METAPHORS IN DREAMS
Metaphors in dreams use images to draw comparisons highlighting certain common features. Vikas dreamt of an enormous black extinct bird chasing him on top of a mountain. It’s jaws were open & the claws outstretched. He wanted to run for his life but there was no place to hide & no where to go. When the bird was about to pounce on him, he woke up, his heart pounding with fear.
Vikas realized that the bird reminded him of his supervisor at the office. The supervisor’s bullying style & endless demands left him feeling breathless & powerless. Many times he wanted to run away from office but where & for how long ? The only point of relief was the knowledge that the supervisor was on the verge of retirement.( extinct)
The metaphor of the black, bird was so powerful that required a minimum of interpretation. Dreams routinely use highly personalized metaphors to draw analogies to waking life. They amplify feelings that do not clearly come into focus while the dreamer is awake. Typically any dream has reference to dreamer’s particular life situation as well as to his or her personality formed by early childhood experiences. It is for this reason the dream metaphor can be a potential instrument for self learning & self understanding. If properly appreciated, a dream may reveal metaphors that urge dreamers to say something new about themselves thus enhancing self awareness. I have discussed Dreamwork & Dream Interpretation in detail in my book Daring to Dream.
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