Dreams about Support & Safety
i was dealing with some back pain last week which emphasised the lack of safety i felt around a specific area in my life. since i’m not consuming fast content anymore, my dreams have become more vivid and easy to remember.
every morning, i would write down all the bits and pieces lingering in my half-awake mind. in those moments, they seem quite boring and unspectacular. but the magic starts, when i read them later in a more sober state and identify the symbolism behind them.
the energy from these two dreams stayed with me. they felt like a much needed hug.
1st Dream: Umbrella as Shelter
I’m walking down the street with three other people who I consider friends. They walk slightly in front of me, each with an umbrella in their hand. I stop and get down to tie my shoe as my shoelaces got loose. I try to tie them as fast as possible, so I can catch up with the others. I feel the energy of stress building up. They notice that I stopped and come back. Standing around me they hold up their umbrella as if they were creating a shelter. I’m not sure if it even rained. The stress melts away, replaced by a sense of comfort & warmth. Relief. Gratitude that they came back and waited for me. It seems like a small, unnecessary gesture, but meant a lot.
I’m trying to catch up with aspects of myself (the three friends) or something in life. Stopping and tying my shoelace is a way to set proper foundation before further moving. Friends coming back and holding umbrellas over me could be a sign that there is no need for stress. I’m supported and not behind.
2nd Dream: Up To the Mountain
I’m on some kind of adventure and slow down at an empty village to take a break. Another stranger arrives at the same time and we sit on a wooden platform and start chatting. Suddenly, we’re joined by a friend of mine who I’ve hiked with in the mountains in real life. The three of us continue chatting. I feel a sense of comfort and safety in the presence of my mountain friend. In real life, he has been a reliable and compassionate friend who loves to share his mountaineering experiences and expertise. In the dream, suddenly we’re not sitting on the wooden platform anymore; the ground has somehow risen beneath us and we’re on a mountain. I feel fear looking down into the abyss underneath us and see that my friend has a carabiner clipped to his belt, secured to a bolt anchored in the rock. I ask him to help me secure my carabiner as well, so I won’t fall. I trust him wholeheartedly. His energy is neutral, almost stoic towards me. I slowly slip out of the dream world, before I can catch his response.
The wooden platform transforming into a mountain of scary height is like a change of environment that might seem uncomfortable at first. The friend acts as an anchor that I can rely upon. Finding security in the heights is possible through the element of the carabiner. His stoic behaviour didn’t feel uncomfortable, more like someone experienced/competent who knows how to navigate the storms.
Waking Life Context
I’ve been travelling and living without a base since 2023 and while it has been a great adventure, I’ve been longing for a steady home and community. Getting laid off last year intensified my need for more security and predictability in life.
The dreams feel like a direct response to that longing. The umbrella symbolised shelter, the carabiner security. Tools of protection that require other people to work. The umbrellas is being held by friends, the carabiner needs someone who knows how to anchor it properly.
I don’t have to create safety alone.
The shelter is offered. The anchor is already there. I simply needed to ask for help.
Help is offered while I’m on a journey. In a transition state. The scary inbetween. Not when I already arrived. It feels like a reminder that I’m not alone navigating life’s uncertainties. Even the big questions such as home, career, family and relationships don’t have to be heavy burdens that I carry alone. While not having answers can feel unsettling (especially when stretched over a long period of time), I can still acknowledge all the support & care I’ve been given during the transition state.
A reminder to bring more awareness & gratitude to everything I already have, instead of what I’m lacking.
Have the courage to ask for more.
And to stay open to receiving.