Anonymous,
Could very well be. There is something about him you identify with {either consciously or unconsciously}. Future dreams may expand on his involvement. Post any future dreams becuase they do tend to add to previous dreams.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 66 Cocoa, Fl

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

Anonymous,
I don't necessarily believe the dream is saying you need to have a relationship with your family. It is pointing to the conflict you have with your family and finding a way to resolve that. If possible a good relationship would be desirable but outside that finding a way to overcome the past experiences with your family and putting that in order is the prime message of the dream. The conflict is from both past and present experiences. It is the past experiences that helped form your personality and personal attitudes. Resolving the negatives in those personal aspects will bring about a better personal life. The primary function of dreams is to show what is out of balance in a person's life so they can understand what they are and find ways to resolve the issues. Therapy may help, an avenue that could help resolve the issues with family without having the positive relationship that is impossible.

As for the spiritual aspects. The impressions you have about the priests, the nuns and the church in general are the reason for their inclusion in the dream. It is a conflict that seeks resolution. Your attitude isn't wrong, in fact it is pretty much how I felt about religion until I found my true calling and found a spiritual ground in nature {Karma and the laws of nature-cause and effect}. Religious dogma isnt true spirituality unless you abide by the rules of what is naturally right opposed to what the church {created by man} says is right. Jesus is the example and when you live how he directs you you have reached a higher level of consciousness that puts you in accord with natural law. This is Buddha consciousness, the higher level within oneself that follows a true spiritual path. A good, loving person doesn't need religion, they need only to follow the soul and be the best person they can be. Not only toward other people but also toward other creatures/animals and nature itself. I believe nature has mechanisms that reward a person for being good and right and penalizes a person for misdeeds and doing wrong. What goes around comes around, naturally {what happens to you in life is more often caused by your own actions and not just random good/bad luck}. Here are two pages from my Myths-Dreams-Symbols website that may help in understanding the natural laws Parallel Sayings of Jesus and Buddha and NATIVE AMERICAN SPIRITUALITY. The first gives a sense of the commonality between Jesus and the Buddha and the second shows how nature is important in spirituality. All religions are myths {exaggerated truths} and the symbolic references in religion are just that. Symbolic.
It is not what you believe, it is what you do that determines your spiritual worth.

As for your niece and her/your personality. Medications do alter personality but there are a lot of similarities between the two of you. This is why she is a part of your dream. The important aspect is 'why you were so quiet and/or too anxious' as a child. Because you obtained these characteristics as a child they have carried over into adult life. Look back at your childhood and try to determine why you have this type personality. Parents are a big part of the reason but the specific experiences are what are important. Were there any traumatic or memorable experiences that stayed with you? The experience with your brother's friend is one that would fit. Examine that experience as well as the bullying and any other experience with him there may have been. Something emotional happened that made you retain these memories.

The bullying is common for personalities that are shy and to themselves. Surely this had an affect on you and helped shape your personality and attitudes. Again the early life experiences/influences, especially the first early years in life are most important {the first 3 years are when the psych is most influenced and personality has pretty much been shaped by age 9}. Understanding why you are the person you are is important in resolving issues of personality. Your personality is who you are and goes with you in every experience in life.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 66 Cocoa, Fl

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

Could it just be that I identify with him because he's a loyal friend or dependable person. I identify myself as a loyal friend, but I haven't come across many people with this trait.

Anonymous,
It is a good possibility. He would represent the qualities you mentioned, dependable and loyal {which are masculine aspects of the psyche}. There are probably other reasons but these could be a primary reason for him being in the dream. Because dreams are therapeutic and seek to help resolve issues {including personality traits} the dream may be 'asking' you to focus on your better qualities in order to booster those qualities that are lacking. My sense of the dream is it is attempting to help resolve the reasons you keep to yourself and trust issues with other people. Those issues began in childhood and are now key components in your adult personality. Until you resolve the negative aspects life will not eb as happy as it should/could be.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 66 Cocoa, Fl

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