Although in an ideal world we’re meant to awaken from our eight hours of sleep feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, sometimes our sleep is disturbed and we feel as though we’ve spent those hours in a boxing ring. You know those nights—when you eventually get to sleep and fall into a deep slumber just an hour or so before you need to get up.
Chances are you’ve been having anxiety dreams. Don’t worry, the dreams themselves are not the problem; they’re simply the way that your subconscious mind reflects (and frequently exaggerates) the cares of your everyday working life. The bigger problem is the sleeplessness they can cause, which in itself can exacerbate those worries.
There are, however, ways to allay those dreams.
The first is to make a list of what your worries are and look at this list in the cold, clear light of day. Chances are that things are not as bad as you think, and you can start to work on your problems immediately and with clear focus.
Second, lay off heavy indigestible foods before bedtime. Just have a light snack; chamomile tea induces relaxation and lettuce is a soporific. Have a lettuce sandwich.
Third, spend a little time every day doing some deep, relaxed breathing. If you can add in a little meditation to the breathing exercise, then that would be even better.
If you do find yourself plagued with anxiety dreams despite these measures, don’t lie tossing and turning. Get up and do something else for a short while; read a book or watch some stupid TV. Making lists of worries helps. You should find that sleep comes more easily if you stop resisting your sleepless state.
MECHANICS (MECHANICAL OBJECTS) (See Machines)
MEDAL
Dreams about giving or receiving medals, as well as other awards, is all about acknowledging and accepting praise for events and achievements in your waking life. Enjoy!
MEDICINE
They used to say that unless medicine tastes nasty, then it won’t do your body any good. This isn’t often the case these days, but in general we do have a tendency to believe that where there’s no pain, there’s no gain. So to dream that you’re taking medicine means that there’s something going on in your life that will undoubtedly get worse before it gets better. Don’t worry; the tide will soon turn.
MEETING
Unless you’re having one of those hideous dreams that simply replicate your working day, then dreaming about being in a meeting means that you might need to look to others for assistance with a certain project in your waking life. Two heads are better than one, and four can be better than two—if they’re the right heads, that is! Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
MEGAPHONE
If someone is speaking to you through a megaphone in your dream, then listen carefully. This might be your subconscious mind using a ploy to grab your attention. If you, on the other hand, are the one wielding the megaphone, then you need to make yourself heard in your waking life.
MELT
The process of melting is almost alchemical; a substance transforming into another state of being. The same applies to us; we change and our circumstances change, subtly, often without us realizing it. We also melt into love; is this what’s happening to you? If you see someone you know melting, how do you feel about this? If you’re frightened, then you’re having an anxiety dream. If you dream that you are melting, then some aspect of your life is changing; it’s even possible that you’re losing a lot of weight!
MEMORIAL
Those of a spiritualist persuasion would say that a memorial dream is really a deceased loved one attempting to make contact with you. However, it is also possible that you are being reminded of someone—or something—that is very far from dead. This might be a long-lost friend; a “memorial” after all is about “remembering.” There may be other clues in your dream as to who or what this is; be observant.
MERMAID
The mermaid used to be a symbol that indicated a brothel, or a place where sex could be bought for money. Though the mermaid cannot procreate, she is a profoundly sexual image—the ultimate in beguiling femininity. If you dream that you are a mermaid, your sensual side is making itself present and you are irresistibly attractive to the opposite sex—but with a certain distance. To dream that you see or meet a mermaid means that you are close to attaining an object of desire. Play it cool.
MICE
Mice might be small, but they are more powerful than we sometimes give them credit for. Elephants, for example, are legendarily afraid of mice. And in The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy, writer Douglas Adams has mice as the real Masters of the Universe. A tiny mouse is a terrifying prospect to many people, but to dream of one is to realize your own hidden powers that others may also be unaware of.
MICROSCOPE (See Magnifying Glass)
MILK
Milk is a symbol of the mother, nourishment, and goodness. Nevertheless, however, there’s a cloying aspect to milk, and to dream of the stuff might mean that you’re feeling somewhat overwhelmed by someone’s attention. A little of what’s good for you is great, but too much can make you sick. Spilled milk is certainly no disaster in real life, but to dream of spilled milk means that there’s something not right in your life that you need to fix; there’s a strong possibility that this is your relationship with your mother, your grandmother, or your mother-in-law.
MIME (See Deaf)
MINE
Mines run deep, and so does your subconscious mind. The hole that Alice fell down to find her wonderland was a kind of mineshaft; at the bottom of it, a whole realm of unexpected possibilities open up for her. Mines also hide unexpected treasure like diamonds or coal. Your mine dream is preparing you to unexpect the expected, both in your inner world and in the outer one. It’s also a reminder that light can be found in every darkness.
MIRROR
Aha…a mirror is a very interesting dream symbol. If you’re looking into a mirror in your dream, this can alert you to Lucid Dreaming (see LUCID DREAMING: THE ART OF CONTROLLING YOUR DREAMS), since it’s in a mirror that your conscious and subconscious minds meet.
Dreaming of a mirror is a very clear message that you need to look to yourself for the answers you’re seeking; but first you need to define what the question is. If you’re looking into a mirror and you see something or someone else reflected back at you, then this means that a surprise awaits you in your waking life.
How the mirror manifests itself is also well worth bearing in mind; it could appear as “normal,” or it may be a reflective surface such as a sheet of metal, a lake, or a shiny object. If you see reflections in the shiny surface of a car, for example, then you need to take a journey to find something that you need. In real life, a broken or shattered mirror is the subject of superstitious belief that seven years’ bad luck will follow. To dream of a broken mirror doesn’t indicate a period of bad luck, but it might be an indicator that something in your own life is “shattered.”
MISTLETOE
Sacred to the Druids, mistletoe was cut from its host tree with a golden scythe and never allowed to touch the ground. We might treat mistletoe with less reverence in general these days, but nevertheless the old beliefs about the plant die hard. The mistletoe is best known today, of course, for its ability to get you a kiss from someone while standing under it. To dream of mistletoe is an indication that you need to let go of your inhibitions.
MODEL
A model of anything at all represents an idealized state. So if you dream of a model, then you might be striving for something in your own life that’s “model,” and you’re feeling anxious that you won’t be able to achieve such perfection. Don’t worry about it. There’s no such thing.
MOHAWK
The mohawk haircut was adopted by the punk fraternity as a symbol of rebellion and is a fine example of how hair can define our tribal status. To dream that you have a mohawk hairstyle indicates that you are not as rebellious in your waking life as you feel inside. Be yourself! (See also Native American.)
MONEY
Hard cash; when you think about it, it’s not worth anything except for what we can buy with it. In many ways, money is one of the greatest illusions we ever invented though to most of us, it’s an essential commodity. Symbolically speaking, money represents the material world. Seeing it in a dream could mean that you’re attaching too much importance to it in your everyday life. Dreaming about money troubles is an anxiety dream. You need to think more laterally and pinpoint exactly what it is that you’re anxious about.
MONK
Monks represent the spiritual aspect; but, this being Freaky Dreams after all, monks can also be a bit weird and creepy. To the layperson it might seem as though they cut themselves off from the outside world, and any sort of extreme can lead to weirdness unless the monk is particularly well-adjusted. Asceticism is all very well, but it’s not for everyone. The world of silent contemplation has a lot to offer, but then so does the one of wild parties and sensual desires. There’s room for both in your life. If you dream of a monk, then you are thinking about seeking help from someone that you consider has a strong spiritual side.
MONKEY
Cute, funny, cheeky, agile—there are a lot of endearing aspects to monkeys and chimps, and they can also be kind of mischievous, with their leering grins and unexpected appearances. Beware the friendly monkey in your dream and in your life. He’s very likely to be up to no good.
MOON
Symbolic of timeless and mysterious female energies, the moon in your dream denotes occult powers, moodiness, and secrets. If the moon is new, just a slivered crescent, expect new opportunities to arise for you very soon. If the moon is full, you need to watch out for hairs sprouting on the backs of your hands and inexplicable bouts of forgetfulness. Only joking…to dream of a full moon means that a project or idea you’ve been working on is about to reach fruition. If you dream that there’s an eclipse of the moon, then you’re anxious about something going badly wrong in your waking life. Face up to whatever it is and see if you can avert the impending disaster.
MOSAIC (See Jigsaw puzzles)
MOSQUE
To dream of any place of worship depends on which faith, if any, you belong to. If you are a Muslim, then the mosque dream is a clear reminder of your spiritual path. If you are not a Muslim, the dream tells you that there are many different ways to walk the same path. Revel in the mystic exoticism of an alternative way.
MOTH
Like butterflies, moths represent spirits. But because of their nocturnal habits, moths remind us more of spirits of the dead, and these tend to have a scarier association. Because moths live in dark places and appear at night, we associate them with the unknown. Their propensity for munching away at valuable fabrics also attaches them to the idea of decay and rot. A moth dream could indicate that you’re harboring dark secrets that need to see the light of day or else they could destroy you.
MOTHER
What a mother actually is in terms of symbolism, and how your own mother presents herself to you, are not necessarily cut from the same cloth. To see a universal mother archetype in a dream means that you might be missing some of that motherly love in your real life. If you see your own mother, this dream is often associated with feelings of guilt. If it’s not time to give her a call, then you need to consider your recent actions to see what’s been making you feel guilty.