Understanding Your Dreams: Expert Shares Meaning Behind 4 Common Dream Scenarios
You'll be fascinated by what you can learn from your dreams.
Have you ever had a strange dream that you can’t get out of your head? While dreams often include personal details and speak to deeper, specific truths about ourselves, there are many common dream scenarios (from the stressful to the sweet, and everything in between) that we all have in common — and these scenarios have emotional and logical associations. No matter the kind, a dream can sometimes leave you shaken, but expert Kelly Sullivan Walden is here to help. Below, she shares her insightful interpretations of four common dream scenarios. Next time you have a memorable dream, you just might find some comfort and clarity in Kelly’s analysis.
Meet our expert.
Kelly Sullivan Walden has been analyzing dreams for 20 years and is the author of seven bestselling dream books and two oracle card decks, including her latest, The Hero’s Journey Dream Oracle. If you’d like Kelly to decode your dream, email her at Kelly@KellySullivanWalden.com or message her on Facebook.
1: You’re a teenager again.
The Dream: You’re in your 60s, but you dream that you’re a teenager on a treasure hunt in the woods. You pass by a woman who says, “I wish I was a teenager like you.”
Kelly’s Insight: “Seeking a treasure in the woods suggests that nature is a restorative force in your life, and your dream is urging you to spend more rejuvenating time outdoors. I also believe this dream is encouraging you to think about what your ambitions were as a teenager. Contemplating how you felt when the world held so much promise will help you rediscover passions that’ll make you feel like a kid again and boost your joy — the true fountain of youth.”
2: You helped baby chicks.
The Dream: There are dozens of eggs in front of you, and as you extend your hands, an amazing energy force flows through you, causing the eggs to crack and chicks to emerge.
Kelly’s Insight: “Eggs symbolize the promise and excitement of new beginnings, and I believe your dream is showing you just how powerful you are when you take a hands-on approach to your interests and desires. If you focus on what you truly want, your dreams will spring to life. The fragility of eggs also represents just how delicate our goals can be, and how important it is for you to nurture them by truly believing in yourself. In other words: For you to succeed, you need only direct the power of your ideas and creativity toward whatever task you choose to tackle.”
3: Someone stole your car.
The Dream: You recently suffered a loss, and now you’re having recurring dreams that you can’t find your car. In one of these dreams, you discover your car was stolen.
Kelly’s Insight: “Cars are powerful symbols of our ‘get-up-and-go’ and it’s completely understandable that, after your loss, you feel like your ‘drive’ has been stolen from you. Symbolic extensions of our bodies that help us get around and exercise our independence, cars also represent our sense of self — and I believe these dreams are very likely helping you process a shift in your identity, as you grieve and begin the healing process. Allow yourself to lean on friends and loved ones during this difficult time, as they temporarily take the ‘wheel’ and help support you. Soon enough you’ll be back in the driver’s seat, refueled, recharged, and ready to get back on the road of life.”
4: Your mail is piling up.
The Dream: You keep forgetting to pick up your mail, and when you finally get to the mailbox, it won’t open because it is overstuffed.
Kelly’s Insight: “Dreaming of forgetting your mail likely means that there’s an obstacle preventing you from receiving an important message that the universe is trying to send you. Most of us believe that communication is all about what we say, but the highest level of communication requires allowing our intuition and empathy to truly take in and process the messages around us. I have a hunch that someone is about to share an empowering insight with you that requires your full attention — all you need to do is open your heart to receive and benefit from this wisdom.”
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, First for Women.
