While returning from a camping trip with a child about 4 or 5 years of age (my grandson-my son figure) has a medical emergency. I take him to a hospital. The child is hooked to many IV tubes. The hospital staff were terrible, more interested in their casual conversations and interrupting all conversations constantly and not attending to my expressions of concern for the child or questions about his condition or the information I wanted to give them about him. A doctor was briefly involved (a male doc I think). I think there was no dx given. I became increasingly irritated with hospital staff. There are many other children in my child's room and bed and they are all playing and laughing and ignoring me and my child.

I reach a point of intolerance and leave the child in the hospital to go get my car in order to drive back to the hospital, pick up child and leave. I am not sure where I parked and have trouble finding my car. And I have no pants or underwear on and feel naked and exposed. Eventually I find my car, open the trunk, get my suitcase and some pants and get dressed. Then the child shows up at the car. He has left the hospital on his own and tells me, " I was scarred when you didn't come back."

I return to the hospital (without the child who is in the car). The hospital staff are still behaving rudely and inform me the child left on his own "with attitude". I try to tell them of my frustration while they continue to not listen and share casual conversations. I scream at them about my frustration and threaten legal action and leave.

When I get to my car there are 5 or 6 small kids in the car with the child - some of the same kids who had been in the child's hospital bed when he was there. The kids are running around, creating a ruckus and threatening me and the child. The child has girls clothes on which I think belong to one of the kids. I do something (???) to defuse the ruckus and the child and I get ready to leave.

When I wake I felt short of breath and afraid.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 67 living in Powell, WY. USA

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Ken,
I'll provide a detailed interpretation in the morning. Kristi {co-host of Dream Forum} may provide her thoughts as well.

Until then look at the child that is with you in your dreams as being you. And the hospital as some part of you that requires emotional healing.... "my grandson - my son figure"....the lineage leads back to you. This part of the dream would most likely be addressing those deeper, unresolved issues in your life.

Because there is a child of the about 4 or 5, he being you would suggest a real possibility of needing to examine your own childhood years at that age and see what beget this need for healing.

The hospital staff, probably a representation for those who were responsible for taking care of you when you were young. Or other related adults in your life.
There may have actually been an experience involving hospitals. Or it could be pure metaphor. Only you can truly discern that.

Where is there, or was there, an intolerance of some type in your life?

As you read the dream, look at the child of about 4 or 5 as being you. The dream is about you and your emotions {and those stimuli related to emotions}. Placing yourself in that position within the dream may produce impressions that fit with your life? The unconscious has stored those important stimuli, primarily because they remain unresolved and still have 'emotional energy'. If this is the case they may still have some control over you, affecting personality, decision making, who you are as a person at this time and age.

The other kids could represent some actual experience. But they may also reprsent other aspects of yourself, traits you possess that lead/led to negative emotions or experiences. Was it your attitude that is in question or someone' else's 'attitude' toward you.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 59 Murfreesboro, Tn

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Thank you Jerry !!! Your comments were very helpful. Lots of family stress has occurred in my life since the birth of my grandson 4 years ago. Bringing up many unhealed "wounds" between my son and I and my own history with my parents.

I am so pleased I found you site.

Blessings,

Ken W.

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 67 living in Powell, WY. USA

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Hi Ken,

So glad you found Jerry's comments helpful. Given the emotional depth of the dream, I felt certain there was some catalyzing factor in your waking life that triggered your early memories. Our children and grandchildren, and all the dynamics of familial relating, can be wonderful mirrors for us.

I imagine you now understand it better, but will still offer some thoughts.

Broadly, the hospital scenario with the many IV tubes hooked up to the child and careless staff... may be showing an overwhelm the child was experiencing and the need for, but lack of care by care takers (parents) at an early age. The lack of interaction with other children, feeling ignored... perhaps a sense of isolation experienced early on. Often, when one feels shut out in the home, they learn to shut themselves out from groups/friends as well.

Having at first left the hospital in frustration (intolerance) may be showing how you left off from the painful emotional memories...as we all do. Not being able to find your car may be showing that you've lost/become disconnected from a part of yourself (that young child of you in the previous scene) ... but you become naked, vulnerable, to yourself ... kind of like coming clean with and to that little guy of you, who still greatly needs you, to be understood, loved and accepted by you.

Screaming at the hospital staff may reflect the anger felt for being hurt/shut out, not heard, not properly attended to. We carry the early life stuff with us, for years.

I don't know if you had an experience in the hospital at an early age, but my sense of the hospital is that it is reflecting what needs healing, "now," while also pointing to the early life emotional condition.

The female clothing may be showing the little guy's sensitive, emotional feeling nature, maybe being easily hurt. Only you will be able to confirm, but I keep thinking that the IV tubes may be reflecting a whole lot of external stimulus going into the child, whatever form it might have taken in life. I just have a sense of everything being "too much" ... an overlaod, which can happen with "sensitive" children when there is not the needed support.

It's a rich and powerful dream. The fact that you woke afraid and out of breath shows the dream did the job it needed to...which was to connect you with the conflict. Now you can "continue" to attend to it. I say continue as I do believe you already began some resolution in the dream space, hence your waking emotionally charged. It's good the dream came, else you may have projected (even your frustration and anger, onto others), tried to change others around you, when what is really needed in the inner resolution. Resolving it can allow you to see the outside dynamics more compassionately, and have greater peace within.

Kristi

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 43, Kansas

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Thank you Kristi. More insight from your comments and lots of pain tonight. I've been reviewing today my dream log of the past 5 or 6 years and finding themes. All of which are related to my life, my son, mom and dad. Your comments are helpful and put me in touch with some really old and painful stuff. It is percolating up and it is about time !!

Blessings and appreciation,

Ken

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 67 living in Powell, WY. USA

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You're very welcome, Ken.

Blessings returning,
Kristi

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 43, Kansas

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Ken,
It is very helpful that you provide what information did about your life so we, those of us who seek to help you understand the dream, have a better understanding of your life. After all is said and done, the fact is your dreams are about you and your life, from the earliest memories up to the very moment you read this post. And sometimes beyond.

From the added info we can ascertain the dream is addressing both the past and the present. A healing seems to be needed not only from your own early life experiences {the foundations of who you are today} but also in association in your relationship with your son.

You mentioned a lot of family stress has occurred since the birth of your grandson 4 years ago. That would fit with the age of the child in your dream, 4 or 5 years old. But that age may be also addressing your early life experiences. If you could provide more information about those 'stresses' since the birth of your grandson we probably will be able to discern what the dream is wishing to communicate about those experiences.

A question. How much is your son like you? Is that part of the stress with that relationship? You may have not given thought to it but such imitations are normal. It is probable the healing needed in the father/son relationship is due to your own early life experiences and without reconciling those you may find it difficult to reconcile the relationship with your son. The birth of your grandson may have stimulated memories, if only unconscious, related to your past. Added info may help us understand where it all fits.

A song comes to mind that often fits with father/son relationships {which may or may not fit with yours}. It is a Harry Chapin song CAT'S IN THE CRADLE is about how a son becomes just like his father. It fits so many of us, or would fit if there is not a correction in life to undermine any negatives.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 59 Murfreesboro, Tn

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Jerry,

Thanks for this invitation to provide more of my history. I am on it and will get it to you later today. I am really impressed with what you all have done with this site.

Thanks and blessings,

Ken

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 67 living in Powell, WY. USA

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Morning Jerry,

I changed the "title" to my dream from ???? to Childhood revisited. The assistance I've received here is wonderful. Also I just completed a summary of significant events of my life. I made a serious effort to keep it brief. However, it is 3413 words and may be way more than you bargained for. I will send it in current form or if you request edit it down. There are some very personal details that I am willing to share with you and the woman ( I am not recalling her name at this moment) from KS who also responded so helpfully. I get the impression that this site is open to all who want to visit. Is there a way to pass on my history without making it public?


With gratitude and appreciation,

Ken

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 67 living in Powell, WY. USA

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Hi Ken,

3000+ words is a lot! But I know how cathartic, how therapeutic writing can be! I do a lot of it, too. I also know the value of being able to share openly about what my experience in life has been. And for me, one of the most liberating things is coming to know that "it is all okay." We might have thought or felt some of it to be "ugly," but, really, we needn't judge. These are very rich grounds that we all grow from. Sharing publicly, I find, is a way of honoring that young me (it strengthens my committment to myself) and all that she had to go through in order than I may find the Gold. I do believe our pain is our treasure, truly. And that the day comes when we have great love for it all. This, coming from a woman who has known extraordinary abuse as a child (physical, sexual, emotional ... deep sense of abandon, etc.) - much of all of which I have shared here. It is a safe place.

Please know I am not asking you to do so to ... and certainly do not want you to feel pressured. But, am I encouraging? Well...I just want you to know that it has been very fine for me to share here.

If you feel 3000+ words is too long for the forum, perhaps do edit it down. I find that when I do the cathartic-like, free-writing, much of it was "for me," therapeutically, and I then take from it what feels important to share with others, from which I may gain more benefit.

Jerry may still respond to your question, if the social dragon does not have him by the tail this morning, but I wanted to send this much along.

Best Wishes,
Kristi

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 43, Kansas

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