Dagger: Any weapon in a dream is a symbol of aggression and destructive impulses. A dagger is a small implement capable of making deep cuts. The dagger itself in a dream only implies that aggression may occur. The cut that a dagger may make could be symbolic of cutting remarks or the possibility of being stabbed in the back, both of which indicate betrayal of friendship or loyalty.
Dance: A dance is a gathering of people, and in the dream world those people should be considered as thoughts within your consciousness gathered around a common idea. The idea in this case is the expression of passion and sexuality through the symbolism of dancing. If there is a dance in your dreams, there is a compelling desire brewing in your consciousness to have more passion in your life.
Dance Class: You may want more passion and creative expression in your life and are willing to learn what you need to know more about in order to create some.
Dancing: You are searching for more grace and fluidity in the complicated relationships in your life. Dancing is also an elaborate mating ritual. It is a socially acceptable behavior that is designed to escalate toward intimacy and sex. Even dancing alone is a sensual experience that celebrates the ability to move in space. This results in a sensual experience of one’s body, signaling a readiness for sexual expression. In group dancing, such as ballet or modern dance troupes, the symbolic conversation expands to the idea of poetry in motion.
Dandruff: Negative thoughts are creating mild but noticeable fallout. There may be some doubts about self-worth and attractiveness at the core of the issues at hand.
Darkness: The absence of light in any way brings a dream into the realm of the shadow. If your dream is more dark than light, add this element to your interpretation. It may be time for you to explore areas you have previously avoided and to be willing to look at things that usually remain hidden or fill you with fear.
Date: A date is an opportunity to possibly find romance and love. It involves taking a risk and the need to show up authentically. In a dream, it represents the willingness or the lack of willingness to take such a risk, show up fully, and possibly find a new level of self-expression, passion, and eventual integration.
Daycare: In daycare, an individual finds temporary freedom from one set of responsibilities in order to attend to another realm of responsibility. If a daycare environment features in your dream, you may be juggling obligations and need some relief or balance in the area of whatever you have a duty to accomplish.
Dead End: You have come to the end of one course of action; it is time to choose again.
Deaf: The ability to hear is part of our navigation system. The ears keep us balanced and upright and orient us to the space around us. To lose this sense interrupts your ability to receive guidance from your environment. If deafness is featured in your dream, you may want to consider how well you are listening to whatever direction you are getting in your life at this time. (See Disability.)
Death: This is the ultimate symbol of change at a transformational level. All change involves the cycle of something dying to be reborn again. This applies to all of life, from the changing of the seasons to the coming and going of relationships and the process of birth and death itself. Death in a dream signifies that an enormous shift is occurring in your life. If you know the person from life, decide what character aspect of yourself he or she is representing. How that person operates in life is what is changing within your own psyche. The change is so great that it is being expressed by the ultimate of changes—death. If the person is a stranger, then use whatever information you can remember about him or her from the dream to explore what elements of your personality are undergoing a transformation. The quality that is being shifted could be about behaviors, habits, or character traits. The more violent and sudden the death, the more combustive and intense the process you are going through is likely to be. A death that has already occurred could signal that you are in a later phase of change rather than at the beginning. If it is you who dies, the transformation may be so complete that it involves your entire life or lifestyle—e.g., moving, changing jobs, a breakup, a new relationship, ending destructive behaviors, etc.
Deer: Grace and beauty are the medicine of this timid animal. Also, the need to be on guard and self-protective is part of what is being called into consciousness when a deer appears in a dream. The deer knows its way through the woods and has the ability to guide us through unknown and hidden territory. If the deer has antlers, this increases its power to navigate through primal instincts.
Defecation: While the elimination of waste might be the first thought that comes to mind when thinking of feces, at the heart of it, bowel movements are our first connection to us as creative beings. Consider the power and intensity associated with potty training and all the effort that goes into guiding a child toward controlling this bodily function. This period in a child’s life has a profound impact on how he or she operates in the world. Often the most effective method of this training involves helping a child make a creative connection to what comes out in the toilet. For the young mind, this is quite an impressive feat. From this perspective, defecation or feces in a dream are always going to connect first to personal creative power. Whatever that turns out to be, it is likely going to be about the state of your individual, creative affairs. Notice whether the experience in your dream is repulsive or not. Often in such a dream, there may not be an association to feces as dirty. If the experience is indeed repugnant, then you may be in some form of resistance to a deeper process that is going on that may require getting “down and dirty” with shadow material. Eating feces points to needing to integrate your own creativity into some aspect of your life. Playing with or handling feces (and how you felt about doing so) may indicate your level of comfort with a transition in your life that may be requiring you to go deeper into your “own shit” in order to find a new sense of self.
Defibrillator: When the electrical rhythm of the heart is in a chaotic overload, a defibrillator stops the heart with a jolt of electricity with the intention of supporting it to start up again on its own charge. In this way, this device essentially resurrects the life force of an individual suffering from a breakdown of this system. You may be feeling overwhelmed with so much stimulation that you are about to shut down, and this image in a dream indicates a desire to stop the current patterns and start again.
Delivery: A delivery indicates that something you have expressed a desire in receiving has finally arrived. In this way, a delivery in a dream is asking you to consider what you are expecting to come to you. The ultimate indication of convenience, having something delivered implies a level of abundance consciousness and your ability to feel deserving of having your wishes brought right to you.
Demon: The darker side of the spiritual realm, a demon is a being that feeds on fear and hatred. When a demon appears in a dream, you are being put on notice that your shadow side is out of control and things that are sparking fear are getting the better of you. A demon can also be an indication that you have been ignoring a destructive pattern for a very long time.
Demonic Possession: The idea of being possessed by something outside of your human self is connected to relinquishing responsibility for certain feelings that are deemed unacceptable. This is a fairly common dream image and represents a sudden outburst of any number of pent-up, dark emotions, such as guilt or rage. At the heart of this symbol, however, is the concept of not feeling responsible for the behavior in question or the intensity of the feelings being expressed. As the saying goes, “The devil made me do it.” Such a dream is asking you to look at where you are either blaming someone else for your own overwhelming feelings or are unwilling to take responsibility for your own reactivity.
Desert: There may be an obvious lack of passion and life force in your life right now. In a desert, you have to look deeper for the signs of life that are actually there, so a dream that takes place in a desert may be calling you to do just that. Do not take the surface appearance of things at face value. Look below the surface and you will find that there is more going on than meets the eye. A dream desert is also inviting you to irrigate and fill your life with more emotion and passion.
Deserted Place: You are dreaming of unmet needs and the consequences of past choices that have not served you. Human beings are social animals. We have lived in community with one another since our arrival on the planet. To find yourself in a place that is deserted and devoid of the presence of other human beings would leave you helpless in many ways. The severity of this vulnerability would depend greatly on where you were, what resources you had access to, as well as your own fortitude and courage. Even in the best of circumstances, your very survival would be at risk; hence, the primary symbolic meaning of this symbol is connected to risk and death. While loneliness might be thought of as the underlying emotional content of such an event, it is the absence of human resources that carries the interpretable weight of this symbol. Even if you found the absence of other people comforting, this meaning still applies. You may want to consider how relying on others for getting your needs met may be the root cause of the anxiety that sparked this dream.
Desk: When you are at a desk, it is a sure bet that you are doing work of some kind. In this way, a desk is a symbol of this consciousness. Work has different meaning for different people, so this symbol may be more or less literal for you if you are someone whose actual job involves sitting at a desk. A desk connects to left-brain sensibilities and a need for organization and structure in your life. What you were doing at the desk should be considered in your interpretation. If there was a person in the dream associated with the desk, add the meaning you assign to the individual as a character aspect of your personality connected to the need to get more organized and approach a problem from a more practical angle.
Dessert: You are looking to reward yourself or sweeten things up a bit. This is also a symbol that relates to overindulgence and attempts to control yourself. Dessert is often seen as something to be resisted, so your relationship to the dessert in your dream will offer you deeper shades of meaning.
Detective: As a person in your dream, a detective is a character aspect of your own personality. This is the part of you that is responsible for figuring things out as your life unfolds. If a detective appears in your dream, the implication is that whatever you are attempting to figure out still has mysteries associated with it that may yet be solved. Surrender to the process.
Detergent: An agent for cleaning, detergent in a dream implies a need to clean up a past mishap or hide the evidence of something that has already occurred that is causing you shame or discomfort.
Devil: Most people will fall into two categories regarding the Devil: the religious and the non-believers. There is a third category of people who don’t necessarily believe in the Devil, but were raised in an environment that embedded certain beliefs that they may have consciously rejected but that still have great power in the unconscious mind. The first and foremost quality of the Devil is temptation. The ultimate motivation for the temptation is for ownership of a person’s soul. In the world of psychology and dream work, the soul is akin to your spiritual nature and the totality of your experience as a human being. The presence of God and the Devil in our world offers each of us a choice: With whom will you align yourself and on what will you base your life choices? Your higher nature, through the choice of love, or your lower nature, through the choice of fear? The presence of the Devil in a dream indicates that a powerful degree of fear is being expressed. Bondage is another important element associated with the Devil. The contract he offers is permanent, with severe consequences. In symbolic terms, the Devil could illuminate areas in your life where you feel you have sold out. Look for situations in which you feel stuck for reasons of obligation, financial insecurity, or outmoded satisfaction. Often we make choices that initially provide us with something we desire, only to discover that we pay a price we hadn’t counted on. Real soul-searching may be called for when the Devil appears in a dream. What thoughts or old ways of being must be cast aside for your greater good? From a lighter perspective, what devil-may-care attitude might be inviting you to discover that which your inner critic won’t give you permission to explore? The phrase “the devil made me do it” can be either a misguided excuse for bad choices or a call toward letting go of judgment.
Dew: Dew is the result of water in the atmosphere that has yet to be evaporated away by the rising sun; it is considered beautiful and a touch magical. The water that makes up dew is symbolic of emotional content that appears when the cloak of night makes it safe to be more expressive. The fact that it will evaporate when the light of day shines upon it indicates a symbolic sense of temporariness and privacy. Dew is the secret expressions of subtle tenderness and nostalgia that come along with your daily life.
Diamond: The diamond is formed when carbon molecules are acted on by time and pressure to create the most precious form we know. Symbolically, the carbon molecules are the building blocks of all life’s forms and therefore are related to everything there is. Time and pressure can be thought of as literal in this interpretation, for life is filled with both in great measure. Therefore, the diamond is the ultimate symbol of the gift and benefit that can be harvested from the challenges that life presents you with. As a precious gem, the diamond relates to that which we value above all other things because of the great challenge involved in its creation. (See Stones.)
Diaper: The purpose of the diaper ultimately points to the freedom it brings. By virtue of the diaper’s presence, the wearer is able to be unconcerned with when and where the release of toxins and waste occurs. Since there is often shame connected with the acts of defecation and urination, the diaper can be thought of as a container for your shame. Are you holding on to things that make you feel bad about yourself?
Diarrhea: At the heart of the interpretation of this image in a dream is the lack of control that diarrhea represents. Feces have several meanings, one of which is powerfully creative, as they are something that you actually make with your body. However, feces also connect to the shame that is inherent in our fundamental humanity. When diarrhea is present in a dream, something is out of control.
Dice: The roll of the dice relates to blind luck and the impact of random chance as it relates to a desired outcome. We live in a world that is half divine plan unfolding and half random chaos. The dice relate to the latter half of this paradoxical equation. A dream that features dice as an image may be asking you to surrender to uncontrollable outcomes.
Diet: To diet is to limit the intake of food toward the end of maintaining some control over the shape of your body. This consciousness can run the gamut from healthy, balanced self-care to deeply destructive restriction combined with compulsivity. Your personal relationship to food must be factored into your interpretation of such a dream. Wherever you land, a diet is about restraint and control of something that is fundamentally about sustenance and nurturance. What are you denying yourself in order to get what you want? Is this a good idea? These are the questions to ask if dieting is featured in a dream.
Digging: You are expressing a need or desire to get to the bottom of something. Anything that is under the surface of the ground relates to hidden consciousness—available to be known, but not until some exploration is undertaken. Such an image in a dream may indicate that there is something to be gained from looking below the surface.
Dildo: The penis is a symbol of masculine power, and the dildo is a manufactured penis. It is a substitute for this masculine power and can represent a desire to stimulate this power within in the absence of projecting it onto an outside source. In a dream, the power being expressed, while inherently sensual in nature, may not necessarily be about the sex drive. Look to where in your life you have a desire or need to increase your sense of power.
Dining Room: Every room is an expression of the consciousness of that room’s purpose. A dining room is a place where food is shared with others. There are two elements to this image that bear consideration. One is the act of taking in nurturance and sustenance; the other is the desire to share this act in community. Whatever is happening in the dining room of your dream is a reflection of these principles in your waking life.
Diploma: You receive a diploma at the end of a significant course of study. Therefore the symbolic meaning of the diploma itself is that the work and effort has happened in the past. The idea of being recognized for possessing a certain level of wisdom and knowledge is embodied by the presence of a diploma.
Disability: Anything that limits normal ranges of functionality, mental or physical, might fall under the broad category of disability. In a general way, the symbolic meaning of such a state relates to the limitations the disability creates. Since the capacity for excellence begins with perception, the interpretation of any disability begins with the notion that something is challenging because it appears to be so. If a particular disability in a dream is not one that is mirrored in waking life, then the dream is expressing a perceived diminishment of capacity and the call to overcome its sense of limitation. Use the specific disability for distinctions in your interpretation.
Dishes: These implements for eating meals bring a touch of civilization to the process of taking in sustenance. Food is symbolic of the different ways you nurture yourself, and dishes are ultimately containers of that nurturance. Look to the condition and usage of the dishes in your dream to reveal your current relationship to self-care.
Ditch: A ditch is a culvert in the earth that has been deliberately created by human intervention. With the ground being a symbol for consciousness, anything that is just below the surface of the ground is that which is just below the surface of our awareness. Most ditches are built to hide in or divert the movement of something. In this way, a ditch is the result of doing a little self-investigation in order to provide for something to be able to move without detection or other implemented strategy. What is just below the surface of your thinking in your life right now?
Diving: When a diver plummets into water, he or she intends to symbolically rush below the surface into both the world of emotions and the unconscious mind, as water represents both of these domains. The dive then becomes the ritualized expression of not only the intention to do so but also the skilled creative expression of the act itself. In this way, a dive is symbolic of the practiced and majestic way that someone has prepared to courageously explore the hidden depths of his or her own nature.
Divorce: A marriage is the symbolic integration of different character aspects. It can also symbolize the primary integration that is the purpose of all consciousness expansion. A divorce is the end of a level of evolution that is no longer viable. In order to grow, you must release elements of the past. A divorce in a dream is symbolic of the end of one phase of your development and the beginning of another.
Doctor: Every person in a dream is part of your psyche, and a doctor is an aspect of the self that can diagnose and heal. You may be looking for answers to some underlying problem or challenge, and the doctor in your dreams may help heal what ails you.
Dog: You are connecting to principles around unconditional love as expressed by the masculine principle. Dogs represent unbridled joy, constant affection, and enthusiastic loyalty. A dog in your dream connects to your own capacity to remain constant in love and affection. Remember to consider what the dog in your dream is doing and add that to this idea of unconditional love and you will understand what this dream means. The presence of a dog means a need to call this quality into your life, and this image being present in the dream indicates that the quality is readily available. Anything that inhibits this, such as a dog being injured, sick, lost, or challenged in any way, is pointing out your own inhibitions around being loving for love’s sake. A dog in your dream connects to loyalty and love, which can indicate that issues of commitment and intimacy are being triggered by some event or circumstance. A positive dream experience could be pointing to places in your life that are sparking enthusiasm or requiring you to become more enthusiastic and joyful. Frightening images involving dogs may be inviting you to investigate unconscious fears around love and connection. A rabid dog represents inner fears of danger that may befall you if you get too close to an intimate situation. An actual dog bite represents the misuse of kindness or consideration. An obedient dog may point to a sense of control in areas of friendship and trust. Different types of dogs can embody a variety of qualities, from the dog that rescues a person in danger to the harrowing attacker. Dogs range in shape, from something tiny enough to put in your pocket to large breeds that resemble small bears. The size and attributes of the dog in your dream will inform you of the scope of the unconscious notions being expressed.
Doll: A doll is a representation of a child for an actual child to have an experience of his or her own maternal instincts, and this might be expressed by a doll appearing in a dream. Conversely, a doll could indicate an infantilization of impulses that relate to maternal feelings.
Dollar: A dollar is the primary denomination of currency that we use in the United States. Any dream that involves money is connecting to the principles of abundance, power, and freedom. In a dream, money often represents your inner resources. Such a dream is asking you to consider your current relationship to these principles. (See Money.)
Dolphin: This is one of the most beloved of all animals and holds a very high place in many belief systems of the New Age. The dolphin’s intelligence and beautiful song have been held in high esteem by so many cultures; there is hardly one that doesn’t feature this beautiful animal in mythology of some sort. The primary qualities associated with this animal as a totem are grace, beauty, compassion, and playfulness. Dolphins live in pods and are known to exhibit highly complex social relationships, so they also connect to the care and uplifting of the community. There are two main themes to consider when a dolphin shows up in a dream. One is a reminder to be playful in all your dealings in life, as life is supposed to be filled with joy. The other is a reminder to always remember the breath, for as you choose to breathe, that is how you are choosing to live. The more dolphins there are in your dream, the more intense their message is for you. Dolphins are intelligent mammals, so they relate to the human experience in this way. They inhabit the vastness of the ocean, so they simultaneously connect to the collective unconscious. When a dolphin appears in a dream, you can consider yourself visited by a very powerful aspect of the collective conscious.
Donkey: The donkey is an indefatigable worker domesticated to be of selfless service to humans through its strength and fortitude. As such, its medicine as a totem animal connects to this dedication and determination to achieve any goal. When the donkey appears in your dreams, you are being connected to your willingness and discipline to face the hard work that your life demands.
Door: You may be facing an opportunity or choice to venture into the unknown. A door is the obstacle that separates a person from accessing whatever is in the room to which the door marks the entrance. It represents both opportunity and choice. What is on the other side connects with opportunity. The volition required to open it and cross the threshold connects with choice. Additionally, when one door closes, another one opens, suggesting a correlation with transitions in life. Even if you think you know what is on the other side, a closed door creates mystery and uncertainty and usually refers to something that is unknown. A door that is ajar or open is an invitation from the unconscious to check out what’s beyond it. The more doors there are, the more complex the choice at hand may be. The size and weight of the door may indicate the importance of the issue being expressed. Shutting a door indicates the will to end something or the ability to set a boundary with certainty and clarity. A door being shut on the dreamer is an obstacle that is created by another person or a set of circumstances in the dreamer’s waking life. The person creating the obstacle may in fact be yourself. If you are not in control of whether the door is open or closed, issues of forced choice or lack of choice could be indicated.
Doorbell: A door symbolizes a choice or a transition in life. In this way, a doorbell is connected to being alerted that something new is on its way into your experience.
Doormat: This is the symbolic preparation before something new is embarked upon. You stop for a moment and clean your shoes so that what is unwanted from your past will not be carried forward into your future. Also consider that a doormat is sometimes used as a term for a person who allows other people to wipe their feet on them figuratively, and this meaning may be reflected in a dream.
Dove: The dove is a symbol of peace and love, and if one appears in a dream, you are connecting to these principles through the symbolism of the dove itself as well as through the animal medicine that the dove brings. Doves are also symbolically connected to romantic love.
Down: In this world that is divided into binary code, there are always two options in any polarity. The up-down continuum relates directly to the strongest force we deal with: gravity. When anything in a dream is moving in a downward direction, you are either exploring what is below the surface or being stopped in your forward movement by something that is forcing you down. Consider how this downward direction is being presented to you and then remember to explore what wisdom is available for you in the lower depths.
Down Syndrome: This genetic disorder is expressed as limited development both physical and mentally. Therefore, as a symbol in a dream, it may be pointing to some area of your life in which you are not expressing your full potential. Use the context of the dream to see what may need development. If there is someone in your life with Down syndrome, the dream may be interpreted more literally.
Drag Queen: The height of illusion, a drag queen presents an exaggerated presentation of feminine qualities. Often infused with exuberance and a sense of joy, this symbol means that things are not what they seem to be. The feminine side of nature is nurturing, creative, and patient. Perhaps these qualities need to be integrated in your life in a more authentic way.
Dragon: There are two very different dragons in the world of symbolism: the Eastern symbol of charisma and good luck and the Western symbol, which connects with greed, avarice, and overprotection. According to Western mythology, dragons are the guardians of treasure and virgins. These are things that are of no use to a dragon, a creature that does not need money to get what it wants and also cannot safely consummate a relationship with a woman. Despite this, a dragon will face all comers with a mighty ferocity, challenging the courage of the most able warriors. In this way, we can view a dragon as symbolically representing a fight for something that is of no use to you. The dragon in your dream may represent the battles you fight in life that you cannot win or that do not need to be fought at all. By the same token, you may have to fight an inner battle and face the part of you that is in the way of you getting what you want in life. Is it possible that your inner dragon may be keeping you from receiving the love you deserve and the abundance you desire? There is also an implied theme of confrontation in battle when a dragon appears in your dreams. What are the battles in your current life? Are you fighting for something that you do not need or cannot use?
Dragonfly: Change and transformation are part of this animal’s totem power. The dragonfly spends an enormous amount of time in the larval stage, which represents the hibernation that must accompany great change. When the dragonfly emerges, it can fly with beautiful multicolored wings. The larva is aquatic, so the transformation that it connects to happens at the level of the unconscious mind. When the dragonfly’s change is complete, the ability to fly and spread the translucent beauty of its wings represents messages of ascension that come directly from the depths of our soul. This is a powerful totem of change, transformation, and wisdom.
Drain: In the structure of plumbing, the drain is what takes away what is no longer wanted or needed. Often what is being drained would fall into the category of waste or things of an unsanitary nature. Therefore, as a symbol, the drain represents your ability to slough off the old and easily release the past. If the drain in your dream is functioning properly, all is well. If it is not, there may be some need to examine why you are unable to let things go.
Drapes: Windows offer a view from the outside world into the inner sanctums of a home. Drapes have the function of creating privacy as well as adorning this aspect of transparency in your consciousness. They can open and shut at will, adding the element of controlling who can see into that which you might want to keep secret. They also can be seen as your willingness to let light in or shut it out, with light being a representation of conscious awareness and life force. As a dream symbol, drapes relate to this choice, the free will to exercise it, and the state of affairs around doing so.
Drawbridge: A drawbridge functions in two ways and allows completely different modes of transportation to exist. In the world of symbols, the cars on land represent thoughts and consciousness and the boats on water connect to emotions and the unconscious. By being able to change shape, the drawbridge can distinguish between which is more important. In a dream, consider how the drawbridge is operating, for it will point to which mode has higher priority at the moment. If the drawbridge is not working properly, your own ability to distinguish between emotions and thoughts is being affected.
Drawing: The act of drawing is an effort to take something from inside of your consciousness and express it in the world of form. It is a creative act that results in something tangible. As a dream symbol, drawing relates to this impulse to allow yourself an outlet for creative expression and the patience to allow form to appear to you slowly.
Dream within a Dream: There are levels of consciousness that exist in the dream state that you can wake up to and still be asleep. This happens in waking life as well, but is less noticeable, like when you suddenly realize you were not paying attention to something that was happening and you snap into awareness. When this happens in a dream, it is an indication that you are waking up to higher levels of your own conscious awareness.
Dress: The dress is the staple article of clothing for women and as such is a symbol of feminine qualities such as creativity, receptivity, nurturance, and patience. If you are wearing a dress in your dream or there is a dress present, you may be considering what it would be like to try on these qualities. The design of the dress offers distinctions about how these principles are being worn by you in life.
Dressing Room: The dressing room is essentially about preparation for some heightened form of expression. Look to where in your life you are gearing up to be expressive in a particular way. Additionally, you may be hesitating to take risks around putting yourself out there by staying too long in the dressing room.
Drinks/Drinking: This symbol has a wide trajectory in the continuum of fun and relaxation on the one end and excessive escapism on the other. This activity in a dream may point to a need for more balance in your life by letting go or more balance in your life by reining in the ways in which you avoid responsibility. The dream context will help you with your interpretation, as will your waking-life relationship with alcohol.
Drive-In: All but extinct, the drive-in movie theater is an interesting mashup of the symbol of car and the symbol of movie. In a dream, a drive-in relates to the impulse to stop your movement through life and take some time to relax and escape. If the movie on the screen features prominently, there may be something to explore about thoughts that are in the shadow and usually hidden.
Drive-Through: Ultimately the drive-through structure connects to a desire to get what you want when you want it without interrupting the flow of your life. This can reflect a high level of positive focus or a sense of moving too fast and avoiding taking the time needed to more effectively meet your own needs. A drive-through in a dream is asking you to examine your priorities and need to control things.
Driving: Any driving dream connects to how you are moving through your life and the quality, sensations, and judgments you have about how this is going at the time of a dream in which driving is a prominent image. If you are driving out of control in the dream, you must consider what area of your life might be beyond your ability to regulate. If you are in the back seat and need to gain control of the car, look for ways in which you haven’t yet stepped up to the plate. You may not be able to do so yet because of circumstances beyond your control. If your car isn’t responding to you, you may be feeling ineffectual about taking charge of some path you are traversing. Varying speeds might be reflecting movement in life that feels either too fast or too slow for your comfort. A vehicle other than a car might point to being in foreign territory. You may not be feeling confident in your ability to work with the circumstances you have been handed. Causing an accident could be inviting you to look at the consequences of your choices. Being a victim of an accident might encourage you to look at the ways in which you have abandoned your own direction because of another person or outside force beyond your control. Driving in the rain connects emotional issues to your current route. Icy conditions indicate that emotions are being frozen over, making your way treacherous. Driving down or up a hill would illustrate the sense of effort or ease involved in your life movement.
Drowning: You are feeling overwhelmed with deep feelings and need to surrender to your emotional issues and learn how to process them. Many people have free-floating anxiety associated with the idea of drowning. When this is the case, the universal meaning of peaceful surrender will often be overlooked when considering this as a dream image. No matter how deep your level of fear is around the frightening possibility of an actual drowning, the return to your watery roots and turning yourself over to the gentle embrace of the weightlessness of water implies a very serene experience from the symbolic perspective. Water, as a symbol, always connects to the world of emotions. To drown is to die. To die is to sacrifice part of the self in order to be reborn again. Therefore, to drown in a dream is a beautiful transformation that occurs by virtue of giving yourself over to inevitable emotional processes that lead you to a new way of being in the world. The presence of panic in a dream of drowning is a signal of resistance to the emotional change that is afoot. The more intense the panic, the greater the resistance you are expressing. Being able to breathe, or at least function normally, underwater is a common dream image. While this is not generally experienced by the dreamer as a drowning dream, the meaning connects to the same concept of grace and ease with emotional overwhelm.
Drugs: You may be looking for an instant but temporary shift of consciousness. All drugs dramatically alter the experience of the individual taking them. Hence, they represent a shift in consciousness that is controlled by the user and is instantaneous. Also inherent in considering this symbol is the matter of consequences. When many substances are abused, especially recreational drugs, there is a disregard for the potential harm they can cause and the often challenging aftereffects of their use. The desire for the high outweighs the difficulties that result from the overindulgence. When drugs appear in a dream, there may be a life situation where you are looking for a quick fix rather than the more difficult path of meeting things consciously.
Drugstore: The drugstore is a place where so many needs can get met, and it is in those needs that the meaning of such a location can be found. Pharmaceuticals may relate to a health issue or healing that needs to take place.
Drum: All musical instruments relate to passionate expression. The beating of a drum is most connected to the beating of the heart. If a drum features prominently in a dream, you are connecting to a fundamental and organic expression of the rhythm of life.
Drunk: If you are drunk in a dream, you are expressing a desire to avoid or escape some aspect of your life. If someone who appears in your dream is drunk, consider who the individual is through the perspective of being a character aspect of your own personality. Once you have determined what the person represents in you, consider that that area of your life is expressing avoidance or destructive tendencies. If there is an unidentified drunk in your dream, there is more investigating to do to understand where you are holding yourself back.
Dryer: A dryer removes the moisture from clothes that have already been cleaned. In this way, there is an element to this symbol that relates to the evaporation of previously powerful emotional experiences. Those experiences may in fact have made you feel dirty or unclean, so the symbol of the dryer has within it the implication that something has recently been cleaned or cleansed.
Duck: All birds are messengers of some sort. The duck is waterfowl and therefore connects to emotions. A duck’s propensity for flying south during the winter connects it to the idea of moving toward warmth out of instinct. The medicine associated with the duck is this inner knowing of how to move in the direction of resources.
Dumpster: The dumpster is the intermediary between declaring something as no longer wanted or needed and the removal of the thing itself. Dumpsters are usually located toward the back of property, connecting them with elements of your consciousness that are somewhat hidden. They tend to smell bad, so they connect with old consciousness that has already been declared as no longer useful but that still requires some attention. What change or shift in your life is not quite complete?
Dungeon: You are tapping into unconscious negative beliefs. Dungeons are places of torture and imprisonment, and they correlate with deeply hidden and unconscious thoughts and fears. They were a place where people were kept locked up and tortured; therefore a dungeon is the part of the shadow where our most frightening ideas and thoughts create ongoing and unimaginable levels of suffering and pain. There is a sexual element to this image that connects to the fetishistic desire to dominate or be submissive in sexual role play. A dungeon in this case need not be a fear-inspiring dark and dreary place, but rather a private place possessing the appropriate equipment to facilitate the activities associated with such sex play.
Dust: Almost everything in our world that is organic in nature emits dust as a natural part of its aging or breakdown process. We consider that all things come to dust as part of decay. In our homes, most of the dust we experience actually comes from the human body. In this way, dust in a dream is the consciousness of things past, and if it is building up or obscuring your vision, there may be things in your past that still need to be cleaned up.
DVD: The DVD has entered our consciousness as our connection to an immediate source of entertainment and the escape that movies provide. As a symbol in a dream, DVDs relate to a desire to remove yourself from your day-to-day life and immerse yourself in a pleasant sense of escape and relaxation.
Dynamite: A blast of dynamite is a controlled explosion. Explosions relate to the sudden change they create. The destruction associated with dynamite is generally connected to the constructive elements they are involved in. The blast they create is usually designed to remove obstacles to growth and expansion. What old ideas, habits, or constructs in your consciousness need to be blasted away in order to build something new?