Sunday, August 3, 2003		Dream Theme

Dreaming of pregnancy
Vinaya K. Manhas

DREAMS of pregnancy are not necessarily confined to women, but can also be seen by men. Such dreams denote the desire bear a child.

As per Indian thought, for a woman to dream of bearing a child is a warning to her to be extremely careful regarding her health. Such a dream is not a good omen. After such a dream, the woman should be prepared for a sorrowful event. Should a man see such a dream, it warns him of a threat to his wife’s well being. For an unmarried woman to dream of bearing a child or conceiving one, is a warning to her to be careful, for the path she has chosen to tread shall only bring her sorrow and insult. She should change her habits and lifestyle.

As per western thought, for a woman to dream of being pregnant is an indication of unhappiness in her marital life and tensions in her relationships with her husband. Her children will not be healthy and good looking. For an unmarried woman, this dream predicts scandal and adversities. But should a pregnant woman see such a dream, it is a good omen as it foretells a safe delivery and a healthy baby.

Psychoanalytically speaking, the significance of a dream of pregnancy lies in its being connected with novelty and new developments. It denotes the discovery of an unknown potential within us, or perhaps the desire to see a particular task the individual has taken up, take shape. Such a dream has rarely to do with the literal meaning of pregnancy. It is common to find young girls dream of delivering a child or getting pregnant. This has to do with the development of motherly instincts with the onset of puberty. Such feelings are innate to the personality of a female and are, thus, very common. For some it could also represent the desire to go back to the warmth and security of the womb.

One often comes across instances of men dreaming of being pregnant. This can happen if a man dreams of himself as pregnant or if a woman sees a man pregnant. In the latter instance it could denote the desire of the woman to have the man share some of her responsibilities and understand her better. If a man has such a dream it could denote the maternal instinct in him.

A 27-year-old woman would often dream of being pregnant. She would enter a hospital, but would come out of it with a flat stomach and no child. She could not understand where that child had disappeared. The woman was not married, she could not understand the significance of the dream. As pointed out earlier, maternal feelings are natural in a woman. At 27, marriage and motherhood must have been on her mind. Or it could also denote an goal that the woman wants to reach but whose consequences she is not ready to face. Thus, although she feels excitement of a pregnancy, she manages to get away without shouldering the responsibilities of a parenthood as there is no child. This means that she does not want to be responsible for the consequences of her actions.