Children Represent New Ideas
Dear Nancy: My granddaughter Jennifer has lived with me most of her 16 years. Last April she moved in with her boyfriend and his family where she seems happy. I had this dream in September. A few weeks later she asked me to go to the doctor with her and we learned she is pregnant. Marrietta
I am in my home. I open the front door to find a group of people. I don’t recognize them but I know they are Jennifer’s boyfriend and his family. They hand me a small infant wrapped in a white receiving blanket and say, “Here’s Jennifer.” I cradle her in my left arm. They just walk in and begin going through everything in the apartment. I am upset and wonder what they want. How do I stop them? Should I call the police? I wake up.
Dear Marrietta: Because you had this dream several weeks before you knew your granddaughter was pregnant suggests it was a precognitive dream. They tell you the baby is Jennifer, making sure you know she is connected with your granddaughter.
The dream could also depict how you view your granddaughter. Do you feel you must protect her?
In the dream your home is invaded by this man and his family. It’s normal for dreams to exaggerate our feelings about events and people in our lives. This man and his family intruded upon you by becoming a part of your extended family.
Even though this dream was upsetting, cradled within it is the gift of your new great-grandchild. I hope this is a wonderful development in your life.
One of the most compelling images that appears in our dreams is that of the child. Our dream children show up in a wide range of motifs, from street urchins who are sickly, starving and in need of attention to the divine child who has wisdom and capabilities way beyond his years.
In our culture it is easy to get caught up in the struggle to make a living or gather power and prestige. Often our innate childlike nature goes by the wayside. We ignore our own creativity, spontaneity and playfulness. In dreams this shows up as abandoned children who are neglected or hungry and are often restrained in some way.
The divine child is often very precocious. This dream child can often walk and talk at birth, and usually the dreamer responds with an overwhelming love and recognition of his divineness. This child is an archetypal symbol of our transcendent and God-like qualities. To dream of this holy child is to touch your own God-given talents and potential.
Children and infants in the dream world also represent what is growing in our lives - new ideas and beliefs, potential for creativity, new projects and ventures.
It is important to take note of how you treat these dream children. Are you nurturing and caring or do you ignore and mistreat them? Whatever you do to your dream children you do to yourself, so it’s very important to pay attention to these dreams.
This column is intended as entertainment. However, 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.
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