A few nights ago, I dreamt that I found more space in my house.  I knew these two unfinished attic-type rooms were there, but I had forgotten about them.  I wanted to do some renovations, make additional space, and suddenly I stumbled upon these existing areas of my home that had been unused.

I’ve had variations of this dream over the past few months, but it’s a relatively new recurring dream for me.  In one version, I discovered an upper floor that was full of treasures left behind by a wealthy woman who used to inhabit the house — sculptures, paintings, a piano, and more.  Often, though, the room or rooms are empty, waiting to be put to use, transformed for new purposes.

Fascinated as I am with dreams, I looked into the possible meaning of this motif.  While dream interpretation is not a hard science by any means, I find it intriguing that so many of us can have such similar dreams.  Certain symbolism is near universal in our culture, reinforced through literature, mythology, and imagery that surrounds us, so I suppose it’s not surprising that many minds would conjure the same mental movies out of certain underlying emotions or worries.  It is nonetheless a curious phenomenon that our collective unconscious plays out the same scenarios for so many of us as we sleep.

I read on several websites that dreams about finding new rooms in one’s house can represent a rediscovery of forgotten parts of oneself, or an opening to new aspects of one’s personality.  In our dreams, the theory goes, our houses represent ourselves.  What a lovely metaphor our minds have constructed.  The interpretation fits for me, I think.

Over the past year, I’ve grown and changed significantly as a result of major life events, including becoming a parent.  After more than fifteen years as a practicing visual artist, I decided with fairly firm conviction that it was time to set aside that career-turned-hobby to make time for new creative pursuits and side projects, like this blog and other endeavors.  I’ve opened my heart and mind to new forms of love, connected with others through new shared experiences, and have explored new paths.  I’ve discovered my house is bigger than I had realized.  

That the anxiety-ridden recurring dreams I sometimes had in the past have been replaced by this optimistic, curiosity-filled series of dreams is encouraging to me.  It reaffirms what I’ve been feeling for some time now: that I am at just the right place in my life, content and still growing.  Have you stumbled upon any forgotten or hidden rooms in your own house lately?  Are you open to new possibilities within yourself?

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