The Element Encyclopedia of 20,000 Dreams: The Ultimate A–Z to Interpret the Secrets of Your Dreams. Theresa Cheung
Animal teeth represent aggression and false teeth concern about self-image.
If you are toothless or see someone without teeth, this suggests loss of effectiveness or feelings about aging. Don’t, however, neglect the possibility that the dream may have been triggered by toothache or a recent trip to the dentist. If teeth are rotten or decayed in your dream, perhaps you have said something you regret. Spitting out lots of teeth indicates something you need to spit out or admit in waking life. If you are brushing your teeth in your dream, this may suggest you are experiencing a hard struggle in waking life; it could also, of course, echo your dentist’s plea to take better care of your teeth. If something is lodged between your teeth, this suggests that a problem which seemed impossible in waking life may be easily resolved.
If one tooth is far larger than the rest of the teeth in your mouth, you may be worried that something in your personal and working life won’t be the success you hoped it would be. Clean teeth or teeth that glisten are linked to strong friendships or financial security. If the roots of the teeth are featured, you may be thinking about the stability of your waking relationships. If the roots are healthy, you are satisfied with these, but if the roots are twisted or unhealthy, this suggests concerns in that area of your life.
Body wisdom
If you look at the body in your dreams as a representation of your life and potential, the images can translate into a view of your current well being. Don’t worry overly about dreams that seem to be a kind of warning; instead try to be honest with yourself, put the pieces of the puzzle together in your mind and begin to make positive changes.
1 or dreams of internal organs, fluids and other bodily functions, see under SICKNESS AND HEALTH.
Carl Jung talked about recurring dreams he had in which he would discover parts of his house that he didn’t know existed.
In these dreams he believed the house represented his personality, and the new things he discovered in the house related to new developments in his work. Many dream researchers subscribe to Jung’s theory and believe that buildings in dreams represent aspects of the self, or constructions we make in our lives. The upstairs represents the conscious mind, and the lower floors and cellars the unconscious, or hidden, mind. Different parts of the building might represent different times in your life, and the attitudes and beliefs you have built from experience. The features of your dream building can also mirror features of your personality; by so doing, they reflect your character, hopes and dreams, and how you feel about yourself.
If you dream of a house or a building, ask yourself what aspect of you the building represents. Does it represent how you see yourself? Is it a symbol of your body, mind or spirit? If the house is crumbling or decaying, are you in need of some kind of psychological, spiritual or physical cleaning and renewal? If the building is burning, does this show your desire to get rid of something that is holding you back? If the building is in ruins, do you feel worthless and manipulated by others? If the building is tall, does this suggest ambitions yet to be fulfilled? Is the house symbolic of your feelings in childhood or other past experiences? What are the conditions like in the house? Ask yourself what personal associations the buildings in your dreams have and what they represent to you.
The environment and your feeling reaction to the building in your dream will all contribute important clues as to its meaning, but it is also important to bear in mind the purpose for which the building is used in waking life. For example, castles and fortresses suggest protection and royalty, whereas factories suggest work and routine. Although high-rise buildings are believed to be phallic symbols, as a type they all have different functions: skyscrapers are homes and workplaces, lighthouses offer hope to sailors at sea, and towers isolate, elevate and imprison.
Churches and religious buildings offer us hope and quiet reflection, libraries and museums supply us with information and stimulate our minds. Courts provide social justice, whilst public buildings symbolize work, tax, bureaucratic or legal matters that need to be sorted. Hospitals are centers of healing and castles are historical icons. Houses, bungalows, flats, mansions and palaces offer different types of accommodation for different types of needs. Prisons are places for criminals to learn the consequences of their actions, and hotels provide a welcome break from home. If any of these buildings appear in your dream, this chapter will help you interpret the meaning; but for domestic buildings, homes and shops you may want to refer to HOME and MONEY AND SHOPPING. For places associated with entertainment, such as cinemas and theatres, you may want to refer to ARTS AND CRAFTS and LEISURE, and for places of work and learning consult SCHOOL AND WORK.
Building Types A to Z
ANCIENT BUILDING
The pyramid is said to be a focus of spiritual energy, so it if appears in your dream, your unconscious is drawing your attention to the power within. Dreams about old or ancient buildings refer to the past and experiences that have been lived through, such as a former life with another person. Ruins suggest a now irrelevant way of life or approach to life. The ruins may belong to a castle, and this suggests that the defenses you once built up are no longer necessary. Mansions and palaces in dreams have a similar interpretation as houses, but with the emphasis on those possibilities within us that have yet to be developed and explored. There is a sense of something special or wonderful happening within yourself, as palaces are places of enchantment and treasure in fairy tales. However, palaces may also represent a warning against adopting a pretentious façade and living beyond your means.
CASTLE/CITADEL/FORTRESS
If you dream of any of these, it suggests a defensive attitude. Do you have a real fear of being overwhelmed or defeated by a group of schoolmates or colleagues? Or are you feeling so vulnerable that you are putting up emotional defenses to protect yourself? The symbol of the castle is that of a place where you can defend yourself from attack, so it may represent the methods you use to protect yourself from ‘attack’. On the other hand, your dream may highlight your self-imposed isolation from others, and the sense of security you get from being self-reliant.
If your stronghold came under siege, did you identify the faces of your attackers? Are these people you know in waking life? And did your dream defenses hold firm? If they did, this suggests that you are successfully fending off attempts to wound or get through to your emotions. If you are a man who dreamed that you are laying siege to a castle, the Freudian interpretation is that it expresses your desire to have sex with a woman who has resisted your advances. The castle is also a place of historical interest, so it may suggest a need to look to the past for inspiration. It can also represent a mandala, a symmetrical pattern that symbolizes the psyche. If a courtyard or moat appears in the dream, this again refers to protection or the desire to feel safe and secure. The shape of the moat or courtyard will also be relevant.
CITYSCAPE
Did you dream that you were wandering around a city, either familiar or unfamiliar to you in waking life? If you did, were the streets friendly and welcoming, and the buildings clean and bursting with life and activity, or did you feel unwelcome, jostled about and intimidated by the place? According to Jung, places in dreams where people group together to