symbolic dreams
Subconscious speaks figuratively
Dreams experienced or interpreted as carrying meaning beyond their literal content—where images, people, or events represent abstract ideas, emotions, or hidden truths.
The concept is central to psychoanalysis, where a symbolic dream might reveal unconscious desires or fears: In the dream, losing my teeth symbolized anxiety about aging.
Folk traditions and dream dictionaries assign fixed meanings to common symbols, though modern psychology treats dream symbolism as more personal.
- prophetic dreamsSleep visions foretelling events
- night visionsImagery during sleep
- unconscious mindMental processes beneath awareness
- mandalasRitual circular diagrams
- animal totemsSymbolic guardian beings
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