Are you cheating in your dreams in order to pass an exam or test? If you dreamed of running, did you take a shortcut in the race? What happened? Were you caught, or did you get the gold star? How you feel about all this is important. Often dreams in which we win by cheating are similar to gray areas in waking life. They are actions that express a lack of self-confidence. Why do you think you couldn’t win the prize without cheating? Why do you feel inadequate? Why are you afraid to lose?
In your dreams, winning by cheating may leave you with an empty feeling. If you get caught cheating in your dream, this can leave you feeling anxious as well, and these feelings are your unconscious reminding you that you don’t feel worthy of the prize. Sometimes, though, cheating dreams can be positive, indicating that you’re beginning to see yourself as a potential winner, but are not yet ready to recognize this inside yourself. The best way to make sense of these sorts of dream is to think about how you feel, and what situation in waking life they may be referring to.
DODGING
If you are dodging flying objects or balls in your dream, this could be an image of your ability to go out of your way to achieve
The audience
Who is the audience in your dreams when you receive or don’t receive recognition? Who is there to see you succeed or fail? How does their presence make you feel? Scared? Supported? Distracted? Proud? Are they cheering you on? Or are they holding you back?
Typically the people we choose to watch and comment on our progress dreamland are those authority figures who exist in both our waking land and our memories. Parents and family members tend to be the most persistent authority figures in dreams about success and recognition. It is up to you to work out how much their values and dreams guide and nourish you, and to what extent they keep you from the finishing line. How often does your boss or a work colleague or an old teacher or friend from school appear in your dreams? Chances are when they do, your dreams are about proving yourself, and either failing or succeeding?
Is your partner there cheering you on, or is he or she absent? Which friends are there to watch your moment of glory in your dreams? If it is someone who hasn’t been in your life for years, what does he or she stand for? We all have authority figures in our dreams and in our lives. They are necessary because they each represent something important. They can guide us, warn us, and give us the feeling that we are supported. On the other hand, they can also undermine us, hold us back when we need to be moving forward, or drive us harder towards impossible to reach goals. See also ARCHETYPES.
your goals. That is, until you have the confidence in waking life to follow your dreams.
FAME
Dreams of being famous or basking in the glory of fame usually reflect a need to be recognized and respected by those around you, but they could also be messages from your unconscious to have more self-belief, and to recognize and give yourself credit for your own abilities. In waking life, you may be a little shy, but your dreams have shown you that within you is the ability to achieve great things, if you have the courage to stand out from the crowd. Alternatively, such dreams could warn people in high positions that it is impossible to be at the top for any length of time and when the moment comes he or she needs to accept that fact with love and understanding. The dream may also imply that the dreamer must remember what modesty is and what things were like before they acquired their present status. Dreams of other people becoming famous suggest that the dreamer may soon receive help from friends who will offer it unstintingly.
RECOGNITION
We all need a pat on the back now and again for work well done. It’s normal to want validation for your efforts. If you are having dreams where you are hoping for and getting a gold star, or a grade A, an honor in front of your peers, recognition at work or reward from someone you want to impress, such dreams are subconscious messages that you’re feeling a bit underappreciated, neglected or unsure of how your efforts are being received. Sometimes this sort of dream can be a gentle reminder that a loved one has lost that loving feeling, and once we realize that, we can address the problem directly. If you receive the recognition in your dream gracefully, this suggests that you are ready to accept the positive aspects of yourself, but if you feel uncomfortable or someone else steals the limelight, then you need to work on your self-esteem.
TREASURE
Dreams of finding treasure or valuable objects or ordinary objects with magical properties have numerous variations, but the one constant theme is the discovery of something precious and magical. The psychological interpretation of such a dream urges you to seek out what is magical in your life, perhaps in the ordinary things you’ve been taking for granted.
TRIUMPH
Dreams are often the perfect forum for experimenting with courageous impulses. Triumphant or courageous dreams when you succeed in a task, pass a difficult test or win when you thought you would lose can bring a great sense of elation. If you have such a dream it could be because you undervalue your abilities. Is it a wish-fulfillment dream to compensate for failures and inhibitions in waking life? Or is it a motivating dream that encourages you to become more confident about succeeding in waking life by rehearsing your success in dreamland?
TRYING HARD
In dreams where you are given a challenge or task and have to work on it for endless hours, do you curse or do you give up? The number of times you attempt to succeed could suggest how important you feel the struggle is that it represents in waking life.
WEALTH
If you dreamed of winning the lottery or acquiring money, jewels or other valuable assets, such dreams are purely wish-fulfillment, especially if you are experiencing financial troubles. It could also suggest that you feel you deserve a pay rise. Symbols of riches, such as precious jewels or cash don’t always represent money, however. For example, gold may not suggest the metal but a heart of gold and a casket of treasure could indicate the people in your life that you treasure. Free association could help you discover what such symbols really mean to you. Do you really believe that money can buy happiness? Thinking about such questions can help you decipher the secret message your unconscious is sending you, and cast a new light on what really matters to you. See also SHOPPING AND MONEY.
Personal Achievements A to Z
Symbols of personal recognition—such as being awarded the highest honor, or stepping on stage to rapturous applause—feature in dreams as reflections of your aspirations. The images you see within your dream reflect your ambitions and the ways in which you hope to reach your goals. Depending upon the details, feelings and other images conjured up, your dreams may be urging you to raise your ambitions, or telling you that your goals are unrealistic.
ADVERTIZEMENT
The purpose of advertizements is to sell something, and a dream in which you see an advertizement or create one may be reminding you about some ambition or target. What the advertizement was displaying is important. If it was clear and convincing, you are keeping your focus in waking life, but if it was confusing, you have not kept your ambitions clear. See also LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT.
ANGLING
If you dream of fishing or angling, what are you fishing or angling for in waking life? Is the dream telling you to take extreme care and to have plenty of patience if you are to achieve your ambition.
AUCTION
If an auction figures in your dreams, what was the identity of the object you, or others, were bidding for? Was it a position at work? Was it for a lifestyle change? Was your bid too low or too high, or did you pay more than the object was worth? If so, should you re-evaluate your ambitions in waking life?
BRIDGE
Crossing a bridge indicates an ability to move forward and achieve the success you long for. It is a dream action which represents your underlying strength to cope with life’s journey, especially in the face of difficult challenges, such as divorce, redundancy or moving home.
DECORATION/MEDAL
To be decorated or to see others decorated for some heroic action suggests that you, or someone else, deserves recognition for some action but has not received it in waking life.
FAWN
To dream that people fawn on you, or satisfy your every whim, could suggest your desire for more attention in waking life, but it could also be a warning against enemies in the guise of interested friends. Dreams of people imitating you could have a similar interpretation.
FLYING BIRD
This represents aspirations, desires and the feeling that your spirit is soaring. Its association with the element of air—itself associated with aspirations and ideals—means a flying bird might have also become a symbol of high-flying ambition and the quest for enlightenment. See also BIRDS.
GIFTS
Could the gift represent a creative talent or skill you aren’t expressing in waking life? If you were given a gift of an expensive box of oil paints, for example, could this be encouraging you to make use of your artistic talent?
All wrapped up
Giving and receiving gifts in dreams indicates a need to give and take within a relationship, perhaps to share with others what we have and to create an environment that allows for give and take. Sharing is a fundamental human need, so if you are giving in a dream, this suggests your internal relationship with yourself, the environment or others. Giving a present usually suggests a need to express love or consideration for another person, whereas receiving it suggests your need for the love and consideration of another person. Receiving a shower of gifts suggests that you are held in high esteem.
A dream of unexpected gifts can have several meanings. The gift can point to the need for you to recognize your own worth. If you are the giver, the dream may be warning you to be more open and direct with other people, so that you are not caught off guard. An inappropriate gift of something you do not like, or have no use for, may indicate that someone’s attentions in waking life are not welcome. If you receive an unpleasant gift in a beautiful gift box, this image may reveal your intuition that someone’s apparently good intentions may disguise selfish motives. Finally, the image of an empty gift box may suggest that in waking life, things are not as attractive as they seem. Perhaps you have to face the reality of a relationship ending, or need to lower your expectations in some way.
A gift of chocolates may hark back to your childhood and infantile oral pleasures. According to Freudian theory, chocolates are a dream image of excrement, representing an anal fixation that may indicate a tendency to be overly formal or uptight. Beware of overanalysing here though, since dreams about chocolate sometime suggest a longing for love, affection and…chocolate.
THE HIGHEST HONOR
If you are bestowed with the highest honor in your dream, such as the Nobel peace prize or a bravery award, this could suggest a desire for your qualities and actions to be recognized by the appropriate person or authority in waking life. Dreaming of winning a particular prize, such as the Booker prize for literature, could be encouraging you to develop your interest in writing and those ideas for a novel that you have never put down on paper. Perhaps you have an unknown potential to be a best-selling author and your unconscious mind is urging you to have a go. The same applies to dreams when you create a beautiful painting or sculpture. Your unconscious is indicating that you should explore your artistic potential.
RECEIVING A DIPLOMA
If you dream of stepping onto stage to receive a degree, diploma or award, this is pure wish-fulfillment. In your dreams, you have the recognition, the qualification, the status, the applause and the sense of achievement you long for in waking life. Although this kind of dream does not predict that your wish will be fulfilled in waking life, it is an indication that you feel you deserve the recognition. Self-belief is a powerful tool in waking life and a key ingredient for success.
SKY
A dream of observing the night sky may be a hint that you intend to reach as high as you can in your particular field.
SPORTING PROWESS
