Symbolic Dreams

Symbolic dreams are common and in many cases, similar thematic elements show up for most people. These dreams attempt to raise up from the subconscious levels some underlying need, concern, fear, or persistent issue that remains unresolved in the external life. Sigmund Freud, in his work on The Interpretation of Dreams provided his translation of certain common symbolic elements into their underlying significance for the individual. His work, however, was limited by his very narrow focus on the lower subconscious levels. He asked his patients to describe the associations and feelings that came to them from these symbolic elements to provide guidance on the interpretation.

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, addressing a much broader range of consciousness, and dealing with individuals who were consciously undertaking spiritual development, provided their own differing interpretations. They did not set specific universal interpretations but worked with individuals to determine what element of the being was causing these representations to appear in dreams.

For example, while Freud might interpet falling out of teeth as some kind of anxiety about aging, or loss of control, Sri Aurobindo noted to a disciple that in his case, the symbol represented a progress through the breaking away from physical habits or samskaras that were acting as obstacles to the spiritual growth. Similarly, lights generally represented the action of subtle forces with the color and intensity identifying the source and active focus of those forces. The sky represented the mental plane. Dreams involving travel often represented the movement to specific realms or planes on the subtle levels. While there are some general indications, Sri Aurobindo was clear that individuals could have specific interpretations tied to their own psychological makeup and history. Sri Aurobindo’s interpretations therefore have a much greater range of consciousness to be understood and a much more nuanced approach than the initial attempts in this realm made by Freud.

For those who are actively working on the subconscious levels, opening them up and bringing light to them, an understanding of the significance of their dreams is an important and helpful activity. Sri Aurobindo’s Letters on Yoga include an entire organised section on interpretation of symbols that arise in dream and during spiritual experience.

Sri Aurobindo writes: “The dreams you describe are very clearly symbolic dreams on the vital plane. These dreams may symbolise anything, forces at play, the underlying structure and tissue of things done or experienced, actual or potential happenings, real or suggested movements or changes in the inner or outer nature.”

“The timidity of which the apprehension in the dream was an indication, was probably not anything in the conscious mind or higher vital, but something subconscient in the lower vital nature. This part always feels itself small and insignificant and has very easily a fear of being submerged by the greater consciousness — a fear which in some may amount at the first contact to something like a panic, alarm or terror.”

Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 5, Physical Consciousness — Subconscient — Sleep and Dream — Illness, pp. 99-100