Sunday, August 10, 2003		Dream Theme

Dreaming of heat
Vinaya K. Manhas

HEAT, like smell, is a sensation and, thus, it is not a very common dream symbol. Generally dreams of feeling hot are accompanied by a feeling of being suffocated.

According to Indian thought, a dream of feeling hot or finding yourself in a warm place or of warm weather, is not a good omen. Such a dream warns you to control your impulses. It means that someone is plotting against you and is preparing to attack you.

As per western thought, to feel oppressed by heat in your dreams means that a betrayal by someone close to you might stall your plans. It is not a very favourable symbol in dreams.

Psychoanalytically speaking, heat represents emotions and feelings. While on the one hand it can portray extreme emotions such as jealousy and anger, on the other hand, it also portrays feelings of being enveloped in love. It symbolises the feeling of warmth that comes with the knowledge that you are loved. Under certain circumstances it can also denote passion.

The correct interpretation also depends on the context of the dream. Many times to perceive a particular object as hot which in real life should be cold denotes confusion regarding feelings of love, anger or jealousy. It means that the person is unable to sort out and be clear about his own feelings and emotions.

A 34-year-old woman would often dream of feeling hot. She would find herself on roadside pavements, dressed in her underclothes and feeling very hot, although it would be snowing and people would be dressed in woollens. Seeing others dressed in woollens further increased her sensation of heat and suffocation. If the lady had been slightly older and nearer to menopause, the dream could have been interpreted as denoting the menopausal symptom of hot flushes. Here it seems to symbolise the discomfort she feels in a particular environment or relationship. Feelings of heat and suffocation seem to go together. The more important symbol is her reaction to seeing people dressed in woollens. This would seem to point to her feelings of being smothered. In all probability, she desires more independence and personal space, which she does not seem to have. The only answer to her problem would lie in her having a frank discussion about her desires and feelings with her family.