DREAMCATCHER : Alex Hossack and Catherine Aubrey interpret your dreams

Today’s Dream from Giles:

My dream was in colour and in the first person.

I dreamt I was in an old-style school hall working on an iMac computer. It was morning and the school hall had wood panels and tall columns. I was feeling frustrated at the computer not working properly.

Suddenly, George Osborne appeared. George was walking around in a top hat and talking to people in a Chicago accent.

Someone explained to me that since being sacked as Chancellor he had taken up a career writing 'hardboiled' thrillers in a Raymond Chandler style. This was why he had developed this style of speaking, using phrases such as "why I oughta" etc.

I felt this was absolutely absurd and comical. David Cameron was standing in another corner of the room - wearing a blue shirt with sleeves rolled up and perspiring pinkly. I told him that I thought it was very strange that a change of career should change someone's entire character and even their voice.

David told me, in an urgent whisper so George would not overhear, that George had been searching for a character for a long time and now he had found one it was best to just leave him to it and not question him. I then woke up.

Dream Analysis and Basis for Interpretation:

This is a highly emotional dream and so less likely to represent day residue.

The dream suggests that there is a disparity between past and present. The past appears comforting and substantial but the present is ’not working properly’. The dreamer’s current circumstances are causing frustration.

Something important in his life is not as it appears. This is symbolised by the use of George Osborne with a Chicago accent. There is some pretence occurring. There appears to be a loss of something in the dreamer’s life and he is trying to replace that loss with something different but equally important.

However, he feels that the replacement activity is not real, it is a pretence that isn’t working. This is represented by the dreamer finding the change ‘comical and absurd’.

He is trying to separate himself from the intense feelings, the emotional impact which is represented by the dream appearing in colour through the dreamer’s own eyes.

There has been fundamental and substantial change in the dreamer’s life which he may feel is being made public at this time represented by the references to change in respect of David Cameron.

In spite of his reservations, the dreamer is urging himself or being urged to surrender to the change. It is possible that he feels powerless to do anything else at this time.

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.

Dreams and the Dreamer:

Dreams are the personal creation of the dreamer and their symbols can be both personal and universal. Dreams often represent unconscious thoughts which are not usually recognised by the dreamer in their waking hours. The dream is satisfactorily ‘interpreted’ when it makes sense to the dreamer. The interpretation can help the dreamer to make decisions and/or changes in their lives.

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.