate to self-image?

Brushing teeth…

Dream: I was dreaming of brushing my teeth.

DreamsMaster: This is a great dream to explore both literally and symbolically.

On a literal level, dreaming of brushing teeth could mean you need to pay more attention to your oral hygiene. For example, maybe you’ve recently experienced a toothache, or perhaps you’ve noticed people subtly moving further away from you when you speak (i.e., bad breath).

If nothing fits at the literal level, next take a look at some metaphors and symbols associated with teeth. For example:

– Teeth in a dream often symbolize power or strength. In this context, to brush them could represent the desire to enhance these qualities.

– Teeth may also represent our self-image, or our presentation to the outer world. Were you brushing in front of a mirror? In this context, brushing your teeth could represent a need to “brush up on” your image in a business or personal relationship.

The feeling you had in the dream as you brushed as well as what was on your mind the night of the dream will provide additional clues to the dream’s meaning.

See also Popular Dream Themes…

Submit a dream of your own to the DreamsMaster…

Married to a TV star…

Dream: In my dream I’m married to Sonny Crockett from Miami Vice and he is very nice and protective of me.

DreamsMaster: To understand what this dream means, start by thinking about how you would describe Sonny Crockett to someone who never heard of him. For example, if it were my dream, I would use the following adjectives to describe this character:

Sonny Crockett = attractive, intelligent, brave, maintains law & order, upholds justice, takes part in the war against drugs

Those are my own projections onto that character. What would you add or change in your description?

Next, think about how you personally identify with those character traits. The fact that you’re married to this person represents a level of intimacy or identification with him – the two of you are “joined together” on some level.

You also mention that he’s very “nice and protective” of you. Perhaps a part of you wishes for a person like this to enter your life and take care of you. But in reality, these traits you admire in Sonny Crockett are actually present within you – you don’t need to look outside yourself to find them. Be Sonny Crockett, and you’ll attract a Sonny Crockett into your life!

See more Dream Interpretation techniques…

Submit a dream of your own to the DreamsMaster…

Bats trying to get in…

Dream: Dreamed of bats lots trying to get into windows. My son let two in and I was frightened. He let two in.

DreamsMaster: A bat (or two, in this case) can mean different things to different people. Here’s how to approach interpreting this dream…

1) Let’s begin by looking at the theme of the dream. In general terms, what is going on? For example, the theme of this dream could be: There’s a whole lot of something threatening outside, and someone has allowed some of the threat to get in.

2) Next, look at the specific dream symbols (such as person, place or thing) and think or write about what each means to you personally. Here’s an example from my own personal perspective – if this were my dream – but keep in mind these are only my personal projections onto your dream; you’re the one that needs to decide what fits!

Bat = Something with a reputation for being dangerous, but in reality is not. (Why, specifically, were you afraid of the bats in your dream?)

House = Sense of Self.

Window = Protection.

Son = If I had a son, in this dream the son would represent himself.

Two = The concern is twofold.

3) Take a look at the feelings evoked in the dream, and see if you can connect them to feelings you’ve been experiencing and perhaps denying in your daily life. To be “frightened” usually includes feeling vulnerable and lacking control. Are these feelings familiar to you?

4) Now, take the dream, theme and symbols and pull it all together. Here’s another example if this were my dream…

There are a number of frightening influences in the outside world, from which I try to protect my family and myself. My son does not perceive the threat the same as I do, and he is allowing some outside influences to enter our home.

5) Finally, as you work through this process, ask yourself, where in your waking world is this happening? And, what was on your mind the night before you had the dream? It’s possible your inner detective is at work, giving you this dream as a warning. This thought came to me as I was projecting my own personal thoughts and feelings onto your dream: Does your son have two friends that you question may be a dangerous influence on him?

See more Dream Interpretation techniques…

Submit a dream of your own to the DreamsMaster…

Mirror image…

Dream: I wake up in a snowy forest. A young girl walks up to me. My dream jumps to me in a tent. A dark cloud comes out of my mouth and forms the shape of a person and floats into a mirror stood near to me. I walk up to the mirror and I see my abusive father and he says, “You, me, what’s the difference.” The mirror shatters. I get shot from behind then I wake up.

DreamsMaster: My sense from this dream is that you’re questioning whether or not you are a “mirror image” of your abusive father. A part of you feels that you are (the dark cloud that comes out of your mouth and becomes your abusive father), while another part of you desperately wants to shatter that image.

The dark cloud that comes out of your mouth… the day or night before you had this dream, did you have some sort of confrontation with a significant other, in which you said (or bit back) dark or mean things that made you identify with your father?

This dark side of you questions the difference between your father and you, but there’s a healthier part of you that knows better. Join forces with this healthier part, and the next time your father appears in a dream or in your waking imagination, stand tall and assert, “There IS a difference.” And make it so.

Submit a dream of your own to the DreamsMaster…

Flooded bridge…

Dream: I had a dream that I was on a bus. It was raining and sunny. The bridge was full of water, to the point that it was flooded, and the bus driver takes us off the road.

DreamsMaster: Let’s start by looking at the theme of the dream: You are in transition (riding a bus), and there are obstacles in the way of your getting to the other side (flooded bridge).

Experiencing “flooding” in a dream often represents being “flooded with emotion”. Water may also represent one’s deeper spirituality. It’s interesting that it’s both raining and sunny. This could represent mood swings related to the challenges and rewards experienced along the way.

The driver steers you clear of danger (takes you off the road). This could represent the part of you that remains in control, despite the emotional swings and life challenges.

As you read these possibilities, is anything getting triggered inside of you? Are you able to identify where in your life this theme may be occurring? As an additional clue, think of what was on your mind the night you had the dream.

My general sense is that although you may be going through a lot in your life right now, you’ll maintain control and have good judgment getting yourself through the challenges.

Read more about Dream Interpretation…