This Is A Reassuring ‘Look’ Ahead

Dear Nancy: I am a junior in college and my boyfriend is a senior. This year has been hard for me, trying to juggle my time between studying and keeping a healthy relationship with my boyfriend. I had this dream the night we had a difficult discussion about commitment. - Alicia

This dream takes place in the future and I am aware that I am a few years older than I am now. It is a beautiful fall day and I am taking a walk with a friend. We are talking about several couples who we know who have made the decision to turn into birds. I ask her if our friend, Tami, has decided to turn into a bird and she says, “Yes, Tami’s now playing with children.”

I inquire about my boyfriend, Mike, asking if he has become a bird, too. I am anxious and worried that he might leave. My friend and I reach a small park and I see Mike. He is standing on a platform. I ask, “Why didn’t you fly away?” He comes down off the platform and tells me he would never think of leaving me. He hugs me and the other people in the park see us and are smiling and clapping their hands as we embrace.

Dear Alicia: This dream takes place in the future so it may be a precognitive dream giving you some insight into your relationship and reassurance that it will indeed endure. There are three references to the future in this dream: the fact that you are older, that it is fall, and your friend is now playing with children (you indicated on the phone that she is studying to be a teacher).

Your friends turning into birds may be about graduation time. This is the time they will “fly away” and be gone from the college community you are in now. Birds are symbolic of freedom and liberation and your concern is that your boyfriend, who is a senior, will graduate and fly away from you.

The park is a place of recreation and beauty. This suggests that you have come to a place that is nurturing to the spirit. Mike is there, waiting for you. His reassurance in the dream that he will not leave you and the relief you feel with that reassurance is a message from your inner self to relax, there is really no need for anxiety. The embrace and applause at the end of the dream shows a successful and joyous uniting of your hearts. Good luck, Alicia!

Tips for readers: When working with your dreams, be sure to note what the dream ego (that’s you) is doing and how it is behaving. By observing your actions in your dreams, you can determine what underlying attitudes and beliefs govern your waking life.

For instance, in your dreams, do you usually run away when confronted with difficult situations? Are you normally the observer in the dream rather than a participant? Do you ask for what you need or do you just accept lack and distress?

All of us have instances of these underlying attitudes, but when they come up repeatedly in our dreams, they reflect how we respond to life in the waking world. In other words, if we are frequently fearful in our dreams, then most likely we will be fearful in life. If we are not willing to ask for what we need during our sleep time, it’s doubtful we will do so in our waking hours.

The dream journal is a valuable source for tracking these patterns. Just make a note of your emotional response at the top of the page for each dream recorded. Were you fearful, anxious, joyful or merely observing? These notes will be beneficial for ongoing dream work, but remember to be gentle and compassionate with yourself.

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