What is deep inside you, waiting to be discovered?

This is the dream of deep dark places.  We may experience this dream as a cave, or series of caves, a well, dark underground tunnels, or even a basement that seems to go further underground than normal.  Whatever the form this dark, unknown place appears as, when it does we can be  pretty sure we are entering the realm of the unknown, moving beneath the surface and exploring our subconscious.

 

It is not unusual to dream of caves or the deep underground when we are going through any sort of learning or growth phase.  The dark unknown can simply be a symbol of exploring something new, but it can often be a far more profound symbol of facing our “deeper” self.  In our day to day lives, we are often distracted by the business of living, of external and material things.  We worry about paying the bills, getting the kids to school, making sure we do our job well, what to wear, what to eat, where to go on vacation.  It is rare that we find the time to pause, to think about why we are doing all his, what it’s all for.  Dreams of caves and deep underground places can be a sign that we are turning our focus away from the outside and starting to think about what is really going on inside us.  This is an essential process if we are to come to know ourselves properly, to understand why we do what we do, why we react to things in the way that we do, and what is behind our feelings.

Dreaming of caves may cause a variety of feelings.  We may be surprised by what we thought was simply a door, well, or normal basement, only to discover unexpected depths.  This may be a sign that we are beginning to discover unexpected depths in ourselves.  We may be afraid, nervous or anxious at this great dark unknown.  This may reflect our own nervousness about exploring deep inside our own minds.  if we have lived a life so far where we haven’t stopped to ask those “deep” kind of questions like “who am I?” and “what is my purpose?” then this can seem a bit scary to begin with.  The same can happen when we first start dream work, if we have thought for our entire lives that dreams are inconsequential, just left over thoughts from a busy day with no real meaning, it can be a bit unnerving to realise that for years a part of us deep inside has been trying to send us messages!  And yet for other people, dreaming of caves can be exciting, even exhilarating.  It can come as great relief, even a revelation to realise there is so much deep inside us waiting to be explored and understood.   

Whatever our initial emotional reaction to the caverns in our dreams, it is usually worth facing them bravely.  It is often simply ourselves we face, and the great mystery of who we really are, and who we can ultimately be.  

Are you prepared to explore the deepest unknown places of your own mind?

 

Caves often have a feminine aspect – that is they can represent feelings, intuition and receptivity.  Caves can be compared with the womb, in being a place of creation and growth.  When caves appear in dreams, they can symbolise our own potential, the parts of ourselves that have not yet been “born” or come out of the dark (our subconscious) into the light (our conscious, waking self.)  If we dream of caves there is a good chance we are exploring our own potential, and may be ready to start a new phase of our own personal evolution.

Coming to know our subconscious better, connecting with a deeper sense of our self can be fulfilling and enriching on a personal level, but it can also be the start of something even more amazing, when we become aware of how all humanity shares this great dark deeper self, and through this place we are all connected.  And that is one of the most amazing realisations of all.