The Dream Dictionary from A to Z [Revised edition]. Theresa Cheung

AFTERNOON

      See TIME.

      AGE/AGING You may have a dream in which you or someone close to you appears to age rapidly, sometimes becoming an elderly person or even a skeleton. Such dreams can be frightening, reflecting your anxieties and fears about aging, but some people find such dreams comforting as they can indicate that the aging process is not necessarily a negative experience.

      See also STAGES OF LIFE.

      AIR You can’t see air but it is crucial for your survival and well-being. The element of air is associated with the Zodiac signs Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. For Jungian analysts, air seeks to establish itself in the realm of the intellect; it is through the process of thinking that we develop ideas and communicate. Air contributes inventiveness, originality, creativity, and versatility to the personality. It gives that feeling of freedom and objectivity, and the ability to appreciate the differences between people. In dreams, air encourages you to let your thoughts soar, helping you to realize your full potential.

      When air’s influence is exaggerated in a person, we see them as living in a dream world full of unrealistic goals and flights of fancy. Air should seek to maintain practicality and develop consistency in dealing with the real world. You cannot live without air, so when it appears in your dreams, consider its quality. Is it foggy, misty, clear, or polluted? The answer will give you an idea of the atmosphere that surrounds you in waking life. If you are outdoors in your dream and conscious of the clarity and coolness of the air, your dreaming mind may be urging you to give freedom to your thoughts. Or perhaps you feel released from a recent problem or situation. Air may also refer to the way in which you behave. Are you putting on airs and graces, or behaving in a superior way that demeans other people?

      AIR-CONDITIONER This image suggests a need to calm or slow down. If the air is cold this may indicate emotional coldness.

      AIRCRAFT/AIRPLANE/AIRPORTS In dreams, aircraft represent a desire for new experiences and excitement. According to Freudians, aircraft are phallic symbols associated with new sexual experiences. Because air symbolizes spiritual aspiration, if your dream featured an aircraft or a plane ride, could your unconscious have been encouraging you to explore your spirituality or rise above the limitations of daily life? Do you feel you are on a fast track to success, or do you just really need a vacation?

      In dreams, as in life, airports can be busy, noisy, and crowded places, and they can suggest a phase in your life you are trying to leave behind or a transitional phase. If you are looking in vain for a familiar face at an airport in your dream, this suggests there may be aspects of your old way of life or thinking that you are unwilling to leave behind. If you dreamed of being in the middle of a flight, your unconscious may have been commenting on your current progress in life. Are you flying high or being buffeted by turbulence? Or is everything up in the air or beset by uncertainty? Dreams of being hijacked or attacked in a plane can suggest anxieties about flying, but they can also represent a fear of rape in women. A dream of a plane crash can suggest you have set your sights too high; perhaps you are expecting too much and have doubts about your ability to reach your goals?

      See also PLANE CRASH.

      ALARM Ringing bells, timers, alarms in a dream may be prompting you to move forward with an idea in your waking life. Loud alarms – such as sirens – warn of impending danger or crisis.

      ALARM CLOCK The appearance of an alarm clock in a dream indicates the need to get up and do something; it may also be a reminder of someone or something you have neglected.

ALCOHOL Dreams that feature alcohol can be interpreted in two ways. They could be a warning that you need to take it easy or they could be a suggestion that your life needs more stimulation and excitement. If, however, a drunk appeared in your dream or you got drunk and had a hangover, this may suggest that you have been overdoing it recently. It can also refer to the way you deal with difficult feelings by drowning them in drink. On the other hand, do you feel drunk with success and, if you do, is your unconscious warning you to rein in your exuberance as it is unsettling to those around you? Don’t forget the Latin phrase in vino veritas (wine reveals the truth) and pay attention to what you and other people say in your dream over a glass of wine or beer.

      To see whisky in bottles symbolizes your alertness, carefulness and protective nature. If you are drinking alone, this signifies a selfishness that is driving friends away. To dream of drinking wine refers to festivity, celebration, and companionship. To dream that you are breaking wine bottles signifies over-indulgence and lack of control.

      ALIEN If an alien appears in your dream, this suggests feelings of being an outsider in a group or society. It may also represent something new and not previously experienced. Aliens in dreams can also suggest that something unknown or frightening in waking life needs to be faced. Dreaming of aliens may also indicate dealing with something unfamiliar in yourself. Are you behaving in ways that are alien to you, for example? Aliens are something humans have never encountered, so the dream is urging you to prepare for the unexpected. Sometimes in dreams, aliens suggest evil forces, but more often than not they suggest that you feel different or set apart in some way from others. Perhaps you have started a new job and feel like the odd one out.

      See also STRANGER.

      ALLEY If you appear in an alley within a dream you may find yourself facing a dilemma in the near future. The image suggests that you feel you have little choice regarding a certain situation.

       ALLIGATOR

      See REPTILES.

      ALPHABET The alphabet in dreams may refer to childhood or to basic lessons in life. To see letters of the alphabet in your dream symbolizes any object, animal, place, or person associated with or resembling that particular letter. For example, the letter ‘T’ may refer to a type of intersection in a road or a person you know called Tom. Or, you may still be trying to understand some concept or emotion that is still in the primitive stages.

      See also LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET.

       ALUMINUM

      See METAL.

      AMBITION According to Adler, dreams are an expression of our ambitious desire for power and success, a way of overcompensating for shortcomings in our waking life. For example, if a person is unable to stand up to their boss, they may safely lash out in anger at them in a dream. Thus dreams offer some sort of satisfaction that is socially acceptable.

      Although some dreams can be interpreted as wish-fulfillment, most modern dream researchers believe that dreams have another purpose, to periodically present us with reports on our progress to date. Sometimes these updates are purely expressions of wish-fulfillment, and therefore easy to interpret: for example, those fantastic dreams in which you win the lottery, or audition successfully for the lead role in a Hollywood blockbuster. Sometimes, though, dreams are harder to interpret because the dreaming mind speaks in the confusing language of symbols. Understanding such dreams is, however, important because they often contain pertinent observations and warnings – not yet registered by the conscious mind – that can help us achieve our goals in waking life.

      AMBULANCE The appearance of an ambulance in a dream typically suggests feelings of panic and emergency about a specific situation or person.

      AMBUSH Dreams in which you ambush or abduct someone reflect your desperation in waking life to ward off potential humiliation. If the person you are ambushing is someone you know, you also need to consider if you are secretly envious of this person in waking life. If this is the