Theresa Cheung - The Dream Dictionary from A to Z [Revised edition]

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See BODY .

BACTERIAFear of being influenced in some way by other people. In dreams, the presence of bacteria, germs, and viruses also suggests hidden attacks that can weaken or destroy your sense of well-being. They might suggest anxieties about your health or simply reflect a sense of inadequacy in waking life. The word ‘germ’ can also be used in its positive sense as the beginning stages of something, the point at which great growth can occur. If you dream of bacteriological warfare, it suggests the undermining of your personal or social well-being. Any form of infection or virus in a dream might be symbolic of ideas or thoughts that cause irritability or anxiety in waking life, or might be indicating that you are taking in negative attitudes from others to the detriment of yourself. Such dreams may also be a warning about your physical health and the need to boost your immunity.

BAD DEEDSAny negative action in your dream is typically a reflection of negative feelings about yourself or something or someone in your waking life. According to Jung, negative actions in dreams symbolize the shadow or dark side of your nature. The shadow is everything that you are repressing or denying, the hidden side of yourself that you refuse to recognize. By conjuring up such images in your dream, your unconscious is urging you to bring these hidden feelings into the light of day so that they have less hold over you, otherwise you are in danger of projecting this ‘other self’ onto other people.

Dreams about violence, crime, and other actions may not only reveal your inner feelings about yourself; they may also reveal your feelings about the situation around you or, in some cases, your feelings about other people in your life. The type of negative action highlighted in the dream will be worthy of your attention if you are to fully understand yourself and your situation. Although disturbing, and unfortunately more common than positive actions in dreams, dreams in which the action focuses on bad or negative feelings, words, and actions are seldom predictive, so you don’t need to worry that the horrifying events will be repeated in your waking life. Recurring dreams of committing rape are a different concern, suggesting violent urges that are in danger of spilling over into your waking life. If this is the case, professional therapy or counseling is strongly recommended.

BADGER

See ANIMALS .

BADGES

See BUTTONS .

BAGGAGE

See LUGGAGE.

BAKER

See WORK.

BAKING

See FOOD.

BALCONYTo dream of a balcony suggests a need for an objective viewpoint. You need to take a step back, move away from involvement and try to see the bigger picture; it may also suggest a need for sunshine and relaxation. For lovers, to dream of saying sad adieus on a balcony signifies passionate attachment to each other. Alternatively, the balcony is a classic Freudian symbol of women’s breasts; if you dream of standing on a balcony, it might represent a wish to return to your mother’s breasts.

BALDNESSIf you are bald in your dream or see someone who is bald, this could highlight intelligence but it can also highlight anxiety about getting older or not thinking you are intelligent enough.

BALL/BALL GAMESThese suggest challenge and competition in the game of life, but they can also be associated with aggression or sex, as in a man’s balls.

See also TEAM GAMES.

BALLETIf ballet or ballet dancing appears in your dream, or if you are performing ballet, this suggests a search for poise and balance in your waking life. The ballet dancer symbolizes music and the inner aspect of feeling. You may be aware of the creative side of yourself and feel the need for controlled movement to express it. Dreams of ballet may be wish-fulfillment if becoming a professional dancer was, or is, your dream; alternatively, they may refer to losing or keeping your balance in some waking situation. They may also be encouraging you to persevere with artistic skills, or they may be a general comment on your attitude to work that demands discipline.

BALLOONThis image suggests there may be something to celebrate in your waking life. It is also associated with new projects that need life breathed into them, or the fear that everything may suddenly deflate. If a balloon is released this suggests the testing of an idea or letting go of someone or something important in your life and a desire to coast along for a while.

BANANAA dreamtime banana is usually interpreted as a symbol of an erect penis, but it may also be reminding you of an area of your life you may have been denying, or suggesting that you are too easily shocked. Dreams of peeling a banana may have a considerable erotic charge. A banana skin lying in your path on the ground in your dream may represent your misgivings about taking a particular course of action.

See also FRUIT.

BANKBanks and vaults in dreams represent your psychological potential. Your unconscious may be urging you to start using your inner reserves and energy rather than locking your talents away. On the other hand, your dream may simply be highlighting your need for financial security. If you dream of robbing a bank, it may suggest that you are depleting your inner resources. If, in your dream, you were depositing money in a bank, this suggests feelings of security in waking life, although such a dream may also contain an element of wish-fulfillment. Banking in dreams can refer to something you are storing within yourself; perhaps you are withholding emotion or important information.

BANKRUPTCYDreams in which you are bankrupt or heavily in debt may reflect real-life financial concerns, but there are other explanations that have little to do with money. A dream debt may, for example, be a debt of gratitude that you need to pay to someone. Is there someone to whom you feel indebted? Dreams of going bankrupt or ending up in poverty often refer to the loss of personal qualities rather than to financial disaster. Ask yourself what your lost finances could symbolize: the love of your partner, for example, the respect of your colleagues at work, or your own physical energy. Whatever it is you have lost, your dreaming mind is urging you to take the appropriate steps to prevent a breakdown or crash in your waking life.

See also MONEY.

BANQUETIf you were attending a banquet or feast in your dream this suggests you may be feeling comfortable with yourself and your life right now, but if you were being force-fed or the food was taken away, the opposite is true.

BAPTISMTo dream of being baptized suggests a new influence is entering your life. You are leaving old attitudes behind and opening yourself up to new possibilities. Is there an idea or a concept that is about to be presented to an appreciative audience? Or perhaps your unconscious is urging you to transform your mindset radically and make positive changes to your lifestyle? If godparents appeared in your dream, were they people you knew? If they were, perhaps your unconscious is suggesting that they are the ones you should turn to for help. If you didn’t know who they were, you should seek out the necessary help and support.

If you are baptizing someone, this means you are ready to pass on your knowledge to others. There is also a possibility that you may be having religious beliefs imposed on you if you have this dream. Baptism is symbolic of many things: rebirth, regeneration, and renewal, and the common theme for all these is the sense of optimism surrounding them. If you are a Christian, baptism is associated with a washing away of original sin and the start of a new life as a Christian; your dream may have been denoting your wish to be reborn or – depending on who is being baptized or christened – your desire for someone else to undergo a transformation of some kind. On the other hand, your unconscious may also be recalling a baptism you witnessed in waking life.