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ICE

When we “put something on ice,” we set it aside—an idea, or whatever it might be—until a later date. To be frozen is to be in an arrested state of development, preserved fresh until the time is right. Dreaming of ice could indicate that there is something in your life that needs to go on the back burner until a later date. The context of your dream should help you figure out what.

ICEBERG

The Titanic sank as a result of two things: an arrogance on behalf of her builders that she was indestructible; and, because of this large chunk of frozen water. There’s far more to an iceberg than meets the eye; most of it is hidden beneath the water. Therefore, the iceberg in your dream is very likely to be warning you about something or someone like this. It could be there is someone in your life who isn’t showing you their true colors.

IGLOO

If you dream of an igloo and you are an Eskimo in the dream, then this means you are adapting happily to new circumstances in your waking life. If you’re not an Eskimo in your dream, but still find yourself surrounded by igloos, then this indicates that you are probably finding your waking environment somewhat strange and uncomfortable. The chill is likely to be down to human factors, though.

ILLNESS

It’s always worth taking notice of any sort of dream illness, whether or not the malady is yours. Pay attention to what kind of sickness it is, if you can; sometimes we know there’s something wrong, but we mask it beneath a cloak of brusque practicality. This is a warning dream. Go for a check up.

IMPOTENCE

Do you dream that you’re sexually impotent? Let’s face it, this is more likely to happen if you’re a man than a woman, and it’s generally something to dread; the whole essence of your masculinity removed at one fell stroke, as it were. But impotence doesn’t necessarily only apply to your sexual life, although it’s the most glaring example of it. The inability to perform in your dream might be an analogy for another part of your life that you feel is impotent: your creativity, your ability to be happy, the failures you see in your job, or the paucity of your bank balance. Have a look at what your dream really means, stop worrying, and start doing something about it. A part of your life needs a shot of metaphorical Viagra.

FAMOUS FREAKY DREAMERS

A DREAM INTERRUPTED

It is perhaps ironic that “Kubla Khan” is arguably Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s most famous poem, and yet his poem was never completed, and runs to just 54 lines. Coleridge “saw” the poem, complete and intact, in a dream, and had just started to copy it out when he was interrupted by the infamous “person from Porlock” who arrived at the poet’s house at Nether Stowey, and stayed for an hour or so. During this visit the great extent of the poem drifted from Coleridge’s grasp. Here’s how Coleridge described the incident when the poem was first published:

 

On awakening, he appeared to himself to have a distinct recollection of the whole, and taking his pen, ink, and paper, instantly and eagerly wrote down the lines that are here preserved. At this moment he was unfortunately called out by a person on business from Porlock, and detained by him above an hour, and on his return to his room, found, to his no small surprise and mortification, that though he still retained some vague and dim recollection of the general purport of the vision, yet, with the exception of some eight or ten scattered lines and images, all the rest had passed away like the images on the surface of a stream into which a stone has been cast, but, alas! Without the after, restoration of the latter!

 

Coleridge was a well-known opium user, and it’s been suggested that the poem was inspired by the drug, and that the “person from Porlock” was the poet’s dealer.

F.D.

IMPRISONMENT

If you are imprisoned in a cell of some kind in your dream, then you’re feeling trapped in your waking life, and that entrapment is out of your control. That’s the real prison. If you want to escape your imprisonment, then try lucid dreaming (see LUCID DREAMING: THE ART OF CONTROLLING YOUR DREAMS), and dream up a fabulous escape in which you simply fly from the prison yard, dodging the hail of bullets. It’s possible!

INCEST

Unless you’re a member of an ancient civilization such as Egypt or Greece, incest is all wrong. Modern moral values place a big fat line through the very thought of having sexual relations with a relative. And yet to dream of incest may give you a hideous thrill despite the taboo status that’s attached to even speaking of such a dream. It’s likely that there’s a side of you that would like to be less conventional, more daring, less worried about what others might think, but that you’re afraid to show this part of yourself. Are you repressed? Be more daring, but it doesn’t have to go as far as the dream.

INITIALS

If you ever see letters or initials in a dream, then you should try to take note of what they are. Our subconscious mind can give us messages in a slightly skewed way, so the initials might stand for something else; for example B.T. might refer to a person named Betty, or U.C. could be “You See.” You see?

INJECTION

Although in your dream you’re likely to be being injected with a needle, an “injection” can refer to things other than drugs. We can be given an injection of enthusiasm, for example. Some cars have turbo injection to make them extra powerful. If you’re happy with your dream injection, then life is finding a way to give you exactly what you need. If you’re unhappy or struggling against the needle, then you are also resisting something that will ultimately be good for you. Have a close look at your life and try to ascertain what this is, and why you’re trying to fight it. Immunization is, of course, carried out via the process of injection, too, so there might someone or something that you’re looking to protect yourself against.

INK

Ink means permanence. If you’re signing your name in ink, it means that you’re committing yourself to something—or at least, the dream is allowing you to see what this commitment feels like. If the ink in your dream has spilled, see if it makes a recognizable shape or pattern. There could be a message there. Ink also harks back to an old-fashioned, elegant time, before computers and printers and e-mails. This could mean that a part of you longs for simplicity or a return to tradition.

INSCRIPTION

Any sort of lettering or written message in a dream is usually an example of your subconscious mind trying to tell you something as clearly as possible. However, sometimes the medium can be more powerful than the message, so to speak, and you should also take notice of what the inscription is written on. If it’s a cake, for example, you might be expecting a celebration sometime soon. If the engraving is on stone, there are certain truths that you need to acknowledge. If you can’t read the inscription clearly, ask your subconscious mind to give you the message again in a clearer way.

INSECTS

Different types of insects signify different things. Ants, for example, denote hard work and team efforts, and this reflects the situation in your own working life. Bees, too, mean that your life is happy and harmonious; seeing bees in your dream could also mean that you’re in for a run of good luck. Cockroaches are associated with grubby interiors, which could reflect your anxiety about your messy home, but bear in mind, too, that they will be one of the few creatures that will survive the apocalypse, their shiny outer carapaces protecting them from all sorts of toxic ray guns. The cockroaches of the future will be as big as houses and nasty as heck. If you’re dreaming of these gigantic cockroaches, then perhaps the planet is doomed. Or maybe they’re indeterminate insects, crawling all over you and making you itch? Perhaps you’re sleeping in sheets containing too many man-made fibers. Flies are symbolic of death and destruction, and seeing lots of them is a typical anxiety dream, meaning that you need to address your worries head-on in your waking life. (See also the entries for Spider and Web.)

INSIDE-OUT CLOTHES

Did you know that wearing your clothes inside out was once considered to be a very effective way of confounding the fairies and throwing them off track? Wearing your clothing inside out is a real finger up to authority, and if this is what you’re doing in your dream, then this could be your subconscious advising you to carry a little more of this feisty attitude forward in your waking life.

IRON

Iron is one of the sacred metals, and we used to believe that it acted as a sort of kryptonite to fairies and other supernatural creatures, keeping them away. Therefore, there’s a protective aspect to iron. Seeing it in your dream means that you are “protected” in your waking life. If the iron is rusty and rotting, though, there’s something in your life that isn’t as powerful as it used to be. This could apply to a person, a situation, or even yourself.

INTERCOM

Spiritualists believe that if you’re receiving messages from an intercom, then they’re coming from a deceased loved one, from the other side of the veil. Whether or not this is the case, the intercom is also an effective way for your subconscious mind to make contact with you. The message you receive may not be direct, though, so some unscrambling might be in order.

INTRUDER

Is there someone in your house that shouldn’t be there? If the intruder is scary, this could be an indication that there is someone in your life, possibly at work, that is threatening your domain. If you feel like you should welcome the intruder in your dream, an intruder can also signify aspects of ourselves that we maybe didn’t know about. These could be hidden talents!

INVISIBILITY

To dream that you are invisible might mean that you’re feeling neglected, unnoticed, and taken for granted in your everyday life.

ISLAND

An island signifies isolation. This is an indication that your life might benefit from a little alone time. Look at it as a way of replenishing your batteries and getting some headspace. It doesn’t have to be an actual island so much as a state of mind.

IVY

Ivy signifies the feminine element and is also evergreen. To dream of ivy means that there is likely an evergreen lady in your life who tends to be clingy.