Tornado in my dream!

It is natural that events of the day find their ways into our nightly dreams.  But keep in mind that your dreams may be seizing the opportunity to point out something in the news that can serve as a metaphor for you.  Consider this dream “torn from the headlines:”

Dear SMYD,

I’m sure you’ve probably heard about all the tornadoes and devastation in Oklahoma.  I’m thankful that my family and friends escaped the terrible losses that so many have endured.  We are all unhurt.  We were actually pretty far out of harm’s way.  But I guess it’s no surprise that I dreamed of the tornadoes and all the damage they’ve done.

In my dream, I return to my neighborhood after the tornadoes have passed through, destroying everything in their path.  There is debris everywhere and people are beginning to pick through what’s left.

Next I see myself sitting on top of a heap of rubble with a shotgun across my lap.  I am stationed there to protect and defend what’s mine, even if it’s been reduced to a bunch of junk.  No one around me seems to want to steal my stuff.  Why would they?  There’s nothing of value there anymore.  In fact, the cops tell everyone to evacuate, but I refuse to go.  I sit there and guard it diligently.

To me, this dream seems to be a pretty clear rehash of the day’s events.  What do you think?

Signed,

Survived the Storm

Dear Survived,

It’s true that the events of our daily lives often provide the images and backdrops of our dreams.  Certainly anything as dramatic and traumatic as a tornado would likely be a key element of any dream that follows for those who lived through such a frightening and life-changing event. 

There are some intriguing components to your dream, though.  Most obvious is the fact that in waking life you weren’t affected by the destruction of the storms.  In fact, you say that the actual storms weren’t a direct threat to you.  But in your dream you’ve sustained damage from a storm of some sort, perhaps an emotional one.  

Your dream’s use of the current situation suggests that you’ve experienced a storm and devastation not from the actual physical storm that passed you by, but from another source.  The emotional damage is reflected by the image of the pile of debris that was once your residence, the place you lived internally, perhaps your sense of self. 

Your dream goes on to suggest that you are protecting something that doesn’t need protection.  You say yourself that the house is destroyed and now without value.  Could it be a façade you maintain or position you’ve taken that you feel you must preserve?  

The people around you present no threat, yet you have established a strong defensive posture.  Your dream points this out to you and asks, “Why?”  Why defend a thing without value?  You are the last one holding onto this front, Dear Dreamer.  Relax and let it go.

Sweet Dreams to You!