Sunday, February 18, 2001		Dream theme

Dreaming of food
By Vinaya Katoch Manhas

Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are.

JUST as the kind of food you eat defines to a great extent your personality,

so also the kind of food you dream of defines your nature, your likes and dislikes. To dream of eating non-vegetarian food more often, speaks definitely of an aggressive streak in the person. According to both western and Indian thought, to see yourself eating raw meat is thought to be unlucky. Eating alone signifies loss and melancholy, while eating with others denotes personal gains, cheerful environment and prosperity. To get your plate carried off before you have finished eating, foretells of frustrations.

Food signifies a satisfaction of our needs, whether they are physical, mental or spiritual. It is something we might take or are taking into ourselves. Frequent dreams of eating suggest a great hunger for something.

As per Hindu thought, different foods in dreams have different interpretations. According to the ancient text Aachar Pramukh, eating sweets brings forth knowledge, while eating curd brings forth fame. Eating til, lentils and different grains gets you wealth.

Drinking water symbolises good health and drinking a frothy glass of milk it brings forth a lot of gains. According to the great Indian philosopher Charaka, to see yourself as eating cooked meat in dreams shall get you lots of luck. Besides the type of food, even the colour of food matters. If you see yourself eating a lot of greens, it spells monetary gains.

Yellow food foretells of jealousy and could also spell problems related to bile. In a similar manner, eating hot and steamy food also predicts bile-related health problems. Eating cold food or drinking a lot of cold water in one’s dreams can be indicative of phlegm-related health problems. Thus, the type of food you see in your dreams could also predict the type of health related problems you could be undergoing.

Psychologically, dreams of eating denote that we lack some basic nutrients or feedback in our lives. Not to eat food indicates an avoidance of growth and change. We may be attempting to isolate ourselves from others or be in conflict with ourselves over our body image.

To see ourselves as being eaten in a dream signifies we are aware of being attacked by our own emotions and fears or by our internal drives. Being eaten by wild animals indicates that the individual is being overridden by basic animal drives.

Different food items are related to different psychological needs. Bread defines our basic needs and experiences, while cake signifies sensual enjoyment. Fruits in dreams represent the fruits of our experiences or efforts and the potential for prosperity. Meat portrays our need for physical and worldly satisfaction. However, raw meat can supposedly signify impending misfortune. Milk signifies baby needs whereas onions portray the different layers of oneself. Sweets tend to represent sensual pleasures and vegetables our basic needs and material satisfaction.

A unique dream I once received was: A 24-year-old engineering student was sitting in a garden full of vegetables and fruits, eating raw meat.

The contrast is striking here. Where fruits and vegetables signify our basic and sensual needs, raw meat defines the animalistic side to the person. The dream is a portrayal of the hidden aspect of his personality, the sensitive and down-to-earth character which he portrays hides the animalistic side to his personality.