Dreams symbolism communicates with us through symbols, which are shorthand for your soul’s meanings. Dream symbolism communicates a wealth of hidden meaning that is always relevant to your own life and development.

Everything in dream symbolism relates to you. For example, the symbols that make up a typical dream scene can provide insight into your personal growth, the things you most desire to bring into the world, any wounds that need tending to, and the best ways to proceed with your decision-making. Here, I break down the meaning of various symbols and show you examples.

To some extent, everything can be interpreted as a symbol. For example, what message do you send with your wardrobe, home decor, office scent, phone greeting, hairstyle, and body language? The meaning of the symbols you see in your dreams is the same as the meaning of the symbols you see in the real world.

Do you fantasize about trips to France or the stars? Do small furry animals, big, winged insects, criminals, or angels populate your dreams?

You can learn just as much about who you are from choosing a hummingbird as from dreaming about a bald eagle. There’s a purpose for the timing of the occurrence of the symbols in your waking and sleeping life; they stand for qualities or facets of your spiritual self that you wish to awaken.

If you want to know what a symbol stands for, you must become the symbol, assume the role of the thing it represents, and talk about what it knows from the symbol’s perspective. In this way, you can feel what it’s like to be a flower, a bear, a lost set of keys, or a school bus—awakening the emblem to life. When you put yourself in the symbol’s shoes, you can better understand how the sign functions in your life.

Understanding Dream Symbolism

There is an archetypal interpretation of every symbol that describes universal human experiences across cultures. However, it’s also possible to carry a special meaning for you. For example, while the archetypal meaning of kayaking on a swift river may be that of a free-flowing emotional process, the fact that you nearly drowned after flipping your boat gives new meaning to the word “danger.”

Mind the substantial symbols

Dream symbolism can come in so many forms. For example, the death and reincarnation of the divine mother and child, the hero’s journey into the underworld to face and conquer fear, the nurturing connection between the divine mother and spiritual child, or the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth into a brilliant new divine form, are all examples of the grand themes that define scriptural passages and procedures that iconographic meanings of symbols often have. Exploring the world’s classic myths and legends can yield great archetypal additional insight about symbols.

Mind your interpretations

The following activities provide a wide range of approaches to learning about emblems with which you may identify. In addition, it is possible to visualize meaningful symbols for oneself in several ways:

First, take some time to reflect on the good things about yourself and write them down—list illustrations next to the words that best illustrate the qualities in question. For example, you can list horses, eagles, and wind as freedom; ants, bees, beavers, and hammers are all examples of hard work. Next, choose the aspects of yourself that you want others to see. The question is: what do you hope people will take away from knowing you? Next, create a logo for yourself in your mind’s eye. Finally, create a personal meditation symbol by describing it in detail or creating a visual representation.

Opening Your Mind to Dream Symbolism

Symbols can have multiple meanings, which can be uncovered through various methods.

Below are some approaches and provide some practice opportunities. Discover horizontally aligned archetypal meanings. Symbols serve as a bridge between the physical and the spiritual world. Messages from the body and emotions to the mind and soul are mirrored in the messages from the mind and soul to the body and emotions.

Knowing the significance of each symbol can help you zero in on the next best course of action.

By traveling vertically, “up” into the symbol’s highest essence or “down” into its deepest core, we can access the symbol’s archetypal meanings. A universal meaning can be gleaned with questions like, “What’s the core of this meaning?” When did that concept first appear in your mind? Alternatively: What is the pinnacle of spiritual enlightenment that this icon offers?

Discover vertical connections for yourself

Horizontal or lateral awareness expansion across the world can help you discover the individual significance of dream symbolism. By pondering questions like “What does this symbol remind me of?” you can unearth similar ideas related to the symbol and have meaning for you. Can you think of any stories that go along with this picture? The journey along the horizontal path to a symbol’s meaning is wholly personal; symbols have different meanings depending on the degree to which love and fear are attached to the perspective.

You have to give your unconscious mind some credit if you want to learn what hidden associations you have with a given symbol. The free association method helps retrieve a symbol’s associated meanings from one’s unconscious. In this horizontal approach, you share whatever comes to mind when considering the symbol, regardless of how ridiculous it may seem.

Consider your value judgments and opinions as you search for connections. Your true colors tend to be shown in your most direct, honest, and critical thoughts. Logical assumptions about the meanings of symbols are often dull and superficial. Try to get a sense of emotional truth or an intuitive “hit” that causes you to pause. If you don’t want to get bogged down, avoid the tempting details that stray tangentially from the point. The memory to which you’re drawn may be a personal one. Please write a brief synopsis of the event in your journal, and then look for a single, resonant word to describe it. The meaning of the original symbol is often associated with this word.

Common Dream Signs and Events

Accidents

There is no surefire way to predict when an accident will occur in a dream, even if you do come across this dream symbolism.

The dream could be a warning sign if it has intuitive “weight,” which is something only you can judge. You have a gut feeling that something is off, like an energy flow or process that needs tweaking before it can go any further. So stop what you’re doing and look at the big picture.

A sense of impending doom and panic sets in because you are overly sentimental, attached or worried that a situation will spiral out of your control. Something requires your undivided attention. You are either missing critical information or not focused on your ultimate goal. Think about your most authentic, most enlightened self.

Enemy/Enemies

You are confronting a physical fear, such as an aspect of your life or body you fear or can’t control, an uncontrollable situation, an illness, or a bad habit like an addiction. You may be facing a dormant aspect of your personality or experiencing feelings of insecurity. What you need to do depends on whether you choose to fight or run away and how you feel about either option. You’re bringing together a vital part of yourself that has been waiting for acceptance and affection. What appears to be a detriment conceals a strength or ability.

Airplane

If you’re in a position where you have to fly a plane but have no idea how to do so, it’s because you’re trying to accomplish something you haven’t done before, which likely fills you with dread. You are centering your thoughts on your ability to overcome obstacles and see the bigger picture.

If the dream symbolism indicates that the plane eventually goes down, it’s time to let go of your cherished beliefs for good. To fly on a jet represents sharing ideas with many others. If you see a rocket, it means you’re making rapid progress toward enlightenment. UFOs represent a unified state of mind triggered by the combined efforts of many individuals with advanced spiritual enlightenment.

Planes in your dream represent your attention on higher planes of thought and spirituality. Every significant life change begins with a trip to the airport. If you’re flying a small plane, you’re only interested in what’s happening in your immediate vicinity. Launching signifies the start of something new. It’s possible that the project won’t move forward if the plane can’t take off. The act of landing represents the incorporation of new ideas, energies, or inspiration into one’s existing life or physical self. If you miss your flight, you might as well forget about your chance to make a big impression. To soar through the air like a hang glider symbolizes a moment of pure bliss and creative inspiration. Feelings of comfort or unease while flying a plane reveal much about a person’s comfort with the unknown.

Aliens

This dream symbolism says that you’re fixating on the exaggerated features of the alien to contemplate how your body could perform more elegantly or on a specific part of your anatomy. For example, if your eyes are enormous, it could indicate that you want to take a close, in-depth look at something.

You’re dwelling on the fact that you’re an outsider and don’t quite fit in with the people around you; you’ve identified some parts of yourself as an alien with which you should become more acquainted. Putting yourself in a new environment is essential as if you were visiting from another planet. You have a keen interest in expanding your enlightened consciousness, perhaps through a technological lens or by tapping into a deeper understanding of the many dimensions of reality. Take in the lessons or message.

Audience

This dream symbolism says that you’re thinking about the people who will hear your words. Consider the amount of physical love and support you receive and give others. You’re proving to yourself that people want to buy your creations. How you treat the audience reveals how open you are to taking a more visible role in your life or how afraid you are of being judged or self-conscious. You’re discovering the extent to which your life and the lives of those around you are intertwined. Nothing external can hurt you, and there is no need to feel unsafe.

Balloon

This dream symbolism means that toxins, mental or physical, are being flushed out of your system. You require a time of merriment or liberation from emotional confinement. You can’t let go if you’re the one holding the strings. A deflated balloon can represent a loss of enthusiasm or disillusionment. Instead, you’re thinking deep thoughts and generating original plans, expectations, desires, dreams, and requests.

Bees

You’re thinking about having children, working hard, being imaginative, and structuring your life effectively. Since they produce honey, bees often represent the successful completion of tasks. To get anything done, you either need to work with others or learn to be happy with your job. You have been hurt by others’ gossip or your cutting remarks. Swarming bees symbolize feelings of irritation and annoyance. To be stung is to be afraid of suffering an emotional wound. You’re emphasizing the teamwork that does a successful business, where everyone does their part to make the whole stronger.