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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by gardenergirl on September 14, 2005, at 22:13:14
Hi.
I had an interesting dream the other morning. I didn’t go to therapy that day, likely because I was avoiding dealing with some of the stuff we had talked about last time. (Run away! Run away!) The dream seems chock full of symbolism. Anyone want to have a go at it?I was in front of a grocery store, and I was participating in this sort of reality show challenge game thing. An older man (when thinking about it later, he reminded me of my T), was asking a question, and the answer to the question involved going to this group of busts of men’s heads and standing by the one you thought was the answer. There were eight busts and eight people playing, so no one could choose the same bust for their answer. One of the people playing was someone I didn’t like, and I really wanted to beat this person at the game. Turns out we both were wrong, if I remember correctly. So then the group of us were sitting around the picnic table in front, just hanging out. Then this old 50’s ish convertible car just drove right into the store through the glass doors. I remember thinking, “What gives them the right to do that? What nerve!” Next the older man was kind of waving away a bunch of gnats or flies or something, and I thought to myself, “It’s probably me who’s attracting those, because I stink!” (I really really needed to have a shower that a.m.) So I went into the store to escape the chance that someone might actually smell me and complain. I also thought I’d go tell off that person who just drove right into the store.
I got inside, and the convertible car was gone, but there were a bunch of sort of full size, yet sort of like toy cars parked where the carts usually are, and I yelled at the people by those cars anyway. Then I wandered off to shop. I found some cut up chicken breast meat that I thought would be great for stir-fry, but when I picked up the package, I noticed it was torn open in the center and I put it back and wiped my hands. I looked at vegetables in these shrink wrap packages, but they were too expensive for the measly portions in there. I wandered around more, and also commented to a blonde woman that the vegetable selection was poor.
Then I found myself wandering down this long narrow hallway. (Don’t laugh!) I thought to myself, “This doesn’t seem like a very good path to the rest of the store, but maybe there are some rooms with other stuff off of the hallway.” On the right there was a stock room area that was off-limits to the general public. I looked through the doorway and wondered if I could get back to the main area of the store by cutting through there, but I didn’t think it was allowed. Up ahead there was a door to the outside at the end of the hall on the left side. A handmade corrugated cardboard sign said “To Produce” with an arrow pointing out the door. Outside you could see a kind of patio and grassy area, and back to the left was the back end of the store. You would have had to go out and walk around the right of the back of the building back to the front of the store to get back in. I looked up at the sky and thought, “I’m not going that way. It’s probably going to rain,” so I decided to go back up the hallway the way I came. Then I must have woken up.
Allrighty then. Have at it!
Thanks in advance for whatever associations or interpretations you have to this.
gg
Posted by LadyBug on September 14, 2005, at 22:58:23
In reply to Dream interpretation? Long and vivid as usual, posted by gardenergirl on September 14, 2005, at 22:13:14
I think I see a few different things that might be going on. The first thing is being at a grocery store.....do you want to be emotionally fed in a healthy way from the meat and the produce? Nutirtion? Not just for your body but for you mind as well. Is the hallway the journey you are on to have the healthy mind and body?
Also, is the person that ran through the glass window in the car someone that is trying to intrude on you and what you are trying to accomplish? Are the cars in the store a means of getting you from one place to another, your means of getting through some issues perhaps? About the rain at the end, are you afraid someone is trying to put a dark cloud on your mood so to speak?
I'm no dream expert, but I have my own I try to figure out. Usually I can come up with something that makes some sence. Sorry if *none* of this makes sence.
I'd like to see what anyone else can come up with . I Love trying to analyze my own dreams and often when I dream about my Therapist we try to figure out what it means. It's fun...
LadyBug
Posted by JenStar on September 15, 2005, at 0:21:09
In reply to Dream interpretation? Long and vivid as usual, posted by gardenergirl on September 14, 2005, at 22:13:14
hi gg,
interesting dream! Here are a few thoughts:The dream had overtones of impotence, with hallways that don't lead anywhere, quizzes that are lost, complaints that don't go to the right place (problems that are not solved), food that isn't high quality, and even your own worries about B.O.
I don't mean impotence in the sexual sense, but rather impotence meaning that in the dream you lack power and ABILITY to get things done the right way. You want to win the quiz over the person you don't like, but you don't win. And in fact the rules of the quiz are illogical. You want to complain about the car, but can't find it, and can't find the right people to listen. You want to get food for dinner, but only find inappropriate and inferior stuff. Then you want to head back, but the way is circuitous.
Since the dream also deals with things that don't make sense -- bad quiz rules, car going thru window but the "complaint dept" is missing, food is badly wrapped, signs are weird: Are you concerned about something in "real life" that isn't fair, rules that seem inappropriate, something that seems just out of whack?
I think the B.O. part might be a typical fear that we all have -- we all want to fit in; to look/smell/seem "right". Are you worried about fitting in somewhere lately? Are you concerned about body image around a person/group of people?
About the other things -- they do seem to point to possible concerns about your ability to get things done or to function. Are you stressed or worried lately about completing a project, participating in some kind of project or work, or just about getting regular stuff done on time?
I don't really read too much into single details (like a long hallway.) I think things like that are really very rarely about sex or sexual fantasies. I think most of our dreams concern our worries and fears, or highlight the fact that our brain is trying to work on a problem and solve it using colorful visual metaphors.
Thanks for sharing & giving us the chance to play armchair psych!
JenStar
Posted by Tamar on September 15, 2005, at 19:43:37
In reply to Dream interpretation? Long and vivid as usual, posted by gardenergirl on September 14, 2005, at 22:13:14
Hi GG
It sounds to me like a dream about how you act in the world.
And if so, it sounds as if you’re fairly uncomfortable with several things. Your opponent in the reality show with the busts could be an aspect of yourself, particularly if you’re facing some kind of internal conflict. If the questioner reminded you of your T, perhaps it indicates a conflict with your animus. The theme of competition (in which you didn’t win) may suggest feelings of incompetence, and may suggest you would like to be more confident and assertive.
The incident with the car crashing through the window, and then your expression of anger at the people near the little cars, also suggests conflicts to me; perhaps conflicts of values. And there’s an inescapable motif of violence and destruction in the image of the car going through the window. The window might represent the boundary between your inner self and your outward persona. And I think it’s about your interactions in the world rather than about internal conflicts. The flies may symbolise annoyances or fears, and you go away from them because you think you’re the cause of their presence. Perhaps there’s something happening in your life that makes you uneasy and you just wish you could escape? Your concern with your body odour might indicate feelings of being contaminated, and your fear that someone might complain also seems to point in that direction. Taken together with the flies and your escape to the store, I wonder whether you’re experiencing something that is causing you to evaluate a number of deeply-held convictions about yourself.
Your inability to find appropriate food might indicate that you’re feeling uncertain about your sources of support. You examine what’s available but none of it’s quite right. Maybe there could be some trust issues. I guess a question might be how this relates to the previous section of the dream.
Wandering down hallways that lead nowhere (or to a place you don’t want to go) is a common theme in dreams. You’re trying to get somewhere but you don’t know how to get there, and you’re repeating previous journeys, even though you don’t want to. Doorways often symbolise opportunities. The opportunity you see (the way out of the store) seems only to point to a long way of going back to where you came from. So instead of going around the outside of the store to return to your point of origin (which would be a new journey, but you realise it wouldn’t be the best solution because it just takes you back to where you started), you decide to turn around and go back the way you came, which seems sensible because it’s a quick way of returning to things that are familiar, and perhaps you think you can set out again from there. However, it might indicate a fear of trying new solutions. And it’s interesting that you’re not inclined to go into the stock room area, even though you suspect it will lead you where you want to go, because you don’t feel you’re allowed to go in there.
So maybe there’s a conflict about whether you *feel* you want to go where you *think* you want to go, and maybe you’re seeking comfort in familiar patterns, even though you know they’re not helping.
Avoiding the rain is also interesting. Rain is often a symbol of cleansing, and even fertility (the latter would connect with the stock room and the narrow hallway). As a symbol of renewal it’s interesting that you avoid it. Of course, in waking life we do avoid rain because we don’t want to get wet. But avoiding getting symbolically wet might have a quite different meaning. Taken with the journey in the hallway and your feeling that going outside isn’t quite right (but at the same time going into the stock room area isn’t quite right) suggests to me that you have a number of opportunities but that you don’t feel comfortable with any of them. And in fact it seems that any of them might get you somewhere, but your decision in your dream is to go back the way you came.
There seems to be a lot of anxiety in this dream, and a sense that you’re not feeling very successful in what you’re trying to do, particularly in relating your inner life to the way you act in the outside world. Of course, I’m sure that you are in fact very successful in what you’re trying to do, but perhaps you feel underconfident. If that seems way off-base, perhaps there’s simply a sense that you want to feel revitalized but you’re not sure how best to go about it.
Sorry, this got a bit long. But I hope it’s vaguely interesting.
Tamar
Posted by gardenergirl on September 16, 2005, at 9:24:59
In reply to Re: Dream interpretation? Long and vivid as usual » gardenergirl, posted by LadyBug on September 14, 2005, at 22:58:23
> I think I see a few different things that might be going on. The first thing is being at a grocery store.....do you want to be emotionally fed in a healthy way from the meat and the produce? Nutirtion? Not just for your body but for you mind as well. Is the hallway the journey you are on to have the healthy mind and body?
That's interesting, and close to what my T said. He thinks the dream is about therapy. He said I seem to come to therapy to be "fed", and the hallway is similar to the hallway I walk down to get to his office. In my dream, I didn't go through the door, and that morning, I didn't go to therapy. He wondered if maybe I was not getting what I was looking for, or if the therapy felt for whatever reason, not fulfilling or satisfying.
> Also, is the person that ran through the glass window in the car someone that is trying to intrude on you and what you are trying to accomplish? Are the cars in the store a means of getting you from one place to another, your means of getting through some issues perhaps? About the rain at the end, are you afraid someone is trying to put a dark cloud on your mood so to speak?
Hmmm, we didn't talk about the cars much. I tend to view the car driving in through the doors (the doors opened) as an aggressive and bold act. The car that drove in was long, and could be interpreted as a phallic symbol. The cars inside were more rounded and looked harmless. Almost like a large sized child's toy. If those cars represent a means to getting somewhere, well I left them parked! And I tend to view rain as symbolizing tears. I think sometimes I feel less inclined to go to therapy because I get tired of crying. Of course I usually eventually feel better.
I have no idea where I'm going with this...just associating to what you wrote.
I tend to dream a lot (except when on higher doses of Nardil), and I almost always enjoy thinking about them, although I don't always try to interpret them. But I do find them entertaining.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.
gg
Posted by gardenergirl on September 16, 2005, at 9:46:44
In reply to Re: Dream interpretation? Long and vivid as usual » gardenergirl, posted by JenStar on September 15, 2005, at 0:21:09
> >
> I don't mean impotence in the sexual sense, but rather impotence meaning that in the dream you lack power and ABILITY to get things done the right way.This could relate to the struggle I am having in tackling a rather large hurdle. I don't feel all that competent in dealing with it, and it's been on my mind, because it's going to be taking up a large chunck of my time in the very near future. >
> Since the dream also deals with things that don't make sense -- bad quiz rules, car going thru window but the "complaint dept" is missing, food is badly wrapped, signs are weird: Are you concerned about something in "real life" that isn't fair, rules that seem inappropriate, something that seems just out of whack?Hmmm, interesting. Recently something did happen that was a real shock and hard to understand. Someone acted in an apparently uncharacteristic manner, and it had some far reaching consequences.
>
> I think the B.O. part might be a typical fear that we all have -- we all want to fit in; to look/smell/seem "right". Are you worried about fitting in somewhere lately? Are you concerned about body image around a person/group of people?Could be. But I was also aware that I really really needed to take a shower that a.m. before I went out anywhere. I really DID smell bad. :(
>
> About the other things -- they do seem to point to possible concerns about your ability to get things done or to function. Are you stressed or worried lately about completing a project, participating in some kind of project or work, or just about getting regular stuff done on time?Oh heck yes!
>
> I don't really read too much into single details (like a long hallway.) I think things like that are really very rarely about sex or sexual fantasies. I think most of our dreams concern our worries and fears, or highlight the fact that our brain is trying to work on a problem and solve it using colorful visual metaphors.Yeah, the intial thoughts I had were pretty cliched. But then again, a friend likened it to a birth canal and brought up the idea of re-birth, such as taking on a new role in life or changing a self-identity. This could relate from transitioning from being a student to being a professional, and I'm behind in that process. And in fact I went back, because I don't feel ready. (Although I feel more than ready at times...just need to jump throught that most challenging hoop).
I posted above that my T thinks it was all about therapy and when he brought that up, it made sense with everything we were (and were not)talking about.
>
> Thanks for sharing & giving us the chance to play armchair psych!You're welcome. And thanks for sharing your ideas.
gg
>
Posted by gardenergirl on September 16, 2005, at 9:58:47
In reply to Re: Dream interpretation? Long and vivid as usual » gardenergirl, posted by Tamar on September 15, 2005, at 19:43:37
> Hi GG
>
> It sounds to me like a dream about how you act in the world.
>
> And if so, it sounds as if you’re fairly uncomfortable with several things. Your opponent in the reality show with the busts could be an aspect of yourself, particularly if you’re facing some kind of internal conflict.Hmmm, could be. I've got plenty internal conflicts to go around. :)
> If the questioner reminded you of your T, perhaps it indicates a conflict with your animus. The theme of competition (in which you didn’t win) may suggest feelings of incompetence, and may suggest you would like to be more confident and assertive.
That makes sense. I've been working on this recently.
>
> The incident with the car crashing through the window, and then your expression of anger at the people near the little cars, also suggests conflicts to me; perhaps conflicts of values.Actually, the car didn't crash through the doors. The doors opened, and the car just drove right in. It is a conflict with values, because it seemed just so obnoxious and bold. The other day a car was stopped right in front of the door of the pharmacy where I had to go pick up my prescription. The car was running, and they ahd dropped someone off who ran in to get something. The person had to run back out to ask a question, and then run back in to pick up the meds. I was SO Peeved! There were empty parking spaces all over the place, but NOOOOOOO, just stop your car wherevere the heck you feel likme it. Oh, and do waste that gasoline, too. It's not even as if they needed to keep the car running in order to run the AC because it was a convertible!
Wait a minute...similar car, although the one that drove into the store was a 1950's era. Oooh, kinda like one my dad had. Curious.
>And there’s an inescapable motif of violence and destruction in the image of the car going through the window. The window might represent the boundary between your inner self and your outward persona.
It did seem like a boundary violation or penetration type feeling.
>And I think it’s about your interactions in the world rather than about internal conflicts. The flies may symbolise annoyances or fears, and you go away from them because you think you’re the cause of their presence. Perhaps there’s something happening in your life that makes you uneasy and you just wish you could escape?
Oh yes, avoidance is my thing.
>Your concern with your body odour might indicate feelings of being contaminated, and your fear that someone might complain also seems to point in that direction. Taken together with the flies and your escape to the store, I wonder whether you’re experiencing something that is causing you to evaluate a number of deeply-held convictions about yourself.
Hmmm, not sure about this, but then again, the therapy process is about examining and coming to terms with the deeper stuff.
>
> Your inability to find appropriate food might indicate that you’re feeling uncertain about your sources of support. You examine what’s available but none of it’s quite right. Maybe there could be some trust issues. I guess a question might be how this relates to the previous section of the dream.I think you're on to something here. It's a topic that's come up in therapy recently, related to my hubby and what I wish for from him in terms of support and caring.
>
> Wandering down hallways that lead nowhere (or to a place you don’t want to go) is a common theme in dreams. You’re trying to get somewhere but you don’t know how to get there, and you’re repeating previous journeys, even though you don’t want to. Doorways often symbolise opportunities. The opportunity you see (the way out of the store) seems only to point to a long way of going back to where you came from. So instead of going around the outside of the store to return to your point of origin (which would be a new journey, but you realise it wouldn’t be the best solution because it just takes you back to where you started), you decide to turn around and go back the way you came, which seems sensible because it’s a quick way of returning to things that are familiar, and perhaps you think you can set out again from there.Interesting, but this makes me think about how I tend to return to the same issues in therapy (that spiral concept that Daisy talks about).
>However, it might indicate a fear of trying new solutions. And it’s interesting that you’re not inclined to go into the stock room area, even though you suspect it will lead you where you want to go, because you don’t feel you’re allowed to go in there.
Yeah, I'm definitely very much of a "rules" follower. A proper young lady would not go into an "off limits" area without permission. Oh lordy, just reading that makes me think of therapy. A proper young lady would not talk about "off limits" topics. And I'm dancing around transference feelings. Oy! Thanks for stimulating that possible insight.
>
> So maybe there’s a conflict about whether you *feel* you want to go where you *think* you want to go, and maybe you’re seeking comfort in familiar patterns, even though you know they’re not helping.Oh yes, that's another topic that's come up. I tend to seek comfort, guidance, and reassurance from others more than I can ever get.
>
> Avoiding the rain is also interesting. Rain is often a symbol of cleansing, and even fertility (the latter would connect with the stock room and the narrow hallway). As a symbol of renewal it’s interesting that you avoid it. Of course, in waking life we do avoid rain because we don’t want to get wet. But avoiding getting symbolically wet might have a quite different meaning. Taken with the journey in the hallway and your feeling that going outside isn’t quite right (but at the same time going into the stock room area isn’t quite right) suggests to me that you have a number of opportunities but that you don’t feel comfortable with any of them. And in fact it seems that any of them might get you somewhere, but your decision in your dream is to go back the way you came.This is fitting with some of my current dilemmas and feelings about past decisions.
>
> There seems to be a lot of anxiety in this dream, and a sense that you’re not feeling very successful in what you’re trying to do, particularly in relating your inner life to the way you act in the outside world. Of course, I’m sure that you are in fact very successful in what you’re trying to do, but perhaps you feel underconfident. If that seems way off-base, perhaps there’s simply a sense that you want to feel revitalized but you’re not sure how best to go about it.Hmmm, makes sense given where I am in transitioning at school.
>
> Sorry, this got a bit long. But I hope it’s vaguely interesting.It is, and thanks for sharing your thoughts.
gg
>
Posted by JenStar on September 16, 2005, at 12:02:33
In reply to Re: Dream interpretation? Long and vivid as usual » JenStar, posted by gardenergirl on September 16, 2005, at 9:46:44
hi gg,
I think also that how we all interpret your dream tells something about US and OUR concerns/issues. I mean, some things are universal, and regardless of our own personal struggles we'll interpret them the same way. But some of the more obscure symbolism, I think, we tend to view through our own eyes and our own issues, and project them onto your dream.I'm sure I did that a bit, talking about strugges/etc. And it seems your T did too! -- by instantly referring the dream back to therapy, and your fears/blocks/etc in therapy sessions. Which, of course, it might really be about. But I think it's interesting that the interpreter's mindset, views and life also color their various interpretations!
Do you think that happens at all?
JenStar
Posted by gardenergirl on September 16, 2005, at 12:13:12
In reply to Re: Dream interpretation? Long and vivid as usual » gardenergirl, posted by JenStar on September 16, 2005, at 12:02:33
Heck yes!
That's why I like to hear others' interpretations, because it stimulates me thinking about it in different ways.
gg
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