Years ago, I spoke with someone from a School of Metaphysics. Everyone in your dream represents some aspect of yourself, she said. So this friend in your dream may represent a side of yourself you're struggling with? She also said when we dream of lost loved ones who do not speak in the dream, we are being visited by the spirit of whoever died. I want to believe this! I often dream I walk into the old house and there Grandma and Aunt Malita are, smiling, and I'm always so happy to see them, and so pleasantly surprised. They never speak! Ever! (Oddly, Grandpa does not show up with them in these dreams. Ever. And I don't like to think about what that means in Christian theology.)
That's a very interesting concept. I've had dreams before where there literally multiple versions of me in them that I had to "overcome" so it certainly wouldn't seem too far-fetched from a metaphorical perspective either. I also have a lot of recurring dreams that take place in my childhood home, but I imagine that's common for most people as it is a familiar place. It's really fascinating when you think about these things!
Our brain tends to get lazy, so we dream about the things we first knew. The people we first met.
Mothers represent inner authority, Fathers represent external authority (so I'm told),
Animals = Bad Habits (ever dream your house is over-run with cats, rats, bears, lions?)
Snakes, however, represent wisdom.
Or something like that.
I do have dreams where there are definitely animals (usually they're hostile towards me). This sounds strange I'm sure but a common one are alligators, which is odd because I don't live in an area where they are common.
Well, there must be other interpretations besides bad habits... otherwise, you might have to face up to just how bad your bad habits may be :wink: