Exposed: Part 1

The Dream: I am wandering the streets of Brooklyn, wearing no trousers. I often adjust my sweater, pulling it down. It almost covers me. No one seems to notice, but I feel very self conscious.

Interpretation: I explore the place of my mother’s birth; I experience the self-consciousness and discomfort she endured as the child of a poor, widowed, non-English speaking immigrant from Eastern Europe. I adjust the clothes I am wearing, pulling down my sweater to cover my shame. The dream tells me that no one seems to notice I’m half naked: what is so embarrassing to me is actually unimportant to others. 

The Power of Moonlight

When a character in your dream does something you feel is very alien, it might be your shadow. Shadows express parts of ourselves that we have repressed.

The Dream: Walking Indian file, in a narrow procession, returning from an event in Hampshire. We go over hills and downs, snaking under the moonlight. My neighbor Jenna is naked as we head toward Hartford House (her home). Her body looks lithe and young, like a slender adolescent. I notice myself adjusting my ruffled collar blouse, making sure I am covered. I think she’s being scandalous, showing off her body. I, of course, would never do such a thing. She is completely free, unselfconscious.

Interpretation: I would like to feel freer and be less self-conscious.