Vivid, life-like dream

[Turgon]

I had this dream several nights ago, and it was very vivid and 'lifelike' in that unlike most dreams that start to fade after waking up, this one just seemed so real. Every colour, scene and detail just seems etched in my mind for some reason. When I had fallen asleep, I was in the dream, and woke up in the morning as soon as it ended. As if it took place the entire night. Any insights or feedback welcome.

It starts with me and dugdeep walking through an outlet mall where I'm heading over to register for French classes. As we're walking towards the guidance counsellors office in the mall, a blonde french woman who looked as if she was in high school is sitting in front of us and looks at both of us straight in the eyes. Even though she looked young, I got the impression that she was much older and wiser than appeared. She let's us through and we head over to the office of the counsellor where I let him know that I never finished French lessons and need to take this class in order to graduate from highschool and receive my OAC (Grade 13) diploma. As we head out of the office, I realize dugdeep is wearing this really nice black jacket with silver streaks on it and kept thinking to myself how cool it looked. We meet the french woman again who comments on dugdeep positively, and I ask her if that's because of his jacket, to which she replies no, it's because of his big ears, which I'm a bit surprised because I didn't notice that that before and thought 'he really does have big ears!'

The scene changes to a farm with me standing in front of a barn and surveying the land around. It's coming close to dusk and there are open corridors and walkways along the front of the farm. I start hearing howling in the distance and notice a warthog trotting along in the distance. A wolf is following it so I yell out to the warthog to watch out behind it. It manages to escape into the farm along the open corridors and get's inside the 'enclave'. Figuring it might be dangerous, I close the one gate to keep it from getting into the area in front of the barn where I'm standing. It easily uses its tusks to open the gate and get's through like it was nothing so I try hopping into the barn window but it's too high and end up standing there face-to-face with it. There's now two of them on either side of me, the original one being dark-grey in colour, and another smaller one that's pink like a pig, to my right.

Realizing I have no weaponry or way of defending myself, a baseball bat appears in my left hand and a butter-knife in my right turned to the side so that the dulled edge is across my forearm. I yell out to the warthogs to try and scare them off but it doesn't work, so I end up having a conversation with the darker coloured one to let him that if this happens (a confrontation) that one or both of us will lose our lives. He hesitates while contemplating this, but decides to go ahead anyways.

At first I decide to take the big one head on, but have to continuously watch out for the smaller pink one, so I rewind back to the beginning and take on the smaller one first, but it turns into a cast-iron pan which the butter-knife is useless against so I stop and notice that I'm bleeding and injured from the fight. I run to the side of the barn which is now a brick alleyway and barely scale the side of the wall that turns into a wooden fence once I reach the top. I try catching my breathe while half my body is still in the farm section, and as I turn my head to the left to rest on the fence, I notice this amazing backyard garden with trees, a big house with the lights on inside and a circular veranda that the same blonde french woman from before is standing on leaning against the rails while looking into the distance. Where I'm dangling from, there's a pig pen just below me on her side of the fence, and I don't want to crash into it so with my remaining strength, push myself off the fence and land in the middle of the backyard. I can't get up, so she runs up to me, kneels down and puts my head in her lap. Being so exhausted, I don't remember with any detail what was said to me, but the impression I received was that she was going to take me into the house so that I could get some rest and heal my wounds.

____

There seems to be a lot of symbolism stacked in the dream, the big one being what the warthog meant. I looked it up on dreammoods and if you dream of a warthog, it means that you need to take charge of your life.

Thanks for reading.

 

[duyunne]

Wow, what an experience. The hog attack could serve for a warning in your waking life, maybe someone threatening or imposing is in your space some how - as a totem, fighting you, it can signify a need for their courage when your awake.

The part with dugdeep, and the comment about his ears and the flashy coat, the re-emergence of the young woman, maybe there is something the hog was telling you there?

Thanks for sharing, through your description I could fill in the colours and enjoy the scenery.

 

[Voyageur]

[...]
____

There seems to be a lot of symbolism stacked in the dream, the big one being what the warthog meant. I looked it up on dreammoods and if you dream of a warthog, it means that you need to take charge of your life.

Thanks for reading.

I looked it up (Warthog) when reading too, as you yourself quoted above. I don't know who (other than Freud/Jung etc.) or how these associations are attributed, so I guess that is just something you will need to see if it has any merit or not. What you wrote had other focuses as associated below.

From the same site it says of 'leather' (as in the coat worn by dugdeep):

Leather

To see or wear leather in your dream represents toughness and ruggedness. It may imply your thick-skinned nature. Or perhaps you are seeking protection from the elements. Alternatively, the dream refers to your instinctual and animalistic nature. It may also have sexual connotations.

You mentioned a particular girl (older than she seemed - wiser perhaps):

Girls

To see a girl in your dream represents your playful, innocent, and childlike nature. Perhaps you are behaving immaturely in some situation. Alternatively, a girl represents the feminine qualities of your character.

To dream about a girl that you just met represents your anxieties and thoughts of whether you had made a good impression on her and what she thought of you. If she told you that she disliked you in the dream, then it may be an excuse for you to dismiss her and not pursue a relationship further.

In your dream you were defending yourself:

Defend

To dream that you are defending yourself suggests an underlying hurt. It may parallel a waking life situation where you are being put on the defensive.

To dream that you are defending someone indicates that you are projecting your beliefs and feelings onto someone else. By defending this person, you are deflecting or undermining your own beliefs. Perhaps you are not ready to confront your feelings.

Dreaming that someone is defending you or standing up for you symbolizes your sense of self-worth.

The other thing was in seeing a big house, and this has lots of connotations:

House

To see a house in your dream represents your own soul and self. Specific rooms in the house indicate a specific aspect of your psyche. In general, the attic represents your intellect, the basement represents the subconscious, etc. If the house is empty, then it indicates feelings of insecurity. If the house is shifting, then it suggests that you are going through some personal changes and changing your belief system. To dream that a house has no walls represents a lack of privacy. You feel that everyone is looking over your shoulder or up in your business.

To see an abandoned house in your dream implies that you have left behind your past. You are ready to move forward toward the future.

To dream that you are cleaning your house signifies your need to clear out your thoughts and get rid of old ways. You are seeking self-improvement.

If you live with others in your waking life, but dream that you are living alone suggests that you need to take new steps toward independence. You need to accept responsibilities and be more self-reliant.

To see an old, run-down house in your dream represents your old beliefs, attitudes and how you used to think or feel. A situation in your current life may be bringing about those same old attitudes and feelings. Alternatively, the old house may symbolize your need to update you mode of thinking. If you see messy and/or dilapidated houses in your dream, then it implies that an aspect of your own life is in chaos. You may be suffering from some emotional or psychological clutter. You need to release these feelings in order to regain control. To dream that your house is damaged indicates your waking concerns about the condition of your house.

To dream of a house that looks beautiful from the outside and/or downstairs, but the upstairs is falling apart implies that you are too concerned with outward appearances that your mental and emotional health is being neglected.

Dreaming that a house falls down a level without collapsing suggests that you are suppressing your feelings or thoughts. You may be trying to shut out loved ones.

To dream that you are inside a stranger's house indicates that there is something that you have yet to discover about yourself. It may mean that there are repressed memories, fears or emotions that you are not confronting.

To dream that you are building a house implies that you need to work on some aspect of yourself and better your mind or body. Alternatively, the dream is also representative of your maturing mindset.

To see a new house in your dream indicates that you are entering into a new phase or new area in your life. You are becoming more emotionally mature. If you are locked out of the house, then it represents rejection and insecurity. You feel you are being left behind.

To dream that your house is broken into suggests that you are feeling violated. It may refer to a particular relationship or current situation in your life. Alternatively, it indicates that some subconscious material is attempting to make itself known. There are some aspects of yourself that you have denied.

To dream of a haunted house signifies unfinished emotional business, related to your childhood family, dead relatives, or repressed memories and feelings.

Dreaming that you are in the house of someone who has passed away indicates that you have yet to come to terms with their death. Perhaps you feel there was something that could've been done. The dream also indicates that you are trying to hold onto the memories you had with her or him.

To dream that a house has disappeared indicates that you are not feeling grounded. You feel uprooted by a particular circumstance or relationship in your life.

To dream that water is rising up in your house suggests that you are becoming overwhelmed by your emotions. To see houses under water implies that you are very comfortable with your own emotions. Alternatively, the dream may be a reflection of your housing situation. Perhaps you are "underwater" in your mortgage. If you dream that there is water damage inside your house, then it stands for an emotional breakdown.

To dream that a house has legs and is walking or chasing you points to dissatisfaction with your current waking life. You are expressing a desire to start new some place else.

Dreaming that the house is flying or floating means that you do not feel grounded. Perhaps you need to do some soul searching. It may also point to your lofty aspirations.

Although you said you were bleeding, there is a reference to blood:

Blood

To see blood in your dream represents life, love, and passion as well as disappointments. If you see the word "blood" written in your dream, then it may refer to some situation in your life that is permanent and cannot be changed. If something else is written in blood, then it represents the energy you have put into a project. You have invested so much effort into something that you are not willing to give it up. If you dream of blood on the walls, then it is a warning of sorts. There is a situation that you need to confront. You can not avoid it any longer. More specifically, if blood is on the bathroom walls, then it indicates that the situation that you need to confront is an extremely emotional one.

To dream that you are bleeding or losing blood signifies that you are suffering from exhaustion or that you are feeling emotionally drained. It may also denote bitter confrontations between you and your friends. Some of your past actions have come back to haunt you. Women often dream of blood or of someone bleeding shortly before or during their periods or while they are pregnant. For a pregnant woman in particular, blood in dreams is symbolic of the life force that they are carrying. Such dreams are also a reminder to take things slow.

To dream that others are bleeding signifies an emotional cry for help.

To dream that you are drinking blood indicates that you have a fresh burst of vitality and power. If you dream that you are coughing blood, then it represents wasted energy. You are spending too much time on counterproductive activities.

To dream that you are giving or donating blood suggests that you are feeling physically drained due to stress. If blood is squirting everywhere, then the dream implies that you are experiencing some deep emotional stress. You are literally bursting.

Which relates to being wounded:

Wound

To dream that you are wounded signifies grief, anger, or distress. You need to slow down and take time to heal. Consider the location, size and type of wound. Alternatively, the dream may be metaphor that you are all "wound up" or tense about some situation.

I must say though, that was a very vivid dream, Turgon, and as zin said, thanks for sharing. Dreams sure can be perplexing things, and interesting.

 

[Joe]

You certainly have some bodacious dreams Turgon!

While reading I thought this might be relevant.

97-10-07

A: Okay, now picture yourself in a forest clearing. In that clearing you are surrounded by a pack of wolves. These wolves, in your mind, represent a blockage. The blockage is emotion. Emotion is a necessary component of life in 3rd density. It can be of great assistance, and it can also be a hindrance. Normally, in critical situations closest to the 3rd density individuals existence, these emotions serve temporarily as hindrances. So, we ask you to picture these wolves surrounding you. And, as wolves will do when addressed in a calm voice, when one takes a deep breath internally and externally, and asks the wolves in a calming, reassuring voice, to simply go back into the forest, that all is well, then the wolves turn and retreat, as wolves will do. This removes the hindering aspect of emotion, which allows intuition to become stronger. Then, in turn, one's intuitions are not "torn."

Also, the French woman might be a reference to France, your feelings about the network and community living etc.

 

[SevenFeathers]

What a vivid dream! Very good description.

I found this on http://www.animalspirits.com/index23.html about the warthog:

Warthog's Wisdom Includes:
•Ability to sense danger
•Courage
•Protection
•Ability to find the truth
•Use of a fierce mask

Are you fighting any of those things in yourself?

 

[dugdeep]

Very interesting dream, Turgon! I'm flattered to see I was so heavily featured in it

Taking the approach to dream interpretation that everything in a dream is representative of parts of yourself, I think you're right that the dream is pretty rich with symbolism.

It starts with me and dugdeep walking through an outlet mall where I'm heading over to register for French classes. As we're walking towards the guidance counsellors office in the mall, a blonde french woman who looked as if she was in high school is sitting in front of us and looks at both of us straight in the eyes. Even though she looked young, I got the impression that she was much older and wiser than appeared. She let's us through and we head over to the office of the counsellor where I let him know that I never finished French lessons and need to take this class in order to graduate from highschool and receive my OAC (Grade 13) diploma.

The French classes could be looked at as lessons, things you still need to learn and knowledge you have yet to acquire. It could be that part of you feels there is still something left unfinished that maybe started back in high school (or the high school reference may just be symbolic). In light of what Joe posted, there's a pretty clear connection here to France itself and what it represents.

The French girl who is young but older and wiser than she appears reminds me of the third major arcana card in the Tarot - the High Priestess. She sits at the precipice of great knowledge and is rich with feminine and esoteric meaning. The French girl seems to embody this idea, standing between you and your lessons and grants you access. (not to put too much stock in Tarot, but I do think they represent very real human archetypes).

As we head out of the office, I realize dugdeep is wearing this really nice black jacket with silver streaks on it and kept thinking to myself how cool it looked. We meet the french woman again who comments on dugdeep positively, and I ask her if that's because of his jacket, to which she replies no, it's because of his big ears, which I'm a bit surprised because I didn't notice that that before and thought 'he really does have big ears!'

It's sometimes difficult to separate a person you know in real life from what they represent in a dream - what part of yourself would be represented by me? (that's a rhetorical question, but something you might want to explore). It's interesting that, in the dream, you're impressed by something surface, aesthetic and flashy (the jacket), whereas the French girl is more impressed by something innate and maybe even considered not to be attractive, in general (big ears). The fact that it's the ears that are focused on points to the idea of listening, maybe a part that hears what other people don't or is a good listener. There's a lot to dig into here. Since this is something that is commented on positively by the French girl, it could represent something you aspire to, or a latent part that needs to be developed.

The scene changes to a farm with me standing in front of a barn and surveying the land around. It's coming close to dusk and there are open corridors and walkways along the front of the farm. I start hearing howling in the distance and notice a warthog trotting along in the distance. A wolf is following it so I yell out to the warthog to watch out behind it. It manages to escape into the farm along the open corridors and get's inside the 'enclave'. Figuring it might be dangerous, I close the one gate to keep it from getting into the area in front of the barn where I'm standing. It easily uses its tusks to open the gate and get's through like it was nothing so I try hopping into the barn window but it's too high and end up standing there face-to-face with it.

This part is really interesting, too. The warthog could represent a wild and untamed part of psyche that, while powerful and dangerous, is vulnerable to "wolves". While you feel the need to protect it, you recognize that you can't control it and that it can turn on you and take steps to try to keep it contained (which fail).

There's now two of them on either side of me, the original one being dark-grey in colour, and another smaller one that's pink like a pig, to my right.

It might be that the big warthog is representative of the larger overall part of the psyche, while the smaller one might represent the smaller parts that manifest in smaller ways in your daily life.

Realizing I have no weaponry or way of defending myself, a baseball bat appears in my left hand and a butter-knife in my right turned to the side so that the dulled edge is across my forearm. I yell out to the warthogs to try and scare them off but it doesn't work, so I end up having a conversation with the darker coloured one to let him that if this happens (a confrontation) that one or both of us will lose our lives. He hesitates while contemplating this, but decides to go ahead anyways.

So all you have to "defend" yourself are some rather ineffective tools that aren't meant for the job you're trying to use them for. Realizing this, you first try to scare this wild and untamed part (emotions?) away with noise, then with reason, but these tactics also prove ineffective.

At first I decide to take the big one head on, but have to continuously watch out for the smaller pink one, so I rewind back to the beginning and take on the smaller one first, but it turns into a cast-iron pan which the butter-knife is useless against

When you attempt to use your ineffective tools against this part of yourself, using violence to overcome it, it turns into something that is essentially impervious to direct attack. Maybe the strategies you've been implementing to deal with this part of yourself (difficult/overwhelming emotions?) have been the wrong approach; using force and strikes.

so I stop and notice that I'm bleeding and injured from the fight. I run to the side of the barn which is now a brick alleyway and barely scale the side of the wall that turns into a wooden fence once I reach the top.

So you're barely getting out alive from these confrontations and you're sustaining damage!

I try catching my breathe while half my body is still in the farm section, and as I turn my head to the left to rest on the fence, I notice this amazing backyard garden with trees, a big house with the lights on inside and a circular veranda that the same blonde french woman from before is standing on leaning against the rails while looking into the distance. Where I'm dangling from, there's a pig pen just below me on her side of the fence, and I don't want to crash into it so with my remaining strength, push myself off the fence and land in the middle of the backyard. I can't get up, so she runs up to me, kneels down and puts my head in her lap. Being so exhausted, I don't remember with any detail what was said to me, but the impression I received was that she was going to take me into the house so that I could get some rest and heal my wounds.

Wow, there's a lot here, too. It's hard to say, but I think if you explore some of what things like a farm, and a beautiful garden with a house with the lights on mean to you. The idea that "half of [your] body is still in the farm section", is interesting. Are you stuck between two stools? Half way to where you're hoping to be? The garden seems to represent safety, beauty; possibly where you're hoping to get to, while the pathway there (corridors, back alleys) is fraught with danger and dirt (pig pen). It seems like maybe a farm is the pathway to where you want to be, but you see it as a place where you'll have to confront your own "stuff" (warthogs), which you perceive as dangerous.

I think the dream is actually quite hopeful - despite your wounds, you made it in the end!

Take everything I posted with a grain of salt, obviously. I don't think there's such a thing as "right interpretation" of a dream and I think the only person who can really interpret what's there is you!

 

[Konstantin]

It was really an intense and interesting dream. For me, periods with a lot of vivid dreams or it can be just one strong and vivid dream , represent some period ahead in my life where some kind of change will happen.
Don't anticipate what kind of change it will be. Just pay attention to your surroundings and take a closer look inside yourself.
Dreams are probably giving us clues, and tips , but we must be aware enough to read them in the right way.

 

[Turgon]

Thanks for the replies! I can't reply to everyone because I need 'time' to let all that was said sink in, but there was a lot of food for thought in everyone's posts that got me thinking more about the dream and how it reflects back to my life.

Take everything I posted with a grain of salt, obviously. I don't think there's such a thing as "right interpretation" of a dream and I think the only person who can really interpret what's there is you!

I think you were spot on with a lot and noticed a lot of aspects of the dream that I didn't really even take into consideration. Particularly:

The scene changes to a farm with me standing in front of a barn and surveying the land around. It's coming close to dusk and there are open corridors and walkways along the front of the farm. I start hearing howling in the distance and notice a warthog trotting along in the distance. A wolf is following it so I yell out to the warthog to watch out behind it. It manages to escape into the farm along the open corridors and get's inside the 'enclave'. Figuring it might be dangerous, I close the one gate to keep it from getting into the area in front of the barn where I'm standing. It easily uses its tusks to open the gate and get's through like it was nothing so I try hopping into the barn window but it's too high and end up standing there face-to-face with it.

This part is really interesting, too. The warthog could represent a wild and untamed part of psyche that, while powerful and dangerous, is vulnerable to "wolves". While you feel the need to protect it, you recognize that you can't control it and that it can turn on you and take steps to try to keep it contained (which fail).

There's now two of them on either side of me, the original one being dark-grey in colour, and another smaller one that's pink like a pig, to my right.

It might be that the big warthog is representative of the larger overall part of the psyche, while the smaller one might represent the smaller parts that manifest in smaller ways in your daily life.

Realizing I have no weaponry or way of defending myself, a baseball bat appears in my left hand and a butter-knife in my right turned to the side so that the dulled edge is across my forearm. I yell out to the warthogs to try and scare them off but it doesn't work, so I end up having a conversation with the darker coloured one to let him that if this happens (a confrontation) that one or both of us will lose our lives. He hesitates while contemplating this, but decides to go ahead anyways.

So all you have to "defend" yourself are some rather ineffective tools that aren't meant for the job you're trying to use them for. Realizing this, you first try to scare this wild and untamed part (emotions?) away with noise, then with reason, but these tactics also prove ineffective.

At first I decide to take the big one head on, but have to continuously watch out for the smaller pink one, so I rewind back to the beginning and take on the smaller one first, but it turns into a cast-iron pan which the butter-knife is useless against

When you attempt to use your ineffective tools against this part of yourself, using violence to overcome it, it turns into something that is essentially impervious to direct attack. Maybe the strategies you've been implementing to deal with this part of yourself (difficult/overwhelming emotions?) have been the wrong approach; using force and strikes.

so I stop and notice that I'm bleeding and injured from the fight. I run to the side of the barn which is now a brick alleyway and barely scale the side of the wall that turns into a wooden fence once I reach the top.

So you're barely getting out alive from these confrontations and you're sustaining damage!

I was more wondering why the pink one turned into a cast-iron pan, but as I thought about it more, the larger warthog did seem to represent something about myself because when I tried to reason with it, there was some sort of kinship or understanding. The sense of danger had to do with the impending confrontation itself (and I'm always fearful of losing my cool in a confrontation and have not mastered the art of assertiveness), not so much sensing the warthog as being 'dangerous' or negative. That maybe it represented some masculine "aggressive" part of me that I try to suppress and keep in check while the smaller pink one that also had smaller tusks, represented the feminine principle of the two. So it was interesting that when I tried to attack the smaller one, I ended up sustaining the injuries.

To dream that you are bleeding or losing blood signifies that you are suffering from exhaustion or that you are feeling emotionally drained. It may also denote bitter confrontations between you and your friends.

And this did come not long after a situation where there was a bitter confrontation between a friend. As much I tried to handle the situation as detached as possible, not long after letting my "guard down" and finally relaxing thinking it was all over, something was said to me that hurt deeply that I didn't really get over. Spending near a week barely sleeping, angry, wanting revenge and to fight him for what was said took it's toll on me more than the initial confrontation and ending of the friendship. The legitimate feelings of hurt, loss and vulnerability that needed to be talked about, shared and processed more fully (something akin to a more feminine process) were replaced, ignored and "attacked" with sentiments of anger and violence. With almost constant chest pains or 'pains of the heart' happening afterwards, in a sense it could be that like you noted above, ineffective tools using force and strikes to deal with overwhelming emotions which I'm barely able to make it out of and sustain injuries during.

And I don't necessarily think aggression and anger is a 'bad' thing. They can be when left uncontrolled and running wild, but In the right context they can be 'positive' emotions when channeled and directed properly. They can lead to being assertive, taking charge of a situation when needed (which is what a warthog supposedly represents) and accomplishing goals and aims using this kind of emotional fuel - expressing it in a way that builds rather than destroys. I've seen both sides of that coin in myself.

Joe, you're posting of the wolf in the forest analogy seem's appropriate in light of this. I don't always 'get it' but that's something I will read from time to time and hopefully (no anticipation or forcing!) it might start to sink in and calm the wolves down so they go back to the forest with more ease.

Don't anticipate what kind of change it will be. Just pay attention to your surroundings and take a closer look inside yourself.
Dreams are probably giving us clues, and tips , but we must be aware enough to read them in the right way.

Thanks for the reminder, Konstantin.