Okay, so I’ve been having these two recurring dreams for, like, 20 years now. The first one is about a mall. I’m usually a kid or teenager in the dream, and I’m with my family—my mom, dad, sisters, brother, sometimes even extended family or friends. We’re at this mall, and I always find a secret entrance to a hidden part of the mall. The first time I had this dream, I crawled through a tiny opening behind some clothes racks and ended up in this amazing, luxurious food court.
But here’s the thing: I’m the only one who finds these secret places, and I spend the whole dream trying to gather everyone to show them. As soon as I get someone to come with me, they wander off, and I have to start all over again. It’s supposed to be fun, but it’s mostly just stressful.
The second dream is about a hotel. Again, I’m usually a kid, and my family’s there, but they’re off doing their own thing while I explore. I always find this weird elevator that’s hidden away, and it takes me to this dark, haunted hotel room. There’s this evil presence there, and I either freeze up or leave right away. Sometimes, a sibling or parent is with me, and they want to explore more, but I’m just trying to get us out of there.
These dreams have been happening forever, and while the mall one has some fun moments, it’s mostly stressful. The hotel one is just plain scary. I’d love to know what they mean.
These dreams are rich with symbolism and likely reflect your subconscious processing of family dynamics, personal growth, and unresolved emotions. Here’s a breakdown of the key elements:
The Mall Dream
The Mall: Malls in dreams often symbolize social connections, choices, and the busyness of life. They can also represent a desire for exploration and discovery.
The Secret Entrance: Hidden spaces in dreams often symbolize untapped potential, hidden aspects of yourself, or opportunities you’re trying to uncover.
Gathering Family and Friends: The struggle to gather everyone reflects a desire to share your discoveries or achievements with loved ones. The fact that they wander off may symbolize feelings of being misunderstood or unsupported in your efforts.
Stress and Repetition: The repetitive nature of the dream suggests that this is an ongoing theme in your life—perhaps a struggle to connect with others or to feel validated in your pursuits.
The Hotel Dream
The Hotel: Hotels in dreams often symbolize transition, temporary states, or aspects of your life that feel unfamiliar or unsettled.
The Hidden Elevator: Elevators represent movement between different levels of consciousness or life stages. The hidden elevator suggests that you’re exploring aspects of yourself or your life that are not immediately visible.
The Haunted Room: The dark, haunted room symbolizes fear, unresolved emotions, or aspects of your past that feel threatening. The evil presence could represent guilt, anxiety, or a part of yourself that you’re afraid to confront.
Family Dynamics: The fact that your family is present but distracted reflects feelings of isolation or a lack of support when facing challenges.
Interpretation: These dreams likely reflect your journey of self-discovery and your relationship with your family. The mall dream suggests a desire to share your discoveries and achievements with loved ones, but the stress of the dream indicates that you may feel unsupported or misunderstood. The hotel dream reflects your exploration of deeper, more hidden aspects of yourself, but the fear and stress suggest that you’re grappling with unresolved emotions or fears.