My answer:

Hello there. I believe it’s rather easy to explain why your memory would hold onto this dream, though more difficult to explain why it seems rather selective about it. When memories involve strong moments of emotion, they better stay inside of our minds. This is why we’re far more likely to remember specific details of our first time seeing fireworks than our third time, as the first time is tied in with strong feelings of excitement and fear. In this case, the memory of the dream was tied in with fear and sadness, thus making a rather strong impression. It doesn’t always happen that neatly, as there are plenty of dull moments that one remembers over impressive ones, but this is the best explanation for why you would still remember all of these years later. To try and give some insight into the dream itself, abduction in a dream indicates feeling manipulated in their circumstances or by someone. This would be a common feeling for a four year old, and perhaps the dream came of fear that it would never end (as they saw themselves as a teenager, which would be very far away for that age). It seems like they made the teenager do chores, or else they would be permanently cut off from everyone they care about (perhaps grounded?). I hope this is a decent explanation for why you would remember this dream, and why you would continue to remember it.

Oh my, an alternate version of myself? That’s highly interesting. I suppose there are infinite possibilities for alternate timelines based on the many decisions we make in our lives, so I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised. Let us address the dream. A dog in a dream can symbolize the general qualities associated with dogs (loyalty, protection, intuition, fidelity) or a skill the dreamer has that they have been neglecting. By walking the dog, the dreamer or the dreamer as a couple were “exercising” what the dogs symbolizes, perhaps practicing a skill together or, the obvious, continuing fidelity. It may also be intuition, as the two seem to be sensing what is going on. An office in a dream suggests feeling overworked or practicality, status, accomplishments, and the dreamer’s place in the world. The latter meanings being more likely, it is these that could be being “explored” by the couple, possibly using what the dog represents. 

Those intruding on it could be the representation of problems and people preventing either the exploration of the themes symbolized by the dog and the office or their coming to fruition. Some of these areas that are being symbolized must be highly sensitive and private, as killing an office worker just for questioning it seems like a very slight overreaction.  To dream of murdering someone in a dream indicates the dream being on the verge of losing their temper and self-control, perhaps expressing some hidden anger, or trying to rid themselves of some aspect of the dream that is represented by the victim.

Now to the disposal of the body. A corpse often represents an aspect of the self that has died or feeling unexpressive and “dead inside”. By disposing of this, the dreamer may be trying to hide that this aspect has died or that they are feeling this way. The qualities that the dog may represent are reacting with what has died, maybe even just being used to realize that it has died, or reacting negatively to it. 

I’m not sure what to make of this next part. There is clear further exploration of the themes that the office represents guided or aided by what the dog represents, but I’m not sure what to make of the apathy of the man. Perhaps it’s just further hint that this is not actual violence, but merely a representation of some aspect, and his apathy may be the dreamer becoming okay with the discovery that it has died. There is a hint of cannibalism, which tends to symbolize a destructive or forbidden obsession, “consuming” the dreamer’s or another’s life. This may even be what killed what the corpse represents.

I’m afraid I can’t think of what metal music could represent beyond building tension, or perhaps that it is a soundtrack. There is a cinematic quality to the whole dream. To dream that you are playing a role in a movie hints that something in the dreamer’s subconcious is about to emerge or be revealed, or perhaps directing the dreamer to a role they need to be taking in life - so what is happening in the dream is not what has happened, but what it desires to be happening.  I do hope this interpretation is adequate. As my most frequent non-anon submitter, I deeply thank you for your patience and for being willing to turn to me, and hopefully be entertained and slightly enlightened by the results.

My answer:

It’s always so very unfortunate to have a nightmare. I find them to be especially tricky, if less riddled with meaning. More often than dreams, nightmares tend to be the subconscious going through worst case scenarios or working out its thoughts on a traumatic event. But sometimes it may have further meaning, so we’ll examine it now. To dream of a car crash may indicate the dreamer’s beliefs or goals clashing with another’s. As it is the dreamer’s brother who is driving, it is likely to be him or someone that shares characteristics with him, perhaps a close male friend.  In the dream, the best friend attempts to save the dreamer from the negative effects this clash has caused. Perhaps this could be taken as the best friend trying to cheer them up, signified by the line “do I have to smile now?” in an entirely different context. That would be my interpretation of this dream if it is not simply the subconscious playing through fears, that it is a representation of a conflict with the dreamer’s brother or someone similar to their brother.

My answer:

Perhaps he is a long-forgotten literature character? To me, he reminds me of a character in the series Animorphs, but that is merely my experience. If that is incorrect, I don’t believe it to be unusual to dream of strangers in dreams. Your subconscious can create characters for whatever it is trying to express, and likely this Tobias’ actions were used to this. It’s a shame that you aren’t able to remember what happened, but I hope that explains where he came from.

My answer:

I would say no, no it does not. Dreams always exaggerate in the most terrible ways, particularly when it is seeking for its message to be noticed. If you are sure you do not have a crush on him in your feelings in the waking world, then even if you dream it that does not make it true. Instead, it is a presentation of another problem, not a crush itself. I would consider your relationship with your friend. When our friends become romantically involved with others, it come sometimes feel like the crush is taking their friend’s feelings away from them, even if its two entirely different sorts of feelings. So your dreams may be sabotaging you, trying to get in the way of this so you don’t lose any of her affection - even if it’s just picturing it, not actually planning on doing so. There’s still a chance it could be latent feelings for him, but it’s unlikely for dreams to be so straightforward.

Worry not, you did submit this correctly. There is also no need to apologize for length, I never mind a good read. Shall we begin? You ought to be glad to know this does not mean you’ve had latent feelings for my paradox brother, and now must immediately seek him out and wed him. I believe this is the behavior of a fangirl? But yes, it’s more likely that it’s not Dave himself that is the focus the dream, but what Dave represents to the dreamer. This could be someone who shares a physical characteristic with him, someone who interacts with others in a similar way, or the characteristics themselves. It also would not necessarily have to be a romantic relationship, simply interaction with what Dave represents.  Let’s examine the dream for more clues for what the nature of this interaction is.

A house in a dream tends to represent the dreamer’s own self, with the different rooms and aspects of the house describes the self. This hints that this may be the subconscious examining the worth of and threat to a characteristic within the dreamer, simply in a bit silly and metaphorical manner. Playing a video game in a dream can suggest either ability to manipulate others or attempting to escape from reality. Perhaps, if this a relationship the dream is paralleling, the dreamer uses the relationship for one of these two purposes. 

Then the characteristic Dave represents became more necessary for their situation or strong within the dreamer, or the paralleled relationship became stronger.  A road in a dream refers to a sense of direction and moving onward toward certain goals. A big city signifies the dreamer’s social environment and sense of community. In other words, the dreamer has been using this characteristic within themselves or relationship to travel closer to their goals, perhaps a goal associated with growing closer to others or a form of interaction that makes the dreamer more comfortable in social situations.

And more strengthening to whatever Dave represents. Luckily, sex in dreams is almost never actually sex, just a representation of intimacy with whatever is being had. All of these actions just represent the growing of a bond (not necessarily romantic) bond with another person that is somehow represented by Dave, or the strengthening and better implementation of the characteristic Dave signifies to the dreamer. The exchange of rings symbolizes emotional wholeness, commitments, and honor, or possibility loyalty to the dreamer’s ideals and responsibilities. 

It becomes more complicated as we present Bro, as Bro could also represent a person or characteristic, and it is not based on whether Dave is on or the other. But whatever he is, it is what Bro represents that is causing something negative in the dreamer’s life, by interfering with the relationship or stifling the characteristic that was previously having such benefits for the dreamer. Bro being removed from the situation could be one of two things. Either this interference has already been removed from the dreamer’s life, and this is the subconscious’ way of dealing with the disturbance, or it is a call by the subconscious to remove what Bro represents. 

Unfortunately, it’s easy to have feelings of loss as the result of a dream. I say unfortunately, because it’s not actually a loss. It was never there. What you may be feeling is the desire for what has not yet come, a relationship of that intimacy or the characteristics. But by letting expectations raise so high from what truly never was, it interferes with the waking world far too much than you ought to allow.  Dreams cannot be sought or called back, and they shouldn’t be. They’re merely the subconscious’ way of dealing with ideas and problems, nothing more. Now it takes personal interaction to discover specifically what the dream could have been about, as it is based upon your own personal experiences and beliefs. Consider what Dave and Bro represent to you, what sort of characteristics you think of when you think of them. I hope this offers some clarity, and that you may be able to let go of the dream once you understand.

                  

Hello followers, affectionately termed “my curious dreamers”. I’ve come to apologize again for my inexcusably lacking work ethic. I am finally motivating myself and getting to submissions that were likely sent several weeks ago. In brighter news, despite my faults, the follower count is growing towards 100. At that point, I will likely do something to celebrate the occasion. Now, back to work for me. 

My answer:

         Heavy details are always appreciated, such as what the fears actually are, but I shall have a go at it. For someone to dream of their own reflection in a mirror tends to symbolize the perception of the self, perhaps contemplating changing aspects in their own character. Currently, it seems there are two conflicting perceptions of who the dreamer is. Perhaps that is a desired state, as who wishes to be completely themselves all of the time? But now, one of these perceptions is turning on the other, either overwhelming it and becoming the perception that the dreamer recognizes or becoming twisted and disturbing for it to be part of them. You should consider what the conflict could be, in order to resolve this internal problem.

My answer:

        As I will always point out, sex in dreams is not always sex, and what is clearly not sex sometimes is. So perhaps they were feelings of treatment from your father that were comparable to sexual abuse to your subconscious. It may not even be your father himself though, simply a father figure or someone who shares the characteristics he represents for the dreamer. Physical and emotional abuse in dreams generally tend to represent feeling victimized in a waking situation, most likely current but perhaps a past situation that the subconscious is just now getting to sorting out the feelings about. Feeling victimized can have a variety of connotations, both severe and minor, as the subconscious tends to exaggerate. It could be something as simple as feeling helpless over a decision the dreamer’s father made for them. Or something as difficult to bear as a boss severely abusing his power at work and treating the dreamer badly. In summary, it was merely the subconscious dealing with some past or present feeling of being victimized, and it means nothing negative against your father Anon.

My answer:

          Let’s see if we can make sense of this, shall we?  It might not have much to do with Ghostbusters itself since you have not seen it, it were merely taken as an example because it was a movie on the dreamer’s mind. I do recommend it. To dream of watching a movie often symbolizes the dreamer watching life pass them by, living vicariously through others far too much rather than taking action themselves. So perhaps the dreamer has begun to feel this way, or it is a warning from the subconscious that this is not the best idea. The location will give us more insight into the specific matters that are passing by. A stadium tends to represent the dreamer’s determination to succeed and achieve their goals, so perhaps the dreamer has been sitting back and letting life pass without striving toward these goals. The stadium being in a restaurant may suggest feeling overwhelmed by decisions and choices that need to be made in order to reach these goals. I hope this interpretation helps it make more sense.