Sunday, July 27, 2003		Dream Theme

Dreaming of poverty
Vinaya K. Manhas

DREAMS of being or becoming poor evoke feelings of insecurity in the dreamer regarding his job or the reliability of his source of income. Such a dream can give the dreamer quite a few sleepless hours.

However, according to Indian thought, dreams of poverty are a symbol sign of good luck. Such dreams spell riches and financial gains for the dreamer. To dream of yourself becoming poor and being forced to beg indicates that someone might attempt to hurt your feelings and bring shame to you. But you can be assured that none of his attempts shall succeed. You shall be able to thwart all the evil designs of others. To see yourself blaming a particular individual for your bad financial condition warns you of to be careful of enemies in the guise of friends. Such people will attempt to take you for a ride. You can interpret this dream as a warning not to trust anyone completely. Don’t give away your secrets, as these could be used against you.

According to western thought, to dream of yourself, your friends or relatives being poor, is a forewarning of worries caused by financial and personal loss. Such a dream advises you to tread carefully for the next few days and not take any chances or indulge in gambling. Seeing yourself in a dilapidated house warns you that the people around you are only concerned with your financial assets. They shall stand by you for only as long as they stand to gain financially from their association with you. To dream of declining financial fortunes is an indication of unpleasant happenings in the future. If you see others as paupers it portends a call upon your conscience to be generous and helpful to someone in need. If you rise to the occasion, it shall pay you back in the future in your hour of need.

Psychoanalytically speaking, to dream of ourselves being poor means that if certain basic needs are not fulfilled it might make us feel emotionally and materialistically bereft and incomplete. Such a dream advises us to analyse and prioritise our needs. Seeing ourselves as beggars represents our feelings of failure, a lack of self-esteem and a loss of faith in ourselves. It can also mean that we are seeking emotional fulfilment. Should you see someone else become a beggar, it means that you need to become more considerate and helpful in your dealings with others.

A 47-year-old man would often dream of himself as a beggar, although he was financially well off because of his business. He was not afraid of having to face any losses in the future. However, the dream was connected to his personal life rather than his financial condition. Running a business left him no time for his family members, and they in turn had learnt to enjoy life without him. Now, although he attempted to take time out from his business to spend with his family, they did not understand his attempts and were content to lead their lives without him. This led him to feel emotionally bereft and lonely. Hence, the dream denoted his feelings of being emotionally bereft.