Tag Archive: vulnerable

I saw a toilet in my dream…

Dream: I saw a toilet in my dream. What does this mean?

DreamsMaster: A toilet in a dream can mean different things to different people, but it most commonly represents a need to release unpleasant but natural feelings. Similarly, dreaming of having to use a toilet but there being none available often represents an obstacle to expressing these emotions. Something to ask yourself is whether the obstacle to releasing these feelings is external (a real or perceived threat from another person or situation) or internal (your own sense of shame or guilt).

Was the toilet clean or filthy? This could represent the type of feelings needing expression. A clean toilet may be an invitation to release emotions perceived as more positive, such as love and joy. A dirty toilet may represent less acceptable feelings such as anger and jealousy. Another aspect to consider is whether or not there was a need to “hold it in” and/or an inability to do so, which would be a metaphor for trying to control or fearing losing control of one’s emotions.

Was the toilet in a private space or out in the open? This could represent a sense of vulnerability about expressing these feelings.

What was on your mind the night before you had this dream? See if you can relate any events or feelings in the waking world with the events or feelings in the dream.

Ah, and let’s not overlook the potential literal meaning… a dream about a toilet is sometimes just our sleeping mind’s way of telling us our body needs to wake up and go use one!

Elevator falls and crashes…

Dream: I’m on an elevator falling from hundreds of floors, then crashes when it hits the bottom!

DreamsMaster: This dream could be a warning – you’ve enjoyed a rise to the top, but are about to be humbled as you come crashing down. Just remember: sometimes it takes hitting bottom to rise all the stronger.

I have long trusted dreams as prophetic visions. I do not mean that they foretell the future, only that they illuminate the present, when my eyes are closed, so that I may see clearly.
– Sheldon Kopp, The Hanged Man

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.

Chasing me…

Dream: I used to dream someone was chasing me to kill me. It was always a different scenario but same situation. I had a similar dream last night again. They never catch me. I always manage to get away.

DreamsMaster: Being chased in a dream immediately raises the metaphorical question, what are you running away from? The dream often involves a sense of vulnerability and lack of control, and implies there’s something in your waking world or psyche that you’re trying hard to deny or ignore but is chasing you down.

Here are some things to explore as you unravel the mystery behind this particular recurring dream of yours…

1) To start, write the theme of the dream and underline key symbols. There was not much detail in the dream you submitted, so in this case it can be as basic as: I am feeling threatened by someone, but I manage to escape.

2) Ask yourself some questions about the dream to try to recall more details, which may provide more symbols to work with. For example:

– Were you being chased by a man or a woman? When a person is undefined in a dream, s/he often represents a disowned part of oneself (our “shadow”). Describe this person in detail, perhaps even imagine interviewing him/her and asking questions such as, “Why are you pursuing me?”

– Did this person carry a weapon? If so, what was it? A gun? Knife? Do you have any personal associations to this particular type of weapon?

– Where were you when you were being chased? Was there anything familiar about the setting?

3) After you’ve probed your memory for more details of the dream, ask yourself these other questions as you try to associate the feelings and symbols from the dream to your waking life:

– What was on your mind when you went to bed last night?

– Recall the feelings you had in the dream. Did you have any similar feelings like that yesterday or last night?

4) If you don’t already have one, start keeping a journal where you can track these recurring dreams. Each time you have the dream, write it out in as much detail as possible, and be sure to note what was on your mind or what occurred the day/night before. A trend will appear, which will shed light on the message your inner self is trying to send you.

On a personal note, I used to have a similar recurring dream where I was being chased by unknown others threatening to kill me. One night while I was having this dream, in the midst of the chase the thought occurred: I’m going to die sooner or later. I’d prefer later than sooner, but if this is it, so be it. With that, I stopped running and calmly turned to face the pursuer, then gently awoke. Having faced my fear of death, I never had that dream again. And that calm acceptance of death stayed with me in the waking world, bringing a core sense of peace I had never before experienced.