What Does It Mean To Dream You Are Dead?

In my dream, I knew I was dead. I wasn't sure how it happened but I knew that I was. I was still on Earth though, living at home with my family, going to school, living my daily life, but not everyone could see me. Those that could seemed to know that I was dead but didn't seem too concerned or sorry about it. It sucked for me though. I felt isolated and upset that I was dead and there was nothing I could do about it. One bonus was that I was able to sneak into a concert because the bouncer couldn't see me!

Having a dream when you see yourself dead or dying is understandably scary. Often, people are frightened that the dream is precognitive and it might be a foreshadowing of their own death. However, the symbol of death can be figurative, and doesn't necessarily have to be interpreted literally. As Carl Jung states, "when it is a dream of death, the dream speaks another language".

                                             

Death As A  Symbol In Dreams

Literally, death is the end of something. It can be the end of a life, but it could also be the end of a relationship or a life stage.

Usually, the idea of death in your dream will be a symbol. The grim reaper (Check out my post about Dreaming of A Dark Hooded Figure) a black dog, etc. are all examples of traditional death symbols in dreams. Traditionally, these would represent or foretell a bad event.

                                         



The Psychological Interpretation

Psychologically speaking, dreaming of death is not always a bad omen. It can even signify a new era in your life. It can be a way that your mind is preparing itself for change or exploring the idea of death. It is always important to interpret dreams within the context of one's own life. Dreams are not only made up of symbols but also can reflect the current events happening in the life of the dreamer.

Interpretation of the Dream

In the case of the dream above, the dreamer had just attended the funeral of an acquaintance who had died relatively young, so she obviously had the idea of death and dying on her mind. As well, she had just bought her first car, and was going into her last year of high school which definitely signifies a new stage of life and the end of an old one (childhood). The feelings she had in the dream about not being seen by everyone and feeling isolated could reflect the feelings she was having in her waking life as she goes through this transitional time.

In The Hidden Meaning of Dreams, Craig Hamilton Parker suggests three questions to ask yourself if you see yourself dead in your dream:
1) What is being expressed in the dream? Your dream might point out that you are afraid of death or the means of death in the dream.
2) Are you trying to free yourself from something? This would suggest leaving your old self behind.
3) Do you feel suicidal? If so, it might be expressing this feeling in the dream. Talking to someone you are close to or a counsellor can help you cope with these feeling.

Other posts about dreaming of death you might be interested in:

Dreaming of the Dead: Messages From Beyond
Dreaming of A Dark Hooded Figure
Dreaming of Driving A Car And Near Death Experiences
Resources

Cheung, Theresa. The Dream Dictionary From A-Z.  Harper Element: London, 2006.

Grant, Russell. The Illustrated Dream Dictionary. Sterling Publishing: New York, 1991.

Hamilton -Parker, Craig. The Hidden Meaning of Dreams. Sterling Publishing: New York, 1999.

Dreaming of Spiders

Just as I was waking up from a dream this morning, I had a sudden image of a large, yellow and black striped spider perched on my left hand. It was really large - like almost the size of my hand, with a small body and huge spindly legs. Surprisingly, though, I wasn't afraid, but rather, very intrigued. It was quite beautiful.

Like dreaming of snakes and rats (see other posts here), dreaming of a spider can be really frightening. Spiders are an image that usually scares people. Of course it depends on your own preference and experiences with spiders. While some dream images are universal in meaning, they are always coloured by your own personal interpretation of what that image means to you.

If we look at the aspects of spiders in real life, that can also give us some insight into what the symbol meant in our dreams. For example, a spider is a predatory and efficient hunter. It is also a creator of beautiful and intricate webs that require much patience to weave.

Spiders As An Image of Fear

Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders and may have its origins in the legitimate human fear of spiders that are poisonous.

Spiders As An Image of Good Luck

Since Medieval times, dreaming of spiders has been seen as an omen of good luck signifying the coming of prosperity and fortune.

The Spider's Web

Interestingly, we use the term "caught in a web of lies" or "she's spinning a web of lies" to illustrate when someone is being deceitful. It could also represent that you are feeling entangled or trapped. It is possible if you are dreaming of a spider in a web, it suggests this is going on in your life. On the positive side, the web can be seen as form of perfection and protection.

Freud's Interpretation of Spiders

Freud saw the spider image (a mother who poisons and devours her victims or even her own children) as a representation of the mother who devours her own children through possessiveness and guilt. The spider image does represent feminine creative energy.

Interpretation of My Dream

Because of the positive feelings I had about the spider in my dream, I prefer to think of it as a good omen. I am also paying attention to the other symbols in the dream. For example, the spider being on my left hand side (the more logical side of your brain), and my hand suggests receiving something.
As well the colours in the dream were striking to me - yellow means and black striped. As a positive image, yellow can represent hope and happiness while black can mean strength. Both colours also have negative connotations too though. I found a picture online similar to the one in my dream. A yellow and black striped garden spider can be found in my area. Looking at all this information, I interpret this dream to simply be a powerful symbol of good things to come.

Resources:

Ball, P. The Complete Dream Dictionary. Ontario: Prospsera Books, 1999.

Cheung, T. The Dream Dictionary from A-Z. London: HarperElement, 2006.

Hamilton-Parker, C. The Hidden Meaning of Dreams. New York: Sterling Publishing Co.,  1999.

Hindman Miller, G. 10,000 Dreams Interpreted. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1995.

Dreaming of a Tsunami

                                                 Photo by Cristian Vazquez from Pixbay


I'm at school teaching a small group of students. We hear there is going to be a Tsunami so we all head home. My dad/boyfriend/ex (not sure who it is because it keeps changing) is driving me home to our house which is an older style (not really my house). As I look out the left window, I see a Tsunami churning at the bottom of the street. I tell my dad that we have to go up to the second floor. He is resists this idea but eventually we do. I still think we need to go even higher, like to the roof of the house because I can see the water has risen all the way up our house. 
It's the next day and the water has receded. We are outside. The house is soggy and damp but still intact. I wonder if all the school people are okay.


Tsunami Symbol

I have never dreamt of a tsunami before. Generally, this symbol represents repressed feelings or emotions. In my dream, the tsunami was churning which is a good way to describe emotions (the churning feeling in your stomach). In reality, a tsunami is a large, catastrophic event that can cause a lot of damage.

Meaning of the Left Side in Dreams

In my dream, I looked out the left window of the house to observe the tsunami. In dreams, the symbol of a house represents yourself and different rooms mean various things (see articles Dreaming of a House, Dreaming of a House Surrounded By Water, Dreaming of a House, Basement and Hell). When you look to the left side you are perhaps looking at things from a different angle (versus the RIGHT side). On the other hand, the left side of the brain is commonly regarded as the more logical, rationale way of thinking.

Meaning of the Second Floor

Again to do with the House symbol (see above), the second floor represents your higher self, whereas the first or ground floor deal with more basic needs. In my dream, I felt the need to go to this higher place in order to be safe. I had difficulty convincing my dad to do this. After the water reached the second floor I wanted to go even higher. The Roof Symbol suggests ambition (climb to the top) as well as heightened awareness.

School Symbol

Because I am a teacher, I often dream of a school so for me the general symbol of school being a place to learn is also a place of stress, feelings of inadequacy, anything that would generally be related to a job. (You can read more about the school symbol in Naked Teacher Dreams, Dreaming of Being Stabbed and Dreaming of Birds). In this dream, I would see the school symbol first of all, as symbolizing this is a dream where I will learn something important, and second, representing my regular, every day life.

Symbol of the Male Figure

In my dream, the male figure changed from being my boyfriend/ex-husband then finally settling on being my father. The male symbol in my dreams usually means a person judging me. As well, it could suggest the opposite to my feminine side, a more rational way of thinking. Because my father has also passed away, I take dreams involving him to have a special message for me. (See Dreaming of the Dead).

The Interpretation

You can see that this was a dream with many different symbols that contributed to its overall meaning. I know from past interpretations of dreams, that some of the symbols have a unique meaning to me, while others are more general. The message I take from this dream is to be prepared for an event that will cause me some emotional turmoil. In order to face this and have a good outcome, I need to look at it from a different and higher perspective, in fact, the highest consciousness I can.

Dreaming of a Dark Cloud

In my dream, I am part of a Chinese family. There is a mom, dad, two younger kids and a grandma. We have come out of our apartment in the city and we are running down the street. The streets are crowded with others doing the same thing. I can see there is a dark, ominous cloud moving towards the city and threatening to blanket it. The dad can sense our worry. He looks up at the cloud, shrugs and says, "So what if the cloud separates us. You will make new friends wherever you go." I felt reassured then.
Photo by Lynn Grayling


Cloud Symbols in Dreams

 Cloud symbols in dreams usually represent feelings. For example, a fluffy white cloud can symbolize happiness while an ominous, dark cloud can represent feelings of oppression.

Dark Clouds As Images of Bad Luck

Traditionally, dark clouds and rainy days were seen as bad omens. For instance, getting married on anything but a sunny day would foretell of bad luck for the marriage. In real life, you might be feeling, literally, that you are living "under a dark cloud" of bad luck.

Dark Clouds Representing Feelings of Oppression

Sometimes in cartoon strips, a depressed character is seen with a dark, scribbly cloud over them in a bubble. Dark clouds can represent feelings of depression, oppression and apprehension that the dreamer has in waking life. The predominate image in this dream for me was the dark cloud. In my dream I felt like it meant that something bad was coming.

The Sun Breaking Through

If you dream of dark clouds but then in the dream the sunshine breaks through, this would be considered a good omen. It could represent that you will be able to break through whatever you are dealing with in real life. It connotes feelings of hope about a situation.

Although the sun didn't break through in my dream, the reassuring words of the father figure did. I took it to mean that while there might be trouble coming, I would be okay no matter what happened.

An interesting side note is that lately I have been reading about the Tao Te Ching so that's probably why the Chinese family and father figure sage with his wise Tao-like advice made an appearance:)

Dreaming of Your Mom

I am in my childhood home with my current boyfriend. We are in my mom's bed. We hear her come home and we jump up and quickly make the bed. Leaving the room before she can walk in.

Have you ever had a dream like this? Here I am a grown women living in my own house but I'm still afraid of being caught making out with my boyfriend by my mom. What does it mean if you dream about your mom?

The mother symbol in dreams can mean a variety of things. A lot depends on your own relationship and history with your mother so there can be positive or negative aspects to your dream.

Mother as the Nurturer: Your mother gave you life and so can be a symbol of Mother Earth, the life-source for us all. In this way, she can represent a caring, nurturing symbol in your dreams.

Mother as Controller: As much as your mother nurtured you, she was also in total control of your life when you were young. And, dependent on your relationship with her, well into your later years. If you see your mother like this in your dream it could mean that you are feeling controlled by something in general, and you want to break free and rebel.

Mother as Authority: Similar to controller, you may have had to answer to your mother when you were young to questions such as, "Where were you? Who were you with? You can't go out with that much makeup on!" Maybe you are feeling guilty about something or that you have to justify something in your waking life when you dream of your mother like that.

In my own dreams, my mother has appeared as all of these symbols. In this particular dream, however, I see her as an authority. Maybe I am feeling her judging my relationship or I am just feeling guilty and that I have to hide something in my waking life.

Dreaming About a Party

I dreamt I was hosting a Christmas Party at my house. I invited m ex-boyfriend and his children but they avoided me all night. Then my dream switched to a different scenario where they didn't come at all. I spent the party feeling anxious and wondering why. I thought he would at least text if he wasn't coming. Did something happen to him? Or was he just not interested?

Symbolism of a House

I have written quite a few blog posts about the house symbolism in dreams - Dreaming of a House, a Basement and Hell, Dreaming of a House Surrounded by Water, Dreaming of a House. Basically, a house is a symbol of yourself. Different rooms represent different areas of your psyche.

Symbolism of a Party

A party is a celebration. It indicates that life is good! Having it in your house means you might have the need to celebrate yourself.

However, if you are not enjoying yourself at the party, it might indicate that you have doubts about your social situation and life in general.

Having a party at your house is essentially inviting people into your psyche, your very personal space. A party represents the social aspects of your personality.

What Does My Dream Mean?

So knowing what the party theme symbolizes, I think that in my dream,  I was inviting my ex to have a look at my new life - a life I am proud of and want to celebrate. But although I tried in two different scenarios, he just wasn't interested. In the second scene I was even trying to make excuses for him that may or may not be legitimate. However, I take this dream s a very clear sign to move on with my life.

Dreaming of a House, a Basement and Hell

I am living in a house that is not mine in real life. Two men come to look at it to buy. As I show them around, I realize that I haven't been in the living room for a year because last year's Christmas tree is still there, dead pine needles and all. I also realize that there is major water damage, it is all soggy along the carpet and walls. "You're going to have to get this fixed," the man said. As I continued to lead him through the house I saw corridors and rooms I had never seen before. I was surprised but also delighted by so many cute rooms! One hallway led to the basement which was a huge underground cave, there was a dark beach area with water. Hundreds of people were in the water. I knew immediately that this was hell. I had been living in a house where hell was in the basement...I wasn't that disturbed by it, the people in the water seemed like lost souls but not scary at all. I was concerned, however, when my daughter ventured into the water. I was afraid the people would pull her in so I called her back.

Most dreams feature a combination of images, that when put together, lead to a richer interpretation of a dream. When you dream of a house, it symbolizes your inner psyche and the different rooms represent different areas of your life. 

 Living Room Symbol

A living room is generally a room where families and friends gather to socialize and celebrate. Since, in the dream, I hadn't used the living room in a year, points to the fact that in waking life, I have been neglecting that social side of my life. The damage to the carpet could suggest that my social standing is unstable and needs to be fixed.

Hallways and Corridors

These represent a transition in life, going somewhere, or a journey into self-awareness.

Basement Symbol

The basement is a symbol of your unconscious - things you have kept buried inside you and might not want to acknowledge in waking life.

Hell

Most people would view the image of Hell to be a symbol of suffering, guilt of sin but in my dream, it was more of a neutral waiting place. Water as a symbol can mean a cleansing of sins, which is what these people might have been undergoing. I don't think that I had to take part in this cleansing, in fact, I felt it was dangerous and pulled my daughter out. My daughter, who by the way is very religious, so maybe that represented saving her from religious ideologies such as the belief in hell? There is an idea (as seen in mythology) that once you have confronted hell you have confronted the dark side of your personality. I find the dichotomy between the "living" room and basement of the dead very interesting. This is a dream I will definitely ponder for years to come.