Dreams about revisiting our childhood homes always involve a complicated and nuanced emotional experience—it has to. A dream about childhood home is almost always never straightforward.
While childhood home dreaming can make use feel nostalgic and bring back happy memories of acceptance, love, and belonging, it can also be a source of regret, trauma, or even fear.
Make no mistake; childhood home dreaming means that you are undergoing some sort of change in your present life. There’s something that you have experienced recently that is pushing you to take a step back and look at where you came from. All of us come from somewhere.
Our childhood home symbolizes the influence of our parents and their decisions on our formative years. Considering its importance, it’s very easy to oversimplify or read into it all sorts of fantasies and delusions.
A lot of people cope by sentimentalizing scenes from their childhood. In this context, their childhood home doesn’t so much reflect what really happened when they were young, but stores and projects whatever excuses, justifications, comforting delusions, or even lies that they have concocted and crafted over the years.
Let’s face it: as much as we can find things about ourselves to like, there are also many things that make us uncomfortable or not all that happy with.
So when we try to come and come up with stories and internal script modifications—if you will—we often project these back into the past. It’s as if by changing what happened before, we change how we look at ourselves in the present and, by doing so, hopefully, change the direction of our lives.
Nobody’s immune to this. Somebody who might have come from a childhood of pain, abuse, abandonment, discouragement, or even humiliation can still find it in themselves to imagine that their childhood home and all its associated memories were nothing but rainbows and sunshine.
Of course, they do this knowing full well that the opposite is true. But they still go through it because it gives them positive feelings or a sense of hope. They use this psychologically created space in their memories to assume that if you imagine yourself to be happier and more content at an early age, you’ll magically be experiencing fortunate events more as an adult.
They see it as a turning point or a form of taking control over their past, so it no longer has a hold on them. But two wrongs do not make a right. In our harsh reality, oftentimes, problems don’t magically disappear if you ignore them.
You cannot live in the truth trying to draw strength from a lie. One of the best things that you could do is to look at your memories with unvarnished eyes.
This is the big danger of any kind of dream about childhood home images and memories. It’s just too easy to go down the sentimental trap, and it’s a slippery slope.
Are you remembering things that actually happened? Or are you telling yourself comforting lies to make your present, bitter, harsh reality a little easier to swallow?
I know this is difficult to hear, but oftentimes, the truth has to upset us before it sets us free.
Symbolism of Childhood Home Dreams
The classic childhood home dream meaning turns on the possibility of starting new. In many cases, it shares similarities with the biblical meaning of bed in a dream.
There’s a reason why you get dreams about childhood home. Such a dream is usually not about escaping to your memories and staying there. Instead, this dream represents that you are going through changes—whether you’re completely aware of it or not.
The fact that you have dreams about something from your childhood that made you feel welcome and accepted shows that a part of your subconscious is trying to come to grips with the fact that your life is going in a new direction. Part of you is excited, but the other part is looking back. In many cases, it’s terrified.
You have to allow yourself to look beyond your misgivings and doubts about the future direction of your life. Instead, you should look at the fact that you’re dreaming about the earlier times as a source of hope and positivity.
Childhood Home Dream Meaning Turns on Your Past, Present, and Future
When you dream of childhood home, this symbolizes your spiritual well-being, emotional patterns, and psychological point of view. These are all equally important; they all go back to a sense of safety and belonging during our few years of childhood upbringing.
You are detecting certain changes that you feel are pushing you out of your comfort zone, so your subconscious is referring to something that you know gave you a sense of belonging. That’s why your dream about childhood home—meaning and symbolism included—is so vivid.
But the good news is that this dream means that you can draw strength from the past while taking steps towards the near future. This is how you draw a sense of purpose and direction as you push ahead.
All your life is about growth, whether you like it or not.
Dreaming About Childhood Houses Marks Milestones in Life
Also, your childhood house represents how you are going through some sort of life-changing event. Maybe it’s menopause, or there are signs that your marriage is on the rocks. Or you are applying for a new job, and there’s a good chance that you will get accepted at your “dream job.”
Whatever the case may be, you are at the cusp of something potentially life-changing.
On the surface, it might seem like a very positive thing. But, deep down inside, there’s a part of you that’s terrified, so you are grasping for memories, ideas, and old personal internal dialog scripts that you can draw some comfort from.
When you tap your childhood memory this way, you can’t help but feel good because things seem so much simpler back then.
Now, deep down inside, you know that’s not true. Your parents had issues. There were bullies at school. There were scary or uncertain situations in your childhood. You know this now as an adult. Still, the bright glare of your childhood memories is very easy to interpret as a positive light.
Just be conscious of what you’re doing. Be aware of why you’re thinking about your childhood as you deal with your present situation.
If you achieve this level of self-awareness, it’s perfectly okay to dive head-first into comforting memories of your childhood home. You’re not deceiving anybody. You know that a lot of it is lies, exaggerations, and wishful thinking—but you don’t care because you know your purpose.
The big danger lies in people who don’t know what they’re doing. They mistake false memories for truth. They assume that everything that they believe about their memories is necessarily true. This can harm them.
Common Dream Interpretation and Representations of a Childhood House
There are different types of childhood home dreams. It’s important to understand the proper context of these dreams because these differences can mean a lot. They take you to different places as far as your emotional state and sense of possibility and optimism go.
In general, dreaming about your childhood home means you are searching for a place of comfort. Maybe you’re not all that happy and fulfilled with your current life. Perhaps your sleeping consciousness, or unconscious, factors in threats on the horizon.
So to psych yourself up and give yourself the emotional firepower and strength that you need to push through or confront whatever unfinished issues that you may be facing in your relationships, career, business, or physical health, you reach back into the past.
Done right, it can lead to a renewed sense of adventure and possibility. Things that would normally seem to defeat you, like a cancer diagnosis or getting fired from your job, would be more bearable because you’re drawing energy from who you were or who you thought you were in the past.
This is especially true if you are on the cusp of some sort of new business venture or career move. Maybe you got promoted, and you’re feeling a little uneasy. Doubts fly through your mind. Maybe you’re even suffering from impostor syndrome.
Whatever the case may be, when you dream of the place you grew up in as a child, you can tap into a source of memories—whether real or imagined—that can enable you to reawaken your sense of adventure and potential and take full advantage of this new beginning that is looming ahead.
What Does It Mean to Dream of a Childhood Home Being Worn Down and Neglected?
It’s one thing to imagine yourself looking at your childhood home, and everything is bright with beautiful moments and scenes all around. Maybe there’s a white picket fence. The walls are freshly painted. There might even be flowers in the garden somewhere on the premises. Put simply, it’s a pleasant place.
But what if it’s the opposite? What if you see something that’s crumbling, rusting, and obviously in the middle of decay? This building has been neglected, overlooked, and possibly even intentionally forgotten.
When this kind of image comes to your mind, it highlights the fact that something is going on in your current life that unsettles you. You notice that the chances of change happening are quite high, but you can’t quite make sense of it.
In this context, the fear and uncertainty of the future show up as a common motif between several types of dreams that focus on life changes. There are also more interesting articles about these dreams like the crooked teeth dream meaning.
The uncertainty is getting the better of you; you’re tempted to look at it as something to fear. You’re under the impression that for these things to finally settle down, you might have to be left behind, or you might have to lose something.
When you dream of a childhood home falling apart, it means that a part of you is scared of the consequences of your choices. If you’re being honest, you notice that you have defined yourself based on your failures.
You may be thinking to yourself, “how many times do I have to get burned to realize that there are just certain places in my life that I can’t go? I just don’t have it. I can’t do it. Other people can do it, but that’s not me.”
How many times have you heard yourself saying these things deep down inside?
Well, this is the part of you that is going to be very vocal and loud when you focus on the rust, the weeds, and the decay of your childhood home.
Such a Dream Is a Reminder of Our Human Potential
You have to understand that when we were born, we were full of potential. When a baby is born, regardless of its health, it has potential. It could be anything.
But as we get older, “reality sets in.” We start defining ourselves based on what we can’t do. We are confronted with the limitations of real life. If we’re not careful, eventually, we will reach a stage where we are convinced that life is just one giant lottery.
These are the things that you have to confront when seeing an image of the home that used to give you a sense of possibility, happiness, and pride fall apart before your very eyes.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Just because you screwed up in the past—maybe you failed to go to school or run after your dream, or you married the wrong person—doesn’t mean that it’s game over. You just have to understand what you have to work with and build on that.
You can grow to love a person that you’re disappointed with. You can take another direction if you end up at a dead-end. It’s the same way with being beaten down and failing: you can choose to get up.
It’s all about what you choose to do in the here and now.
What Does Dreaming About Going Through Your Childhood Home and Cleaning Out the Rooms Mean?
Another common dream subject involving your childhood home shows you cleaning it up in some way. When you get this kind of dream, sit up and pay attention.
This very powerful dream means that you’re realizing that there are certain things that are wrong with your conception of the past. If you analyze this dream correctly and you have the right level of personal will, you might be able to shake off a lot of the delusions and self-defeating lies that you believed in for so long.
I can’t even begin to tell you how many people lived very small, tortured, and limited lives because of a misconception from the past.
I know somebody who was traumatized by the fact that several attractive girls in his school were pointing at him and laughing. He forgot all the other details. All he remembered was those blue-eyed, blonde-haired, beautiful girls laughing at him.
Well, it turns out—after 30 years, during their high school reunion—he met up with those girls, and they told him that they were laughing at the class clown behind him. For 30 years, he carried this internal image of him as being ugly, repulsive, and completely unattractive on so many levels—feeling ashamed of himself.
He told me that after they told him that, he had to excuse himself and rush out of that room—straight to the bathroom, where he broke down crying. He allowed himself to live in a mental and emotional prison for all that long.
Make no mistake; when you imagine yourself rifling through drawers, cleaning out rooms, or tearing down posters or wall art in the dream of your childhood home, you’re achieving great progress.
A lot of the time, the invisible chains holding us back and convincing us that we can’t be somebody or go somewhere are based on a misconception or even a flat-out lie.
What Does It Mean If You Dream About Your Childhood Home Destroyed?
If you see your childhood home destroyed or go up in flames in a dream, it can mean one of two things. These both involve strong emotions.
First, this dream can mean that a lot of the bondage, oppression, trauma, or even embarrassing moments and negative influences that you felt you suffered from before were actually exaggerations.
You have to understand that every time you, as an adult, think back about childhood beliefs and trauma, you have to take great care. Otherwise, you may be blowing things out of proportion or reading things into those memories that weren’t there, to begin with.
The other extreme is just as important. Your dream may be telling you that you’re reading too much positivity into your memories when it’s not actually there.
You might imagine your father as this all-loving, all-giving, self-sacrificing person when, in reality, that person was just emotionally absent. He looks at you as an accident. He didn’t plan you, but he feels that he’s stuck with you and has to provide for you.
I’m not saying this to destroy your relationship with your father, but, in many cases, a lot of people who have very rosy conceptions of their childhood do so as a defense mechanism. Their subconscious is telling them about the true character of the people who were closest to them.
Dreams About Your Childhood Push You to Break Free
It’s really important to sit up and pay attention when you see an image of your childhood house destroyed in your dreams. It can mean that you are about to escape the limiting beliefs and shadows of your memories, and it’s a good thing.
When you see a house that embodies your limitations and frustrations being destroyed in a dream, you can look at it as an opportunity to build a new, bigger house as you enter a new phase of your life.
But you have to be aware. What are the lies that you have believed in or forced yourself to believe in for all these years? What are the exaggerations that have poisoned your relationships?
These are questions that only you can answer.
What Does It Mean to Dream About the Dining Room of Your Childhood Home?
When you have a dream about the dining room, the silverware, and all other materials that are usually associated with eating, you might be concerned about your health.
Either you think you’re not in good health, or you just got a diagnosis from your doctor, or you are realizing that your recent lifestyle changes are breaking your childhood programming.
You have to understand that the shape of your body and the state of your health come from somewhere. They either come from your attitude and mindset, or they come from how you were raised. All of the latter starts in the dining area—where you’re taught dining manners, food appreciation, and the importance of having a balanced diet.
When you dream about yourself in the dining area from your childhood years—looking at the plates, table settings, and all that—this can mean that you are about to upend all of that and take another direction, or your subconscious is telling you that you need to slow down and be healthier.
What Does It Mean When You Dream of Having a Fun Time in Your Childhood Home?
It means that you are either trying to draw confidence from the times when everything was taken care of for you and you felt protected, or your mind is giving you a contrasting image to your present reality.
Maybe you’re shaken to your core. Maybe you recently discovered some sort of abuse from your childhood past. So there’s a conflict in your mind, and it’s not unusual to see these contrasting images.
Deep down, a part of you that wants to hang on to a nostalgic desire to keep things the way they’ve always been would say, “was it really that bad?” They’re afraid of what you’d have to give up to become a new person based on that information you recently learned about your childhood.
This is especially true in the context of abuse, parental abandonment, or even infidelity between your parents.
What Does It Mean to Dream About the Childhood Kitchen?
This is where things get a little bit tricky.
When you dream about the kitchen from your childhood years, there are so many places and things to look at. There are so many symbols to focus on.
But, generally speaking, this dream symbolizes that there are certain things in your everyday life that are just spiraling out of control, and you might want to seek professional help. This has something to do with your self-image and can impact your relationship with your family.
It’s important to understand that such dreams of being in your childhood kitchen—either as a child or as an adult going back in time—means that your subconscious mind is telling you that you need to practice self-care.
When you eat junk food because you’re eating for comfort, you’re not making the problem go away. Instead, you’re just making it worse. You eat due to anxiety, depression, loneliness, or some other emotional state.
But when you see yourself in the mirror, gaining weight, you feel even more anxious and depressed. So you go through that process again, eat some more, and it gets worse and worse.
In other words, you respond negatively to unpleasant events—expecting to get different results—knowing full well that only unpleasant circumstances can come out of two unpleasant things. So you build this unhealthy routine, and it results in a downward spiral.
When you see yourself in the kitchen of your childhood house, this can be a wake-up call sent by your subconscious to you.
Dreams About Your Childhood Home Attic
An attic is a place where we store stuff that we cannot use or don’t want to use. Oftentimes, we forget about stuff that we had stored away in that part of our home.
But just because we can’t see them doesn’t mean that they don’t have a hold on us or have some sort of effect on the rest of our lives. This reality definitely informs the very symbolic meaning of childhood home attic dream imagery.
If you have this type of dream, it means that you still have issues with an ex-boyfriend, ex-girlfriend, or somebody you had soul ties with. As you probably already know, when you have sex with somebody, regardless of how casual it is, you have soul ties with that person.
It’s really important to understand that your subconscious is sending you signals regarding unresolved business, loose ends, or you may be blaming or pointing towards that part of your psyche for things that you feel you can’t control today and you refuse to take responsibility for.
What Do Dreams About Visiting Your Childhood Home Mean?
If it’s obvious that you’re just visiting your childhood home in your dream, it means that you are at the cusp of some big event or move in your life.
This is not necessarily a limiting factor. Instead, it’s more like a notice.
When you see yourself visiting your childhood home, and it’s obvious you’re going home after the trip, take it for what it is: it’s just your mind telling you—because you may not be aware of it—that something big is happening.
If anything, this should tell you to practice a little more self-awareness.
Dream Example #1
On a cloudy day past 4 p.m., I wake up because of the chattering sounds in the house. Right from dizziness, I jumped off my bed to get hold of the cause of such rumbles.
As I rushed down the stairs, my lecturing mother who is furious since my brother and I played with water. To think about it, it was plain water, the colorless and odorless liquid substance.
Of course, my mother would not overact over trivial things. Do you want to give it a guess? What could be the crime we committed on keeping her high-pitched this time of the day?
Well, let me spill the beans. We only take a swim in a pool. Why would she make a fuss about this? We are only swimming – wait. We do not have a swimming pool at home! Oops, remembering it does ring a bell! We did make a swimming pool inside the house, on the ground floor exactly.
I could not ask for more about how she would be mad for our doings.
My brother and I miss how jolly it is to spend time swimming. So we made one, a Do-It-Yourself! We have two huge drums full of water on the ground floor and filled it all on the floor.
The plan was a success for such the water level above the knees of 8-year-old and 6-year-old kids.
We dug into the homemade pool and enjoyed every moment. Mom is full of infuriation due to the aftermath we cause.
The sack of rice is half wet. There are appliances and wirings are on the ground that was not plugged. The floor is much nasty where we were like swimming in drainage.
Nevertheless, the house was situated in a squatter’s area. This explains why the surroundings are undeniably noisy all the time. Often, when a typhoon comes, the rain overflows inside our house due to improper drainage areas in the place.
The passage going to our neighborhood is even too narrow where only one person can fit. Ideally, the place is quite inhabitable and distracting if you wanted security and peace in your environment.
As young as I am, the area’s lack of proper maintenance didn’t matter much to me. The childhood home I have was not the place nor the house but the people and friends I have enjoyed and spent my time with since birth.
They filled up more than what I needed as I child. They are always my home.
I could not think of another way to run from our busted wickedness but to get out of the house. Without a second thought, I made my way out and gave a visit to my best friend’s house.
They are always my getaway buddies at times like this. When I arrive at their house, they welcome me in open arms. I have not missed the chance to savor some snacks.
After eating a handful of biscuits, we play our favorite game, Snack & Ladder. In this time, we enjoy having some fun with indoor games every time I become a house guest.
Yet, we also spend some time outdoors. Right after losing in the snake and ladder, we went outside that is not nearer our house and played Block and Catch.
During this time of the day, plenty of kids showed up in the common ground doing lots of fun. We could miss the opportunity from our eyes.
Thus, we join the team. It took some hours for the sun to set. The sky turned into bluer in shades then gradually in black. In response, the neighborhood switched its lights on.
When the skies changed their colors, they are lesser kids who are playing. Either their parents arrived and fetched them. Or they went home on their own accord.
However, I received scolding to go home through the death glare my mother gave as soon as she saw me outside. I am scared that she might give double scolding from my actions today.
But I am preoccupied with joy and exhaustion from the games I joined in. Even so, I bid farewell to my friends. I know the day is up to an end. Yet there are tomorrows to come.
As I try to manage Mom’s endless rants, she is still mad for what we have done. I guess I am stuck at home for the next days to come.
After I have eaten my supper and daily night routine, I go upstairs and jumped off on the fluffy bed. Less than a minute, I immediately went asleep.
As soon as the morning shine reached my face and in bed with a turned-off fan, I am sure that I am awake. She does this as a strategy to get us up in bed earlier.
But I don’t mind since I had more than 8-hour of sleep. I am feeling my body is well-energized. Instantly after fixing my bed, I notice there are enormous items of luggage loaded.
There were also a few things are on display. I tried to understand what could have been the reason for such sight? Maybe my parents need to go somewhere far. Or we are going on a vacation.
The latter thought elevated my hopes up. I delightfully went downstairs to ask if we are going on a vacation. But only to find out that we are moving out to the next town.
Hesitantly, I go back to my room. I had some thought about the abrupt news on the platter today. Moving to a new place sounds delightful, new house, new bedroom, new people and new friends.
There I linger on the last thought, new friends. I have come to think that this is the last time we can see each other. I can’t believe it.
So I grabbed a pen and wrote their names on the wall of the room. With hopes that someday, I can eventually return to my childhood home.
The second I have these thoughts, I rushed to their house and shared the bad news. After we bid farewells, we hold our promises that we will meet again sooner than we expect it.
I even ask them to never forget me or have me replace by new kids. It sounded foolish to say. Yet when a kid crosses each other’s finger, they hold the promises fondly.
Downcast on a million times, as I went home, my mother knew I am devastated that I am leaving my friends behind. She comforted me that it will be okay and sooner we can visit them sometime. Downheartedly crying, I wipe my tears to help packing things up into the van. Minutes than I know, we head towards our destination.
Less than an hour, we arrive at our new house in the neighboring town. The house is surprisingly huge. The neighborhood seems peaceful than how boisterous our old place was.
It took around an hour or two to unloaded our things from the van to organize them inside the house. Immediately, when my room is all set, I feel physically and emotionally tired.
I have the feeling of eagerness to sleep to help calm me down. But before my eyes shut, a tear has fallen from my eyes knowing it will be long enough to see my friends again.
I wipe it up with my hands without realizing that it happened years ago. But I still miss them every day.
Dream Example #2
Dressed like a CEO, wearing a white coat with a black leather belt and black slacks paired with white heels. I’m on the road to my childhood home.
There’s a huge change that happened long years ago. Separation leads me to be away and leave with a broken heart.
Thieves have taken our house and my father who was alone there has been the main suspect said the Police. We are all sleeping back then, He got arrested because of it, soon he’s recharged.
His words upon arresting were forever in my heart. The hatred, grief, and pain are transparent in his eyes. I don’t want to leave him, I trust in him that he’s incapable of doing that because we are family, they told me I am wrong.
“There’s no connection that will bring us back to Family.” that was my fathers’ last word after we leave home. Heavy heart, I left my father under police hands.
I was pretty aware that some people in prison ain’t treated well, yet I still gave up my father to be with them. Same blood running in both of our veins, guilt-filled my body that I wanted to rebel but I will only make my life ruin.
On this road, taking a visit to the home serving me a lot and gives me so many memories that I’ll bring forever. Solar Homes.
The street isn’t broad. None has changed, it’s still the old street where I used to play games with my friends. This is where I share my blood on it because of the play wounds. Every childhood memory has filled my head.
Before, when I have no responsibilities. My only problem is my happiness. I’m so thankful that I have the childhood this day’s kids haven’t experience.
My best friends and I were walking and playing Chinese garter in the middle of the street. Having some bicycle rides. We will ride the whole village. We will race who would come first on the set finish line.
I find my father immediately after observing our street. There I saw him with some of his friends in the house of one of our neighbors back then.
Looking so happy and had no traces of sadness and problems on his face. It looks like he has finally found the happiness he’s been longing for.
Desiring to be beside him seems to be impossible. I know deep down in his heart, the hatred was still there. We used to dream of being successful together, having a car which I made come true.
Everything I have right now, I owe it to my father. Looking at him smiling with his friends as a happy-go-lucky person stops me from pursuing him.
We have thrown away a family to him and I won’t let that smile fades away. I remembered everything we have made when I was a child. Riding in his tricycle because I’m going to school.
My father is very patient with us his children, but we never do the same.
As I woke up sobbing, my dream has enabled me to dream about my childhood home, not a house but my father. Because with my family, I am home. There’s no place like home.
Dream Example #3
A small wooden house I dreamed of last night. I’m not aware who’s the owner of that house until I saw a picture of my mother on the wall, who passed away when I was a ten-year-old boy.
Based on how much I reminiscence, I believe that this house was my childhood home. I grabbed the picture frame of my mom and sat on the stairs with a smile.
Then I took up the stairs to visit her room. As I began to open the door, I’m surprised that she was there, sleeping.
I called her name, and she looks back, and she smiled. She told me, “did you eat your breakfast?” and I answered yes, even though I have not yet eaten my breakfast.
Then she turned her back and slept again. I slowly walked and went to my room and check up on it. As I began to open the door, my space was empty—just a plain white wall.
I noticed a pen at the side of the door, so I started to write on the border with the names of my childhood friends, who always hang out in my room and do art crafts.
After that, I took down the stairs and went to the kitchen, I saw my father cooking, and I’m surprised because he usually doesn’t cook for us.
I asked him, what’s for breakfast, and he replied, “your favorite food son.” And two cats are waiting for him to feed them.
I went outside, and I saw my dog sprinting at me, jumping and licking my face. I laughed so hard while hugging him. I left the house for a minute to look for my childhood friends, but I did not see them.
And so, I went back to the house, but when I opened the gate, the place was completely different. It was all covered in vines, and I went straight up to the kitchen.
My father was gone, and the cats are gone. I took up the stairs and went to my mother’s room, and she’s gone too.
I went back outside and whistled to call my dog, but I didn’t hear a single bark. I feel like there is something strange happening in the house because everyone is missing.
I began to worry and felt empty.
Tears were rolling down my face. And keep asking myself what I have done wrong.
And then, I saw a clock, and I began to realize that it was already midnight and I feel so tired.
So, I sat down on the chair in the living room, and I noticed an old vinyl record that my mom always listened to. I started to play it on her turntable.
As the music begins, the house began to colour itself. With the pleasant melody of the music, I fall asleep. As I began to notice, I heard a voice singing a lullaby.
When I open my eyes, I find myself floating on the ceiling, and I saw my mother cradling a baby.
Dream Example #4
The house was full of laughter. Balloons of different colors, mostly red and white decorated the living room, and the Christmas lights crisscross the length and breadth of the living room and dining. It was 10:30 am on Christmas day. The T.V was on, but no one was watching it as I chased the balloon with Tolu, my younger brother.
My dad was fixing one of the water taps outside the house with uncle Kola. Mum was in the kitchen boiling and frying different dishes.
Tola was giving my Mum a helping hand as she performs each task. I watch Tola gives her full concentration to the activities in the kitchen.
One part of my heart is telling me that she might be planning to study culinary when she gets to college.
Apart from being the first child of the family; she loves cooking our favorite jollof rice and I and Tolu will miss her when she goes to college.
Then I saw my old dog. Terry was a gift from my Aunt on my fifth birthday. He was struggling with a big bone of chicken; trying desperately to crush the bone with his strong teeth, swinging his tail excitedly.
Music from Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” filled the air rivaled only by the aroma of fried chicken from the kitchen.
This was the best part of my childhood. The song, the food, and the music are what we all look forward to.
After the feast in the morning, we all took our ball outside and started playing. I scored two goals and was so excited. Then a ball hit me on my face. The force threw me backward, and I started to cry.
I woke up with sweat all over me. It was a dream. A terrible dream.
Dream Example #5
I have the exam of Physics tomorrow. The whole night I prepared for the exam. The pressure on the mind and body is just beyond words.
I cried a lot on that night while studying, remembering my childhood days. Those were the best days when I was far away from the cruelty of the world.
Tears were weeping continuously from my eyes. I kept my head down on my book and when I slept was hard to remember.
I saw myself surrounded by trees. In between trees, there was a small house. The house has a lot of guava trees and vine of grapes.
Everything seems new yet unfurnished. Then my ninety-year-old granny kept her hand on my head, I smiled.
She gave me fresh guavas to eat. I grabbed them started eating. I saw someone riding on a bicycle.
I tried to catch them and ran. Soon I joined him. We started hooting while riding, got tired. We sat under the shadow of the tree.
Then my aunt came with food in her hand to feed the cows. James(my brother) started feeding the cow from the front.
I was nervous, to touch the cow because the tail of the cow was in motion. I thought the tail of the cow, will hit me when I go near.
I decided to cross. When I took one step and rushed, I got slapped by the cow’s tail.
It was very hurtful. But I crossed. Later on, I was sitting on the kitchen shelf. Mine was standing and preparing milk for me.
She then poured the milk into the bottle and gave it to me. I finished the milk and started playing again in the big muddy house.
While playing, I thought to move upstairs. And when I reached there, I wonder what will happen if I jumped from there? To get it done practically, I jumped and safely landed on the ground.
For me, I have achieved something that was virtually true. When I landed, I saw my aunt uncle getting married.
There was a big marriage hall and for the convenience standing fans were arranged.
Well, that’s the turn of the experiment. I came near towards the standing fan and thought, what would happen if I put my hand inside it. The fan was on. I put my hand into it when everybody around me gathered.
I founded myself in the hospital. My hand was bleeding. The doctor gave me an injection. I saw my mom crying.
I can even hear her voice. I felt her hand on my back as if she was patting me. I opened my eyes and saw it was 6:30 in the morning. I was running out of time and was late for school. Everything that happened was somehow real and deja vu.
Dream Example #6
Everything was normal until I saw him. Then I got promoted to 9th standard. New admissions of students were taking place.
There were many new students. From all of them, I saw a guy who was different from everyone. He was attractive by looks and charming by personality.
His name was Mike. Fortunately, I passed my 9th grade too with good grades and got promoted to 10th.
I meet with a new best friend named Rose in my tenth class. I used to sit with her every day. Soon the days passed. We noticed our thinking and thoughts were more like to resemble each other.
We used to support each other every time. But the term destiny created a difference. There will be no problem if everyone receives what they want.
We used to discuss everything with each other. Soon Mike became the topic of our discussion. With every new day, we both were falling in love with him.
The realization is a little away and a little far. We both love Mike but never told each other.
So the one-day, class teacher has assigned me the duty of giving a speech at school in the morning assembly. I practiced it very well till night.
Then I decided to go to sleep. Due to the excitement of giving the speech, I was unable to sleep. Then I started thinking about the topic which interests me a lot.
I occupied my mind with Mike. In the early morning, I was getting late for school. I was in my school’s playground and thought to reach the class and call other students for assembly as I have to deliver a speech today.
When I went inside the classroom, I saw Mike. I showed my white paper where I have written the information. He immediately took me with him towards the park.
The park was full of students. I became nervous to see everyone waiting for me. I moved towards the stage.
Suddenly Rose stopped me by standing hard as the wall in front of me. I tried hard to push her away. But I failed.
Then I thought to tell Mike about this. I searched him everywhere inside the park. He was not there. I thought to go to the classroom. I was lucky he was in class.
He was sitting at the first desk. He took my hands into his and told- I love you! I was on cloud nine at that time but also confused.
We stepped out of the class and moving downstairs. Accidentally I missed one step. My eyes wide opened.
Everything was beautiful until I woke up. It was 5:30 in the morning. I woke up early and got ready for school.
I delivered a speech at school everyone clapped. Even Mike complemented. Rose told me that she has proposed to mike. He said yes. The pain and grief of that day have left me broken for years.
Later on, Mike broke up with Rose as well. Things and people were beautiful until they were together.
Dream Example #7
“Victoria, honey, wake up, it is time for school.” My mom nudged me to wake me up.
Being in the fifth grade had many perks but waking up at 6 am for school was not one of them.
I got up to avoid getting scolded. I climbed down from my top bunk bed, landing my tiny feet on the carpet.
No one slept on the bottom bunk so, my little brother and I would use it to build forts.
First, I would peep into my little brother’s room which was right across from my room. If I found him awake, I’d say good morning and if he was not, I would wake him up.
On this particular morning, he was awake, I gave him cheerful smile before closing his door. Then I headed to the bathroom for a warm bath in the tub.
There was a fuzzy white mat always beside the tub that felt soft when I stepped on it. The bathroom had a full-length mirror behind the door.
I would spend time singing into it but not so much on this day. After taking a bath, I went back to my room which was right next to the bathroom.
My uniform was laid out by my mother on my closet hanger. My wardrobe consisted of two hanging wardrobes and two shelved wardrobes, which remained neat due to the strict monitoring of my mother.
My next stop was breakfast. I always enjoyed walking through the long carpeted corridor of our house that led to the dining.
My father was already seated by our dining table on his usual head seat, reading the newspaper. I loved to see the natural light come in and the view of our backyard that showed a few jacaranda trees.
So I always opened the curtains to the windows, which covered up the entirety of the dining wall. Right next to our dining room was the lounge which had the shape of a hexagon.
If you looked through its windows, you could see right to the driveway and the gate. My puppy, Flossy must have heard us because she was scratching the window for attention.
I had a habit of saving some of my breakfast toast to give her before leaving for school. My little brother came to the table shortly after I did and as usual, went for the chocolate cereal.
Ten minutes into breakfast, mom would come from her bedroom to send us off to brush our teeth. The sink in the bathroom was a bit too high for us so, my father had placed two stairs for us to climb.
The next thing was a challenge for our parents; it was getting us all out of the house and into the car. There was a door from the corridor that led to the garage.
My father would unlock it and start the car as a warning to those of us delaying. The roaring sound of our Toyota truck would always make us rush out of the house.
I assisted with opening the gate and it made a squeaky noise when I moved it along its rails. The maid arrived as we were leaving; she would remain home to clean and feed the puppy. I held Flossy in my hands as the car reversed out.
From the gate, I could see the guava trees and mulberry trees in our front yard. Handing over Flossy to the maid, I jumped into the car and waved goodbye as we drove off.
Our house disappeared from view as we turned around the curve of our road. We lived in a small and beautiful neighborhood. Mulberry trees were outside most of the houses and neat landscaping.
That was the dream I had about my childhood home.
Dream Example #8
Our childhood home is one of the most familiar and nostalgic places we can visit. When we leave that house and grow old, the memories would feel vivid as if they were a dream.
I once had a home with my family before my parents broke up because of karma. All memories of my days there were happy memories, but those memories were the most striking. That may be why I remember them.
Whenever I dream about our childhood home, it was always about one thing. It was always about the lady in white that my older sister often talks about when we were little.
It may be a nightmare, not a dream, since I still see the lady in white whenever I experience sleep paralysis.
There is thick fog in this dream. The darkness makes the house looks eerie in horror movies. The place was not the same as it was before.
It is difficult to focus on one thing as it was getting difficult to figure out what was going on.
After looking around the foggy place, I saw my sister eating our favorite gum near the window. I remember there is a small hole there where she usually throws the packaging of the gum outside.
She peeled another gum and crumpled the plastic. She then decided to throw the plastic outside like how she does.
I can’t move or feel my body. I couldn’t shout to stop my sister from putting her hands in the hole.
She felt the cold hands that grasped her small ones. The scene was so blurry, but the feeling of being there terrifies me to the core.
She pulled her hands back in shock and looked through the hole to see whose hands it was.
The person she saw was not one of her siblings nor her parents but a lady without a face. She was pale as if she stayed in a cold place.
Her veins are visible through her white skin. There was no sign of an injury on her body. The person was from the typical horror movie of the lady in a long white dress and snow-white skin.
I looked at my sister for her reaction. To my horror, her face is also missing.
Have you ever seen a scene like this in your dream? Or something similar? If you do, I hope that you forget about it as it is haunting.
Did you think that it was the ending? No. My sister vanished in the scene. What remained was the toys we used to play with, burnt and broken. My body refuses to move as the dream forced me to watch this scene over and over again.
The lady hovered by my body. I tried to scream and move, but no sound came out. I could only cry as I tried to shout for help that no one heard.
She sat beside me and put her hands on my face. The dream ended then. I woke up with tears streaming down my face and the fear remaining in my heart.
My childhood home memories that I wanted to cherish for all my life became a nightmare.
Dream Example #9
In the summer of June 25th, 2012, everyone in my family was bubbling with joy in anticipation of a wonderful summer holidays and trips. Preparing and shopping for the trip made me stressed and exhausted. I decided to take a nap.
I had a dream. In the dream, I was standing in front of the gate of a big house. The gate looked familiar. I had a feeling I had been there before.
I knocked at the gate but got no response. The gate opened as soon as I pushed it. In the compound, there was a Mercedes 190 Flat booth packed in the driveway.
It was the replica of the car my father had when I was 8years old. He usually drives me and my sister to school in it.
I stepped into the compound and was welcomed by the sweet scent of Jasmine flower that always fill the air. I remembered this same scent made us to dance under the sun all day.
This is the house where I grew up. I could also see the twin swing made out of old Dunlap tires my father built for me and my sister on the other side of the lawn.
I quickly ran to the front porch to open the door, but was greeted by two one-eyed monsters. They invited me into the living room. I entered.
I was calling out mum and dad, but no response. The living room looks the same, but there is something different about the living room.
I noticed a swimming pool filled with punch sitting in the center of the room.
One of the monsters took a scoop of the punch drink from the pool and offered me to drink. I ran out of the room towards to the backyard for safety not knowing that there was a party going on there.
I came face to face with a dozen of other mongers drinking and dancing around a campfire.
Fighting with all my might, I try to run away from them, but one of them grabbed me by the arm and forced me on my knees. They took me to their leader- a giant monster, who was at least 10 feet (ca. 305 cm) tall, had a very broad, muscular chest and weigh about 3000 kg.
He tied me up around the campfire, and they started dancing in circles around me. One of the started singing and chanting a song that I used to sing way back in kindergarten.
It sounded odd the way they all joined him to sing the song. Part of the lyrics of the song were changed, but the tune sounded the same.
I was almost losing my mind because I didn’t know what they’ve got up their sleeves for me. I couldn’t imagine what it will be.
Within a few minutes, all the monsters fall asleep, I united myself and tried to get away when the giant monster grabbed me and was about to open his mouth to eat me up. I shook my head and woke up
Dream Example #10
I was sitting on a bench under the large almond tree in front of our house. I considered sitting on the tree root instead, but it was still damp from the rain. The air felt cool and smelled of petrichor. I was excited because it was a Saturday.
Our frontage looked neat, except for some fruits lying about, half-eaten by bats or the other nameless birds.
I called them nameless birds because I didn’t know their names. I only knew bats and crows because they were scary. I was 9years old, and the thought of a rat with wings gave me shivers. I also thought the crow shouldn’t be that black, it was unforgivable.
It was just past dawn, and the sun was already up. A quiet morning, except for the nameless birds singing atop the tree.
Our door laid ajar to let in sunlight and fresh air, the window curtain pulled to the side. My brother stood by the window, squinting at an object he held up to the sunlight. He was talking with someone. I couldn’t make out his words because the birds had gotten noisy.
I looked up at the tree and didn’t see any birds. I thought the birds might be hidden from sight because of the leaves.
The thought was quickly replaced by breakfast as the smell of fried eggs wafted towards me from our house. I tried to stand up, but I couldn’t move. I struggled to get up but felt an invisible weight pressing down on me.
My eyes went back to our house.
It appeared locked and looked dilapidated now. The neighbors’ houses had disappeared. Dried leaves and fruits laid scattered about. I felt panic, or was it sorrow?
Luke, my brother, was no longer standing by the window. But someone else peeped at me from the old, ruined curtain.
I stayed rooted on the bench, and my throat wouldn’t make a sound no matter how much I willed it.
My eyes went back up the tree, and I found that the leaves were still green. No bird in sight, though the screeching had grown louder. The cloud had now turned gray.
I forced myself to move, and I was able to sit up. I looked up again. And there it was. The witching bird. It looked blacker than I remembered.
Like black ink spilled on a painting of green leaves, it perched on the lowest branch directly facing me.
Its eyes, blacker than night, were on me. The crow cocked its head to one side, and as I looked at it, the fear faded slowly. I tried to get up again and found I could move.
I stood up.
Silence.
The other birds held their breath, I thought. I took a step towards the crow and then another. It cocked its head to the left, its black eyes still on me.
“Shoo,”
I said, gesturing for it to go away. Nothing.
“Shoo,” again. It worked.
The crow flapped its wings and descended toward me.
Terror took over.
I screamed, and this time, the sound came out. I shrieked and thrashed as I felt its hands on my arm, shaking me.
IMPOSSIBLE! UNTHINKABLE, I thought, horrified!.
It was not the crow holding my arm. It was my boyfriend!
“Wake up,” he shook me violently. I opened my eyes at the sound of his voice.
“Nightmare,” he whispered now as he softened his hold.
I was not 9, and I was not in my childhood home. I was flustered.
At dawn, my boyfriend got a call that his mother had died.
Dream Example #11
Since the day I was born, I have lived in a place in a province with my grandparents. It was a Hispanic house design with lots of antique furniture on the first floor, a big piano, a big grandparent’s room, and three big rooms with big paintings of ancestors’ pictures on the second floor.
I gained friends from there and went to school from kindergarten to high school in the same place. My mom was left with my grandparents to take care of them when I moved to the city.
When I went to college, I moved to the city and stayed with my aunt.
Since then, I always have dreams about my childhood home, and the scene is always I am talking and laughing with my grandparents.
They are talking about their past experiences during the Japanese war and their life when they were still young.
The house’s interior is still the same in my dream that we have a big round table for dining and family gatherings, a living room with lots of furniture, and of course, the piano that my mom and I are always playing.
My favorite part is the scene on my grandmother’s bed, where my grandma and I are always lying while having chitchats and, of course, the little garden at the back of the house where we tend the plants and some pets.
In my dream, we are always eating while chatting with the family in my childhood home. It always starts happy and having fun with the family in my dream, but it always ends creepy.
It’s a big house with lots of happy memories except for one thing; nobody wants to sleep on the second floor except me.
There’s a scene in my dream that keeps on repeating every time I dream about the house.
It goes like this. We are having dinner as a family, and then after dinner, everyone will watch the favorite night show on tv in the living room.
While watching the show, two black silhouettes from the second floor are slowly going down the stairs that everyone must notice because the end of the staircase is in the living room.
But I am surprised that I am the only one who will notice the unknown entities, and the creepy thing is they are carrying a coffin! Yes, you read it right, a coffin!
Then the scene will suddenly change that everyone left me in the living room wondering where the two entities are going.
Then, a black cat will appear on the side of my armchair after the two entities disappeared.
When I look on the middle part of the living room floor, suddenly it’s now a bunker during the war with lots of dead people, shouting and crying children and mothers and fire everywhere. Out of curiosity, I want to stand from my armchair, but it’s like a force that keeps me seated on the chair.
My dream always ends there because my husband will wake me up because of the unusual sound coming from my mouth.
Dream Example #12
I heard some dogs barking angrily as I walked down the dusty path.
The sun stood yellow at the far end of the street and I knew it was setting .The evening was fast approaching and I had to walk faster to get to my destination before the night began.
The smell of dust lingered in my nose and I could almost taste it on my tongue. The environment so quiet that the leaves from the trees around seemed to rustle right in my ears .
I walked past a guava tree where two young lovers held each other lovingly. They turned at the sound of my footsteps and clumsily disengaged as I gave them a knowing wink.
I continued down the dusty path stopping to wave at familiar faces till I got to a big rusty gate. I stood at the gate staring anxiously.
I sure could feel my heart pounding hard in my chest. A lot of questions ran through my already crowed head. I had only one decision to make and I had to make it fast; I could either turn back or walk in.
I pushed the gate open and it made a loud screeching sound as if angry at my intrusion. Behind the gate stood an unpainted bungalow which stood at the center of a large compound covered with brown sand.
I could perceive the aroma of lamb stew cooking and I idly wondered if I had a share in the meal. As I approached the wooden door, I heard the familiar sound of a high pitched laugher.
I smiled to myself knowing that my sister was in. I gave a feeble knock on the door and stood back to listen.
More voices could be heard from inside chattering happily while the high pitched hearty laughter accompanied. I took a deep breath and pushed open the wooden door.
Since I met no resistance, I pushed it even farther and took a step into the room. I was greeted by warm air and the smell of old wood and cooking stew.
A brown sofa was positioned at the center of the room. A wooden side table which stood at the left side of the brown sofa had a high stack of old newspapers neatly arranged.
The black television stood on a high wooden shelf at the far end of the room. I noticed that I had made a trail of dusty footprints on the cemented floor so I took off my sandals and walked down a narrow hall way bare footed.
‘Hello!’, I called out. I heard my voice echo and I wondered where the owners of the voices I heard earlier had gone to.
There were two doors down the passage; one to my right and the other to my left. I pushed open the door at my right and found myself in the kitchen.
There was a big table which held a red basket for plate and other cutleries. The table also held a big kerosene stove.
The old black kerosene stove was on and there was a big stainless pot on it. The aroma of stew filled the room and I quickly banged the door in a bid to refrain myself from opening the pot.
I opened the door which stood by the left. It was a bedroom.
‘Hello’, I called out again .I only heard my voice reecho again. I stepped into the bed room which served as a bedroom for both my parents and my siblings.
A bed large enough to fit 7 people comfortably sat at the far end of the room. Beside it stood three metal boxes used to keep our clothes.
‘Is anybody home?’ I called again. This time, I heard the high pitched laughter followed by a scream for help.
I bolted out of the door as I jerked awake. Alas! It was only a dream. My little nap had transported me to my childhood home. Maybe I should visit soon.
Dream Example #13
I was eating my favorite mango-flavored ice cream outside my grandma’s house while the wind was blowing through my face.
I heard my grandma’s voice calling me out as I ran through the tickling rain. “Anna, go and get some fresh towel from the old wooden cabinet and dry yourself up.”
As I walked on the wooden floor that was squeaking, I saw my grandma’s dog running towards me. It was licking my wet feet and was tickling me.
Then I smelled something familiar, a sweet and flavorful smell of my favorite meal. It was dinner time already, and I helped my grandma arranged the white-colored plates and the glasses that had similar designs on the wooden table.
I can hear my stomach sounding while preparing the table. I can hear the insects making their sound and the leaves from the coconut tree.
As my grandma calls on to my aunt and uncle, I went to sit on my favorite spot, besides my grandma. I could see the light coming from the moon and the stars outside the window.
My aunt prayed a short prayer before we started to eat. My grandma passed on the hot rice, the sour fish soup, and my favorite fried fish.
I can hear the crunch of the fish as I munch into it, so crispy and fresh. Then I sipped the fresh fruit juice prepared by my aunt.
After dinner, I helped my grandma and aunt to clean the table. My grandma gave me the towel to wipe the table dry.
Then I went to clean myself up to be ready for bed. I turned the leaking faucet and filled the pale inside the bathroom.
As I lay on my bed, my grandma knocked and said her goodnight. When I opened my eyes, it was still dark and silent.
Then I heard the rooster crowing and the loud sound of the bell near my grandma’s house. It was too early for me to wake up, as I hear the people from the outside shouting as if they were mountains apart.
Greeting each other hello and asking what is for breakfast. I can smell the burning wood from the dirty kitchen of my grandma and the scent of fresh ground ginger and the sweet aroma of pure chocolate drink.
I can hear the splash of the cooking oil as my uncle is frying some dried fish and my aunt cooking fried rice.
As I ran to the cold kitchen floor, I saw grandma’s dog wagging its tail and jumping all around. I said my good morning and hugged my grandma tight.
I was so happy to see them again. Then I heard a familiar voice calling me and knocking at my door.
“Your cousins are here.” Then I realized I was no longer at my grandma’s house. All the wind and rain blowing through my face was just a dream. A dream that made me miss my childhood home.
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Dream interpretation and symbology have fascinated me ever since I read Freud’s classic, “The Interpretation of Dreams.” Ever since, I have explored Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Buddhist as well as Jungian psychological ideas about the meaning of dreams. Thanks for joining me in my exploration of the amazing intersection between our conscious waking world and the rich expanse of our subconscious-the home of our intuition, instincts, and hidden potential.