It’s All About Impending Choice

This column is intended as entertainment. But psychologists who work with clients’ dreams say that dreams can hold a tremendous amount of significance; a particularly disturbing or repetitive dream may indicate the need to see a therapist.

Dear Nancy: I have had this dream three times in the last two months. I wonder what it means. - A.J.

I am standing on a narrow, sandy peninsula looking down at the sea. The sea on my right is far below and is extremely wild and turbulent with large white-capped waves. It is beautiful but also frightening. As I watch, the waves come up very high, nearly touching me. I know there is a riptide and remember other times that I have been caught by the tides and pulled under. I am attracted to the sea, but also have accompanying fears, anxieties, and apprehensions. I look to the left side of the peninsula and the water is very low and calm.

Dear Water is one of the most fundamental symbols of dream work. It represents the unconscious, that which is hidden, also emotional energy. The sea is an incredible source of life but can also be very dangerous. In this dream you are an observer, above the turbulence, but you are afraid of the riptide, of being pulled under. Are you distancing yourself from your emotions in order to avoid and resist the storm within? On the left side of the peninsula the waters are calm and distant.

I feel this dream is about choices and risk-taking. You are on the precipice between the calm, safe sea and uncharted waters. Of the two, you seem to be most attracted to the unpredictable and you may choose to get in that water. By learning to ride the waves you can have that adventure and freedom and feel safe, too. You may continue to have this dream until you make a choice.

Dear Nancy: I had this dream weeks ago and it still comes up in my mind. I wonder what it means. - Bud

I am at work and meet a co-worker who asks me out to lunch. We go to a deli where a friend of his works. As his friend takes our order, I look through the glass window of the cold storage compartment and see a little terrier-type dog in there with the cold cuts. I ask, “Doesn’t the dog get cold in there? Do you keep him in there all day?” He answers, “Yes. He was cold the first day, but he got used to it.” I thought it was very sad that the dog was locked up like that in such a cold environment.

Dear Bud: Let’s begin by looking at the little dog and what is happening to him. Animals in dreams usually are symbolic of our basic natural instincts; the dog represents loyalty, faithfulness, and the essence of “man’s best friend.” This little dog has been living in a very cold environment and has actually gotten used to it. He is being abused and you recognize that and are concerned.

The dream takes place in a deli, a place that offers nourishment and food for thought. Instead, you see suffering. This is a teaching dream illustrating a problem in your life. I would ask, “Are you in a situation where you feel a lack of warmth and nourishment? Do you feel your friendship and loyalty are not being valued? What can you do to solve this problem?”

Note to readers: Remember that only you can truly interpret your own dreams, so, if the definition of a symbol does not feel right to you, keep searching inside yourself to find the true meaning. Your symbols are your own; one person’s frightening monster will be another’s source of mystery and power.

xxxx