Similar Articles
Red
Even where red appears quite casually in a dream, as with the hat in the example, there is frequently fear, screaming, horror or a sense of danger in the same dream. Red also represents ones basic emotions, earthy nature, and sexuality. In this sense it depicts your strength or vitality and your down to earth health and power. But because of the modern association with traffic lights and warnings such as brake lights on cars, it may sometimes be used as a warning, or a way of saying ‘stop’ or ‘no’.
Example: These men were throwing a big red rubber ball into a field, and if we didn’t catch it, we would get shot.
Example: ‘An old woman with a very pink, lined face, and wearing a clashing red hat, knelt close to my face. The woman leaned forward to poke my hand, and I recoiled, screaming myself awake.’ Joy S.
From findings concerning early humans we know that the colour red, and substances such as red ochre, played a large and important part in their life. In Africa red ochre was, and still is, called the ‘blood of the earth’ and is used in rituals to do with death and renewal. Because red is connected with blood and blood’s obvious link with health, being alive, and the process of childbirth in women, ochre and the colour red were and still are, often used in healing practices. Red wine is also seen as blood in the magical rituals of the church and other groups. See: blood under body; blood under archetypes; wine.
A recent research team of U.S. and German scientists found that the colour red influences the way people function. It reduces the ability to perform well at whatever task they are doing. University of Rochester and University of Munich researchers reported that even if people being tested were aware of even a hint of red, their performance would be reduced in quality to a significant degree. University of Rochester psychology Professor Andrew Elliot, head of the research, said people associate the colour red with mistakes and failures.
Less frequently: Red can link with blood; menstruation; the biological life force; conception; reproduction; death.
Pale pink: Baby feelings; gentle love; weakness.
Red and grey often appear together: Emotions connected with depression or lack of motivation and pleasure.
Red brick building: Homeliness; warmth.
Red clothes or motif: Sexuality; passion; strong emotions.
Red earth: Fertility; richness; the healing power of the body; the collective memory of past human struggles and discoveries which we now inherit as personal or social skills, or ease of performance of things that would have been difficult or impossible for our ancestors.
Red eyes: This usually suggests feelings or fears about sickness or being irrational or deeply emotional.
Red face: Anger; high emotion; illness .
Red hair: Passionate thoughts, angry ideas, great energy like a fire. See: hair.
Red flowers: Love; passion; dangers of passion.
Red furniture or decor; Plush: richness; comfort.
Rose pink: Love, as one might give to a child.
Idioms: paint the town red; redneck; see red; in the red; red carpet; red letter day; red light district; red faced; red handed; red tape; run a red light.
Useful questions:
Are there signs of powerful emotions in the rest of the dream – if so what am I feeling passionate or emotional about?
Is there a warning of danger here, or a message to stop – if so what does that apply to in my life?
Do I feel in any way connected to the earth, to the spirit of nature or life in this dream – if so what does that tell me?
Comments
I recently dreamt of myself willingly being involved in a really scary graphic situation, although I cannot remember any of this part. Afterwards I was in a store and saw an old friend from highschool modeling and dancing in a long red dress. I went up to hug her and she dodged me a few times before I realized she was backing away. She told me no one was supposed to touch the dress because she was modeling it for the store. I am a bit confused as to what this dream could mean.
Alisoni – I would like to have known what character the friend had that was modelling the red dress. Whoever we choose to put in our dreams is very carefully chosen, because they are aspects of your own self that are acting out in the dream. So if your friend, as you remember her was a very quiet girl it would suggest one thing; but as she was in a red dress and modelling it, I would suggest that she was someone who liked the bright lights.
Therefore, even without those associations, the red dress suggests you had a dream of your wedding being a very sensuous and glamorous affair. But your dream seems to be saying, “Keep your hands of this! Do not go in that direction.”
The direction it seems to be suggesting is the realisation that marriage is a family affair, and your ancestors need to be honoured in some way. They want it to be a warm thing, with acknowledgement or their honoured place in you life. And in the dream you do this.
So blessings on your marriage. And remember that the DreamHawk is ever watching and caring.
Tony
i dream when ever i sleep, i see a lot in my dreams.
In researching red for the possible use on a particular painting I have found this site to be very helpful. It has enabled me to appreciate its importance and make a decision to go ahead and use the only plash of colour in an otherwise monocrome painting.
Hi Allan – It is good to find you on my site.
I would love to see how you use red and take photo of it. Neal is talking about renting a room and bringing the young boys. Maybe even bring me.
Tony
Hello Tony,
I love your site and always check in when I have an impactful dream. I am curious about a dream I had last night:
I was a police officer (although I am not in real life) and my partner and I had just come back to the station after finding some evidence for a crime (although those details are blurry). When we entered the room there were three cages filled with red birds resembling flame-colored tanagers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame-colored_Tanager). These birds were our pets at the police station. We saw that in each of the cages at least half of the birds had died. I picked a couple of the dead birds up to see if they were really dead and they were. I wondered if the birds were dying because we had forgotten to feed them or give them water. I kept saying how we should get the remaining birds food and water, but we never got around to it.
- I often have dreams about neglecting caged pets, whether they are mine in real life or not, but this is the first time I’ve dreamt about birds and had so many to look after. I would love to hear any of your insights! Thank you so much!
~Lee
Lee – Thank you for an interesting dream, and also for the Wiki link – I usually like to look up any reference.
First of all you feel that your partner is very much a part of our life. Also you are police connected with a real crime – but not one that we usually think of as real. Yet it is real, to kill out your creativity and wonder by not feeling that part of you enough or taking care of it.
The caged pets are the feeling you get that sometimes you are holding yourself back. They are the ideas, the thoughts and urges you get that are dying because you are not taking notice of them. I get the impression that you are a creative person and have a lot to give the world if you do not trap yourself in ‘duties’.
Tony
Thank you, Tony! This definitely makes sense to me.
Hi Tony, I really find it amazing that you can explain dreams. I have had some weird dreams in the past but have never cared enough to find out their meanings. I am curious for this though. My best friend dreamed about me just recently, she said that in her dreams, I called her name, and when she followed me, I started dancing and I wore a red dress. She said I looked happy. Coincidentally, the day before that, I went into a store where I saw a red dress that I really liked, however it was a bit small for my size and it had no other sizes so I bought a blue dress instead, though I really liked the red dress. My bestfriend does not know this because we don’t really see each other everyday and I did not share the story with her. I do love a red dress and been wanting to have one imagining myself as the “lady in red” in a song, but I’m not sure if my bestfriend and I have talked about this fantasy. I wanted to know if her dream had something to do with me or more of something to do with her since she was the one who dreamed of it. Thanks really, and more power,
Catherine – It is your friends dream and has meaning for her – but as best friends there is also a sort of sharing in ones dreams. It is like sharing the same room and knowing each others thoughts and feelings. My wife Hyone used to do this regularly. We would be driving along without speaking for ages, then my wife would say exactly what I was thinking.
A good example is when my son Neal was young. I was standing in the kitchen leaning against the range to keep warm, and thought I needed to get my shoes that were in another room where Neal was. I thought of shouting to him but thought it was too complicated for him to understand. Then a few moments later Neal walked in carrying my shoes. He had never done it before and not since.
Tony
I recently had a dream of being in a small church that had red carpet and red pews. My boyfriend’s family was with me as we walked through the church, we were the only ones in there. I approached a large closet with my boyfriend’s grandmother and when we opened the door a huge crucifix fell forward and we tried to hold it up. We finally rested it in the closet and all agreed to leave the eerie church. When we walk out of the church we notice it’s in an amusement park. I dream the amusement park a lot and I always seem to be with my boyfriend and his family. Only once have I dreamt the church though. My mother died when I was sixteen so I try very hard I be close to him and his family. I was wondering if anyone could interpret this dream or give me so sort of explanation. My family and I never really attend church or anything so it was rather strange to have this dream.
Jenna – Well it seems from the dream that you have a lot of feelings, sometimes troubling, about church. The colour red indicates this.
The feelings are mixed up with your feelings about family, and if you are not a church attendee it is probably associations with marriage and funerals.
Then the crucifix falling sounds like it is something you have hidden from yourself or has been stored up until now and is about to come into your attention. If you want to find more for yourself try – http://dreamhawk.com/dream-dictionary/practical-techniques-for-understanding-your-dreams/
Tony