Symbol Watcher

Jung said a house can also stand for the dreamer's body and can provide clues to the existence of physical illness the dreamer might not even know exists.

Most of us have had dreams where we’re exploring the inside of an unfamiliar house, or we’re discovering new rooms in a house we thought we knew well. It’s easy to understand why houses play such a prominent role in our unconscious. Houses are the center of our existence. They are both our private spaces and our social hubs. They are the first dwellings around which human civilization was built.

A couple nights ago, I dreamt I was considering moving into a large old home where I would have my own large room, but the kitchen and bath were communal; I would share them with the other tenants in the house. I’m a little concerned about how noisy the other tenants will be and I feel uncomfortable or uneasy about not having everything I need in my room, but I like the house and the room I would have and I decide I want to live there. 

Based on the many house dreams I’ve had, I think it’s safe to say that when we’re dreaming about a dwelling, we’re often being shown where we’re “at” or where we’re trying to get to – in our external world and/or in our internal emotional and psychological world.

In my case, the dream is showing me a direction I could take my life. Moving will provide me with the few vital things I know I need, but the new place will mean my introverted nature will have to make some adjustments.

First, I’ll be able to create and share nourishing experiences with others (as symbolized by the communal kitchen).

Second, I’ll be able to live in a place where everyone tries to remember our similarities and respect our mutual human condition. I think this is what the communal bathroom symbolizes for me. As the children’s book reminds us, “Everyone Poops.” We all need to cleanse ourselves because we all get dirty. And each of us has an unpleasant side — attitudes and beliefs we need to get rid of because they create distance between our true selves and other people. Sharing this bathroom experience, if you will, with my fellow tenants tells me I need to be empathetic and respectful of other people as they work through their private business. It also tells me I want the same consideration in return.

Third, even though I’ll be living in a much more connected way, I’ll still be able to have the quiet, reflective, recharge time my introverted nature requires (as symbolized by having my own room).   

When we’re analyzing our house dreams, it is often helpful to ask ourselves: What is the condition of the house? Is its condition affected by outside elements? If so, how? What rooms are being emphasized in the dream? What are our personal associations with those rooms? In other words, what does a bedroom bathroom, kitchen, garage, library, etc. mean to you? 

I could paraphrase the possible symbolic associations we should consider when trying to interpret a house dream, but Jungian analyst M. Ester Harding gives a great rundown in her book, The I And The Not I. Harding’s description is too lengthy for this blog, but here are several key excerpts:  

“A house, for instance, as it appears in dreams, might be taken to represent shelter or containment, and with this meaning can appear in many forms, corresponding to the many attempts man has made to adapt to external conditions. So his shelter may be a den, a cave, a primitive hut, a modern house, or even a palace. In its negative aspect house can represent prison and confinement. Or the house of the dream may represent the dreamer’s psyche. In this case, the living rooms correspond to the conscious part of the psyche, while the cellar and attic contain contents that have fallen into the personal unconscious.  . . .

“The variations on the theme of the house are endless. For instance, instead of being a personal abode, the house may be a collective building, perhaps a theater. This is the place where the typical stories of man’s life are shown, that is, the mythologems (sic) are presented to consciousness.  . . .

“But this does not cover every possible meaning of ‘house.’ For the house may be church or temple, namely, the ‘house of God,’ when, as in the theme of parent and child, the individual is led over to an attitude that transcends the personally oriented one.”

– Writeye 

Posted on June 24th, 2009 under Dreams, Jungian Psychology • Tags: bathroom symbolism, house symbolism, kitchen symbolism. •  Print This Post •  Email This Post • RSS 2.0 feed • Leave a response, or trackback