A Means Of Resolving Your Anxiety

Dear Nancy: I had this dream during an extremely stressful time at work. My supervisor was becoming so verbally abusive that I hated to get up and go to work. It finally got so bad that some other co-workers and I had to report her to her superiors. She was reprimanded but instead of improving her behavior, it got worse. We reported her again and she was transferred to another department then laid off. This dream really bothered me because I am really not a violent person. - Leona

I am in a basement with a man who is my husband (although he doesn’t look like my husband). We are sitting peacefully together. A dark-haired woman comes in and threatens us with a plastic knife. My husband takes it and breaks it to pieces. This scene repeats several times with the fear rising and subsequent relief when the knife is broken. Then the woman turns to me and threatens me with the knife. The look on her face is taunting. I look across the room and see that my husband is dead. She has killed him. Then she looks me right in the eyes with that taunting expression and threatens me with a razor blade. I look her in the eye, snatch the razor from her, and cut her throat. She’s dead.

Dear Leona: When we spoke on the telephone, we were able to identify the woman attacker as your supervisor. She had the same technique as the woman in the dream of repeatedly attacking and not letting up. The plastic knife suggests this attack is not physically harmful and yet her verbal abuse has a cutting edge to it.

The dream husband doesn’t look like your real husband so very likely he represents your masculine side, the part of you that is a breadwinner and is more assertive in the world. The woman consistently attacks that part of you. Did you feel that the security of your job was threatened? Were you thinking of quitting under the stress of these attacks?

When you see that your husband is dead you realize the attacks are real, she is able to do real damage. This is when you gather your strength and say no to any more threats.

You had tried to disarm her many times but there comes a time when you must resolve the situation. Turning her own weapon around and using it on her was a necessary and appropriate response.

I believe this dream came to show you your own anxiety and aversion to this woman’s behavior, Leona, and to resolve the situation and tension on an emotional level.

Tips for readers: When recording a dream, be sure to include all remembered details or elements no matter how unimportant they may seem at the time. These minute details can be a bridge to access the meaning of the symbols and emotions in the dream.

For instance, you dream that you are being chased by an unknown man. You recall what seems like a minor detail - the pursuer has red hair. You can then use the image of red hair and ask yourself, “What are red-haired men like?” You may say that red-headed men are fiery, passionate and dangerously impulsive. You can then ask yourself, “Is there a part of me that is fiery, passionate and impulsive? If so, why am I running from it?”

Does the red hair remind you of a particular person who is aggravating you in some way? Could the red hair be a metaphor for someone who wears a red hat?

Taking note of the details of a dream and working with them can reveal metaphors and information that can shed new light on the dreamer’s life.

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