DREAMCATCHER : Alex Hossack and Catherine Aubrey interpret your dreams

Today’s Dream from Becca:

I dreamed my step dad or my partner killed my dog, Olly. I was getting fed up with Olly, he was getting on my nerves so I asked my step dad or partner (I can’t remember which) to sort him out and get rid of him.

I meant for a little bit, but my step dad and my partner chopped him into little pieces and put him into a pillow case.

I sat with the pillow case crying saying “I didn’t mean that” and was upset for the rest of the dream which I can’t remember. I was distressed when I woke up.

Dream Analysis and Basis for Interpretation:

The dream starts with the end of an important event or relationship in her life over which she felt ownership.

The dreamer has been irritated by something or someone for whom she usually feels affection and has displaced responsibility to temporarily stop the irritation by symbolically using a parent or partner to assist.

She needs some space and respite to escape the irritation. She is also experiencing confusion, represented by uncertainty about who she was asking for help and the outcome.

That is, she has unintentionally and permanently ended the event or relationship and regrets what she has done.

The severance of the relationship or event is described symbolically in quite violent terms in that the dog was ‘chopped up’.

The pillow case may represent for the dreamer, a general symbol of relaxation or comfort which has been used and contaminated by this event and caused subsequent distress.

The dreamer has not resolved her feelings about this issue in conscious life. The dream may act as a trigger for her to think about how she might come to terms with the change and/or loss.

If the dreamer would like to provide feedback about the interpretation, please send it to ACDreamcatchers@mail.com.

Interestingly, we have found it is not always possible to interpret your own dream, probably because it often represents the sublimation of feelings or thoughts that we are trying to avoid in our waking lives. However, with a little assistance from the dream interpreter, the symbols and themes can start to make sense and help us to move forward.

If you are interested in having a particular dream analysed, please send us an account of your dream to the following email address: ACDreamcatchers@mail.com

We only have space to interpret one dream a week which will be selected from those received. Please refer to the guidance provided to describe your dream as this will enable us to provide a full interpretation.

Guidance for the Dreamer

• Record your dream in writing as soon as you wake up with as much detail as possible.

• First of all ask yourself who is in the dream.

• Where are you, what is happening to you and what is happening around you?

• Record how you are feeling about what you and/or others are doing.

• Are there particular symbols or objects in the dream that are unusual?

• Are there any sounds and is the dream in colour or black and white?

• Are you watching yourself in the dream or are you experiencing it first-hand ie: through your own eyes.

Alex Hossack and Catherine Aubrey are Public Service professionals with years of experience as practitioners and managers in the Criminal Justice System.