Elevators Raise Issue of Status
Dear Cynthia: I’m in an elevator and it won’t stop at the floor I need to go to. In another recurring dream, I’m in the elevator when suddenly the cable snaps and it goes crashing to the bottom.
PAT HINDS
Fountain Valley
Dear Reader: Once we rule out a flat-out fear of them, elevators in the language of dreams have to do with moving up or down in status. You could be frustrated, sensing that you’re not in the right place at the right time, missing out on an opportunity. The second dream reflects a fear of failure caused by something beyond your control.
If you tend to go along for the ride in life, try a more assertive approach. Start with a small matter; let me know if the dream continues.
Dear Cynthia: In my dream, I am giving a lecture. Hundreds of people are listening. Suddenly they’re all looking at the sky and pointing upward. At first I ignore them and continue talking, but then I look up and see an additional moon in the sky. I fall to my knees in gratitude.
JUDITH ORLOFF, MD
Los Angeles
Dear Reader: The moon points the way to higher learning. You are sharing your work with others when a second moon appears--a sign that your efforts will continue. You are not the only one who can see this amazing appearance. This indicates that the world will keep hearing your message as you keep offering it. Your gratitude shows your acceptance of this role in life.
Most of us struggle in unsatisfying lives until we are lucky enough to discover a purpose and brave enough to honor it. This dream indicates that you are one of the lucky and brave ones.
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Dear Readers: I received several letters and e-mails reacting to advice I gave Candice from Woodland Hills in the March 3 column. Candice had dreamed of needing a toilet and not finding a suitable one. The first step, of course, is to rule out the simple need to use the bathroom. If the problem is more complex, I suggested, therapists can help us let go of whatever it is that we feel ready, yet unable, to eliminate from our lives.
A reader from Santa Barbara wrote: “I was plagued with the same dream three or four times a month for eight years, but I haven’t had it in two months--ever since I stopped being bulimic. Bulimia is a private habit that takes you to public places: I’d been bingeing and then purging in the nearest restroom, no matter where it was. Maybe my bulimia was the thing in my life I hadn’t been able to release. Please mention this theory so that others might be aware of a possible connection in their lives.”
A reader from Ventura wrote: “I have had versions of this dream all my life. I have been in therapy for about a year, uncovering awful facts of sexual abuse in my childhood. For some reason I didn’t connect the dream to those experiences. Now I can’t see how I missed it! Maybe I’ll be able to let go of the bad stuff.”
Recurring dreams can be messages from our subconscious, urging us to pay attention to something. When in doubt, seek professional help, which can save years of unsettling dreams and begin to uncover serious but treatable problems.