I was recently asked, via the contact form, “What does it mean when you dream of having an operation?” This type of dream actually depends on whether or not you have an upcoming doctor’s appointment or trip to the dentist. If you have an upcoming exam, procedure, or even a check-up, dreaming of an operation is simply a matter of your mind “acting out” anxieties you may have. It most definitely doesn’t indicate that anything is seriously wrong with you. You’re simply anxious about the appointment and/or procedure.
If you do not have an upcoming appointment, dreaming about an operation indicates something different, all together. Operation dreams (or even dreams of having your teeth pulled or your hair cut) indicate the subconscious desire to REMOVE something from your life or for someone (sometimes even yourself) to CUT something out! For example, many people who are struggling with overcoming a bad habit (overeating, smoking, etc.) or correcting an undesirable trait (bad temper, dishonesty…) will have operation dreams.
It’s their mind’s way of processing their desire to REMOVE something from their lives. And, yes, sometimes this something might be a specific person! If a relationship has gone very bad, you may dream of an operation, symbolizing your desire to remove either the trouble or the person from you life. Only the dreamer knows for sure which is the case.
If you dream of another person having an operation, you must be very careful about your dream interpretation. The dream analysis could go one of two ways:
- The operation in the dream could symbolize something you want THEM to cut out of their life or remove from their personality/disposition.
- The dream could indicate something in your own life – something that’s related to this particular individual in some way.
- The dream could have nothing whatsoever to do with the person having the operation in your dream! It could be that they were on your mind recently and their appearance in the dream has nothing to do with the interpretation – the only thing that matters is the operation, itself.
When you think back to the dream, pay close attention to the emotions you remembered having in the dream. If your dream involved someone else having surgery, the more you focused on THEM in the dream, the more likely they have something to do with the interpretation. However, if the main focus of the dream was the operation, it’s likely that they were simply a “stand in.”
As with all dreams, only you can get to the real analysis. Think about the things in your life that you’d like to change. What thing(s) would you remove from your life if you had the power to do so? When you come up with an answer to this question, you’ll have the analysis of the dream.
If you dream of a mountain, your mind is actually “sorting out” a few things in your life. Mainly, these dreams are ways the brain sorts out:
- obstacles
- lofty tasks
- very large challenges
Generally speaking, when we’re faced with what we perceive to be small obstacles or relatively easy tasks and challenges, we don’t have significant dreams about them. Our mind thinks, “No biggie. I can knock this out!” However, when the tasks or challenges are large and the obstacles seem all but insurmountable, the brain sort of “lashes out” in sleep. I think of it as the brain saying, “Seriously?! I have THIS to deal with?!”
Often, in our daily lives, we become so busy and goal-oriented that we don’t always realize just how intimidated or anxious we are when it comes to challenges. However, when our pace and our minds slow down, in sleep, the obstacles and challenges finally have a chance to catch up with us. It’s THEN that the brain can register just how largely they’re looming on the horizon.
Dream analysis is vital and crucial to real self-realization and self-growth. This type of dream is the perfect example why.
After dreaming of mountains, for example, an individual can take inventory of their life. The dreamer can sit down, with pen and paper, and write down things that could possibly be represented or symbolized by the mountains in their dream. Could it be something at work or school? Could it be a particular goal like wanting to lose weight, quit smoking, or learn a new language? Could the mountain symbolize a problematic relationship – one in which the dreamer doesn’t hold much hope for?
When the dreamer identifies the symbolization of the mountain, he or she can then write down ways in which they can proactively deal with obstacles and ways they can find their way to the finish line!
That’s the beauty of dreams, dream interpretation, and dream analysis. Most people just see the FUN side of dreams and finding out what dreams mean. And, make no mistake about it, it is fun! However, people need to realize that we can use our dreams to open new doors and find new paths to making our dreams come true – whether they’re financial dreams (finding a better job, making more money, starting your own business..), personal victories (losing weight, becoming more outgoing, overcoming bad habits…), relationship-related goals (finding your soul mate, improving your family relationships, improving your romantic relationships, communicating with your children or parents…), or any goal or dream you can think of!
Use your dreams to help you open a whole new world and possibly even a whole new you!
What does it mean to dream of being left behind? If you dream that you have been left behind, it is symbolic of an inner feeling of inadequacy. Many people feel that this type of dream means they have been wronged in some way or that others don’t like them. In all actuality, however, dreaming of being left behind has absolutely nothing to do with anyone else. It’s all you, sport!
This is the perfect example of why I always say that dreams can be very helpful in self improvement and self growth. When we get tuned in to our dreams and dream symbols, we’ll realize just how much they tell us about ourselves. We can then, of course, take this information and use it constructively and proactively.
If you have a dream where you have been left behind, mark it down: There is something about you that you feel insecure or unsure about. It could be physical or it could not be physical! Below are just some of the areas in a person’s life that could cause them to have feelings of insecurity:
- Weight
- Intelligence
- Personality
- Shyness
- Grammar
- Education
- Vehicle they drive
- House they live in
- Friends
- Family
- Guilt over something they’ve done
- Job or “title”
- Speech
- General appearance
The list, of course, goes on and on. The point is, the insecurity could come from just about anyplace – only the dreamer knows for sure. However, there may be clues in the dream that point to the area of insecurity. Look for the following four clues:
- In the dream, do the people who are leaving you behind have anything in common? For example, are they all rich, skinny, outgoing, etc? If they are glaring similar in some way, you may feel that you are lacking in this area.
- In the dream, is money involved in any way? If someone has left you behind while they go shopping, you may feel insecure about your financial situation.
- In the dream, has EVERYONE left you behind – that is to say EVERY single person in the dream? You probably feel lonely and isolated in your day to day life and are (whether rightly or wrongly) pointing your fingers at the area in which you feel insecure or inefficient.
- In the dream, has everyone left you behind because they’re angry at you? If this is the case, you may feel insecure about something you’ve done or something you failed to do. Feelings of guilt cause us to feel that we don’t quite measure up to others and that we’re worthy of being abandoned.
Here’s a completely different dream about being left behind: What if YOU are the one leaving someone or something behind? This type of dream has a different meaning, all together. If you dream that you have or are leaving someone, something, or someplace behind, the symbolism is that you are “leaving behind” the past. This could be a bad habit, a feeling of guilt, anger or resentment toward someone in particular, etc. It could also symbolize leaving a job, school, home, or relationship.
If you’ve had any dreams similar to these, please tell us about them in the comments!
Snake dreams continue to be the most popular type of dream here on Dream Prophesy. The reason for this is pretty clear and totally understandable, however that’s of little comfort when someone has such an unsettling dream!
The reason snake dreams are so popular and common is this: Snakes are (deservedly or not) a universal symbol of everything evil, wrong, scary, frightening, and bad.
Thanks, Eve.
Snakes represent, to most of us anyway, great fear and uncommon anxiety. Granted, there are those who love snakes with the same type of adoration the rest of us have for our cats, dogs, birds, guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, and so on. As a matter of fact, when a lot of people talk about their beloved pet, they’re referring to a snake. And when these snake-lovers have dreams about snakes, they usually symbolize something entirely different. When they dream about snakes, they’re no more alarmed that I would be if I dreamed about cats. As someone with four cats, this is completely common for me and I never give it a second thought.
For most of us, however, snakes do represent BAD (fear, anxiety, frustration…). Common symbol for BAD = A common dream.
Here’s something that I find to be extremely fascinating. I’ve been a dreamologist for over 10 years. That’s a lot of dreams to be analyzed and studied! I’ve noticed something over the years that fascinates me. MANY adults who work with kids, particularly teachers, frequently have a similar dream involving snakes:
They’ll confront a snake (or another representation of evil) that they’re trying valiantly to destroy. Many will even say things like, “I know it’s going to hurt a lot of people and I want to stop it…” However, they can’t get anyone to get on board with them and help out. The frustration of the dream stays with these dreamers as much as the image of the snake or snakes do. One of the reasons I believe this is so common is that teachers, undoubtedly, often feel very much “up against it.” They love kids and sincerely want to help them. They’ve dedicated their lives to them, so they obviously feel very strongly about young people. However, they can’t do everything.
They feel very overwhelmed, at times, due to a lack of parental support and/or a lack of support from the school system, principal, school board, etc. Teachers aren’t even paid as much as they deserve – no doubt the frustration sometimes gets to them. How could it not? Although most handle it admirably and you’d never really know the lack of support they sometimes encounter, their subconscious mind ALWAYS knows. the subconscious mind realizes just how much the individual sometimes feels as though he or she is fighting for a child or children without anyone backing them up.
Enter the snake.
Honestly, this is such a recurring theme for people involved in education and kids that books could be written. Needless to say, the theme is actually beautiful – the thought that people who are in charge of kids care so much about “saving” them and protecting them that it carries over to their dreams.
Snakes, for most people are dream symbols for something (anything, really) that’s evil, bad, scary, or undesired in any way. When we have things on our mind during the day that are negative, to put it simply, they show up in our dreams dressed as snakes.
Appropriate attire for evil.
Whether you work with kids or not, snakes symbolize something that you are afraid of, intimidated by, anxious about, or worried about. It may be a tiny seed of fear deep inside of you – one that you barely even know exists. The thing is, your subconscious mind knows it’s there. Dreams are its way of getting the fear out into the open, allowing you to confront it and deal with it.
If, like teachers, you find yourself trying to do something about the snake but can’t seem to find any support or help – your dream interpretation is similar to the teacher’s. You feel, in your waking life, a lack of support from the people around you. You often feel that you’re fighting a battle alone.
Snake dreams will usually subside once you realize that this fear, and possible isolation, exists. A word of caution, however: As with all unsettling dreams – try very hard not to dwell on them, especially right before going to sleep. Doing so only invites the dream to RECUR, and when it comes to snake dreams, that’s the last thing any of us want.
Easily, one of the most disturbing dreams you can have revolves around your own death. Some of these dreams involve just KNOWING that you’re about to die. Other dreams actually take the dreamer to Heaven, allowing them to visit with loved ones who have previously died. Many times, when this is the case, it simply indicates that the dreamer has been missing at least one of these loved ones. It can also mean that the dreamer is missing a period of time in their life – one that they shared with this person. Many times we’re kind of nostalgic for our childhoods and we’ll either dream that people from that period of time are still with us, or that we’ve gone to Heaven to see them.
Similar to illness dreams, dreaming of dying isn’t so much about sickness or death as it is about TRANSITION, LOSS, or CHANGE.
Here’s an example:
Claire, from Detroit, e-mailed me about a troubling dream she had about a week ago. She dreamed that she knew she was dying. In her dream, she was watching her husband and children play in the yard and wondered how (after she’d died) she could let them “know” that she was watching over them. She decided that she’d give them “signs.” They each knew that she loved the color orange, that roses were her favorite flower, and that her favorite bird was the oriole. She decided, in her dream, that she’d take these forms every day for her family – to let them know she was still with them.
As it turned out, Claire and her family were going through a lot of changes. Her husband had recently been laid off, their oldest son had been diagnosed with asthma, and a close family member had moved several states away. As the family dealt with many transitions, Claire undoubtedly felt stressed and anxious. She wanted to keep her family strong and do her best to help everyone deal with the changes positively.
When we go through transitions in our lives, we realize that we need to CHANGE inside as we cope with the changes outside. Sometimes we simply have to change the way we look at things – as well as changing our expectations and goals. Death dreams are simply a by-product of these transitional phases of life. They’re entirely normal – and actually kind of therapeutic. For one thing, they remind us that we can handle anything…. after all, we’re still alive!!!
One other cause of death dreams is guilt. Sometimes we say or do something we really wish we hadn’t. The guilt can overwhelm us if we don’t do everything in our power to apologize and make it right. Many times this guilt will become symbolized in our dreams as self-inflicted harm, illness, or even death.
If you’ve had dreams about your own death, rest assured, they are not prophetic – they are simply an indication of stress, change, transitions, or even anxiety. Dreams do not tell the future – they tell the present.
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