Bathroom Is Symbol of Inner Turmoil

Dear Cynthia: I have been following your column and have recently had two dreams with a recurring theme. It’s rather disgusting, but this is not a joke or meant to be obscene. I have twice now dreamed of a toilet backing up and flowing over with “stuff” (that’s a euphemism). The settings have been different, but this theme was in both. The only thing I can come up with is that either I subconsciously feel blocked or that my life is full of “stuff.”

Actually, now that I’ve used that euphemism, I realize I have been saying that I have too much stuff, and I want to get rid of some things and simplify my life. Could this be the source of this imagery in my dreams? I’m a very neat and clean person, so I find this dream extremely disturbing.

--G.C.

Dear Reader: Bathroom dreams often provide deep and important insight for the dreamer. Toilets are where we release and let go of stuff that we no longer need or want. We have digested the usefulness of the stuff, and it is now important to release what remains. Because the imagery is distasteful, we may be more likely than usual to remember dreams with a bathroom theme.

Meanwhile, I think you are right about the meaning. Stuff backing up probably refers to stuff you are trying to let go of that won’t go away. Since it won’t, it is more of a problem for you than it was before you tried to let it go. But it is probably deeper than just a spring cleaning of material things.

This stuff is more likely emotional in nature. The release needed may be thoughts or feelings, such as old stuffed-down resentments that need to be released before they back up and become a bigger problem to clean up. Toilet dreams often contain a sense of shame or embarrassment. If you have been holding on to anything that fits this description, it may be time to bring it out and think it through with a new perspective or with professional help so that you can release it and move on. Eating disorders, child abuse and abusive relationships have all been dreamed of in the context of bathroom dreams.

Cynthia Richmond is the author of “Dream Power, How to Use Your Night Dreams to Change Your Life” (Simon & Schuster, 2000). Fax your dreams to Cynthia Richmond at (818) 783-3267 or e-mail them to in.your.dreams@worldnet.att.net. Please include your hometown and a daytime phone number. “In Your Dreams” appears every Tuesday and should be read for entertainment purposes only.