Dreams come from the subconscious mind during sleep. They are messages in a picture language that reflect our thoughts, attitudes, feelings, and action from the previous day. They serve as timely status reports, which let us know the state of our conscious awareness. In previous articles in dream interpretation, I’ve addressed common dream symbols and themes, from babies and being naked to experience of death and nightmares. Much like these dream symbols, body parts play significant roles in dream interpretation.
Hands
Hands are very important to our ability to interact with people and our environment during the day. They serve the function of grasping, holding, pulling things towards ourselves, and communicating through hand gestures. Much like in waking life, they represent something very necessary within the mind. Hands in a dream represent purpose. Purpose is defined personal benefit or the understandings of life’s lessons gained from the experiences we have each day.
How do hands appear in your dreams? Are they holding onto something important or holding hands with another person? Do they appear crippled or absent entirely from yourself or others in a dream? Observing how they appear and act in a dream can tell you a lot about how you are using purpose throughout the day.
Feet
Feet are also very important. You’ve probably heard the expression, “Standing on your own two feet.” When we are able to do this physically, we can stand, walk, run, or move with support. Feet in a dream represent the state of the dreamer’s spiritual foundation — what the mind stands on for support to insure continued growth and development. A spiritual foundation, regardless of religious background or belief, relates to the types of thinking, belief, or knowing you are more than a physical body. As you identify more with being a thinker, a reasoner, a person whose purpose is to continue to build character and strength in many areas that benefit yourself and other people, you’re guaranteed a strong foundation from which to act and learn as an individual. Noting how feet appear in the dreams will reveal how strong you are in this area.
Face
When we meet people face-to-face, we’re able to identify who people are and understand them to a greater depth. In dreams, faces represent your ability to identify parts of yourself. A common occurrance in dreams is having people without faces or covered faces. This reflects a dreamer who’s having difficulty in identifying the aspects or qualities those people represent in the themselves. There’s a need to invest in self-discovery and self-awareness. Faces that are well-defined and identifiable as people you know shows greater awareness of yourself, your thinking, and your intentions.
Eyes
Our eyes in waking life allow us to see and observe our environment through receiving light. Light in dreams represents awareness. Therefore, when eyes become significant as part of the dream, they represent the dreamer’s perception. Are the eyes of people open or closed, shining brightly or hidden from sight? Answering these types of questions can help illuminate how you are using your own abilities of discernment and mind perception.
These are a few examples of how body parts in dreams play a role in dream interpretation. If these or other body parts appear in your dreams, look for how they function in waking life. Identifying the function will help with clarifying the mind actions or types of thinking they represent.
