Dreams ©

I'm not quite sure which came first: did I always have a good imagination which led to experiencing incredible dreams, or do I have a good imagination because I dream imaginatively?

My dreams are sometimes incredibly complex and I have written short stories etc based on what my mind thought up.

I have several recurring dreams which are quite telling about what is going on in my life:

1. houses;
2. floods;
3. volcanoes; and
4. being a hero

1. Houses

The house dreams started when I was about 9 or 10 when my parents were going through a rough time in their marriage and having lots of fights. Many of my dreams were centred around a house which looked good on the outside, but was dark and creepy inside and falling down. 

The funny thing is that the house was never the same in any of the dreams, but as soon as I stood at the front gate, I would look up at the house and say, "I'm dreaming about the house again."

A very simplistic but good interpretation of the instability I was feeling in my life at the time. Outwardly to the world our home looked good, but on the inside, everything was falling apart.

Since that time, whenever I am feeling instability in my life, I start dreaming about homes again, but now with more detail. This time I dream about purchasing a home/apartment etc but am concerned because it is either run-down and needs lots of work, or in a possible flood-prone area.

During the past few months as I struggled through my depression and began to overcome the anxiety and stress that resulted from the difficult people I had been working with, the house dreams began anew. But now, as I am heading out of the depression and looking for a change in my career, the home in my dreams have become symbolic of the changes I am undergoing: while the home I purchase in my dreams may need some repairs, I am excited (and a little anxious) about what the home will become. And that is a very clear statement about how I feel about myself and where I am at: I am excited and anxious about what the future holds.

2. Floods

Floods continue to rise in my dreams on a regular basis. Most of the time I am trying to warn people to get out of the danger zone while I take my family members and pets, to nearby hilltops, to wait it out.

I can recall my anxious feelings about whether we would make it and whether I had everyone and everything we needed to get by.

I've never really been sure about what my mind is really telling me with this dream. Probably it's a continuation of the anxiety theme in my "home" dreams and about the danger I am feeling. Perhaps it's when I am feeling overwhelmed in my life and I'm not sure if I can make it.

3. Volcanoes

Yet again another danger dream, but oftentimes I am endeavouring to warn and/or save people from the danger. 

This dream started when I was a child after reading a nature book on volcanoes and seeing a couple of old movies, eg "The Time Machine". I vividly recall the streams of lava flowing in to the street in one of those scenes which frightened the heck out of me.

This dream though does not occur very frequently, and I'm not quite sure what triggers it.

4. Being a Hero

As long as I can remember I have dreamed of being the hero - sometimes I have been a female and sometimes a male. The volcano and flood dreams often overlap with the "Being a Hero" dream as I try to save as many people as I can. In the dream though most of the people won't believe me, I still try and rescue as many people as I can.

Usually I can fly, though often my ability is frustratingly limited and when I am carrying a passenger, I can only fly about 2 or 3 metres above the ground.

Perhaps this is indicative of my desire to help people in real life, to help rescue them from their difficulties if needed. My limited ability probably indicates that I realise the limitations of my own abilities. But then it also may suggest that I rely too much on my own abilities and should trust more in God.

To Finish

My good friend Ana told me recently that she often dreams about food. Culturally to her people (Samoan and Maori) food is very important, so it makes sense that this should crop up in her dreams so frequently. The problem for Ana is that when wakes up she often feels quite hungry.

In one of her recent dreams, she was standing on top of a building about 3 storeys high. In her hand was a hardhat filled with muffins, and she was throwing them to the crowd down below, who happily caught and ate the muffins.

I thought it was hilarious, and then she said that when she woke up she wanted to eat muffins! 

It's funny, but I don't ever recall dreaming about eating. Probably a lot of what we dream about is based on our own culture and our families and on what was deemed as important.

Do you have any suggestions about the dream interpretations? What are your recurring dreams? ©