it’s possible that the dream is compensating for all the treats you’re missing; your subconscious is “cheating” on your diet.
BARE FEET
If you don’t usually go barefoot in your everyday life, how does it feel to go barefoot in your dream? If you feel nervous or uncomfortable, the bare feet could indicate that you feel exposed about someone or something. After all, footwear protects an important part of our body. If, on the other hand, going barefoot feels liberating and lovely, then the dream is indicating that you need to let your hair down once in a while and try something new. You might even like it!
FAMOUS FREAKY DREAMERS
THE SWINGING SPORTSMAN
Jack Nicklaus is one of the worlds’ most famous and successful golfers, but in the mid 1960s his play wasn’t on form and he had run into a bad patch of scores. It was after a dream that his luck finally turned around. Here’s what happened, as reported in the San Francisco Chronicle on June 27, 1964:
On Wednesday night I had a dream and it was about my golf swing. I was hitting them pretty good in the dream and all at once I realized I wasn’t holding the club the way I’ve actually been holding it lately. I’ve been having trouble collapsing my right arm taking the club head away from the ball, but I was doing it perfectly in my sleep. So when I came to the course yesterday morning I tried it the way I did in my dream and it worked. I shot a sixty-eight yesterday and a sixty-five today.
BAT
It’s not really surprising that the bat has a reputation for evil and devilishness. It looks pretty sinister, after all, swooping around in the dark with pointy wings and beady eyes. Of course, the bat is also associated with all things demonic—including, of course, vampires. If bats appear in your dream, it can signify irritations and hindrances as well as the other “horror movie” symbolism suggested above.
BATHING
Immersion in water has a deep spiritual meaning and is an important ritual in many faiths all over the world. To dream of bathing isn’t just about cleansing the body, but also the soul—letting go of the past, washing away any stagnant areas in your life, and letting new ideas flow.
BEACH
Funny places, beaches. They’re not quite land, and yet not quite water. The beach goes into the water, and the water laps up onto the beach, the sand a no-man’s land between the two elements. Therefore, the beach is considered a liminal place, a threshold between two worlds. This probably reflects your current situation. You could be between jobs, relationships, or homes. Beaches of course also signify vacations and holidays, a time away from the normal routines of life, so the dream could be your way of taking a mental vacation.
BEADS
Beads (and buttons) indicate that you need to be patient. Is there an aspect of your life that seems slow at the moment? Remember that you can achieve a great deal in tiny steps—like the effort taken to string beads into a necklace. To dream of a broken string of beads is a common anxiety dream, particularly so if the beads don’t belong to you.
BEAR
If you’re being chased by a bear, it could be that you’re afraid to address the bearlike side of yourself; after all, with power comes responsibility. If you’re wrestling with a bear, then two sides of your nature are at odds with one another. It’s also possible that you’re being forced to do something that is against your moral principles. A bear is a powerful totem animal, if you’re interested in that aspect of your dreams. Dreaming of one could mean you have access to all the power and might of the bear and you share its qualities.
BED
This is where we do most of our freaky dreaming, right? Therefore, to find yourself dreaming about a bed might seem to be a curious waste of good sleep time. However, a bed is where the majority of acts of love take place, so maybe your dream hints toward more carnal matters. If the bed is well made in your dream, then this indicates that your life is in order. If it’s disheveled and scruffy, though, the opposite is true. If you can’t find your bed at all, then your dream is one of anxiety. Is there anyone else in the bed? If it’s a sexy stranger, then maybe your waking life needs to be perked up a little.
BEDBUGS
These microscopically tiny little critters are just something we have to live with since we can’t seem to get rid of them. Dreaming of bedbugs could be a reminder about a pesky and relentless situation in your own life, perhaps a problem that just won’t get resolved. If your dream bedbugs have attained an alarming size, then this dream is giving you one clear message: don’t sweat the small stuff. See your troubles for what they are, as inconsequential and as inevitable as bedbugs.
BED-WETTING
Is it you that’s reverted back to this infantile behavior? This sort of dream leaves the dreamer feeling humiliated and wretched. You could be feeling that you have a lack of control in your real life, that situations are being thrust upon you that you’re not ready for. It could be that you’re taking on too much. Also, a bed-wetting dream is a typical anxiety dream, so you need to alleviate whatever those anxieties might be in your waking life.
BEES
Archetypal symbols of industry and harmonious cooperation, dreaming about bees could be a congratulatory reminder that you are applying the same principles in your waking life—or conversely, they could be sending you a signal that certain attitudes of your could be improved upon.
BESOM (See Broom)
BESTIALITY
Whoa! If you’re dreaming about having sex with an animal, then this qualifies as truly freaky. What sort of an animal is it? What part are you playing? Is it fun, or are you on the receiving end of something way too big and scary? Before you make an appointment with your therapist, it’s important to remember that animals in dreams represent a hidden side of ourselves and the symbolism is fairly obvious; a tiger for ferocity, a deer for gentleness and fragility, a rabbit for sexuality, for example. Embrace whatever the creature is, as a part of you that needs attention.
BIRD
Like the industrious bee, the bird is an important archetypal symbol, and having one appear in your dream can have profound meaning. Anything with wings can move in a different dimension and so were considered, like angels, to be messengers from the gods themselves. But how to translate that message? First, try to identify the bird. A water bird, for example, speaks of hidden depths; literally, there’s more beneath the surface than you might imagine. A large air bird such as a condor can see great distances and can assess situations almost before they happen. A flock of dark birds might seem threatening, as though you’re being beset with problems that deny you a clear vision of what’s ahead. If you’re flying with birds, then you are liberated and joyful, happy in your life.
BLOG
If you dream that you’re writing a blog, this could be a sign that you need to take more control of events in your life. It’s also possible that in your waking life you’re
