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House & Elephant

This is long and complicated. I'm on my way to a party with old friends from high school and college. With me is a girlfriend from college and before we go to the party, I want to show her my old house that I lived in in OH (I seem to go back there frequently in my dreams). We enter the house and I realize my previous next door neighbors bought my house and renovated it. We walk into the main living room which used to be a screened porch. It's large and has white walls but is very interesting and attractive. In the middle of the room is a small barn and as I notice it, a baby elephant starts to emerge from the doorway and then goes back inside. Outside in the yard is a dog that I don't recognize. Back inside I enter a vestibule that leads to the front of the house and see my neighbors young son and I ask him if he remembers me and he says yes. Then I go into the kitchen and am impressed that they added a dishwasher and a small bathing space, perfect for washing up a pet or kid. I glance out and spot a small, lush garden ..very intimate and I remark how lovely everything is to Helene (one of the couple that was my old neighbor). It's time to return to the party and by this time, my friend from college has become impatient and uninterested. She walks fast away from me through the back fence. I call out to her and she's clearly angry. I wake up but this felt like a very very deep sleep. I feel tired but very relaxed after I get up.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 57 Georgia

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How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes but it's been over a year ago

Re: House & Elephant

Lisa,
Parties are where you celebrate. In dreams the celebration is often realizing new aspects about oneself/one's life. The girlfriend may have some significance as to similar traits or attitudes but likely in this instance she is another part of you. The focus of the dream is most likely the 'old house' you once lived in. The house is you, an old part of you, old experiences from that period of time in your life {because this house is a recurring symbol in your dreams then it suggests there are unresolved emotional experiences during that period of time}.

Entering the house is 'unconsciously going back over those experiences/exploring those memories and experiences'. This is a function of our dreams, to explore any unresolved emotional issues that retain high energy due to the experiences. The neighbor's son probably was involved in some aspect of these past emotional experiences. The fact you were asking him may be 'questioning yourself' about those memories.

Kitchens are where we receive nourishment and/or knowledge. Being impressed may be the impressions you are now beginning to remember, and a start to a resolution to any emotional conflicts having to do with these past 'old house' experiences. The dishwasher/small bathing place may suggest cleansing of present day attitudes brought about past emotional experiences {influences from early life often form within the person attitudes/traits/qualities in later life}. The kid would likely involve a real kid, probably you. The pet may symbolize instincts which goes back to early life influences and the affect on later life instincts that have been altered. And then again it could involve a real pet {both are possible}. One aspect of the past involved the 'garden of growing', perhaps an innocence but also involving intimacy. This appeals to Helen, you providing the attention.

You return to realizations. There is a lack of interest. This lack of interest may be focusing on two things. A lack of interest in reviving old emotional conflicts and an actual loss of interest involving the experience with Helen {we should stop here and point to the possibility that Helen may represent a part of yourself that is similar to Helen-she could be a part of you}. The walking away and the fence, plus the anger suggests not wanting to focus on past conflicts.

Waking experiences can be telling. Tired but relaxed may suggest there are inclinations not to revive these past emotions yet in doing so you are doing something that is beneficial. My impressions the past experienecs may have been learning experiences, not necessarily traumatic and perhaps the possibility they were voluntary on your part. What needs to be done is to go back to that period of time and examine what may have occurred. What emotional experiences were there that still reside in your psyche. They would be experiences that have a lasting influence. It could also be at this time in your life those past experiences are coming up due to there similarities to your present life. How old was Helen 'back then'. Are there aspects/ attitudes she possessed you now may possess?
Whatever the possibilities they would likely have to do with experiences from the 'old house' and that time period.


Jerry


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Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 61 Murfreesboro, Tn

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Re: House & Elephant

Interesting but makes a lot of sense. I lived in this "old house" 4.5 years and moved away from it to GA in 2004. I moved to this house from a suburb (traditional square box) to in-town, eclectic neighborhood. I felt free, no "rules", tapping into my individuality and creativity. Helene is part of lesbian couple and although I'm not a lesbian, she may represent to me the non-traditional, independent, free spirit in me. As to the party and celebration, my father died last Thursday and there is some feeling of relief that with his passing, financial freedom is realized eventually which allows me to move again back to a city environment, with people and places around me that I feel free and safe. I know you believe that dreams at my age do not reflect current events but I can't help but think the opposite. I'm thinking that I have had periods in my life when I lived in the traditional mold but others when I was the dreamer, explorer, free spirit. Lately, although I live again in a traditional square box, I've been anxious to evolve back to this free spirit self and stay there. There is some baggage with my father that I can now let go of although I sense now that he knew and appreciated my non-traditional self more than I thought. What do you think of the elephant?

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 57 Georgia

Have You Posted Before? Date of Last Post {Use Search and Your Post Name to Help Find Last Post} Female

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes but it's been over a year ago

Re: House & Elephant

Lisa,
Thanks for the feedback. I am always interested the thoughts to the dream and my interpretation. I learn as much as the dreamer and each dream is a learning experience.

As for the dream of an older person. Quite the contrary, dreams do reflect current waking life experiences. Dreams do both, reflect the past and the current emotional conflicts {I place an emphasis on emotional conflicts}. It gets down to which is the primary focus. In an older person it is usually the emotional experiences from the past, the dreamer's psyche reflecting on and attempting to help the dreamer those issues that are in conflict. But even with the primary focus on the past it is also addressing the present. Jung's position was dreams have at least two interpretations/applications and both past and present emotional experiences fall into this position. The desire is to open the dreamer to the influences of the past which continue to influence and are partly responsible for the emotional conflicts in the present. One has to do with the other.
If you will go back to my interpretation I mentioned these influences {The dishwasher/small bathing place may suggest cleansing of present day attitudes brought about past emotional experiences}. I sensed the dream was speaking to something other than 'just' early life influences but the truth is the best anyone can do with an interpretation is provide insights to the possibilities. An interpreter of dreams can only see the periphery or the outlines of a dream. Much of what is given by the interpreter must be sorted out by the dreamer from the interpretation. Most often, at least with those who post at thee Dream Forum, the dreamer is able to recognize the associations I offer {as you did in some aspects of my interpretation}. And if you will examine your own words there is those past experiences that are associated with the present {' Lately, although I live again in a traditional square box, I've been anxious to evolve back to this free spirit self and stay there'}. It is a lot of common sense involved, a house is built on a foundation and if the foundation has problems the house has problems. In dreams the house is the dreamer and the foundations are the accumulated experience/influences in the dreamer's life. Usually it is early life where we find the source of the foundations but later life experiences also must be considered.

So, in conclusion {I hope my response doesn't come off as a forward defense of my interpretation but instead of an explanation of the probabilities} there are past experiences and present emotional conflicts that the dream is addressing. One has to do with the other. You as the dreamer can only say for sure where each fits. If you come away with a greater knowledge of yourself then the dream has successfully done its work, at least partially. My job is to help you understand the message of the dream, put into as simple language as possible to convey that message. Although I am limited, as anyone would be, in what I can provide as concrete possibilities, interpreting the language in a simple form often provides the dreamer with knowledge that helps them understand the possible meaning{s} of the dream. And if if your dreams focus on a recurring image {your old house} then that suggests this part of your life has unresolved emotional experiences that need your attention. The goal is to resolve those conflicts. This is what dreams do, a function of nature in the healing process much like the body has the immune system.
Fascinating to say the least.

You may want to post other dreams that have this 'old house' as a part of the dream. They may provide better insights to 'this old house' as well as the present house you now live in.

Jerry


Myths-Dreams-Symbols is Sponsored by
Gifford Fence-Middle Tennessee       Gifford Fence Orlando

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