Body Dream Interpretation

The Body in Dreams: A Symbol of the Ego and Inner Self

The body in dreams often represents the Ego and acts as a physical manifestation of the dreamer’s inner self. Since being ‘physical’ is a baby’s first experience, the body becomes the primary source of information and a rich source of symbolism in dreams. Emotions and feelings, when repressed in daily life, can emerge as distorted dream symbols.

Upper and Lower Body

The upper body symbolizes the mind and spiritual aspects of the dreamer, while the lower body represents instincts and emotional aspects. Conflict between these parts can indicate disharmony between intellect and instinct.

Right and Left Side

The right side or hand signifies the logical side of the dreamer’s personality, while the left side indicates intuition and creativity.

Body Parts and Their Meanings

Abdomen

Focus on emotions and repressed feelings. The abdomen is associated with the need to confront and process deep emotional states.

Arms

Arms can symbolize defense, fighting, or commitment. They are involved in actions of protection, passion, and engagement.

Back

Dreaming of someone’s back may suggest secrecy, vulnerability, or rejection of feelings. It symbolizes hidden elements of the personality or a desire to turn away from certain emotions.

Backbone

The backbone represents strength and support, both physically and intellectually. It is the core structure that sustains the dreamer's character.

Blood

Blood in dreams can symbolize sacrifice, life force, renewal, or fears. It may also be linked to menstruation, spiritual renewal, or fear of loss.

Breasts

Breasts symbolize nurturing, the mother figure, and a desire for care. Dreaming of breasts can indicate a wish to return to an infant-like state of being without responsibility.

Constipation

Inability to let go of past patterns or emotional baggage. This may represent holding onto old habits and refusing to move forward.

Excrement

Excrement can symbolize repressed feelings or fear of responsibility. In some interpretations, it can also represent anxiety about money or value.

Eyes

The eyes are symbols of observation, wisdom, and clarity. They can represent enlightenment or the loss of insight when vision is impaired.

Fat

Dreaming of becoming fat may symbolize expanding responsibilities or fear of inadequacy. It can also indicate the need to widen one’s scope of activity.

Hair

Hair represents strength and virility. Combing hair can indicate an attempt to resolve an inner conflict, while cutting hair may symbolize a desire for order or control.

Hands

Hands are highly expressive and signify power, creativity, and emotion. Clasped hands can symbolize union, while clenched hands suggest aggression.

Head

The head symbolizes power, wisdom, and intellect. Dreaming of the head may indicate a need to rethink actions or cover up intelligence.

Heart

The heart represents emotions and compassion. It is central to one's being, symbolizing understanding and emotional wisdom.

Kidneys

Kidneys are linked to purification and cleansing. Dreaming of kidneys may indicate the need to eliminate toxins—physical or emotional.

Limbs

Limbs can symbolize fears related to sexuality or vulnerability. Dismemberment in dreams may indicate emotional fragmentation or a need for restructuring.

Lungs

Lungs are associated with grief and decision-making. They represent the dreamer’s capacity for righteousness and emotional clarity.

Mouth

The mouth represents desire and receptivity. It can also symbolize communication and the need to express or suppress certain emotions.

Nose

The nose in dreams can represent curiosity, intuition, or the need for discernment.

Teeth

Teeth often symbolize transitions, maturity, and fears of aging or inadequacy. Teeth falling out may indicate anxiety about growing older.

Throat

The throat signifies vulnerability and the need for self-expression. Dreaming of the throat may reflect concerns about communication or exposure.

Urine

Urine represents emotional control or repression. How it is handled in dreams often reflects attitudes towards emotion and sexuality.

Vagina

The vagina in dreams symbolizes femininity, self-image, and receptivity. For men, it may indicate a need to explore mental and physical penetration.

Womb

The womb represents security, shelter, and the need to reconnect with one's roots. It also symbolizes the desire to escape responsibility or return to a more passive state.

See Also: Abdomen, Arms, Backbone, Blood, Breasts, Eyes, Fat, Hair, H, s, Head, Heart, Kidneys, Limbs, Lungs, Mouth, Nose, Teeth, Throat, Urine, Vagina, Womb.

It refers to oneself, as in the word sorcxehxty. Al­though it includes the totality of our expenence, it seems to be most pointedly referring to our sense of identity. From this sense of ourself we project meaning on to the rest of the world in some degree. Thus many symbols are stylised body forms.

The cross is a standing figure with arms outstretched, a church’s structure a representation of the body, and the mira­cle of sexual reproduction—the mystery enacted within it; a maypole, the penis. Therefore various things can represent our body or aspects of ourself. Seeds, swallowed teeth can be sperm, anything long and pointed, even a linger, can be the penis; anything hairy, a male; anything receptive like a bottle, bowl or cave, a woman or vagina.

A body, or our body, also represents physical life; material existence; the process which causes growth and aging. This includes all the processes of nature in us.

A dead body: our skin or shape is felt as our boundary, the edge of our universe.

The dead body depicts a whole set of personality traits or attitudes, very often potentials, which have been denied life by us. We have not allowed them expression.

A person hun in love might kill out any feelings towards the opposite sex. This ‘dead pan of them can be shown as a body. May also be the way we meet feelings about death. Sickness in body: can refer to an awareness of illness in pan of body shown. Most often depicts psychological problem symbolised by pan of body— see body pans below. Maggots in body: possible need to cleanse body of toxins or infection, sense of dis-ease emotion­ally in that area of self. Iniunes: huns or events that may lead to emotional scars—see body areas below.

See Also: dead people dreams; hiding.

Bodiless: Example: lI felt as if I was going very deep inside myself. It was dark but at first there were noises of the world around me. I seemed to go in much deeper and it was very dark, but with the feeling of great space. Everything was all right until I didn’t hear any noise at all, all that space and no noise was too much and my whole body freaked out and then pulled out very fast before I could stop it’ (Kate P).

The ‘noises’ around us, sensory impressions, other people s ex­pressed feelings and actions, are building bricks for our sense of self. In a real sense we create each other by believing in each other. With prolonged absence of other people and events, and especially if we lose our noises’ and body aware­ness, we feel we—our sense of identity—is dying. Bodiless- ness may therefore show us feeling unrecognised, unnoticed. May also be feelings of loneliness; being cut off from sexuality and body drives. In its positive side it is exploration of the unconscious and void.

See Also: identity, dreams.

If you are right handed, the left of the body: represents inner feelings which support outer action, such as confidence, our less used or supportive functions.

If we are an intellectual, the left might depict one’s feelings, and vice versa.

The left may represent our mother’s influence in our life and body.

The right of the body: our outer activity and dominant func­tions; expressed abilities; our father’s influence in life and body.

If father is an anxious man there might be a lot more signs of stress on this side of the body. Top half of body: thinking, feeling. Bottom half: sexuality and instincts. Half a body: if top missing, lack of thinking and higher emotion; if bottom, trauma to, loss or denial of, sexuality and sensuality. Old head on baby body: immature sexuality and emotions; vice versa: immature personality. Dismembered body: emo­tional or mental stress and breakdown; may be followed by emergence of new self.

The areas of our body are sometimes thought of as sense organs. This may seem strange but is very simple. Without language, communication would be difficult. So language en­ables us to sense what another being is communicating.

If we had been castrated or had a hysterectomy prior to adoles­cence, we would never develop sexually. Without that devel­opment we would not understand two kissing people; or what a mother was feeling when she held her baby. Out of the sex drive develops a whole world of feelings and tenderness which enables us to understand many things we see in the world.

It is therefore important when reading the particular de­scriptions below to remember that each psychological area of our body gives us some insight into ourself and life around us, which is missing if the area is injured or traumatised.

Typically, dreams about the body, or parts of the body, occur for four reasons.

The first is that in waking life, your body and / or body image has taken center stage. For example, if you had a manicure yesterday or cut yourself shaving, your unconscious may simply be recalling that. The second reason is that dreams about your body, or body parts, can signal ailments before you consciously recognize what is wrong with you; sometimes even before there are any physical signs. This isn’t to say every nightmare suggests serious illness, but if you do have a dream about any part of the body that is injured or painful, especially if it is a reoccurring one, it might be worth booking an appointment for a check-up.

The third reason is that some dreams about the human body are simple reflections of the dreamer’s feeling about their own body or appearance. These dreams can be significant markers of the dreamer’s self-esteem regarding their physical appearance.

If in the dream the body appears beautiful and healthy, then the dreamer may be feeling good about themselves. However, an unattractive or unhealthy body could point to signs of insecurity, or body image problems.

The fourth reason is that in dreams, the body often represents the ego, the self or the lifestyle of the dreamer. That is why broken bones or injuries can symbolize emotional pain, or losing parts of yourself. When you lose or give up parts of yourself in order to fit in with or please others, psychologists call this ‘fragmentation’. We all do this to a certain extent in our lives, but when we do it too much or for the wrong reasons, the unconscious may send out warning signals. The dreaming mind may then express its concern in body image dreams, not only about your health and happiness, but about your ability to cope when your true nature is profoundly censored.

For instance, if you dream of missing a hand or foot, or having an organ or other body part removed, this can be a sign that a portion of your potential is being lost as a result of a path you have chosen in waking life. A common dream is one where you lose teeth; this is a great example of your dreaming mind issuing you with a warning. It is asking you just how far you are willing to compromise, and reminding you that what you are losing may be irreplaceable.

If body images appear in your dreams, it can help to think of body-related expressions you may use to describe feelings; for example, ‘I lost my head,’ ‘feels like I’m losing my right arm,’ ‘I don’t have a leg to stand on,’ or ‘can you stomach it?’ When we say these things, we are not being literal. We haven’t lost a leg or an arm, we are expressing an emotional response and our unconscious uses images to express the emotions these phrases convey; typically, a sense of loss of direction, helplessness or confusion. Such dreams often begin to make sense when you view the body images as parts of yourself, and connect their meanings to your emotional responses.

See Also: SICKNESS AND HEALTH.

(1) If the body is your own and clothed, it almost certainly represents your ego, your conscious self.

(2) If it is yours and unclothed, the meaning will usually be determined either by the context, that is, the situation in the dream; by what, if anything, you are doing with your body; or by what, in the dream, you are feeling. For example, if you are exposing your private parts to members of the opposite sex, this may signify a desire for sexual relationships; or, if you feel embarrassed at being ‘on view’, it may signify a fear of the other sex.

If there are no sexual connotations, nudity may represent (a feeling of) vulnerability.

See Also: Nudity.

(3) If it is someone clse’s body, the chances are that it represents some (hidden) part of yourself.

If the body is of the opposite sex from you, it may represent vour soul, your anima or animus (See Also: Brother/ Sister, sections (4)-(6)).

harbouring (unconscious) hostile feelings towards someone, or that you are anxious about death.

See Also: Dead/ Death.

(5) For parts of the body see particular entries: for example, Abdomen, Head. Generally speaking, the lower half of the trunk symbolizes sexuality, instincts or the unconscious. The chest may symbolize emotions; but female breasts may also represent sexuality or motherhood, or mother. The head may represent intellect, rational - as disdnet from intuitive - thinking.

If only one of these parts of the body appears in a dream, the meaning may be either that you need to give much more attention and much more scope to that part and the functions associated with it, or that you are currently giving attention and scope exclusively to that part, at the expense of other parts of your psyche. For example, if the head appears on its own, the meaning may be that you are too exclusively intellectual and are giving insufficient expression to your deep needs, feelings or instincts.

(Dwellings, House, State) In a dream, the human body represents his state, and its strength represents his faith in God Almighty.

If one sees himself wearing the skin of a snake in a dream, it means that he will avow his enmity toward others. Ifone sees himselfas a ram in a dream, it means that he will beget a son from whose success he will earn his livelihood.

If one sees his body turn into iron or clay in a dream, it means his death.

If one’s body appears bigger in a dream, it means that he will prosper accordingly. Having a fat body in a dream means prosperity and knowledge, and an emaciated body in a dream represents poverty and ignorance.

The body in a dream is what envelops and contains the human being.

The body is like one’s wife, a garment, a house, one’s beloved, a child, a guardian, or a master.

The health condition and strength of one’s body in a dream maydenote any of the elements mentioned herein.

(Also seeFoot; Leg, Skin, Teeth, Tooth, Thigh)

Vision: Seeing your own body is a good sign; you are in good shape and can be satisfied with your life.

If you appear too fat or ill: you are dealing with either physical health issues or emotional burdens—get rid of them! If you are looking at a “growing” body—for a man: improvement in his social position; for a young girl: a secret love; for a young woman: pregnancy; for an older woman: receiving something of substance. Taking off your clothes: certain actions are making you feel ashamed.

See Also: Nakedness. Seeing someone else naked: in erotic dreams, it means you are longing for love. In an “unemotional” dream, it means a surprising discovery. Seeing an injured body: you will have to do with less or have to forego something.

See Also: House.

Depth Psychology: The body always represents sexual needs or the desire for an erotic relationship.

To dream of the upper part of the body links with the mind and the spiritual aspects of the character, while the lower part of the body represents the instincts and emotional aspects.

An adult’s head on an immature body, or a child’s head on an adult body is an indication that we need to recognize the differences between mature thought and emotion.

If there is conflict between the upper and lower part – for instance the lower half being bigger and the top half smaller – then it indicates that there is disharmony between the mental faculties and instinctive behaviour.

The right side or right hand being especially noticeable in dreams signifies we should take note of the logical side of our personality, whereas the left side or left hand indicates we need to be aware of our intuitive, creative side.

The right side represents integrity and rationality; the left side, instincts. However, the body as a whole refers to the ego. Dreaming that your own body is stained indicates ethical and financial problems.

If it is swollen it announces an increase of wealth; if it is too thin, illness or economic loss. Seeing your body in two places at once may mean that you are maintaining romantic relationships with two partners simultaneously. According to the Freudian school, pointy organs and all appendices are an image of the penis; cavities and holes represent the vagina and the anus; secretions, sperm.

In China, the upper body is compared to the sky, and the lower to the ground; In India, the subject’s bloody body is an omen of longevity, because blood is a symbol of strength.

Each part of the body symbolizes something different. Fingers indicate blame or direction, arms stand for effective use of skills, and legs are grounding or support.

The nose reveals your instincts and level of honesty (being able to “smell out” a lie); the mouth indicates communicative ability or more metaphorically, tastes and preferences. Eyes represent your spiritual state (the window of the soul) and perspectives. Ears appear as a reminder to listen and hear, the abdomen has to do with birth, fertility, and nervousness (e.g., “having butterflies in your stomach”), and the back is an emblem of support or strength.

Dreaming about your body generally suggests that you are dreaming about your personal identity. Who we are is wrapped around what we look like. Our self-esteem and self-worth are too frequently dependent on our physical appearance. This dream may be pointing out some of the difficulties or pleasures in daily life that are the result of self-identity and based on attachment to our physical bodies.

The body in general is the symbol of self, and the details in the dream will lead you to further interpretation. Additionally, if you are dreaming of a specific body region, or part, consider your health status.

Dreams that seem to focus strongly on your body are hints about your state of health.

Dreaming of finding a dead body means you have been careless in a recent endeavor.

To dream about detached or dismembered body parts, suggests that some situation is falling apart in your waking life. You are experiencing loss.

If you dreamed of your body changing into something else, please see “Shapeshifting” in this dictionary.

If you dreamed of switching bodies with somebody else, look under “Body Swapping” below.

Material aspects: The body represents the individual and is his outward physical projection of all that he is. In dreams, the body often represents the ego. Since being ‘physical’ is the baby’s first experience of itself, the body forms the prime source of information. : Abscess an abscess is a localized infection. This appearing anywhere in the body highlights that particular area which is in need of consideration.

Dreams that somehow emphasize the physical body may represent something about one’s state of health. Because our personal identities are so tied up with the body, the body can also appear as a more general symbol of the self (e.g., a naked body may indicate that we feel exposed). Dead bodies are an entirely different matter. (See Also: Death).

Your temple, earth suit, expression of self in a space- time world.

A masculine or feminine body represents that particular side of yourself; child’s body is playful, intuitive side of self. Vehicle for learning lessons while on the earth plane, so important to keep the body healthy and strong.

See Also: different body parts.

To dream that your body is robust denotes authority, that it is weak denotes failing or infirmity of the part in question (Artemidorus); here the ancients and moderns meet undoubtedly the dream of any part of the body, whether of one’s own or that of another, is resultant upon physical stimulus.

Psychological / emotional perspective: Most experience can be translated into bodily feeling – tension or relaxation perhaps – and, therefore, becomes a rich source of symbolism in dreams. When emotions cannot be faced in ordinary everyday life, they very often become distorted dream symbols.

Dreams about your body signify what is personal, essential, natural, sexual, and sensual about you. Dreams of your body also symbolize your -image.

See Also: Eyes, Ear, Nose, Neck, Throat, Lips, Arm, Leg, Abdomen, Throat, Buttocks, Penis, Vagina, Head, Toe, Finger, Leg, Back, Naked.

To dream about your own body represents self-image and other issue of esteem. Often these topics are contingent on how you view your personal looks or other aspects of the self. This dream could indicate your conscious personality, or your state of well-being and fitness.

The body is a physical manifestation of an inner spirituality, so in theory should be almost perfect. Sometimes, rather than looking to heal the body, it is easier to heal the spirit, and dreams of the body can highlight the areas in which we need to make changes.

It’s a happy omen of success to see a body in your dream and this is so whether the body was beautiful or deformed.

A female body pertains to social success while a male body signifies business achievement

To see ones own body in a dream implies a ten* dency toward narcissism, being in love with oneself. Or you have lost contact with your body, and the forgotten body is making itself known in your dream.

1. Word play over my Death (dead body);

2. The Body of Christ

3. The temple of God;

4. The flesh. Ps. 79:2; 1 Cor. 6:19

You’re naked: you’re ready to receive good fortune • Your body is stained by shit: you’ll be struck by fortune

1. Happiness, good business ventures.

2. Internal self and well-being (note condition of body).

A direct reference to the flesh.

An emaciated body symbolizes sin in a person’s life, Ps. 31:10

lucky numbers: 01-07-11-42-47-49

amputation, seeing an: removal of old habit to al ow talent to grow.

bleeding heavily from own: poisons are erupting in a bloody base, in unhealthy direction.

little, a: achievement of own desires.

bloated, being: secret bad news is exploding in you; wil fal into a trap.

friends: dishonor is what they don’t tel you.

bound with tape, part of a, being: must block premature exposure of your plan.

buttocks, own: self-disapproval.

colon, pain in: one’s inner strength is being chal enged.

dislocating a part of the: stal any venture requiring change of employment.

distorted, a: go for a massage.

injured, having been: too much negative energy, high strung, emotional outbursts.

navel, of your: your paralysis in the past is caused by bad management.

of own: happiness at your very existence.

children: wil undertake a playful, intuitive journey.

deformed person: wil have good fortune ahead.

man, a: good business ventures.

woman, a: people flirt with this woman.

painful or swollen: sadness due to parent’s waste of an inheritance.

pimples on the, having: an indication of disgust in the truth wil out.

seeing your own: the vision can be the reality.

as ill: deal with your emotional burdens before they do damage.

as too fat: reduce your food intake by 1/8 a week.

stiffness causing pain: wil be molested.

trapped in your own, feel: treacherous territory, the ooze of the unconscious.

paralyzed and cannot move: particularly forceful and dramatic change is required.