BUDDHA In dreams Buddha characterizes the highest spiritual attainment; enlightenment and the true wisdom that accompanies it.
BUILDER
See WORK.
BUILDING Carl Jung talked about recurring dreams he had in which he would discover parts of his house that he didn’t know existed. In these dreams he believed the house represented his personality, and the new things he discovered in the house related to new developments in his work. Many dream researchers subscribe to Jung’s theory and believe that buildings in dreams represent aspects of the self, or constructions we make in our lives. The upstairs represents the conscious mind, and the lower floors and cellars the unconscious, or hidden, mind. Different parts of the building might represent different times in your life, and the attitudes and beliefs you have built from experience. The features of your dream building can also mirror features of your personality; by so doing, they reflect your character, hopes and dreams, and how you feel about yourself.
If you dream of a house or a building, ask yourself what aspect of you the building represents. Does it represent how you see yourself? Is it a symbol of your body, mind or spirit? If the house is crumbling or decaying, are you in need of some kind of psychological, spiritual, or physical cleaning and renewal? If the building is burning, does this show your desire to get rid of something that is holding you back? If the building is in ruins, do you feel worthless and manipulated by others? If the building is tall, does this suggest ambitions yet to be fulfilled? Is the house symbolic of your feelings in childhood or other past experiences? What are the conditions like in the house? Ask yourself what personal associations the buildings in your dreams have and what they represent to you.
The environment and your feeling reaction to the building in your dream will all contribute important clues as to its meaning, but it is also important to bear in mind the purpose for which the building is used in waking life. For example, castles and fortresses suggest protection and royalty, whereas factories suggest work and routine. Although high-rise buildings are believed to be phallic symbols, as a type they all have different functions: skyscrapers are homes and workplaces, lighthouses offer hope to sailors at sea, and towers isolate, elevate and imprison.
Churches and religious buildings offer us hope and quiet reflection, libraries and museums supply us with information and stimulate our minds. Courts provide social justice, while public buildings symbolize work, tax, bureaucratic, or legal matters that need to be sorted. Hospitals are centers of healing and castles are historical icons. Houses, condos, apartments, mansions, and palaces offer different types of accommodation for different types of needs. Prisons are places for criminals to learn the consequences of their actions, and hotels provide a welcome break from home.
Components of a Building
If you dream of a balcony, ledge, or sill, this suggests a need for support and protection in your life. An elevator or lift in a dream usually suggests how we deal with information. If the lift is going down, we may be going down into our unconscious for self-understanding, whereas a lift going up could represent moving toward greater self-understanding. Halls or passageways in a dream can, for Freudians, represent passages within the body, such as the vagina or penis. On a psychological level, they can suggest how we let others invade our personal space. On a spiritual level, passages can represent the different stages of our life. A hall is the center of a building and to dream of entering a hall may therefore represent the beginnings of a journey toward self-awareness. According to dream lore, to dream of a long hallway suggests a period of worry ahead.
See also HOME, HOUSE.
BULB A flower bulb is likely to indicate something that can expand and express its magnificence. It refers to the budding of your talent or the realization of your plans in waking life.
BULL
See ANIMALS.
BULLET
See EXPLOSIVES.
BULLY
See ARCHETYPES.
BULLYING If someone is being bullied in your dream this could represent your unfair treatment of someone in real life. If, however, you are the victim in the dream do you feel vulnerable, abused, and powerless in your waking life?
See also SCHOOL.
BURGLAR/BURGLARY You may dream that a burglar is trying to get into your house; eventually he gets in and you frantically try to hide or call for help. But all to no avail. If you have this dream, it suggests that something surprising has entered your life and is creating tension. The house symbolizes you and the intruder is someone who has crossed the line into your territory, shaking things up. Career changes or new relationships may trigger this dream, as it is drawing your attention to potential drawbacks in a situation that you may not yet be ready to acknowledge.
See also HOME, SHADOW.
BURIAL
See FUNERAL.
BURNING/BURNED To set something on fire suggests intense emotions and/or passionate sexual feelings. Alternatively, it may suggest that you need to take time off for yourself and relax, or that your unconscious is alerting you to the need for a smoke alarm. To dream of being burned alive may suggest fears or a new phase in your life or a new relationship.
See also FIRE.
BURPING To dream that you fart or burp in public suggests that you are being passive aggressive. You need to express your hidden resentment or feelings in a more direct manner.
BURYING What are you trying to cover up or hide in your waking life?
See also DIGGING.
BUS According to Jung, riding on any form of public transportation suggests that you are being too conformist in your waking life. If you have a dream of being on a bus, your dreaming mind may be urging you to become more independent. A double-decker bus symbolizes the many levels of a problem and the need to consider things from a different angle. If you are waiting at a bus stop in your dream this often represents a transitional time in your life.
BUS DRIVER
See WORK.
BUTCHER
See WORK.
BUTTER
See FOOD.
BUTTERCUPS
See FLOWERS.
BUTTERFLIES
BUTTOCKS
See BODY.