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

Research has shown that in the week or so leading up to menstruation, women who suffer from PMS spend an increased length of time in dream sleep, the dreams they report being extremely vivid and colorful. The conclusion drawn by researchers is that one of the functions of the dreaming mind is to help dreamers deal with difficult states of emotion and anxiety. Dreams that focus on the menopause are likely to indicate change, the end of one phase and the beginning of another.

BOMB

See EXPLOSIVES.

BONE

See BODY .

BOOKSTo dream of books can symbolize knowledge, wisdom, intelligence, the search for knowledge, and the ability to learn from the opinions of other people. If you are surrounded by books in your dreams, this might suggest that you are more concerned with theory than practice. Depending on the kinds of books that figure in your dream, they can also suggest the world of imagination and escape. Are you surrounded by literary novels, racy best-sellers, or fascinating biographies? If the books are very old, this suggests learning and inherited wisdom. If the books are account books, this indicates a need to take care of financial matters.

Sacred books, such as the Koran or the Bible, signify a search for hidden or sacred knowledge. Dreaming of a sacred book can also represent a need to know you are heading in the right direction. To dream of an encyclopedia suggests a hunger for knowledge and new experience, as an encyclopedia represents collective human wisdom. On the other hand, it can also suggest information overload and a need to find focus. To dream you are searching in a dictionary suggests a need to find answers to a particular problem or situation in your life. It can also suggest an over-reliance on the opinions of others. If you look up a particular word in your dream, this can be very significant. Finally, a poem is the ultimate form of self-expression, so if you are a poet, or a poet figures in your dream, or you are reading poetry, your unconscious is urging you to find a creative outlet in waking life.

BOOT

See SHOES.

BOSS

See WORK.

BOT

See INTERNET.

BOTTLEThis symbol could suggest bottled up feelings but if there is something in it, it may indicate resources you have or are unaware of.

BOTTOMIs there something at the back of your mind? If you are at the bottom of a well (or anything else) it may suggest feeling that you are no longer sustained or held up by your daily routine.

BOUNDARYA dream featuring a boundary or a frontier may suggest challenge and criticism or the ability to overcome problems.

BOX

See CONTAINER.

BOXINGIf you dreamed of boxing, wrestling, or practicing any kind of martial art, such as karate, judo, or kick boxing, your dream may have had either hostile or defensive undertones. The violence of boxing or martial arts reveals a repressed hostility toward someone or something in your waking life. A knockout can indicate a guilty wish to inflict punishment or pain. Your dream may also be urging you to adopt a more calculated or self-disciplined approach to a certain threat or challenge in real life. At its most basic, boxing is an endurance sport; in dreams, it can suggest a period of uncertainty during which your intuitive and rational halves will be in conflict with each other. Your dream is telling you that if you have self-discipline and patience, you can develop inner strength and resilience.

BOYIf the child in your dream is a boy, you know the dream is commenting on your feelings about the boy but referring these things to yourself. For example, if the boy is disruptive, it may depict your own desire to cause disruption of some kind in waking life. It may also indicate a male child in waking life who is giving you cause for concern. If you do not recognize the boy, it suggests that you need to be a little more adventurous and bring excitement to your life. In a man’s dream, an unknown boy can represent new potential and the part of himself he needs to ‘father’ in order to grow and mature. In a woman’s dream, an unknown boy can suggest your developing ability to express your feelings in actions.

BOYFRIEND

See RELATIONSHIPS.

BRACELET

See JEWELRY.

BRAIN

See BODY .

BRANCH

See TREE.

BRAKES

See CAR.

BREAD

See FOOD.

BREAKTo dream that you break something, like a window or a chair, indicates that changes lie ahead and that you want to change the direction in which your life is heading. Alternatively, it suggests that you need to take things more slowly. If you drop or smash things in your dreams, this indicates that you are letting go of – or need to let go of – some project, relationship, person, or idea. Be sure to analyze the significance of what is being dropped or smashed. Another explanation for dreams of breaking things is that you are expressing some dismay or regret at how you let something slip through your fingers.

BREAKFAST

See FOOD.

BREASTFEEDINGTo dream that you are breastfeeding symbolizes tenderness, love, nurturing, and motherly love. It indicates your unconscious connection with the nurturing principle. To see someone nursing or dream that you are nursing suggests that you are nurturing, or need to nurture, aspects of yourself.

BREASTS

See BODY .

BREATHBreathing indicates the presence of life, so in your dream the condition or speed of your breathing may depict your pace of life. If you are holding your breath, this suggests fear and stress. If you are panting or breathing fast, this suggests excitement and stimulation. If you are underwater or not breathing at all, this reproduces the condition of the womb and indicates a need to escape from waking reality. To dream of breathing warm air denotes the possible onset of trouble, while breathing cold air foretells strength and courage. If you are feeling stifled by stale air or oppressive humidity, this indicates an ill-advised friendship that isn’t encouraging the dreamer to fulfill their potential. Or perhaps you feel stifled by your current circumstances in waking life. Alternatively could you be feeling breathless with anticipation? If you dreamed of taking in great gulps of invigorating air, your dream may be urging you to clear the air – resolve a tense situation – in your waking life, or it may have been referring to a sense of freedom and lightness.

BREATHING

See BODY .

BREEZEIf you dreamed of stepping outside in your dream and feeling a fresh and gentle breeze, this has symbolic associations with the life force or spirit that is trying to breathe new energy into your waking life. Alternatively, your dream may have been urging you to have a brighter and breezier attitude to your waking life by blowing away the cobwebs and pulling yourself together.

BRIDE/BRIDEGROOM/BRIDESMAID

See RELATIONSHIPS.

BRIDGESIf bridges or a bridge appear in your dream this is a clear symbol of transition from the present to the unpredictable future. Crossing the bridge suggests that you possess the strength within you to cope with life’s journey and with difficult events such as moving home, divorce, or a new job. If you dream of wandering across a bridge, can you see what potential future was waiting for you on the other side?