Author

Subject: floating/gliding/flying

Mina

21:04 12/04/2002 

Two beings led me into the bathroom of the house I grew up in. I was reluctant because I didn't want whatever it was we were going to do to upset my mother.

One of the beings was really small, like a toddler, and the other was about my own size. I went into the bathroom with them, and sat on the toilet, hugging my knees up to my chest. I was filled with apprehension because I had no idea what was to come. The taps of the bath were turned on and the tub began to fill with water. I turned my head to look, and there was a deer in the bath.

The water was getting quite deep, and the deer moved to the edge of the bath. The smaller being said to the deer, “It's ok, you don't have to stay in there”, and at that, the deer stepped out of the bath.

Then suddenly I found myself in the bath, and the water was very deep. So deep, that there was no bottom. I began to sink, so that just my face was above water, and I began to panic a little, but somehow I knew that I'd be safe. There was mist everywhere, and the larger being (which may have actually been me, though I'm not too sure) reached down from above and pulled me out of the water. She let go of me and I was floating.

I looked down and saw my bare feet dangling above the mist. I twitched my feet a little and started to move. Then I started kicking my legs and taking steps to float around, sort of like walking on air or treading water. I looked back at the two beings and they were smiling, nodding their heads and saying “See?”. Then I just turned away from them and glided/floated off through the mist.

Dream edited for easier reading - JT, 2005

2004

Jane Teresa's View

Jane Teresa Anderson

Overview Interpretation & Dream Alchemy Practice suggestion

OVERVIEW INTERPRETATION

Hi Mina,

What a beautiful dream! Whenever a dream starts at a house you lived in as a child it is taking you back to the origin of an experience, feeling or belief that is affecting your current situation. We can use that dream insight to make changes.

The bathroom is a place of cleansing, so symbolically this is a good place to begin. Water tends to represent the emotions and water is a feature of bathrooms.

You are reluctant to upset your mother. Straight up this suggests you are looking at a childhood belief that mother must not be upset. Looking back to childhood, are you aware of behaving in ways that protected your mother’s feelings?

One of the beings was “like a toddler” and the other was “about my own size”. Later in the dream, when you were in the bath, you thought the larger being may have been you. My feeling is that the two beings are yourself as a toddler and yourself today.

When you were in the bath you experienced the bath as huge – the water was so deep there was no bottom. At that point in the dream I feel you were reliving the experience of being a toddler and that’s why the larger being seemed to reach down from above, a toddler’s perspective of an adult.

So, you went into the bathroom reluctant to upset your mother, but knowing that this was exactly what you were there to do. This must have reflected a readiness, in waking life, to make a change. Your unconscious mind was responding by showing you what needed to be done.

What needed to be done was to inform the deer that it didn’t need to stay in the bath. The moment the deer understood this and stepped out, YOU were in the bath experiencing sinking and panic. Now, what does this mean?

You were okay all the time the deer was in the bath, except for feeling filled with apprehension. When the deer stepped out of the bath, you were in (deep) trouble, but despite panic you knew you’d be safe. And you were right. You were lifted out of the bath by the older being, just as the younger being had informed the deer that it was free to leave the bath.

So, the toddler part of you freed the deer and this allowed the adult you to free the toddler you from the bath. Okay, so what we need to do next is understand what the deer symbolises then we can put this all together.

An animal in a dream usually represents your own energies and instincts. Which three words would you choose to describe a deer? Gentle? Vulnerable? Bambi-like? Dreams also use word play, so this deer may be ‘dear’. This could be ‘dear’ as in an endearment, or a patronising form of address or perhaps ‘dear’ as in expensive. Spend some time thinking about these and asking yourself how they relate to you in your relationship with your mother as a toddler and now.

The deer didn’t seem to know that it had a choice. It didn’t seem to know that it could give itself permission to step out of the bath. It seemed to be suffering, waiting for rescue. How would you apply this to your relationship with your mother?

By now you have probably worked out what the deer symbolises to you. For the sake of finishing the interpretation I’m going to use the example of the deer symbolising ‘vulnerable and waiting to be rescued’.

In your dream the toddler part of you was ready to give up the belief that she was vulnerable and needed to be rescued – that by staying child-like, ‘dear’ and vulnerable she would please her mother. (Perhaps you were her youngest child and your mother made it felt that she didn’t want you to grow up and leave her.) As soon as the toddler gave permission for the belief to change (into independent decision making) you were then thrust into experiencing the belief change that you had just watched. Okay, there was a bit of panic because this was new, but you knew, because the toddler and the deer had demonstrated it to you, that you would be safe - as you were.

Instead of needing to be rescued by anyone else, you were lifted from the water by your older self. You took responsibility for yourself instead of responsibility for fulfilling someone else’s expectations, and that was what his dream was all about.

I wonder if the mist was what you had ‘missed’, what you went on to enjoy, freed?

DREAM ALCHEMY PRACTICE

Affirmation:

Here’s an affirmation using your dream symbols:

“I am free to step from the bath, free to fly and float, free to take my own steps.”

How to use your affirmation/ and how often:

Say your affirmation out loud and with feeling 30 times a day for the first week. From the second week say your affirmation out loud and with feeling once in the morning and once before you go to sleep for three more weeks.

How does this work?

This works by communicating directly with your unconscious mind using its own language, to transform the belief your dream is revealing.

More details on Affirmation as a Dream Alchemy Practice in: “Dream Alchemy”, by Jane Teresa Anderson, pages 331-333.

Jane Teresa Anderson

You can consult with Jane Teresa or her Dream Team and receive your interpretation by email within five working days.

ORIGINAL THREAD

Below is the original forum discussion on this dream, contributed before Jane Teresa's 2004 interpretation.

Lena

09:41 13/04/2002 

Hi Mina,

Houses represent our inner selves. As this one is the one you grew up in, it seems to be your inner self at a really base level.

I think the two beings are yourself. They are possibly your "inner child" and your grown-up self.

The bath may symbolise the washing away of old thoughts or feelings. Could the deer mean something that's "dear" to you?

Your inner selves seem to be trying to prove something or reassure you about something. Are you having a problem letting go of something from your childhood? Could the dream be saying that if you do so, then everything will be fine (above the mist)?

Just a few thoughts. Hope they help.

Lena

Lena

09:50 13/04/2002 

Just another thought that's occurred to me.

I'm coming to the realisation that the dreams of others that we can understand more easily are the ones that we relate to as well.

At the moment, I'm dealing with a long-standing belief that I'm having to let go of. So your dream could well have been my own.

Another interesting thing is the name you're using. Is it your real name, or one you just decided to use? In Finnish "mina" means "me", so, as I was born there, your dream seems to be another piece in MY puzzle.

So my comments above may not resonate with you at all, but I've gained from responding to your dream.

Isn't it interesting?

Star

19:04 13/04/2002 

Hi Mina - I'm going to pick up on the Deer with a reference I have for her.

Hope the story assists in some way.

One day Fawn heard Great Spirit calling to her from the top of Sacred Mountain. Fawn immediately started up the trail. She didn't know that a horrible demon guarded the way to Great Sprit's lodge. The demon was trying to keep all the beings of creation from connecting with Great Spirit. he wanted all of Great Spirit's creatures to feel that Great Spirit didn't want to be disturbed. This would make the demon feel powerful, and capable of causing them to fear him.

Fawn was not at all frightened when se came upon the demon. This was curious, as the demon was the archetype of all the ugly monsters that have ever been. The demon breathed fire and smoke and made disgusting sounds to frighten Fawn. Any normal creature would have fled or died on the spot from fright.

Fawn, however, said gently to the demon. "Please let me pass. I'm on my way to see Great Spirit."

Fawn's eyes were filled with love and compassion for this oversized bully of a demon. The demon was astounded by Fawn's lack of fear. No matter how he tried, he could not frighten Fawn, because her love had penetrated his hardened, ugly heart.

Much to the demon's dismay, his rock-hard heart began to melt, and his body shrank to the size of a walnut. Fawn's persistent love and gentleness had caused the meltdown of the demon. Due to this gentleness and caring that Fawn embodied, the pathway is now clear for all of Great Spirit's children to reach Sacred Mountain without having to feel the demons of fear blocking their way.

Deer teaches us to use the power of gentleness to touch the hearts and minds of wounded beings who are trying to keep us from Sacred Mountain. Like the dappling of Fawn's coat, both the light and the dark may be loved to create gentleness and safety for those who are seeking peace.

If Deer has gently nudged her way into your life you are being asked to find the gentleness of spirit that heals all wounds. Stop pushing so hard to get others to change, and love them as they are. Apply gentleness to your present situation and become like the summer breeze: warm and caring. This is your tool for solving the present dilemma you are facing. If you use it, you will connect with Sacred Mountain, your centering place of serenity, and Great Spirit will guide you.

Another aspect of Deer is that it may indicate that you are courting your fear by fighting the internal demons and negative ideas. This is a clue to you that force is not always the best method. You may not be willing to love yourself enough to feel your fears and let them go. You may be projecting your fears on others. It may also be others whom you fear, reminding you of a time when you reacted to life in much the same manner. At any rate, love is the key. The only true balance to power is the love and compassion of Deer. Be willing to find things to love about yourself and others, and your demons will melt away. Your fears cannot exist in the same place that love and gentleness abide.

Remember, Fawn can teach you many lessons about unconditional love. In its true application, unconditional love means that no strings are attached. The gentleness of Fawn is the heart-space of Great Spirit which embodies His/Her love for us all.

Star

Mina

20:11 14/04/2002 

Thank you both very much for your input. You have definately given me something to think about. The story of the fawn is beautiful, and Lena, I felt a strong urge to share my dream here, and I think that it's all very interesting*smile*. Thanks again, and sweet dreams,

Mina...