People have always suspected that dreams are meaningful, even if they are not immediately apparent. The idea that night-time experiences can be helpful goes back to the well-known Viennese physician and psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). With his early major work “The Interpretation of Dreams” from 1899, he laid the foundation for the psychological interpretation theory.
He believed that dreams reveal the most hidden sexual desires of a human being: the subconscious mind makes it clear through encrypted symbols what someone deliberately does not dare to think.
The Swiss psychoanalyst C.G. Jung (1875-1961) has extended Freud’s approach. In his opinion, not only suppressed erotic desires can be read out of a dream: it is also an indication of what another solution to a problem might look like – a result that cannot be recognized in the waking state.
Today, dream interpretation experts rely on this view when deciphering nighttime experiences.
Dreams about Protecting a Child – Meaning
He often meets him in classic Hollywood-style love films: The heroic man who risks his own life to protect his beloved wife. He spares no pain and no danger, opposes evil, only to know the person of his heart safe and protected.
The film “Bodyguard” with Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston shows this very impressively. In his function as a bodyguard, he is to protect the life of the famous singer, which proves to be difficult, as it encounters the imposed personal protection with resistance and only in the course of history it becomes clear that she needs this protection more than urgently and the bodyguard last in the end, it actually saves their lives. A happy ending as one would often wish in real life in dangerous situations.
The desire to protect someone is often referred to as a protective instinct. This term is usually associated with typical male characteristics and perhaps traditional conservative forms of behavior. A man has a woman to protect, because women are still said to be the weak sex and thus dependent on the assistance and support of a man.
But the need to protect someone in need and need our help is in many people – no matter if man or woman. A mother will always do everything she can to protect her baby, just like a dog protecting himself from his master.
Dream situations in which it is about to protect someone appear very often in the dream world. If it is one who is protected by another person, the interpretation of the dream provides a positive indication of a love relationship or close friendship, which provides the dreaming with a protective framework and in which he may feel safe and protected.
If you see a neutral protective person, such as a night watchman in a dream, this is symbolic of a conflict in the awake life, the outcome of which the worried dreaming is uncertain.
Also other dream symbols can be included in the dream image “protect someone”. What protects you? Maybe by an umbrella, which protects us from rain and storm or even by a weapon, with which we courageously defend another person, to protect its life.
Such dream situations can indeed appear very often in the dream world and also offer the dreaming the possibility to analyze his dream individually and to shed light on all levels of the dreamed situation through precise interpretations of all dream images appearing in the dream.
Looking at the dream symbol “protecting someone” from a psychological point of view, there is often a close connection to the subject of self-protection behind it. If one protects one’s self and thus expresses his caring side, this shows a portion of the personality, which has the urgent need to protect itself from injury or grief.
On the other hand, if the dreaming is protected by another person in the dream, the unconscious level reflects the knowledge that in his human existence he is always protected by a higher power and can be sure of it with complete confidence.
Another aspect of the psychological dream interpretation of the dream image “protecting someone” raises the question of whether the desire to control is behind the need to protect someone.
Perhaps there is a parallel to the real life of the dreaming, in which he may unconsciously select weak people in order to be able to protect them, on a deeper level however, the feeling needs to be the one who exercises control.
Also, a protector instinct can quickly become a helper syndrome, in which the helper himself suffers from a strong lack of self-esteem and tries to compensate for it by his tireless commitment to others. However, he ignores that the alleged victim does not want to be protected at all.
The dream image “protecting someone” is from the point of view of the spiritual dream interpretation for universal protection and divine assistance.
Dreams about Protecting a Child – Symbolism
Which part of my being is childlike? It often outlines a ‘minor’ opinion, making one smaller than one actually is. The child in the dream is an indication of new opportunities and opportunities for further development.
Frequently, however, it also brings to light conflicts that are mostly due to an immature personality.
Perhaps the dream of women actually refers to the desire to have and raise a child. In dreams of dreaming it is carried out and born by the dreamer – in this case it also indicates a new development, which we should strive for in the awake life, or the end of a period of life. If the child thrived in a dream, then the future project succeeds.
The further meaning can result from the symbols boy and girl. A dream of a – maybe strange – child, could well be a dream of oneself.
Trying to remember the dream child’s behavior – was it friendly or rude, did it laugh, or did it have a temper tantrum? -, and consider whether the dream includes a statement about their own current life and behavior. A child who behaves selfishly and disrespectfully may be a reflection of one’s own mistakes. Have you recently behaved ‘childishly’?
Further, it makes parents aware of the difficulties of their own child, even if the dream image foolishness.
But it also points to a hidden path that one goes on, or a treasure that could be won. In the negative sense, the child indicates a general state of distress, or it stands for an animal that needs our help.
Several children in the dream point out that something in our soul is in turmoil, that we are helplessly faced with the environment.
Anyone carrying a child in their arms should find out from a conflict situation – whoever sees it falls, is in danger of a mishap. Spiritual: The child symbolizes the attitude of impartial reception.
Dreaming to have or to have very small children, so that, if it is their own, for men and women of utter prominence, – it indicates worries, bitterness and grief because of some inevitable drudgery, because without them the little ones do not get big.
There is also an old word that says the same thing. It says: ‘Fear or worry always prepares the child for the father’.
Dreams of taking care of children – Dreaming that he sees or wears diapers represents his childhood actions. It is too dependent on others.
Dreaming that you are changing diapers means that you need to change some things, such as forgetting about your childhood habits or behavior. You need to rethink some kind of childish behavior and forget forever certain customs, which no longer hit you with your current circumstances.
Dreaming that you are protected by someone – means that they will ask for your collaboration. Someone from your environment needs you.
To dream that it gives a new meaning to your life or that changes course, means that you are altering in some way the direction of your life, which is starting from scratch.
Negatively speaking, it could also mean, that you have taken a false step in the decision-making process, which you just made.
Dream with children – Dreaming of children means new opportunities or a symptom of innocence. Couples who are waiting for a baby usually dream a lot about children, both men and women.
Dream of crying child – If in your dream a crying child appears, it means illness.
Dreaming of a sick child – If a mother dreams of her son who is sick of something mild, it means that her child will grow strong and healthy, but she will have other problems, which will worry her about him.
Conclusion
If you sense a danger in the dream, whether it is visible or as a diffuse feeling, and if someone wishes to protect you in the event of an attack from outside, this dream life shows the strong desire of the dreaming person for a secure hold and a firm place in life.
Often these are people who are very insecure of themselves and always need someone on the side who gives them the feeling that they can control everything and defy the adversities of life.
The strong shoulder, the person who stands like the rock in the surf and where we can feel safe.