Hello, in my dream i was in my apartment with a friend (i don’t remember who) and we were walking in the corridors and suddenly we were at a huge level and saw that there was a dormitory, a big spacious one for young students that i didnt know existed, I commented to my friend that i couldn’t believe this was here and i didnt know about it. (I stayed at a dormitory when I was at college and see dormitory dreams from time to time) We first quickly looked at the one for the girls and then walked into the one that was for boys but was at the moment more like a cafeteria and was mixed because it was now the morning/daytime. Many young people were there and there was a corner like a cafe where there were the daily newspapers and i was impressed so i walked there to sit down for a while and read the newspapers, but when we got there all the newspapers were taken and the young boys kind of ignored us. Then I decided to leave and took an elevator, which was huge and industrial looking. Since i didnt now which floor i was at, i didnt know whether to go up or down (there were only 3 or 4 buttons) so i pressed 0 since it was a safe bet and I wanted to see and thought I could leave from the ground level. The moment the elevator doors closed the elevator started shaking violently and the floor under my feet started splitting so i took a step back not to fall down. Then the shaking stooped but i heard noises on the top and many huge containers started coming out of the elevator walls like buttons. And finally a metallic ladder came out from the opposite top corner, it was foldable and it was unfolding as it came towards me and for a moment i was happy thinking this is going to be my way out but it came too quickly right at me and before I could move away, my head was stuck between the ladder and the elevator wall and i couldnt move. Then i cried for help and a few people from upstairs looked down, the closest ones were couple and the man (in his 40s with a beard) came down and saved me. He hold the ladder away and i athletically jumped down out of the elevator. I thought the man was a foreigner (american) and i wanted to talk to him and tell him what had happened but he wasnt really interested and then his wife came and brought us tea to drink and left and his wife was a conservative women wearing the hijab and i was surprised. Then i left the man, feeling ignored again.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 38, Turkey

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, a few years ago

Fish,
My impressions are the unknown dormitory represents an aspect about yourself that you are either unaware of or you are ignoring or repressing. A dormitory is a place associated with learning and in dreams that would represent learning something about yourself. Also a cafeteria is where you receive emotional nutrition. And newspapers are learning materials. Since all the newspapers were taken it may suggest you are not able to realize these things about yourself.

Another aspect of the dream that is constant is it has a lot of young people. This may suggest whatever the dream is trying to communicate is from that period of time when you were younger, or something that has it roots from that period of time.

Th choices of riding in the elevator are few and your choice is 0, or not to make a choice. This may be referring again to not wanting to know about this aspect in your psyche. It may represent repressing something since it is a safe bet. When there is a point to realize these aspects there is resistance {violent shaking}. This aspect that is unknown has you paralyze {unconsciously} and left unattended will eventually affect your conscious life {if it has not already}.

The last part about the dream may be addressing past experiences that involve real people {man in his 40s with a beard}. But the repression of these emotional events are very strong and your feminine side {conservative women} is in control, not letting the strong self break through to realizing what is being repressed.

Conclusions

The dream seems very much to be addressing something in your life that you are not wanting to confront. Is there such an experience from your past, probably having its roots when you were in college that has taken place? The one constant theme seems to be not wanting to think or remember whatever it is the dream is trying to communicate.

Let me say my interpretation was predicated on the fact you were male. Only after I wrote the above did I notice you are female. Going back over my interpretation I don't see it making a lot of difference.

Let me know your thoughts.

gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 58 Murfreesboro, Tn

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

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

Dear Gerard,
Thank you very much for the interpretation. I am aware that the dream is communicating from my past, from a period when I was in college, because even though years have passed, in all my dormitory/school dreams I go back to when I was between 18-22 and constantly deal with people who are college age.
I also agree that the dream seems very much to be addressing something in my life that I am not wanting to confront, because even though I knew it was a significant dream after waking up (I seem to wake up from and clearly remember those dreams only) and although I am usually good at interpreting my dreams, for this dream there was an unfamiliar void/block and I wasn’t able to understand what it meant at all which was very atypical. So I guess my resistance was still active in my conscious state. Actually when I reread the dream now I still cant connect to it in way to understand how it means that I am repressing things – although for you I this is the constant theme of the dream which is very obvious– if you don’t mind can you shed some light on how it is a constant theme for me to be able to start making a connection. (now when I think of it again - is it the constant feeling of being ignored which means I am ignoring things?)

The part about the 40 year old male with a beard is strange too – when I was posting the dream this morning I was about to write “man in his 40s with a beard which was not like any real person I knew” but then didn’t as I thought it was too much of a detail, so at least physically he isnt a real person I know, but he may symbolize something else I guess. I still think the fact that he was a foreigner married to a conservative woman (and turns out to be someone unlike what I assumed him to be like) is somehow significant..

And now that you know I am a woman, can you please also comment on the big metal ladder that comes at me? Are any Freudian interpretations likely?

And thank you very much, I always benefit so much from this forum in very crucial times…

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 38, Turkey

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, a few years ago

Fish,
I don't know why I assumed the wrong gender when I was typing my interpretation. I know I read the info you provided but for some reason my train of thought assumed a masculine lead in the dream. But perhaps it is merely reflecting my own conscious conflict with the controlling masculine, social duty, which takes away from my desired bliss working with dreams. The psyche is a complicated thing.

To address your questions about the 40 year old man. He could very well be purely metaphorical of your own masculine self. If there is not such a person in waking life then the obvious would be to look at metaphorical relationships. If he were indeed American then that clue may be worth pursuing when looking for waking life associations {if any}.

But we would want to look at the theme{s} or motifs that are played out in the dream, after he saves you. The relationship to "his wife was a conservative women wearing the hijab" as you stated in your response may be very significant. The conservative woman would represent some aspect of your psyche also. The saving masculine aspect is married to the conservative feminine. Where would these aspects fit in your personality and/or life?
Applying the metaphors and motifs to you personally is where you most likely will recognize any associations there may be in your waking life. Since there is not a personal relationship with the man who saves you, that would be metaphor. And although symbolic representations may relate to someone real, I first look at all symbols as being metaphors. And related to each other if within the same framework in the dream, structured as it may be.

As for the ladder. The dream phrase " i athletically jumped down" did catch my attention when I originally read the dream and I had some question where that may fit {perhaps you can shed light on those if any}. But I don't see any other obvious relationships to Freudian themes {sexuality, which of course he taught was the primary controlling agent within the psyche}. If you feel there is something that fits along those themes, well, whatever is in your life will be in your dreams. Unfiltered, unbiased, the true self with all of the emotions.

And finally the constant theme I mentioned and how to connect. Because you are in your 30s, wiser from having already have examined parts of your life, I would suggest Jung's Individuation Process and self realization. {the becoming of one’s self as only it could become}. Jung is 'deep' and not everyone will grasp what is being stated. But those who do have an ability to comprehend and not necessarily academically inclined, like myself, it merely fits with who we are and there is a natural understanding. If not for that knowledge and understanding I know I could never consistently interpret dreams.

Jung's approach is to realize what the stimulus is for those unresolved conflicts in a person's life through a self examination of the whole life. The shadow, the anima/animus, the Self, personality traits, ego, these are what Jung pronounced as controlling agents in our individual and collective lives.
And they show up in our dreams.

gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 58 Murfreesboro, Tn

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

How Did You Find the Dream Forum? Yes

Dear Gerard, thank you very much for the explanations. Last night I had other significant dreams, I hadnt been having them for awhile, so I feel that I am entering a phase when paying attention to whats happening and revisiting Jung will be very effective, I feel that I need "to revisit old ground so that I can truly conquer a fear this time" :)
thanks a lot for sending the link for starters..
best wishes..
fish

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 38, Turkey

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, a few years ago