Full DREAM INTERPRETATION (Sample 7)
The Bear Sculpture Gift
Dream Description From Client
Describe your dream.
I dreamed someone gave me a carved wooden sculpture of a bear about the size of my palm. It was a blonde/light colored wood, a very light brown. The bear was very round, as were all its features, rounder than a direct replica of a real bear. I knew it represented a dark brown bear despite it being beige. The figure was welcoming and I was happy to get it. Then two Japanese young women took the bear away from me, although I did not mind since I knew they just wanted to look at it. They quickly gave it back, and it was then I saw the back of the wooden bear had a pouch carved in, and there were two live white worms crawling out of the pocket. I was grossed out but not scared. Intuitively, I knew the bear was now mine.
For some reason, during the dream, I thought the bear represented wisdom. When I awoke, I kept reminding myself to investigate if bears have any correlation with wisdom.
Describe what you were feeling during the dream and when you awoke after the dream. Include emotions as well as any physical sensations.
When I awoke, I knew something was trying to be communicated to me, as I have had meaningful dreams many times. Usually, I can figure them out, but this one has me baffled. The dream was seven hours ago, and after researching the bear’s meaning in dreams, I am nervous and upset.
Describe any objects or other elements in the dream that seemed important or stood out.
I am a born again Christian, but not judgmental (as I have enough faults to worry about my own instead of trying to point my finger at others).
Do you think the dream is related to events or situations in your life? If so, describe how.
Possible life situations influencing dream:
I have a very sick elderly dog.
I am going to a big conference soon, on which I think my career is riding.
I am very unhappy at my job of many years.
My elderly parents are deteriorating mentally and physically.
I’ve battled chronic health issues.
Interpretation
Overall Interpretation
The bear being given to you in the dream seems to represent wisdom or inner resources being given to you, perhaps by Spirit or perhaps through your life experience up to this point. The Japanese women borrowing the bear to look at it may represent someone in your life “borrowing” your wisdom - needing your help or advice, perhaps. Your discovery of the worms may represent something specific you’ve discovered about your inner wisdom, or it could represent a challenge that has shown up in your life (perhaps your parents’ health problems). The overall theme of the dream seems to be about you being given something that is now yours, something that others need or want or will benefit from.
In the next section we’ll look in greater detail for more clues to dream meaning.
Significant Symbols, Themes, and Messages
First of all, when reading dream dictionary definitions of bears (or any dream symbols), keep in mind that the most important key to meaning is the context of the bear in the dream. The bear’s characteristics and how it fits into the dream story are the most important things to consider, along with what’s going on in the dreamer’s real life and mind around the time of the dream.
You mentioned that you had the sense that the bear represented wisdom. We’ll take that into consideration as we examine other clues to its meaning.
Let’s look at the context of the bear sculpture in the story. Someone gave it to you, and you were happy to have it. You said it felt welcoming. And then two Japanese women took it away temporarily to look at it, and then they gave it back to you. And then you noticed the two white worms crawling out of the pocket carved into its back. You weren’t grossed out or scared, probably because you already knew what the worms represented - and it wasn’t something gross or scary. And then at that point you intuitively knew the bear was yours.
So, this dream likely represents a series of events in your real life that parallels the events in the dream. Consider what in your real life you gained, then someone else examined it, then you discovered something new or interesting about it, and then you “owned it” or internalized it as your own.
This scenario could fit in with any of the possible real-life situations you mentioned, but because there were two worms, I wonder if the worms might possibly represent your parents’ health problems. Worms often represent things that show up uninvited, that dig themselves in without permission or awareness, which is consistent with how health problems can show up in the elderly - gradually and often unbeknownst to others until the problems have developed far enough to be obvious. Worms are especially known for living and doing their thing underground or unseen, which also reflects the idea of previously unknown problems showing up. So, for that matter, I suppose they could also represent your dog’s health problems - or both of the above. But the fact that you weren’t grossed out by discovering the worms and you just took them in stride suggests that they represent something you already know about in your life - your subconscious mind already knew what they represented because it’s the one who created them, and the whole dream.
Let’s take a closer look at the bear. You said it was very rounded, more rounded than a real bear, and that it was welcoming. You also said that it was light colored wood, but you knew that it represented a dark brown bear. This doesn’t sound like a grizzly bear or other aggressive bear. So, this bear probably represents some bear-like characteristics other than aggression. When thinking about bears, consider what comes to mind for you in particular. Since your subconscious mind created this bear, it apparently had something in mind that it was representing by this bear. One primary characteristic of a bear is her protectiveness of her cubs. So, this combined with the feeling that the bear represented wisdom suggests perhaps the idea of you taking the role of wise caretaker. This symbolism could simply be an acknowledgment that you have been taking more of that type of role in your life lately (for your parents, your dog, yourself, etc.), or perhaps a realization that you are being called to become more of a wise caretaker.
I get the sense that this bear being given to you represents some sort of rite of passage in your life, perhaps the beginning of a new phase, even if it is temporary - almost like being handed a responsibility or set of responsibilities. The intuitive sense I get about the bear being given to you is like, “Okay, you’ve come this far - now here’s what you need for what is coming in the next phase.” In other words, perhaps the bear represents the wisdom you are being given (and/or you have gained through life experiences) to help you to deal with the situations in your life. So, the dream may be sending the message that you have all the resources you need to deal with the upcoming challenges in your life. And the wisdom it represents may not be limited just to your own wisdom, but it may also refer to Divine wisdom that is being made available to you, within you, for the challenges ahead. In any case, this feels like a very reassuring dream.
I’m still curious about what the two Japanese women represent. If the bear represents wisdom, as you thought, then the women would have been borrowing your wisdom to “examine it.” This would suggest a situation where people whom you feel are different from you in some way or maybe come from a different way of thinking (represented by Japanese) asked for your advice (represented by them taking the bear to look at it). Could this perhaps represent a situation where your parents asked for your advice or perspective on something? Or maybe someone else in your life? If this doesn’t sound familiar, then it may represent something your subconscious mind is imagining may happen in the future - perhaps that your parents or someone else will benefit from your wisdom (represented by the bear).
It’s also possible that the dream events don’t refer to any specific situation in your life, but to your life in general. In other words, the dream may have been delivering the message that you have the (Divine and/or other) wisdom you need to deal with whatever challenges show up, and that when they do show up (as the worms did), they aren’t necessarily things to fear, but things that could even be positive (since white can represent positive or even sacred) or at least a normal and healthy part of life.
I hope I’ve provided enough clues here to help you discover a meaning that resonates with you and feels accurate for you. Since I don’t know all the details and dynamics of your life events, you as the dreamer are in the best position to recognize what in your real life the dream is referring to.
Feedback from Client
I wept as I read your very accurate interpretation. You are indeed blessed with a great gift. I absolutely will come to you again. Thank you very, very much.
(This dream interpretation is shared with permission of the client.)