So I had this obsession for a while with finding mirrors in my lucid dreams. I was sure that if I could stare at myself, that I could create some kind of feedback loop that would kick me into the next level of the dream world. I would be somewhere just dreaming along, and then my conscious mind would tell me, "HEY! You're in a bathroom. There are mirrors in bathrooms!" And I would gain lucidity and rush over to the mirror before I lost it.
Most of the time I was me. Sometimes and older me, sometimes younger. Very rarely just ME as I am now. I have been grey skinned with black eyes and blue hair. I have been like a Japanese horror movie ghost. I have been a young black man. I have been an old hippie. Three times I was a strange dancing figure, kind of bouncing around, with long dreadlocks and very white skin. It's always interesting to see who I'll be.
For a while there it became mostly about just seeing what character I was in dreaming, and then I'd lose my lucidity. Then I started to wonder about going through the mirror. I did it a few times, and on the other side is just complete blackness. Several times I would fall in and sort of spin around on the other side. Once I had a voice tell me from behind, "This is where you came from, and to this you will return."
Once the voice urged me to begin creation.
Recently I've been able to just stick my head in, see what's on the other side, and then come back out.
Once I was looking at myself. I had been flying in the dream, and found a HUGE mirror just standing there. I mean like the side of a building huge. And I saw myself fly up to the mirror. I reached out my hand to touch the mirror, and my own reflection, and then I watched as my lucidity pulled me out of the dream. It looked as though a black swirling smoke took ahold of my legs and pulled me away from the mirror.
Another time I was in the house I grew up in, looking in the mirror in the bar. A shadow figure came up behind me and pushed my head down onto the counter and warned me that what I was doing was not allowed. I countered with, "This is my dream, I'll do as I please." It let me go, and I reached through the mirror, which was not longer there, and grabbed my reflection and held on as I woke up. I was hoping to pull it through.
Last night I saw a mirror again, and I flew through it. It was still black in there.
As a symbol, it has the same characteristics as the mirror in fact; the
temporal and existential variety of its function provides the explanation of its
significance and at the same time the diversity of its meaningful associations. It
has been said that it is a symbol of the imagination—or of consciousness—in its
capacity to reflect the formal reality of the visible world. It has also been related
to thought, in so far as thought—for Scheler and other philosophers—is the
instrument of self-contemplation as well as the reflection of the universe. This
links mirror-symbolism with water as a reflector and with the Narcissus myth:
the cosmos appears as a huge Narcissus regarding his own reflections in the
human consciousness. Now, the world, as a state of discontinuity affected by the
laws of change and substitution, is the agent which projects this quasinegative,
kaleidoscopic image of appearance and disappearance reflected in the mirror.
From the earliest times, the mirror has been thought of as ambivalent. It is a
surface which reproduces images and in a way contains and absorbs them. In
legend and folklore, it is frequently invested with a magic quality—a mere hypertrophic version of its fundamental meaning. In this way it serves to invoke
apparitions by conjuring up again the images which it has received at some time
in the past, or by annihilating distances when it reflects what was once an object
facing it and now is far removed. This fluctuation between the ‘absent’ mirror and
the ‘peopled’ mirror lends it a kind of phasing, feminine in implication, and
hence—like the fan—it is related to moon-symbolism. Further evidence that the
mirror is lunar is afforded by its reflecting and passive characteristics, for it
receives images as the moon receives the light of the sun (8). Again, its close
relationship to the moon is demonstrated by the fact that among the primitives it
was seen as a symbol of the multiplicity of the soul: of its mobility and its ability
to adapt itself to those objects which ‘visit’ it and retain its ‘interest’. At times,
it takes the mythic form of a door through which the soul may free itself ‘passing’
to the other side: this is an idea reproduced by Lewis Carroll in Alice Through the
Looking Glass. This alone is sufficient explanation of the custom of covering up
mirrors or turning them to face the wall on certain occasions, in particular when someone in the house dies (21). All that we have said so far by no means exhausts
the complex symbolism of the mirror: like the echo, it stands for twins (thesis and
antithesis), and specifically for the sea of flames (or life as an infirmity) (50, 51).
For Loeffler, mirrors are magic symbols for unconscious memories (comparable
with crystal palaces) (38). Hand-mirrors, in particular, are emblems of truth (4),
and in China they are supposed to have an allegorical function as aids to conjugal
happiness as well as a protection against diabolical influences (5). Some Chinese
legends tell of ‘the animals in the mirror’.
To dream of your own reflection in the mirror, suggests that you are pondering thoughts about your inner self. The reflection in the mirror is how you perceive yourself or how you want others to see you. You may be contemplating on strengthening and changing aspects of your character.
To dream that you are looking through a two-way mirror, indicates that you are coming face to face with some inner or worldly issue. What you see is related to your persona and unconscious. Seeing images through the mirror may be a safe way for you to consider and/or confront material from your unconscious. Mirrors symbolize the imagination and the link between the conscious and unconscious.
If you are being watched through a two-way mirror, then it suggests that you feel you are being scrutinized and criticized. Alternatively, the dream means that you are unwilling to acknowledge your unconscious emotions.
To break a mirror in your dream, suggests that you are breaking an old image of yourself. You may be putting an end to an old habit. Breaking a mirror is also an old symbol for seven years of bad luck.
To see a cracked or broken mirror in your dream. represents a poor or distorted self-image. Alternatively, it means that you have put an end to your old habits and ways.
To see a fogged mirror in your dream, signifies a hazy concept of who you are and confusion in your life goals. You are lacking clarity and purpose and questioning your self-identity.
To dream of seeing yourself in a mirror, denotes that you will meet many discouraging issues, and sickness will cause you distress and loss in fortune.
To see a broken mirror, foretells the sudden or violent death of some one related to you.
To see others in a mirror, denotes that others will act unfairly towards you to promote their own interests.
To see animals in a mirror, denotes disappointment and loss in fortune.
For a young woman to break a mirror, foretells unfortunate friendships and an unhappy marriage. To see her lover in a mirror looking pale and careworn, denotes death or a broken engagement. If he seems happy, a slight estrangement will arise, but it will be of short duration.
Seeing your own reflection in the mirror, suggests that you are pondering thoughts about your inner self. The reflection in the mirror is how you perceive yourself or how you want others to see you. You may be contemplating on strengthening and changing aspects of your character. Dreaming that you are looking through a two-way mirror indicates that you are coming face to face with some inner or worldly issue. What you see is related to your persona and unconscious. Seeing images through the mirror may be a safe way for you to consider and/or confront material from your unconscious. Mirrors symbolize the imagination and a link between the conscious and unconscious. Dreaming that you are being watched through a two-way mirror, suggests that you feel you are being scrutinized and criticized. Alternatively, you may be blocking or unwilling to acknowledge your unconscious emotions. To break a mirror in your dream, suggests that you are breaking an old image of yourself. You may be putting an end to an old habit. Breaking a mirror is also an old symbol for seven years of bad luck. Seeing a cracked or broken mirror in your dream. represents a poor or distorted self-image. Alternatively, it suggests that you have put an end to your old habits and ways. Seeing a fogged mirror in your dream means a hazy concept of who you are and questions about your self-identity. You are confused in your goals in life an you may have a lack of clarity in a purpose.
It is a symbol of vanity and superficiality. You may be concerned about your image and the way you present yourself to the world. Some say that if you see a clear image, you may be getting a glimpse of your true self. Broken mirrors always seem to be a sign of bad luck, or, at least, represent some distortions. On a deeper level the mirror can be considered to be a representation of the intellect. The intellect is an instrument of navigation and is constantly persuading us to identify ourselves. When we think about this, it makes a lot of sense. Our self-identity is very much connected to the way we look (not only superficially but also characteristically as man - woman, young - old, etc). We use this self-identity, which is greatly a production of our intellect, to navigate through life.
To dream of seeing only the side of any object, denotes that some person is going to treat your honest proposals with indifference.
To dream that your side pains you, there will be vexations in your affairs that will gall your endurance.
To dream that you have a fleshy, healthy side, you will be successful in courtship and business.
To see mysterious figures in your dream, indicates that you are experiencing confusion and ambiguity in some aspect of your life.
To dream of figures, indicates great mental distress and wrong. You will be the loser in a big deal if not careful of your actions and conversation.
Seeing mysterious figures in your dream means great mental distress.
Dreaming that you are dreaming means your emotional state. You are excessively worried and fearful about a situation or circumstance that you are going through.
It is common to dream that you have had or are having a dream.
You could be experience a false awakening, in which you dream that you have woken up from an earlier dream, and are performing the activities you normally perform on waking, such as getting dressed and brushing your teeth.
Such a dream can be a sign that you have fallen into a rut in waking life.
You may also have a lucid dream, in which you are aware that you are dreaming while you are having the dream.
The meaning of a lucid dream will depend upon the content of the dream.
To dream of hearing voices, denotes pleasant reconciliations, if they are calm and pleasing; high-pitched and angry voices, signify disappointments and unfavorable situations.
To hear weeping voices, shows that sudden anger will cause you to inflict injury upon a friend.
If you hear the voice of God, you will make a noble effort to rise higher in unselfish and honorable principles, and will justly hold the admiration of high-minded people.
For a mother to hear the voice of her child, is a sign of approaching misery, perplexity and grievous doubts.
To hear the voice of distress, or a warning one calling to you, implies your own serious misfortune or that of some one close to you. If the voice is recognized, it is often ominous of accident or illness, which may eliminate death or loss.
In the Zohar, the ‘magic head’ stands for astral light (9); in mediaeval art
it is a symbol for the mind (46) and for the spiritual life, which explains the
frequency with which it appeared in decorative art. On the other hand, Plato in
Timaeus asserts that ‘the human head is the image of the world’. In corroboration
of this, Leblant points out that the skull, the semi-spherical crown of the human
body, signifies the heavens. Clearly, the head-symbol here coalesces with that of
the sphere as a symbol of Oneness. It had the same significance in Egyptian
hieroglyphics (19). The eagle’s head has been used as a solar symbol and an
emblem of the centre-point of emanation—that is, of the cosmic flame and the
spiritual fire of the universe (4). Two, three or four heads shown in juxtaposition
symbolize a corresponding intensification of a given aspect of head-symbolism.
Thus, the Gemini, a symbol of the duality of Nature, or of the integrating (but not
unifying) link between the two principles of creation, are represented by beings
with two heads or two faces, like the Roman Janus for example. Hecate is depicted with three heads—she is called triform for this reason—a symbolism
which may be related to the ‘three levels’ of heaven, earth and hell, as well as to
Diel’s three ‘urges of life’ (15). The juxtaposition of four heads or faces, as in the
image of Brahma the Supreme Lord, stems from the same symbolism as that of
the tetramorph (60). A factor of major importance bearing upon the symbolism of
the head is mentioned by Herbert Kühn, in his L’Ascension de l’humanité (Paris,
1958). He makes the point that the decapitation of corpses in prehistoric times
marked Man’s discovery of the independence of the spiritual principle, residing
in the head, as opposed to the vital principle represented by the body as a whole.
Kühn adds that Neolithic thought was very close to the mediaeval in its conviction that an eternal and invisible essence underlies all appearances (Plate XV).
To see a head in your dream, signifies wisdom, intellect, understanding and rationality. It may also represent your accomplishments, self-image, and perception of the world. The dream may also be metaphor to indicate that you are "ahead" in some situation or that you need to get ahead.
To dream that someone is trying to rip your head off, suggests that you are not seeing a situation or problem clearly. Perhaps you are refusing to see the truth. You have to confront the situation or the person despite the pain and discomfort you might feel in doing so.
To dream that you have two heads, indicate that you need to learn to ask for help and accept assistance. Consider the metaphor "two heads are better than one". Do not try to do everything yourself.
To see a person's head in your dream, and it is well-shaped and prominent, you will meet persons of power and vast influence who will lend you aid in enterprises of importance.
If you dream of your own head, you are threatened with nervous or brain trouble.
To see a head severed from its trunk, and bloody, you will meet sickening disappointments, and the overthrow of your dearest hopes and anticipations.
To see yourself with two or more heads, foretells phenomenal and rapid rise in life, but the probabilities are that the rise will not be stable.
To dream that your head aches, denotes that you will be oppressed with worry.
To dream of a swollen head, you will have more good than bad in your life.
To dream of a child's head, there will be much pleasure ill store for you and signal financial success.
To dream of the head of a beast, denotes that the nature of your desires will run on a low plane, and only material pleasures will concern you.
To wash your head, you will be sought after by prominent people for your judgment and good counsel.
Seeing a head in your dream means wisdom, intellect, understanding and rationality. It may also represent your accomplishments, self-image, and perception of the world. Dreaming that someone is trying to rip your head off, suggests that you are not see a situation or problem clearly. Perhaps you are refusing to see the truth. You have to confront the situation or the person despite the pain and discomfort you might feel in doing so.
A head symbolizes intelligence, logic, wisdom and making decisions. A dream of a head may mean that you are changing your mind about something or are unable to make up your mind. A dream of a headless body may be a warning that you aren't thinking clearly - you're "losing your head."
To see your reflection in your dream, represents your true self; it is time to look within. The reflection may highlight both your flaws and positive attributes. Learn from your flaws and how to improve them. At the same time, appreciate your good qualities. Alternatively, your reflection indicates how you want others to perceive you.
If you see a strange figure or something other than your own reflection, then it suggests that you are undergoing some identity crisis. You are not sure about who you are anymore.
Seeing your reflection in your dream, represents your true self; it is time to look within. The reflection may highlight both your flaws and positive attributes. Learn from your flaws and how to improve on them and at the same time appreciate your good qualities. Alternatively, your reflection could also indicate how you want others to perceive you.