NEW RELATIVES, EXTRA APTS.,CALL FROM MOM, SWIMMING IN MURKY WATERS, INJURED GUESTS, RECURRING THEMES OF TWO (WASHING MACHINES, SINKS, SHOWERS), (& EIGHT YEAR OLDS, FEAR OF PREDATORS).

Hi,

Here is an interesting dream:

I am standing in the living room of my apartment. Someone is knocking on the door. Before I can go open, there is a key turning in the lock, so I think its my husband coming home and I'm happy.

In walks a little girl, I think she's eight. She is carrying a black portfolio, the kind artists and architects use for transporting their work. Following her is her younger brother. After him walks in the mother. And finally the father, who represents a male acquaintence who lived in our apartment before the last tenant and who is very spiritual and religious. The man is my uncle in the dream. His shirt is opened at the waist and four sets of four digit numbers are written on the left side of his chest. The all head into the apartment.

I follow. I think, wow, this new uncle is great, he's like big, strong, robust, smart. He's gonna help me deal with my husband better! The wife, my new aunt is helping me around the house. I'm so happy to have these people there. They give me a real sense of hope.

The house has several extra fully furnished floors. I'm happy about this. To have access to these incredibly comfortable, spacious, beautiful, tranquil apartments requires that I exit my own apartment and use the external stairs of the building to enter each apartment seperately. I'm worried about this because I think now I will be exposed to predators. (Recurring fear/recurring theme.) The stairs are not internal, they are external and they are white stone. I love the apartments, I feel so good when I'm in them, they are fully furnished, have everything I need, but spacious, only drawback that I have to leave my first apartment and be outside on the stairs and this scares me because of being exposed to predators. My apartment in the dream is on the ground floor. The three apartments are above mine, each having a single level, one above the other, giving me a total of four apartments, all mine.

Somewhere in these apartments, we have lots of guests over, nice social party/dinner atmosphere and my new aunt is helping me with cooking/hosting. She's so adept, competent, just great. Now my phone rings. She gets it for me cause i was in the bedroom busy, probably getting dressed for the party. Mom is so mad that I wasn't the one who answered phone. She's like, when I call you, I don't want to talk to anyone else, only you. I'm surprised at how nicely I respond. I'm like ah mom, you know how it is when you have a house full of guests and you're just too busy to do everything all by yourself and all at the same time, so my guest (aunt) was just offering a helping hand. I proceed to tell her I will not continue the conversation, (really,"I'll never talk to you again") if you continue being negative.

Now there is a problem. The doubling theme is happening in this dream, so I have two showers in one of the bathrooms on the same floor that all this is going on in. Two of the guests are showering. Strangely, they are fully dressed. One girl is wearing a pretty green/teal/pistachio colored dress with flowers and I think she's a redhead. The other girl in the facing shower is in a pink dress. The shower doors break and injure these female guests. First the girl in the green dress, then the girl in the pink dress. I thought of the direction the glass broke (for those of you who thought of these details in previous dreams :) ) and it definitely without a doubt shattered in wards, otherwise how else would the girls have gotten hurt.

Now there is a scene where these two girls are sitting there crying with a third girl with them. This third girl reminds me of me, she is very pretty, with very light skin and a face structure like mine, balanced, delicate features and pretty face shape and she seems to wearing all black. Her hair color is covered or I don't remember, but she's reflecting on this shower incident and saying, 'I was pampered my whole life, now this!!!!????). She is SO upset. The other two girls were sitting next to her, just weeping, and weeping. In the shower the green girl was so afraid of the class falling on her and getting scarred. I think the two girls did get cuts and scars.

At point in the dreams (am never sure of the order of events), my husband and I were in a dimly lit, cramped, depressing room part of an apartment that was connected and not connected to this apartment at the same time. I heard on the radio that a washing machine was for sale for forty dollars by the government and that who buys it has to pay up front before they test it to see if it still works cause its used. I tell my husband this is a good price and we can put it in the extra room as storage. I think in the dream we already had a new washing machine, plus and old one, so there was at least one there, and this one I tell him about would make the second or third one.

In another scene, a group of us are in a mountain valley facing a pond or river of murky and disgusting water. One of the ladies is an acqaintence in real life and a mutual friend of the religious man symbolized by my uncle in the earlier part of the dream. All the cars are parked on the other side of this water and we all have to swim to get to the cars. Halfway in the water, I think I'm OK, but I am asking people who can give me a ride. I discover when we get to the other side the cars were all really big like minivans, land rovers, 4x4s. I ask a couple and they refuse. A nice redheaded lady says I have a car and can take you. We get to her car, and magically I am not dripping wet or affected physically by the dirty water. She takes me to her house and gives me a huge bowl of pumpkin soup.

Now, I'm back at my apartment with three extra floors. I'm in the kitchen, and like the bathroom having two showers, my kitchen has two sinks.

Each sink is connected to a gas heater that is run by natural gas. There may only be one pipe and one heater but this is what heats the water and there are two knobs, seperate from the taps, that turn on the heat and make the water run. So, the little boy who is my new cousin is in the kitchen. I use the kitchen on the right and finish up there and move to the kitchen on the left and finish there. I go back to the kitchen on the right and it doesn't work. This scares me. Suddenly I realize why it doesn't work. I kept turning on the knob for the left sink and it did nothing for the right one. After I figured it out I turned on the knob for the right sink and everything was OK. My cousin was helping me somehow and I felt better. This kitchen scene was one of the scenes I forgot at first and only recalled later.

Lots of recurring themes...dreams of eight year old girls helping me. I had one dream where I'm fighting with husband about not getting help with housework and she an eight year old plump girl offers to help but I think its not her job, but my husbands to be my copartner. In another dream there was an eight year old girl sitting on the cobblestone path on the way to my old professor's house, another was my (I think) eight year old sister cutting my favorite towel.

Another recurring theme....a terrible fear of predators....usually where the eight year old girl shows up. In this dream I feel I will be exposed to predators on the stairs outside my apartment leading to my other apartments. On the bus with the Cow landscape I am afraid of getting sexually harassed and groped, in the mall I'm being followed by a scary guy, in the scene with the eight year old in white tee shirt I stay married to my husband so he can protect me from the sexual predators that I fear. This is diconcerting.

The shower scene hasn't unfolded its meaning to me yet.

I reflected on what the numbers on my uncle's chest might mean. Actually, it just came to me at one point. Its my parent's address!!!! Slightly scrambled, but I got it. He represents good skills I learned at home that will help me deal with inner and outer hubby?????

The murky water.....what difficult emotions do I have to swim through to get through the other side...and why not my own car. I think I have only had dreams of driving a car twice in my life. This also really is disconcerting. Why I am never the driver...always having to ride busses, taxis, other people's cars, trains and planes.......when I think about this I feel really sad.

Why is my psyche doubling certain symbols....????

1. Ears (became Four)
2. Breasts (became Four)
3. Rams (became Four as the dream progressed)
4. Sinks (Two in one kitchen)
5. Showers (Two in one bathroom)
6. Washing machines (Two in one house)
7. Two injured guests

The imagery of this dream was so vivid that I spent the entire day on and off drawing it. I understand and like the part about the apartment. I am really mystified about what the shower injuries mean and am more mystified about this doubling theme and the recurring them about predators.......

Please help!
Thanks in advance for your thoughts, ideas, insights and responses.

Best,
May

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 35/abroad

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

Also, the number's on the uncles' chest...my parent's address were written four times....(another theme of Four.)

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 35/abroad

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

May,
This is a lot to digust, something that would require ones complete attention to help you thoroughly resolve it. I won't attempt it, my intuitive Self is being submissive to other needs {a sacrifice}. Slaying the Social Dragon .

But a quick comment from your dream that seems to have a pattern.
You ask the question
Why is my psyche doubling certain symbols....????

And your answer
1. Ears (became Four)
2. Breasts (became Four)
3. Rams (became Four as the dream progressed)
4. Sinks (Two in one kitchen)
5. Showers (Two in one bathroom)
6. Washing machines (Two in one house)
7. Two injured guests

Interpret the numbers as well as the objects. The order in which you present them seems to fit a pattern.
Who/what are the two injured guests? This most likely will lead to understanding the other six questions. Cpmpare the answers to your emotional life and see where they fit. Perhaps doing this will lead to understanding the dream. The whole dream.

Gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 55 Murfreesboro, Tn.

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

Hi Gerard,

Thank you for your reply. Thank you for your link to the site on SELF as well. I found it helpful. Thanks also for your comments, also helpful. Best of luck with your quest and dragon slaying. Do hope though that you will contribute your insights to my dreams when you have the chance and inclination, I think your knowledge of dreams is excellent. I've read your interpretations of other people's dreams and feel I can benefit from the same wisdom. So, when you have a chance it would be great if you looked at some more of my dreams.

To answer your question. The pattern is things that are two become four. Four represents wholeness, so there is an achievement of wholeness in the areas represented by the symbols that became four.

The other, doubled items, were two that became one. So I thought of marriage, both inner and outer, as two that become one. In both cases, positive direction of growth if I am right.

I am going to guess about the guests. Perhaps they are new projects, new phases of life, that are being injured. They came along after everything was going so well, with the helpful new relatives, then 'tragedy' struck. The girl making the comment about being pampered reminded me physically of myself, but a long time ago. Her statement is ironic, "I'm pampered my whole life, now this," Things weren't going THAT great for her to say that. (?). That the glass shattered from an external source to an internal direction says that the 'pressure' is an external one. Green to me represents new life, love, healing, growth, nature, natural beauty, wellness. Pink represents to me femininity, wholeness, gentleness, beauty, health, love. Similar things when I think about it. I can look to areas in my life where maybe these aspects have experienced a set back.

I know my dreams are long and complex and that I post alot so I hope this is OK. I also do value your interpretations and I think your knowledge and insight are accurate. I hope that you will have an opportunity to look at more dreams in the future.

In the meantime, I'm learning so much. As I understand parts of the dream in relation to each other it helps me when there is a part I don't understand, to let me get closer to the meaning. I still don't consciously grasp the meaning of this dream, or the full meaning of my other dreams.

Also, I've never had long, detailed dreams like this before. I have always had good dream recall, and off and on in my life have kept dream journals. But dreams of this kind are new to me...and a little intimidating. I feel I should work with what I'm being given by my psyche...to do my best to understand...rather than let this opportunity pass by me. I feel also it is deeply important to my life to at least make the effort, even if I am not succeeding in grasping the meaning of all of my dreams, or even whole dreams, that I try. It feels essential.

I'm learning new things each day and trying to apply them. I'm drawing dreams lately to look at thing from a different angle and always searching for knowledge, by meditating and practicing active imagination and checking different dream sites, dream forums, and dictionaries, but somehow I find this is the place I feel most comfortable.

I have one of these dreams a night and if I could post all of them and understand all of them I think I would be a better person for it. I know thats not possible to work with every single one. Also, I'm not sure why I'm dreaming like this and having difficulty grasping the full meaning of the dreams/dream. I'm also having a hard time connecting dreams to my life. I can understand a symbol but am not sure exactly how it relates to me at times. Also, its easier to be objective with other people's dreams, but I'm never sure if I'm doing dream interpretations right.

My waking life seems all right to me, but my unconscious is repeatedly challenging me to see things, be more aware. I think in light of that I owe it to myself to do the best I can to understand what my unconscious is showing me.

Thank you for your Dream Forum, and to all the contributors. Sorry for posting a lot of long and complex dreams. If you have a chance to someday look at my other dreams, I'd appreciate your wisdom. Best of luck with everything and thanks again,
May

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 35/abroad

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

Hi Gerard,

Just picked up a copy of Man and His symbols and read two lines..in the section I opened to.. Women's SELF can be represented by other women or someone much younger than the dreamer...(The Eight Year Old Girl) and can protect women from the negative aspects of their animus. And.....swimming in a river represents a change of attitude... Wow...That addresses two of the questions I had about this dream. Amazing how things show up just when we need them. Synchronicity.
Best,
May

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 35/abroad

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

Hi Gerard,

Also just read in same book about the significance of the number four..."The symbolic structures that seem to refer to the process of individuation tend to be based on the motif of the number four." Wow, I had another Ah! moment.

Thanks so much for posting your comments on my questions about the doubling theme. The book also says that sixteen is particularly significant since it is composed of four fours and that the.... manifestations of the center are characterized by fourfoldness. This is SO exciting for me... finally things are making sense and falling into place.

This answers my questions...all those fours...and the doubling theme are about my process of SELF individuation...and I will need to revist the dreams to see how the other symbols related to this BIG insight.

I'm really so grateful how your comment prompted additionally insight. I don't remember but all those symbols added up to sixteen. ( the guests shouldn't be in that list..and I wasn't sure if I had two washing machines already and was getting one, or just buying a second one. )(Also the two -incomplete- cows). And the stone structure with the double slabs of stone and two rams...in an of itself was a symbol of the SELF to me. I think I'm on to something and hope that I understand the overall meaning of each Dream and the symbols in relation to each other.. and the direction the SELF needs to go..and I hope that the negativity in some of the dream images can be resolved.


Thanks Gerard, and thanks to all the Dream Forum members!

Best,
May

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 35/abroad

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

Hi Gerard,

Also, I really found your interpretation about the meaning of cancer in dreams very insightful; I posted a dream previously with a cancer survivor. Do you think that what you wrote about S's dream about cancer may also apply to my dream that has a cancer survivor in it....surviving a negative relationship or something negative maybe?

Thanks again,
May

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 35/abroad

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