Understanding the meaning of our dreams can be quite a challenging task, even for the experienced dreamer. The moment we fall into deep sleep we arrive at the doors of the dream world, you have no choice but to enter. In this vast unknown territory we experience a series of vivid thoughts, images, and sensations that can be both pleasant or chilling.
Dreams are often difficult to comprehend because this is a forgotten language that expresses itself through the use of symbols or metaphors. The unconscious speaks to us by conveying abstract images that might be unknown or unfamiliar to you. Dream symbols are comprised of hidden emotions, urges, and past experiences that have been either been repressed or forgotten about.
Most often we are most effected by our past childhood trauma that essentially stunts our development to becoming a fully integrated adult. These traumas can vary anywhere from your parents divorcing, enduring phyical or mental abuse, financial stress; or emotional neglect. Sometimes it can be as simple as having your favorite childhood toy being thrown in the trash.
Inner Child Dreams
The child in you is the one that still grips onto all those beliefs and coping mechanisms you learned as a kid — parts of you that went along because an adult told you “maybe science wasn’t for you” or it could be aspects of you that learned to hide emotions like guilt or sadness. You can also be the child that craves the love from your parents that was never given to you. The child wants nothing more than to be noticed and sometimes you can find him or her in your dreams.
Once these memories become repressed they never fully go away, in fact they dwell in the dark corners of your unconsciousness wanting to be noticed. These ignored feelings may manifest in other areas in your life such as nightmares, fears, anxieties, depression, insecurities and self sabotaging life patterns. The painful experience has stunted or froze the development of the child within, as you get older he or she stay the same age. Most adults are unaware of this.
Finding The Inner Child
The main purpose of inner child work is to reconnect with the lost or fragmented parts of ourselves that have been forgotten. Unfortunately this is not such an easy task as the child hides in your current neurotic behaviors, idiosyncrasies and dreams.
On top of that we also live in a fast pace society that barley gives us any time for personal reflection. There is a child is inside all of us that is yearning to be noticed and eventually rescued by you.
You may encounter adults in your life that are physically “grown up” on the surface, though inside they are emotionally and psychologically damaged.
In essence they are what you would call a ‘wise child‘ or ‘peter pan syndrome‘- the inability to grow up or to engage in behavior usually associated with adulthood. Until the child is noticed within these behaviors will continue to rear its ugly head.
Steps To Find Your Inner Child:
- Next, we accept we have an inner child and to take it seriously. We need to consciously connect with that little girl or boy that is inside us: to understand how they feel and what he or she needs from us at the moment. Does it need love, acceptance, protection, guidance or understanding? Often times you can go into a meditative state, by writing a letter, or visualize in a relaxed environment.
- Once you have acknowledge your inner child let them know you are there to help them. Treat it with kindness, love and respect as it needs your assistance.
- Go back to a time when you where hurt or emotionally closed the door to a particular experience. It might help to look at photos of yourself as a child.
- Record your dreams using a dream journal, or by doing shadow work
- Communicate to the child as if you where your older self coming to the recuse. You can engage in active dialogue by saying nurturing things (I love you, I hear you, thank you, I’m sorry, I am here to help).
Dreams: Discovering The Inner Child
Over the years of analyzing peoples dreams I noticed that many people unconsciously dream about their inner child but are unaware of it. The child usually appears to be the same age as you when the trauma occurred in the past, as if time stop at that very moment.
In your dream the child usually will appear unfamiliar to you, though the theme usually revolves around the dreamer protecting, caring, hugging, chasing or in danger.
The dream with the child will also provide you with clues such as locations, emotions, people, water or houses reflects metaphorically. You can also reflect how the child behaves around you. Are you protecting the child in your dream? Is it scared or happy to see you?
I noticed in my own dream work that I went to rescue a 7 year old boy that was drowning in the ocean. I frantically ran out to save the child, jumping in the water I swam towards the child who was going to drowned.
As I reached out to grab the child’s hand and bring him towards me the places where swapped. I was him drowning as he was heading back to the shore as I tried my best not to sink.
I knew from the dream I made contact with the drowning child within. The water would represent my emotional unconscious as the shore was the conscious. I had to risk going out to save myself. I was given an opportunity to become a detective to figure out what caused the child in me to be in need. Once I was able to identify my inner child’s needs he no longer drowns unconsciously. I defeated one of my fears that has been holding me back for decades.
Benefits Of Inner Child Work:
- emotional blocks dissipate
- becoming less vulnerable and less agreeable
- gaining personal power and the ability to set boundaries
- taking better care of your mental and phyical state
- feeling self-compassion and being comfortable in your own skin
- the ability to loosen up and not take life so seriously
- building self-confidence and security
- more life and energy
I was in a white house and climbed down a ladder to the basement where I saw 3 people interrogating/torturing a screaming baby, there was blood everywhere. I told them to stop because how do they expect a baby to talk? Now I realise that basement stores my subconscious trauma, if it happened to me as a baby how would I heal him? One of the 3 people was my mother, she was abusive wouldn’t have done something that bad and I’d forgiven her long ago, but maybe the baby is still hurt today.
I had a dream where I was in my child hood home with my family and we where getting ready for church but I was physically attacked by a ghost the night before where it kept sticking/stabbing sticks and twigs into the upper part of my arm all in a downwards direction so they looked like wings when I was in the bathroom pulling the stick out i saw the light bulb turn off by twisting (I saw it moving) and when I went to twist it back in it cracked and shattered before I could reach it
A few nights back dreamt that I suddenly noticed two young children, perhaps infants or early primary school age side by side, each on a white kick board, traversing a fairly wide area of water, like a section of a harbour perhaps. They we’re the same size and age. Their mother was standing nearby but hadn’t noticed until I told her. They were almost across to the dock on the far side but still had a little ways to go. I was concerned about sharks. The water was still but deep and sure enough I could see a man-eating type… Read more »
Last night, I dreamt of a little girl who was following me. I told her not to follow as I’m going to the toilet but she still did and I got angry and yelled at her. She disappeared and the setting in my dream changed. I was seeing a huge building structure under construction floating high above the sky — like the building structures you see in star wars movies. Later, I was looking for a towel with drawings on it and the little girl reappeared. I asked her where it was. She showed me the towel but the drawings… Read more »
Your guilt might be holding her back, which is you. I think if you follow her and understood you may have done wrong she will be saved.
I had two dreams this last week about babies(not mine). One, I left behind in an out door garage/shed while I was hiding from a wolf. I saw a chance to escape and left the baby behind with the wolf. The second dream I was FaceTimeing my grandson (13) while he was watching an infant (aporox 4 -5 months) the baby randomly caught fire and I was trying to help my grandson and tell him what to do but it wasn’t happening fast enough and I felt helpless.
Wolf’s are very symbolic when they emerge in our dreams. It becomes the wild part of your nature or what might be unconscious to you. It is also of masculine energy; leaving something behind garage, a symbol of things stored away. Houses are known to be symbols of the inner architecture of the dreamer as each floor and area contains a different meaning. Because your grandson emerge (I don’t know if the babies were masculine) it might be tied into the YANG/ANIMUS energy that needs to be examined. I think by exploring these wild traits, behaviors, aggression, urges (perhaps linking… Read more »
Omg this just explained 2 dreams I had one after each other. 1st dream was me looking after a little girl (don’t think I knew her) we were both walking at night somewhere happily skipping along and then feeling tricked to go into a house by what seemed like a female maternal figure (also unknown). Lots of men there and knowing instantly that their intentions were to (blank) the (blank) them I tried begging them not to, but then eventually sitting with child face down on me with me holding her in a hugging position and whispering in her ear… Read more »
I am truly sorry to hear about your traumatic past experience. The dream seems to be hinting at your past experience especially the second part of the dream. However I am not wanting to get into details as I am not qualified to do so. Maybe you can bring this dream up with a professional or therapist that can better help you?
I’m having difficulty wanting to search for my inner child, but I know I need to because it would explain a lot about my relationship with my family and how I feel towards them lately. I guess I’m scared to find out what’s really holding me back and what’s making me want to lash out.
What difficulty are you experiencing looking for your inner child? Why is stopping you from doing so?
At first, I didn’t think I had an inner child. As a child, I always acted too mature for my age. I always found myself playing the “mommy” role or acted like the motherly one hovering over the others. However, the concept of inner child seems to keep “giving me signs” so to speak. And what’s holding me back is fear. I was a loner as a child, and “I couldn’t wait to grow up.” I know they say that children learn what they will know for the rest of their lives. Like we learn how to eat, play, walk,… Read more »
Children learn what they will know for the rest off their lives within the first three years of their lives.
I understand. Why does inner child work scare you? What is making you want to venture down this path?
Curious at your curiosity.
What You Resist, Persists. What You Accept, Transforms You!
Steve (post moved)
I think inner child is real. Dreams and real life have told me. Sometimes it manifests in wardrobe preferences. What? It’s true. I chose clothing a kid would like one day at the store and liked it. I wore a dumb shirt several times and realized it’s the color and style of a child. I didn’t wear it forever because the inner child healed. Warning: Some inner child stuff manifests during the day. Dreams can tell you things, too. It’s true.