Chase Imagery Can Express Pressure

Dear Cynthia: I have two recurring dreams. In the first, someone is chasing me, I can never see who, but I’m always running and jumping over stuff and never get caught. (Perhaps this stems from my desire to get married and have kids before I’m too old. I am almost 37.)

In the second, I have something stuck in my mouth. It’s like a gigantic wad of gum, and as I pull it out of my mouth, it just keeps coming and coming and coming. I reach to the back of my throat and it just never ends. Also, why do I only have this dream when I’m lying on my back?

--LISA J.

Via e-mail

Dear Lisa: In the language of dreams, being chased is a metaphor for any pressure or deadline that pursues you. A tax deadline, a report that is due, even an addiction that nags you though you stay just ahead of it, can appear in this manner. So, your self-imposed pressure to marry and start a family by a certain age could certainly spawn this dream. The thought is always on your mind and it chases your every action.

The dream of something in your mouth may be caused by an actual physical phenomenon. If your tongue blocks your throat as you sleep, your subconscious mind may be trying to communicate that your breathing is obstructed. This could also explain why you only have this dream when lying on your back. If you suspect that this could be true, you may want to see your physician. It is possible that you have a form of sleep apnea or another sleep disorder.

If the dream is purely symbolic, you could ask yourself, what is gagging or choking me at this time? Could the thing that is stuck in your mouth be a statement you haven’t communicated? Is there anything you haven’t said, even to yourself?

Women today are marrying and having babies well into their 40s. Still, your fear of running out of time could prevent you from moving on and creating the happy family you envision. You might examine your reasons for wanting to marry and have a family, reinforce your desires and release any doubts that create obstacles.

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.