Dream Interpretation: What Does it Mean to Dream About a Church?
I WILL get caught up, however.. and it starts today!
Have you ever had a dream about a church? Whether it’s your own church, a church you attended as a child, or simply a church you’ve seen – church dreams have a specific interpretation all of their own.
It’s first important to think about things we associate with churches:
- God
- holiness
- peace
- sanctity
- comfort
- safety
A church is a symbol of God and is, therefore, one of the most holy and sacred symbols we have. Other religious symbols include…
- the Cross
- the Holy Bible
- John 3:16
- Heaven
- Preachers, Priests, Nuns…
While each of these religious symbols (in life and in dreams) can point to God, Jesus, our faith, hope, beliefs, eternity, Spirituality, and Christianity – a church takes it one step further.
Dreaming of a church has more to do with how we FEEL than anything else. Churches conjure up feelings of comfort, peace, contentment, and most of all SAFETY.
To dream of a church indicates either a feeling of safety and peace or a longing for safety and peace. To differentiate between the two in your own personal dream interpretation, you have to look at the rest of the dream
Was the dream peaceful and, upon wakening, did you feel peaceful, safe, and content? Most of the time, this indicates that you feel safe in your day to day life.
If the dream was chaotic, troublesome, and confrontational, and you awoke with negative feelings – it indicates that you are searching for peace and safety.
As with all dreams, nothing is set in stone and other dream symbols could affect your own personal interpretation. This is just a general interpretation for church dreams and the symbolism for churches in dreams.
As always, sweet dreams!
Also See: In the dream dictionary, read more about Abbey Dreams and Church Dreams.
Closed Signs: Are These “Signs” More Than They Seem?
When Your Dream is Trying to Tell You Something Important
I recently had a dream submitted that involved a very interesting dream symbol: Closed Signs. The dreamer pointed out that they are a recent college graduate who (like a LOT of young people) is struggling a little in their career.
Below is an excerpt from the dream:
2 nights ago i had a dream, i was with my friend in a condo and we were about to leave and i said to the other person in the same room that i will just bring my friend home and we walked towards to the elevator and we found out that the elevator is not working on that floor so we decided that to maybe go down to another floor to ride the elevator.so we did, we used the stairs and when we
reached another floor down there’s a sign on the door and it says “CLOSED” then, we went down again until we can enter a opened door. But as we go down again, We saw the “CLOSED” sign again and another floor down “CLOSED” sign was there again and then on the 4th floor down there i saw no more “CLOSED” sign and we entered then i woke up after that.
What a frustrating dream! This is one of those instances where the description of the dream (frustrating) sums up feelings the dreamer has recently experienced. It’s as though the subconscious mind uses the emotions of the conscious mind to “set the theme” for dreams. It picks up on the frustration and more or less runs with it – up elevators, down halls, up stairs, down stairs..
However, I think there might be a little more to it. While it’s clear why your mind created such a frustrating scenario in your dream, I believe it was – in the process – providing you with a little advice.
Before I get to what I personally think this advice was, I just want to reiterate something I frequently say on Dream Prophesy: Our subconscious mind is one of our greatest allies in life. It has access to all of our struggles, our strengths, our weaknesses, our problems – everything that is US and everything that is OUR WORLD. The subconscious mind knows everything our conscious mind does – but it has a “superpower,” if you will.
It doesn’t get in its own way!
That’s why it is so vital to interpret our dreams (or to have someone do it for you, of course). Our dreams are basically our subconscious mind painting a picture for us and, many times (if not most of the time), we can find valuable clues and priceless advice within the picture it paints.
In this particular dream, I believe the dreamer’s subconscious mind is saying, “Keep looking for the answer…” Furthermore, because of the nature of the dream, I believe the subconscious mind is also saying, “Look places you haven’t yet looked.”
We can EVEN go a little deeper. Because there were “levels” in the dream – clearly indicated by stairs and elevators – I believe the subconscious mind is encouraging the dreamer to “look up” and possibly even to “aim higher.” Why? Because all of the “downs” were closed!
When a dream presents us with clear options (up… down or hot… cold, etc), many times the clue to the dream’s interpretation is in the choice that was successful in the dream OR, by process of elimination, the choice that was unsuccessful in the dream.
Obviously, when you have a dream like this, it doesn’t mean to march into work on Monday morning and demand a raise. I’m pretty sure telling your boss, “But my dream said aim higher!” won’t win you the title employee of the month! However, a dream like this can serve as motivation and inspiration to aim higher, look up, and keep on keeping on.
The key dream analysis here is to look UP, aim HIGHER, and… whatever you do… don’t “lower” your expectations or get DOWN… because there isn’t anything for you there… it’s all CLOSED!
Thanks so much for submitting your dream – when dreamers do so, inevitably other dreamers are helped by their interpretation.
Dream Analysis of a Potentially Life Changing Dream
One of the Best Dream Symbols I’ve Read About in a Very Long Time
Dream for Analysis:
This is a pretty detailed dream and I think I may know what the meaning is, but wanted to ask to be sure. First of all, I am a wife and mother in my 50’s. My 2 sons and 1 daughter have all moved out of the house. My husband works long hours and I’m left alone most of the time. My sons and their wives don’t come around much at all. Maybe 1 time a month. My daughter is in college 3 hours away, and used to come home every weekend. But she got a boyfriend who lives in her college town and she only comes home about once a month now. Each time she and my sons come over I tell them just how lonesome I’ve been for them and how empty my life is now. It seems to make them stay away even longer. I always tell my husband how down I am, but he doesn’t have any answers. He doesn’t even talk to me much anymore. He works, then comes home and reads the paper. When I try to tell him how I feel, we end up arguing.
I just wanted to give a little background info to let you know how lonely I am because I believe the dream’s meaning is tied to this sadness. My dream was very vivid and colorful, making it even more griping and intense. I felt all of the emotion just like it was real life. My family was all together at our home. My sons, their wives, my husband, and our daughter. Her new boyfriend was there too. Each time I sat beside one of these people they would either walk away or get up and move. Suddenly, in the dream I was wearing my nightgown and I instinctively pulled part of it up to my nose and realized it smelled bad. My gown smelled like dirty laundry or something. I started crying and kept saying, “I smell bad!” over and over again but none of them looked at me. They all kept talking to one another. I cried and told my husband, “I will change my gown, please don’t let anyone leave. I’ll put on another gown!” But he just looked past me then walked away.
I woke up with a profound sadness and (disturbingly) an overwhelming feeling of being unloved. Worst of all, I can’t shake the feeling even though the dream was two nights ago. Please help me because this dream is a black cloud over an already bleak life. – Katharine
Reading this dream made me nearly as sad as the dreamer, herself. There’s just so much sadness and discouragement in the words that I could practically see the dark cloud she spoke of myself. Below is my dream analysis for this particular type of dream:
Katharine, it’ll probably come as a surprise to you but the dream doesn’t really have as much to do with your husband and children as it has to do with YOU. I can certainly see how you’d think the dream depicted your family members “staying away from” or “avoiding” you, but the actual dream interpretation goes much deeper than this. The good… make that great!… news is that this particular dream is a perfect example of being able to use our dreams to improve the real world in which we live. Your dream is handing you a golden key to unlock the door to more happiness, peace, and contentment!
The fact that you, yourself, smelled the nightgown in your dream and realized that it was causing others to stay away from you is beautifully symbolic. I believe that, deep down, you realize that when you tell your husband and kids how miserable and unhappy you are that you are, in effect, pushing them away. This realization may be so deep down that it’s your subconscious doing the realizing!
Here’s the thing: People are DRAWN to people, places, things, and situations that make them happy. People, places, things, and situations that make them:
- feel good about themselves
- feel good about life
- laugh
- smile
- have fun
- in the end… people, places, things, and situations that they can’t wait to return to because they brought about so much happiness!
In your own words, you say that you tell your husband and children how “empty” your life is and how unhappy you are. Apparently you do this at just about every available opportunity. With all the respect, compassion, and genuine concern in the world – I have to ask you this: Why would anyone be DRAWN to that? The answer is they wouldn’t! They’d be PUSHED the other way and would even come to dread facing what must feel like guilt trips and depressing encounters.
Your subconscious mind is alerting you to this situation in your dream. I have to tell you, I get SO excited when I hear about dreams like this because – for one thing – dreams utterly fascinate me and when they are so DEAD ON like this one, it just blows my mind. Dreams and the subconscious mind are simply amazing. Also, I get excited because this type of dream proves what I’ve said all along – dreams have the power to change our lives for the better – IF we listen to them!
When you smelled your gown in your dream, the gown was symbolic of YOU. It was on you, just as your sadness, loneliness, and, perhaps, bitterness are on you. When you brought it to your nose and realized it was BAD – you knew it was the cause of everyone being pushed away. I even love the fact that you referred to the smell as being like “dirty laundry.” What do we often refer to bad things people keep talking about? Their dirty laundry.
This is your subconscious mind telling you that what you’re “wearing” in your day to day life is, in fact, driving everyone away.
I suspect that the arguments between you and your husband have gotten so out of hand that your marriage is on shaky ground. The fact that you plead to him in your dream (promising that you’ll “change” – literally!) tells me that the two of you may be nearing a breaking point. When we actually cry in our dreams, it always means serious, serious business.
On my self help blog (Self Help Daily), I frequently write about how to cope with empty nest syndrome because this is a subject women (and many men) battle as their children grow older, get jobs, boyfriends/girlfriends, etc. The waves of emotion can tear families apart if you aren’t careful. You aren’t alone – this is something a lot of people deal with. Just know that when you tell your loved ones how sad (lonely, empty…) you are over and over again – you are pushing them further away.
Your dream just sent you a powerful warning and I’m hoping you’ll take it to heart. If I were you, I’d plan a big family get together. Let your daughter know you’d love for her new boyfriend to get to know the rest of the family. Cook out, bake lasagna, or simply go out to your favorite restaurant. Whatever you do, this time wear something better than a “smelly gown” (frown, sad countenance, bitterness, anger…). This time put on your best! Wear a smile, give out hugs, ask everyone about their lives, jobs, school, etc. Smile more, frown less. Laugh more, cry less. Talk TO your loved ones and not AT them.
Basically, create the type of environment people can’t wait to enter, hate to leave, and can’t wait to return to.
Your wonderful dream has just handed you a life changer!
What Do Numbers in Dreams Mean?
Number Dreams Mean Different Things to Different Dreamers
Have you ever had a dream where a number, or numbers, stood out kind of like a sore thumb? Maybe there were a certain number of objects in your dream or a particular number on a house. If the numbers stand out to you, they have a significance.
Put simply, if you remember a number from your dream, it means something!
Here’s where it gets kind of tricky. For the most part, different numbers mean different things to different people.
- A number can represent an age.
- A number can represent a favorite athlete’s (uniform number).
- A number can represent the number of children you have.
- A number can represent a house.
- A number can represent a date.
- A number can represent a Bible verse.
- A number can represent the number of days in a week.
- A number can represent the number of months in a year.
There are many, many more examples, but these are a few of the most obvious ones. As you can see – just by going by these alone – the number 23 could mean different things to different people. For me, when I think of the number 23, I think of the 23rd Psalm in the Bible. The next person may think of an athlete and the one after that may think of her/his birthday.
When a number stands out to you in a dream, simply ask yourself what is significant about this number to you. More likely than not, the significance will come to you right away. The answer will be what your subconscious was focusing on. If it’s your anniversary date, for example, you’ve probably been thinking a great deal about your spouse.
If the number is your birth date (or age), you may have been feeling excited (or not so excited!) about an upcoming birthday. The dream interpretation could also be that you’ve simply been thinking a lot about age recently.
If the number represents the number of kids you have, number of pets in your family, or the combined number of people in your family – the dream analysis is a pretty sweet one. You want to protect, nurture, and care for the family you cherish.
Certain numbers have a universal symbolism. However, these numbers can also mean something more personal, like the examples above. Only the dreamer knows for sure.
The universal symbolism of certain numbers:
- 1 – the number one usually represent loneliness. However, many sports fans dream of the number in the context of being first – a “We’re number One!” type of thing.
- 2 – the number two usually represents a couple. The number 2 can represent a relationship – either romantic or non-romantic. The number 2 can also represent two different opinions or sides of an argument.
- 4 – the number 4 often represents something “complete” or “whole” – such as 4 sides of a box or the 4 seasons. Many people who dream about the number 4 are trying to come to terms with something or make sense of it.
- 5 – the number 5 often refers to something pertaining to the body (5 fingers, 5 toes, 5 senses..)
- 7 – the number 7 is a fascinating number in dreams. 7 is a “Spiritual” number, generally thought of as a number of completion. Dreaming of the number 7 could mean that you’re looking to complete something in particular. It could also have Spiritual interpretations – such as wanting to draw closer to God.
- 8 – the number 8 often stands for uncertainty and mystery. It usually means the dreamer has unanswered questions and perhaps doubts.
- 9 – the number 9 usually represents a cycle (pregnancy/childbirth). It can be symbolic of a pregnancy, babies, or simply of a particular cycle coming to a close.
- 10 – the number 10 represents perfection. Usually the dreamer is trying to perfect something in their life – or is searching for ways to improve things that he/she isn’t happy with.
- 12 – usually refers to the year or a dozen. In a dream it usually means “a long time” or anxiety the dreamer has about something that will take a great deal of time.
- 0 – zero means emptiness… a void. Dreaming of the number zero means that the dreamer feels that something is missing from his or her life.
Only the dreamer knows for sure what the numbers in his or her dream signify. One thing’s for sure, unraveling the mystery is a lot of fun!
What Does it Mean To Dream About a Stuffed Dog?
Toy Dreams and Stuffed Animal Dreams Are Always Fun….. and Interesting!
What does it mean to dream about a stuffed dog? I don’t remember much about my dream except for the fact that I was happy and excited and I bought a stuffed dog at a store (a store I’ve never seen by the way). Mind you, I’m too old to play with toys or stuffed animals any more (I’m in my 40’s after all!) but I was SO excited about buying this stuffed animal in my dream. I was wondering what the dream meaning was for this. Thank you. – Signed, Feeling like a little girl at least in my dream!
What a fun dream! I, personally, dreamed about bats last night, so I’m a little jealous. I would have MUCH rather had a dream about a cute stuffed dog!
I think it’d be interesting to look at a few dream interpretations, along with the symbolism of toys, stuffed animals, and even dogs first of all. Then I’ll tell you why you should be as excited about your dream as you were excited about the stuffed dog in your dream!
Toy Dreams
Toy dreams generally represent childhood or, at the very least, a childlike state of mind. Our childhood generally represents to us a time of carefree fun and wild abandonment. No stresses, worries, responsibilities, or “to do lists.” When we were children, we simply enjoyed each day as it came – another opportunity to play, explore, and simply enjoy life.
Is it any wonder we often return to childlike symbols in our dreams?!
When we dream about toys (dolls, stuffed animals, toy cars, games, bicycles…) we are dreaming about enjoyment and having fun with life. Some people think of toy dreams as your mind’s way of getting the adult dreamer back in contact with someone they haven’t thought about in a while…. their younger self.
Anything can trigger these dreams – from being around or seeing children to seeing old pictures of yourself. Toys can trigger these dreams as well since they often take us back to our childhood.
Dog Dreams
Dogs, in dreams, usually symbolize comfort and happiness. The only time they do not is when (in the dream) they are angry or aggressive. A dog’s dream interpretation has a great deal to do with how the dreamer FELT during the dream. If the dreamer felt afraid or anxious – this symbolizes fear they have in their daily life.
If the dog caused the dreamer to feel safe, then the dream analysis is that the dreamer is looking for a safety net in real life.
Here’s the fascinating thing: A dog in a dream may or may not appear as a REAL dog. He or she may be in a picture, in a painting, on a magazine, or (in your case) may even appear as a stuffed animal. The mind will work the dog into the dream where it’s convenient for it to do so.
Dream Analysis for This Dream
The fact that you found a stuffed dog in what you referred to as a store you’ve never seen – and were SO excited about it – indicates that you have an abundance of excitement about something in your daily life. I believe the fact that the dog is represented by a stuffed animal indicates that, deep inside, you’re feeling a childlike joy and experiencing childlike excitement.
That’s the best kind!
One of the things that fascinates me the most about dreams is this: Our subconscious mind is SO MUCH MORE IN-TUNE with our life and what’s going on around us than our conscious mind. Our conscious mind has far too much going on to recognize every minute detail. We have to do lists, bills, relationships, health, world events, etc – all competing for our attention.
Because of this, we may miss key details or clues about upcoming events. Here’s a cool example: I once heard of a woman who kept dreaming of a wedding. She wasn’t involved with anyone at the time (although she was “seriously” attracted to someone in her neighborhood). She wondered why she was dreaming about weddings when she didn’t even have a boyfriend. As it turned out, her subconscious mind realized that the man she was attracted to was also attracted to her. Her conscious mind “missed” the signs. She was always too busy going to and from work, worrying about her aging parents, paying rent, and trying to make ends meet to notice the obvious.
He was always smiling at her the same way she smiled at him.
Her subconscious mind picked up on the clues and pretty much dwelt on them while she was asleep!
Within a year, they were married.
I believe the stuffed dog dreamer‘s subconscious mind is picking up on clues and overlooked signs – things the dreamer’s conscious (or waking) mind is too busy to fully realize. The fact that the dreamer experienced such excitement in the dream leads me to believe they’re in for a very pleasant surprise in life. Their subconscious mind is sort of putting them on notice…. “Look out! Something wonderful’s about to happen!”
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