Dreams provide visual clues in a language that often uses “stand-ins.” Like in the movies, when a look-alike actor stands in for the real one, the dream metaphor (or stand-in) uses an image to denote one object/idea in place of another and suggests an analogy between them.
Looking for metaphors in your dreams is fun and these gems are often in plain sight.
In “Working with your Dreams,” Ullman/Zimmerman differentiate dream metaphors from their verbal counterparts: “… [they] come in visual form … and have a strange and private language that differ from [verbal] metaphors.”
An example they cite of a dream metaphor is that of a woman who dreams she wears a scarlet gown and that the image may indicate she sees herself as a “scarlet woman.” (pages 94-95)
When looking for dream metaphors, assess the “metaphorical potential” of the content and imagery in relation to the life circumstances that could have generated the dream. Make a list of possible events, circumstances, people, memory connections that may have triggered the dream, as it will assist in extracting the potential meaning of the metaphors.(Ullman/Zimmerman, page 74)
The following dream lends itself to “metaphorical potential:”
“I’m in a garden watching the time-lapse evolution of foliage — it dies out, sprouts and blooms again. Then I see an elfin woman — she’s like a sprite that emerges from the greenery and watches me observe the changes in the vegetation. I know she’s a ghost/spirit. She speaks to me two times and looks directly in my eyes — I stare back and ‘see’ life, death and beyond in her eyes — literally into the cosmos. It’s scary, yet exciting.” — C.G.
The garden setting could be a metaphor for the Garden of Eden — the genesis of life. The content of the dream infers the dreamer is “examining” the cycle or evolution of life; as she watches it unfold, a ghost or sprite-like specter (a part of the dreamer) watches her! This suggests that the spirit of the dreamer is also an observer, which is underscored by looking into the “eyes” — or metaphorically — “I’s” (i.e., the dreamer looking into the spirit [wise woman] of her Self).
The whole of creation is revealed not only in earthly three-dimensional vegetation form, but is extended into the birth of the cosmos and beyond. The feelings stirred in the dreamer are ones of excitement and fear which are flip sides of each other.
Is this entire dream a metaphor for the mystery of life? It may be that the dreamer is examining what life is about or making life-changing decisions that are scary as well as exciting. The fact that she has met with her higher self/consciousness in her dream, may confirm that the path she’s on is the right one. A garden suggests a metaphor for abundant growth and pure potential that brings forth sustenance and nourishes life.
Was there a recent death in the dreamer’s life — either a person or something else that died? The affirmative quality of this dream is the circular effect of life, death, rebirth of the plants she observed. She was spoken to two times which is metaphorical in that it reiterated a theme of evolution twice indicating the dreamer should pay attention! And, it showed the presences of the dreamer’s two selves, as well as evoking two emotions.
Select a dream from your journal to work with and see if you can connect the metaphorical dots and find the stand-ins to divulge new insight and meaning.
— Marlene King, M.A. is a writer, artist and mental health professional and has been a dream practitioner for individuals and groups for more than 30 years. Her column and articles have appeared in Dream Network Journal and various other publications.
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