Dream Interpreter N 1

DREAM INTERPRETER

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Dream meanings - enabling you to understand your own dreams

Tony Crisp

FOR FEATURES ON DREAMS SEE DREAM ENCYCLOPEDIA

NAIL Binding power, strength to hold together, as a common belief will bind people together of opposite temperaments. A nail may also represent, as in Christ being nailed to the cross, the painful links that bind us to our body, our earthly experience, our pains and trials.

NAKED Revealing what we usually try to conceal, in the way of feelings, thoughts and reactions. We may hide dislike with a smile. If we are not pleased to meet someone, we may hide our feelings with courteous behaviour, shaking hands, but a child will usually refuse to talk to, shake hands or associate with, someone they dislike. Their real feelings are therefore naked to view. To be naked in a dream may thus express either a fear of or a desire for people to know your real feelings; fear of being disclosed or revealed; or discovery of your real self.

Some naked dreams show extreme self consciousness about other people seeing you. In other cases the dreamer enjoys being on view, likes people, or the doctor, to look at them.

Therefore being undressed can either be anxiety about being revealed, or pleasure in letting someone else see how attractive and perhaps desirable you are. Sexual feelings are often a part of these dreams. See: Clothes.

There is an almost instinctive drive in many young children to uncover themselves to others. Erich Fromm, in his book Dreams - The Forgotten Language, says that, "It is hardly possible to pass through a village in country districts without meeting a two- or three-year-old child who lifts up his or her blouse or frock before the traveller, possibly in his honour." As adults, if such behaviour were punished or frowned upon we may still be stuck in this behaviour, desiring the acceptance we should have received at an earlier stage of our growth.

Useful questions are: Am I feeling relaxed about this or exposed and vulnerable - and does that reflect how I feel about people knowing who I am?

Is there any signs of sexual feelings here, and if so what does the dream suggest about my response?

If there is a reason for my being naked, what is it?

NAME Your name summarises yourself. It is like a focal point around which your sense of self collects. So changing your name would suggest a change in the way you see yourself, or express yourself. Someone elses name would depict your feelings and intuitions about them.

NAMELESS No real quality, without a formulated or distinct being, without a soul. But it also suggests the formless quality of the divine, or the creative power in the cosmos.

NARROW Limited movement in any but one direction. Limitation of choice. Narrow minded.

NATION Characteristic symbolised by the people as a whole. See: Abroad.

NATIVE Your natural feelings without too much social restraint.

NATURE Those parts of your being that have arisen with little or no interference. Not moulded by conscious ambitions, desires.

NAVEL A symbol of an outer connection with our innermost feelings and being. It also represents a sign of dependency, of our dependence upon mother, upon the life process, upon earth.

NEAR/NEARER/NEAREST/NEARNESS When something is near to you in your dream, it shows the strength of your feelings about it, or how aware of it you are. The nearer it is, the more conscious and feelingful you are about it.

NECK You can stick your neck out, which means to take a risk; have a lot of neck, or nerve or audacity. These meanings have a risen possibly from the head being severed in execution, or hanging, or strangulation. The neck is a weak point, and to offer it suggests confidence, fearlessness. So the neck may depict a certain attitude, such as confidence or caution. The neck is also the point up to which we can be easily immersed in water. Beyond that point there is danger. So it can depict what we can take in life, and what is more than enough.

Problems with the neck often refer to the way the neck can act as a bottleneck, or of traffic jam for deeply felt emotions. In such a case you need to examine what feelings are persisting, what emotions or words you haven't allowed yourself to say. As the neck connects the head-thinking, with the body-feelings and sexuality, the neck may refer to a split or non connection between these two main areas of your being.

To be strangled in a dream may be due to difficulty in breathing, feelings of being unable to express easily or say what you really feel. Some relationship situations leave people feeling that life is being choked out of them. To have your head cut off, is to have thinking divorced from feeling.

NECKLACE Power, authority, augmentation of personality, social attractiveness, charm or amulet. May also represent the. things you hang round your neck, as a millstone round the neck. That is, obligations, difficulties, set backs. May associate with person who gave it, and the relationship with them. See: Jewellery.

NEEDLE Sharp pain. Penetrating insight, self searching. Male sex organ. The power of mending ills, fears.

DREAM INTERPRETER

Dream meanings - enabling you to interpret your own dreams

Tony Crisp

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NEIGHBOUR Probably a symbol of the qualities we feel they have. They may be helpful or grumpy. Or may be used as a male or female symbol. See: Man; Woman.

NEST Female sex Organs. The womb or womb consciousness. Protection, relaxation, warmth. Home, or homemaking. Parenthood, or nest egg.

NET The subtle aspects of emotions, words or a relationship that we may get trapped by or in; attitudes in oneself or others that may trap or imprison subtle living parts of ones being.

NETTLE Some irritating factor in life. To be nettled. An idiom that might describe this is 'grasp the nettle'; meaning get on with doing soemthing unpleasant or even painful.

NEW Whatever is new in ones life - a relationship, opportunity, scheme. If contrasted with old, an attempt to decide, contrasting what we already know from the past/old, and what is arising.

NEWS/NEWSPAPER Something that is commonly known. Thoughts or memories you are well aware of. Consciousness as distinct from unconsciousness. Something that is news to you, or you have just become conscious of.

NICKNAME Probably associates with feelings you have, or memories, connected with the person or people who gave you the nickname. Also whatever you feel about the name. See: Name.

NIGHT There can be many different associations with night in your dream. So try to define what you are feeling. Some possibilities are - not understanding clearly what is going on around you; anxiety about being in the dark; feelings of freedom because you re no longer on view in the light; relaxation and mellow feelings; intimacy and freedom to express. See: Light; Black.

NIGHTMARE In addition to the bad dreams provoked by primal feelings, basic drives and past traumas, it is known that everyday threats and dangers can also trigger the nightmare experience. It may be that when we suffer periods of low-self-esteem, with the increased vulnerability to anxiety and fear this brings, that we are more susceptible to this type of nightmare. This common type of anxiety dream, which can be triggered by the worry of not coping well with life generally, or specific concerns such as failure in a relationship, dismissal from a valued job or redundancy, or the loss of a child. Occasionally nightmares can relate to a low sense of self-esteem generally, with the dreamer feeling they do not measure up to other people, perhaps in terms of looks or achievement. While a period of feeling low will often pass for most people, for those afflicted with depression or an anxiety disorder, these anxiety dreams may be more frequent and become a problem.

As well as reflecting our mental concerns, nightmares can be a sign that we are suffering from serious physical illness. Decoding the dream symbols in your nightmare may indicate the nature of your illness. However, it is worth bearing in mind that general poor health may result in a bad night’s sleep or a disturbed sleep pattern without any serious underlying cause.

True Nightmares -

Grace, 40, an accountant says:

I have this dream frequently. It is about my two young sons. In the dream I am with them, standing near the edge of a balcony or at the edge of a bridge. As we stand together, one of my boys falls over the edge to his death. This usually happens because I have let go of his hand for a moment.

This nightmare is about change and moving on; although-apparently negative, the dream is telling Grace that she should to let go of both her sons as they become independent — a time she will face as eai1y as nursery school. Grace's nightmare is making her feel the shock of this and helping her move forward emotionally

Carol, 60, retired says:

Years ago I lost my first husband at twenty nine. I had the same dream continually of being in a phone box trying to contact him not understanding why he had left me. He died of cancer. Later I remarried and this husband died of a heart attack. Once again the same dream came back so much.

While it may be painful, this dream tackles two important issues. Carol is trying to come to terms not only with the deaths and the feelings both husbans left her with. But she is also struggling to understand why this has happened, particularly twice. Here, the self-regulatory process in dreams attempts to resolve anything that is blocking a reasonably balanced response to life. It tries to find answers to conflicts, no matter how old, and to help us continue psychological growth. However, you should bring conscious attention to the issues raised: in the case of Carol, it is likely that the nightmare repeated because there were feelings about her husband she had not recognized.

Symbols of nightmare and conflict

Depending upon the nature of your dreams, many dream symbols will have both positive and negative meanings for you. However, the symbols below will often represent an anxiety or conflict:

the Demon or phantom - The Monster - The Black Hole - The Haunted House - The withered or lightining struck tree - A Shadowy figure or animal. See the feature on Nightmares.

DREAM INTERPRETER

Dream meanings - enabling you to interpret your own dreams

Tony Crisp

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NINE The fact that all numbers rise in series of nines and then begin again, and that babies are born in the ninth month, lends itself to nine symbolising the completion of a process, or stage of growth. There are also, in some mythologies and religions, nine orders of angels or forces. At the ninth hour, the veil is rent between spirit and matter. The astrological sign is Sagittarius, the sage or counsellor. It rules the thighs, and the ninth house rules travel and dreams.

999 or 912 calls: A desperate attempt to be heard, or a cry for help in a difficult situation or feeling state.

See: Numbers.

NIPPLE Usually connects with infant feelings of longing or hunger, mixed with sexual feelings of pleasure. See: Breast.

NO Unless we can say 'no' effectively, our 'yes's' in life may be acquiescence rather than agreement. Therefore, saying no in our dreams is an important expression of our needs and ability to make decisions in face of disagreement. It is important to understand what it is you are saying no to, however.

NOON Active waking life. Height of waking consciousness, ego, rationalism. Mid-life.

NOOSE Fear of, or desire for death. Feelings about being caught or trapped; desire to catch or trap.

NORTH The head, as opposed to South, the genitals.

In the Northern hemisphere: darkness; unconsciousness; coldness, suggesting a situation which leads us to seek the light and warmth; death; frozen emotions.

In the Southern hemisphere: Light; warmth; life and growth.

NORTH STAR Guiding star, guardian angel. That which guides you through life’s journey. Intuition.

NOSE Curiosity; sensitivity as when you have a nose for danger or news. Also may symbolise your direction, as when you follow your nose.

NOTICE Literally means to notice, to be conscious of.

NUCLEUS See: Centre.

NUDE See: Naked.

NUMBERS These are difficult to define, and are very often only connected with personal associations. They may refer to a particular year of your life, number of a house you lived in, date that something happened, how many children you have, and their order of birth. They may thus draw your attention to these events and emotions surrounding them. They may also refer simply to multiplicity or size, as a crowd of events, a big experience, a many faceted realisation. However, since humans could first count, numbers have had a fascinating, mysterious and even magical significance. In this way, early man found in numbers realisations of inner qualities, spiritual understanding, unconscious wisdom. Dreams often use numbers in the same way. See: the individual numbers. one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine.

NUN Sexual restraint; religious feelings or morals; idealism.

NURSE Healing, fears of health, desire to be nursed or cared for. Desire to be loved as a child.

NUT A fool. Also symbol of the inner self, the kernel of truth.

NYMPH See: Fairy.

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