We drink it, swim in it, it falls from the sky … Water, a founding element, is omnipresent in our daily lives. Logical, therefore, that we often dream of it, in otherwise very different forms. Analysis and interpretation with the help of Simone Berno, specialist and author of "The Magical Power of Dreams" *.
Along with earth, fire and air, water is one of the four elements that make up our planet. Much more than others, it is therefore logical that they are as ubiquitous in our daytime lives as in our wanderings of dreamers who seek to understand, upon awakening, the significance of such a nocturnal intervention. Whether it appears to us in the form of a calm or tormented river, a waterfall, crystalline or muddy water, water that we drink or in which we immerse ourselves, water frequently invites itself into our sleep, symbolizing according to its state different messages that our unconscious wants to send us.
One thing in common, however, according to Simone Berno, “ dreaming of water is linked both to emotions and to what is agitated in the dreamer's subconscious ". From uncertainty to apprehension, via harmony, dreaming of water therefore symbolizes all kinds of feelings linked to the emotions that we feel in a given period, these images being as many signs that it is about correctly interpret.
Dreaming of water: Freud and Jung
How often, two interpretive approaches to the dream of water are often put forward, that of Freud and that of Jung (which, if they are different, are not however opposed here). For Freud, water is linked to pleasure, to orgasm and can even symbolize ejaculation. But it is also a symbol of purification which would appear to us as a desire to wash away our unfulfilled phantasmagoric thoughts. As for the dream a woman has of swimming in water, in the Freudian interpretation it would mean a desire for motherhood.
For Jung, water relates to creation, birth, renewal. It would therefore appear to us at pivotal times in our lives, times of strong change experienced with anxiety or serenity.
Two interpretations that are found in that of Islam, which sees water as a purifying element but also as a symbol of success and happiness.
Water in nature
Waterfalls, streams, sea water, rain … Water can appear to us as part of the landscape of our dreams strong enough to be remembered. And, depending on the form and movement it takes, it will be a sign or an omen of different events or feelings.
- Stagnant water : " The seaside is soothing and expresses the dreamer's need to find a little serenity, like the lakes. », Explains Simone Berno. So the expanses of calm water indicate a need to regain harmony in one's daily life.
- Flowing water : " Rivers are a picture of life, crossing them means going towards something new. ", Analyzes the expert.
- Agitated water : " Storms are strong movements in the dreamer's subconscious, to be determined by the contexts. "So dreaming of a waterfall is often associated with an episode of passion, while to dream that you are literally under water manifests our temptation to give up or our discouragement in the face of a situation that is beyond us.
Domestic water
Whether in the house, drinking it or smelling it, we can also dream of water at home, or "domesticated" water. Here too, we will distinguish crystalline water, symbol of harmony in love, muddy water, which indicates our anxiety or our uncertainty in the face of an event that has occurred in our life, which appears to us in the form of this water. through which nothing can be distinguished.
- The bathroom : " The bathroom is related to the dreamer's sexuality. », Explains Simone Berno. Depending on the scenarios that take place there, therefore, the interpretations should be oriented in this direction.
- The overflowing water : " Leaking water in a house or flooding is an expression of being overwhelmed by your emotions and not being able to deal with them. The reason must strengthen. This is also the case in dreams of a tidal wave.
- The swimming pool : " Bathing in a swimming pool is an expression of acceptance of feeling things in a relationship. ", Analyzes the expert.
- The water consumed : " Drinking water expresses the dreamer's need to listen to his feelings and not judge too harshly. "Cold water is often associated with harmony. On the other hand, boiling water, which appears often, is in the Islamic interpretation a sign of bad omen.
* "The magic power of dreams", Simone Berno, Solar éditions.