Jack-in-the-Box: This symbol in a dream indicates that there has been an ongoing buildup of pressure that will ultimately result in a surprising or jarring occurrence. The real tension indicated with a jack-in-the-box is not if, but when. As you wind the spring, you absolutely know that a sudden burst of energy will result. It is in not knowing when it will hit that anticipation builds. The state of this toy in your dream will offer more information. If it is unwound, there may be a desire to have more stimulation in your life in order to feel more excitement. If it is damaged, your capacity to delay gratification or take later action may be broken.
Jackass: See Donkey
Jacket: This piece of outerwear is designed to protect from the cold. Any article of clothing relates to a mode of personal self-expression. The type of jacket in the dream also has shades of meaning. A dress blazer relates to prosperity and responsibility, whereas a parka connects to protection against life’s harsher elements. Once you figure out the meaning associated with the type of jacket in the dream, you must add the context of the dream itself to your meaning. A jacket that is ripped or in disrepair indicates feeling vulnerable and unprotected. One that doesn’t fit means you aren’t quite aligned with your intentions. A lost jacket is to be temporarily removed from the needs the jacket represents.
Jackhammer: This incredibly noisy tool of destruction is capable of busting through very strong material in order to build something new. In this way, it symbolizes the ability to break open structures of the past that seem permanent but with great effort can be released in order to create a new set of habits, ideas, or consciousness about your life. The presence of a jackhammer or the evidence that one is being used in a dream signals that great change is taking place and that change is an eradication of things from the past that used to seem permanent.
Jaguar: All cats relate to the power of the feminine principle. The larger the cat, the greater the power of this totem. The jaguar is the third-largest feline, after the lion and tiger, so it has a certain gravitas in the symbolic world. The jaguar is more of a climber than a runner, so its totem power is connected to stealth and the ability to maneuver through difficult terrain, where that terrain is synonymous with life challenges.
Jail: Jail is the place where criminals go when they are awaiting trial and before the major incarceration of prison. You can be quite innocent of a crime and still be in jail. In this way, jail is symbolic of any powerful sense of restraint and limitation that keeps you from enjoying a sense of freedom. If your dream takes place in jail, examine your life for a situation or limiting belief that is holding you back.
Janitor: The janitor is a low-level employee whose responsibility it is to keep a space clean. All of these factors must be considered when interpreting a dream. As a character, a janitor will represent an aspect of your own personality, one that is operating on a simplistic and basic level and whose responsibility it is to clean up after higher levels of thought, ideas, or choices that you have made. How much cleaning up is there to do after you have taken certain actions?
Jar: A jar’s purpose is to contain something, generally for the sake of preserving it as long as possible. In this way, a jar symbolizes the ability to capture the essence of something and keep it accessible for later use. Anything that holds something is a symbol for the feminine principle of containment.
Jaw: The jaw is very involved in preparing food for digestion, and in this way it ultimately connects to the principle of self-care and nurturance. However, a tight jaw strongly relates to unexpressed anger and tension. If your jaw or the jaw of a person in your dream is featured, there may be issues of anger in such a dream. Consider whose jaw is prominent. If it is a character in the dream, then that person may represent a part of your personality that is causing you to either hold back anger or otherwise reflect issues of unexpressed rage.
Jeans: Now a fundamental part of the American uniform, jeans originally were worn for doing vigorous labor. Today, they are the ultimate in casual wear, so as a symbol, they may reflect a need to take yourself less seriously or dress down some situation that the dream is reflecting. If someone in your dream is wearing jeans as a noticeable image, the part of you that the person represents may offer you a way to incorporate more relaxation into your psyche.
Jeep: Any vehicle is a symbol for how you are moving through your life. A Jeep indicates a moment when what is needed is a more rugged and no-nonsense approach to your choices.
Jester: An archetype of playfulness and trickster energy, the jester is present when you need to be distracted from serious matters.
Jesus, Buddha: You are dreaming of one of the ultimate archetypal character aspects that connects to the highest consciousness available to a human being. In this symbol resides the ability to manifest thought into reality. Jesus and Buddha were remarkable teachers who were able to live the principles of pure love and manifestation in a fashion that can only be described as divine in nature. To limit this term to just these two is in no way meant to dismiss the many other prophets and teachers who have embodied this spirit. While both of them once lived as men, they should be treated as archetypes. Dreaming of one of them indicates that you are experiencing a high level of self-discovery and integration. Jesus and Buddha exemplify the masculine principle at its highest level of evolution. The masculine principle connects to the power of thought. Through very different teachings, both of these mystics taught the concept that what you think and believe becomes your reality. They exemplify that it is possible, through love, to experience states of bliss in this often challenging life. The appearance of one of these great teachers in a dream is to put you on notice that you are in a moment of elevating consciousness and self-integration. It is not uncommon for an archetypal figure to be silent in a dream, as it is the figure’s mere presence that can be significant. If words and messages are present in the dream, take them to heart and do so literally. However, if this is not the case, your best use of such a dream is silent gratitude for the gift of a rare and powerful experience of elevated consciousness.
Jet: A jet is the fastest mode of transportation that is currently part of the day-to-day human experience. An airplane represents a significant change or transformation based on the fact that you get onto a plane in one location and wind up somewhere very far away in a very short amount of time. A jet is the fastest of these vehicles and in this way indicates that very rapid change is at hand.
Jewelry: Any adornment relates symbolically to self-expression. Jewelry has the added connection to abundance and prosperity and the desire to show the world your ability to attract wealth. People often place great value on their jewelry, so it becomes a symbol of anything that is considered valuable. Look at the context of a dream in which jewelry is featured, as your dream may be letting you know what you value.
Jewels: Jewels are precious objects made from the rarest things on Earth, and as such, they are great symbols of wealth, prosperity, abundance, and that which we treasure. A jewel can also be considered a sacred object, and to see one in a dream may indicate spiritual aspirations.
Jigsaw Puzzle: The essence of a jigsaw puzzle lies in the way minute pieces of something are considered piece by piece and put together to create a slowly emerging image of the whole. This is symbolic of mental considerations where an idea is examined bit by bit until eventually clarity emerges. This symbol may appear in a dream when you are engaged in such a process.
Joint: Smoking pot is a symbol for the desire to escape from your day-to-day stressors and especially from overthinking and mental overwhelm. A joint in a dream represents the ability to generate this form of escapism whenever it is desired.
Journal: A journal is a symbol for inner thoughts and private ruminations. Since many people who are interested in interpreting dreams keep their dreams recorded in a journal, there may be a literal connection between a journal in a dream and the actual process of gaining inner wisdom through considering the dream itself. Whatever is happening to a journal in a dream is a direct reflection of your relationship to these inner, private expressions.
Judge: The judge as an archetype relates to the warrior energy that divides everything into two camps: either right or wrong. The distinction with a judge is the notion of guilt and innocence and how this connects to the consequences of choices you may have made in the past. When a judge is present in a dream, you may feel that life itself is like a trial at this time and you may receive harsh punishment or a reprieve.
Juice: The juice of anything is the liquid essence of the thing itself. In the case of a fruit or vegetable, this is a literal liquefaction of the food and contains all of its nutrition. In this way, juice is symbolic of the benefit that exists in any substance or construct. Since juice is something that is easily digested, the presence of juice in a dream indicates a desire to easily assimilate something of value.
Jungle: This is a symbol for exotic, foreign territory, off the beaten path. By definition, a jungle is any land that is densely vegetative and essentially impenetrable by standard means. Only found in tropical climates, these vast, moisture-laden habitats are isolated, mysterious, and, for most Westerners, completely foreign to our civilized mentality. This can make for a romantic view of such a setting in a dream. If the jungle atmosphere in your dream evoked a sense of wonder and enchantment, you may be tapping into some new and interesting territory in some area of your life. The flip side of this coin would be this image expressing a desire for experiences that are new and different. Your dream could be a request for life to bring you a taste of the exotic. Jungle terrain can be quite inhospitable; with everything from deadly animals to insects carrying disease, your life could be in peril in such a place. If this is the case, you will want to find an association with your waking life where a sense of isolation or foreign sensibility may be causing you fear or stress. The rainforests are the lungs of Mother Earth and are responsible for much of the oxygen that is released into our atmosphere. As we continue to decimate these precious resources, we put our very existence in jeopardy. Whether you consider yourself an advocate for saving the rainforests or not, you are connected to every inch of our planet through the collective unconscious. Your dream may be representing the callous destruction of resources, both globally and in your personal life. Consider both when forming your interpretation.
Jury: A jury is supposed to be made up of your peers, so this group of people in a dream connects to your social identity. Because a jury is the ultimate decider of right and wrong, such an image in a dream may be an indication that you are feeling judged in some area of your waking life.