View Characters, Symbols As Part Of Self Nancy Huseby Bloom

Dear Nancy: I had this dream 30 years ago but I’ve never forgotten it. I’ve been happily married for 51 years and have lived a quiet life. I had a chance to be a professional singer but chose not to pursue that career. At the time it seemed the right thing to do, but, in retrospect, I feel I ignored my potential and wasted my talents. I also love to write. - Josephine.

I’m in a dungeon. There are other people there behind bars and in chains, but I’m free to walk around.

An executioner appears, holding an ax. He leers at me and runs his finger along the edge of the ax to indicate how sharp it is. I know I’m going to be executed. At the very moment I feel total acceptance of my fate, an opening appears and I escape the dungeon.

I start to cross a bridge when a small child appears in front of me, continually blocking my path. I pick him up, spin around and place him behind me, saying, “Honey, you’re in my way!” I keep going. I see a signpost that says “HAPPINESS” but I never get there.

Dear Josephine: Let’s look at the dream as if all the characters and symbols are parts of yourself.

Settings in dreams are important and often contain clues to the dream’s issues. Dreaming of being in prison is often a stark metaphor for how we hold ourselves in life. We often create our own “prisons” and then use them as an excuse to keep ourselves small and limited.

Death is often a positive symbol in dreams. In your dream, the executioner comes to kill the prisoner, and in the acceptance of your death, you are set free. In other words, the part of you that was limited and held back needed to die for you to find the freedom to go ahead with a creative life.

Bridges are often symbols of transition; leaving the old and entering the new. Could the child blocking your way be your own inner child choosing security over the risk of pursuing a singing career? Could the child be your husband? Perhaps you felt you had to choose between a family and your creativity.

You choose to go forward, placing the child behind you. You’re traveling toward a place called “HAPPINESS,” and your journey has just begun.

This dream is about choices in life; in choosing, we create our lives. It’s never too late to sing, write, or do the things we love. I hope you find the desire and courage that will lead you to the heart of your creativity.

Tips

Pay attention to dream settings and landscapes. Some valuable questions to ask are: In this setting do I feel free or confined? Happy or upset? Safe or threatened? Nurtured or abandoned? In what areas of my life do I feel the same way?

Sometimes it’s good to back away from the dream’s details and look at its general feeling.

Remember, dreams come to teach us about ourselves and our lives. Good questions foster knowledge and growth.

xxxx