LOVE

Jung, on the other hand, saw the world of dreams and love quite differently from Freud. He rejected Freud’s heavy emphasis on sex and instead saw dreams not only as a way to understand what was wrong with a person, but also as a way to encourage the creative development of a person’s whole potential. Dreams could therefore be a way of improving and encouraging feelings of wholeness, love and tenderness towards oneself and others in waking life.

Most dream analysts draw on the theories of both Jung and Freud when exploring the concept of love and dreams but they also ask the question: is the person in your dream really the object of your intense feelings of love or is there another way to read the dream? For example, dreams in which you fall in love or are reminded of the passionate early days of a relationship may have nothing to do with actual relationships but may be urging you to inject some passion into your life. They may also suggest that you are yearning to be loved and cherished. Try to remember who or what aroused feelings of love or passion in your dream.

If it was your partner and you are deeply in love in waking life, your dream may have been reaffirming your lasting affection. If, however, you are past those heady days of romance and passion, your dream may be reminding you of the chemistry that drew you to your partner and how easily it can be rekindled.

If you had a dream in which you found yourself in love with someone who in waking life is a friend, a colleague or someone you don’t really know but see on the journey to work every morning, you may find the experience unsettling, especially if you are in a committed relationship. It is possible that you feel drawn to that person in some unconscious way but are ignoring those feelings in waking life because they are inappropriate. Our dreams are often quickly prompted by a perhaps irrational attraction; if this is the case, your dreaming mind is allowing you to experience your desires in a safe environment in which no one can be hurt.

If you are not in a relationship, however, then such a dream may be urging you to acknowledge or express your feelings for that person. Bear in mind, too, that you may not dream of the actual person but may find them represented symbolically. For example phallic symbols, such as spears, swords or tall buildings may represent the man a woman is attracted to. Look also for puns concerning the object of your desire. Your lover may also be represented by an animal such as a kitten in your dream. In waking life, do you feel the need to be protected and adored in the same way? Alternatively, if you are not attracted to the person in your dream in any way in waking life, there may be something about them that you admire and wish to cultivate yourself: for example, a way with words, a flair for fashion, a musical talent, an exciting job or a carefree lifestyle. Try to work out with which aspect of that person’s character and life your dreaming mind has pictured you falling in love. To sum up, as with most emotions, in your dreams love is usually an expression of that feeling or a compensation for not receiving it in waking life.

To dream of a couple in love suggests that success is within reach.

To dream that your friend is in love with you indicates that you are romantically interested in your friend. You might have fallen in love with your best friend and cannot take your mind off the possibilities of taking your platonic relationship to a different level. Alternatively, the dream may also imply that you have come to recognize certain traits of your best friend and integrated them into your own character.

To dream that you are making love in public indicates a gush of sexual urges and desires. This might be a call to let go of certain inhibitions in expressing how you truly feel. Then again, your dream may be a reflection of how you see your own sexuality as it relates to political and social standards. You may be confused with your notion of relationships, sex, marriage, love, and gender differences/roles.

If you dream of saying “I Love You”, you will achieve happiness and contentment the moment you learn to take a realistic approach to life. However, if in your dream you expressed love to someone who is already in a relationship in real life, you will experience disappointment in love.

If someone told you “I Love You” in your dream, you are learning to enjoy what you have and where you are in life. You may also be craving to hear these three little words when you are awake! Also see “Love Letter” and “Love Triangle”, below.