Theresa Cheung - The Element Encyclopedia of 20,000 Dreams - The Ultimate A–Z to Interpret the Secrets of Your Dreams

Although some dreams can be interpreted as wish-fulfillment, most modern dream researchers believe that dreams have another purpose, to periodically present us with reports on our progress to date. Sometimes these updates are purely expressions of wish-fulfillment, and therefore easy to interpret: for example, those fantastic dreams in which you win the lottery, or audition successfully for the lead role in a Hollywood blockbuster. Sometimes, though, dreams are harder to interpret because the dreaming mind speaks in the confusing language of symbols. Understanding such dreams is, however, important because they often contain pertinent observations and warnings—not yet registered by the conscious mind—that can help us achieve our goals in waking life.

Freud considered dreams of climbing to represent a longing for sexual fulfillment. Other dream researchers believe climbing dreams suggest moving steadily towards your goals. What you climb signifies the scale of the task you have set yourself, whilst reaching the top signifies the height of your aspirations. Did you reach the top, or have you lost sight of your target?

One step at a time

Climbing a hill

This indicates a harder, and perhaps longer, challenge that you anticipated. Did you experience an uphill struggle in your dreams? If you did, how did you tackle it? Did you see the top of the hill, or did you keep your head down, suggesting that you may have lost sight of your goals. Were you climbing the hill with anyone? Did they help or hinder you?

Climbing a ladder

This could signify a corporate or social ladder, with each rung indicating promotion or another step towards social elevation. Alternatively, the ladder could be interpreted as a phallic symbol representing the so-called masculine qualities of power, drive and ambition that you need to adopt if you want to get to the top. The dream oracles say that to climb a ladder to the last rungmeans you will succeed in business.

Climbing a mountain

This represents the ultimate challenge of endurance, skill, strength and stamina. Were you equal to the task? Did you tackle it bravely, or with feelings of dread and anxiety?

Climbing stairs

You have great ambition, but are you climbing with confidence or with fear? Your unconscious may be reminding you not to become egotistical and climb too high, as other people despise arrogance and may try to knock you down. A meteoric rise to fame is not as easily sustained as a gradual and well-planned move to prominence. Be cautious, and take one step at a time.

Climbing over walls

If you dream that in front of you there is a wall you need to climb overto get to where you want to be, this suggests obstacles you may encounter in life that you need to overcome before you attain success.

On top of the world

If you got to the top, did you feel on top of the world? If you did, your dream mind is motivating you to re-enact that same feeling of success, achievement and liberation in your waking life. What did you see below you? Did you see people and places that you have distanced yourself from in waking life? If you didn’t get to the top, did you retrace your steps? If you did reach the summit, your dream mind may be urging you to reconsider your goals.

Struggling uphill

In this kind of dream you are climbing or driving up a steep incline. Progress is slow, and it seems to take more than you or your engine can handle. You may even wonder why you took this particular route. From a psychological point of view, the uphill struggle represents a challenge you are dealing with right now that feels like it is too much. You hadn’t expected it to be so tough. The overworked junior doctor, the programer who must create complicated software within a week, the busy mum of newborn twins—all may have this dream. The steepness of the incline is an indication of how difficult the challenge feels to you. The only way to reach the top is to pace yourself, so perhaps this dream is suggesting that you take better care of yourself and get plenty of rest. To put this advice into practice will improve your odds of success, and taking things one step at a time will make the process seem less overwhelming.

The act of jumping upin a dream can suggest trying to better ourselves. Jumping downcan signify going down into the unconscious and those parts of ourselves we have yet to discover. Jumping on the spotis similar to dancing and signifies joy. If you made a perfect jump, this could suggest that you have made or are about to make a quantum leap in the form of an important decision. If your jump misses the mark, however, you may have made the wrong choice or are about to make it.

If you dreamed of racing against rivals or the clockto achieve personal, national or Olympic records, your dream probably relates to your career, as work is often called the ‘rat race’. The clockrepresents the pressure you feel you are under and the level of attainment you hope to achieve. The other people in the race represent competition or threats to your chances of winning the prize money, admiration or status. If you fly ahead of the competition, you may feel as if you are ahead in waking life, but if you are just keeping pace, this could suggest that you are coping but could easily fall behind. If you’re struggling to keep up, you may not be making the grade in real life. If you know who your dream rivals are, their position in the race will tell you how you think you compare with them. If you aren’t working, racing dreamscould suggest a long, hard struggle for success in love and life. If you win the race, this signifies that your potential will be recognized; but an overzealous will to win may reveal a needy desire for others to acknowledge that potential. On the other hand, if you lose the race, especially if you get pipped at the post, this signifies the frustration of understanding the limits of your potential. It can also suggest that lack of confidence is thwarting your progress.

To dream that you are running is considered a positive sign, as it suggests speed, energy and direction. If you are running forwards, this indicates confidence or taking responsibility. To be running backwards or away from somethingsignifies fear, or an inability to achieve your goals. A spiritual interpretation of running dreams could suggest that you are trying to do something too quickly. To dream that you want to run but cannotsuggests that your ambitions are harder to accomplish than you thought.

Running events

Hurdles: In your dreams hurdlesrepresent the obstacles that hinder your progress. Did they knock you over, or did you knock them over? Did you navigate your way successfully over them without touching them?

Marathon: If your race was a marathon, this indicates that work or life has become an exhausting slog. If you win the marathon, this suggests you have the confidence to achieve your aims, but if you fail to finish, this suggests that insecurities in waking life are holding you back.

Relay race: In the relay raceof your life, were you successful at passing the baton or did you fumble things and ruin your team’s chances?