Apartment Flat

Suggests your basic needs such as shelter, warmth, nourishment – but usually in the sense of what you have created as your basic way of life; the values, standards, goals you have accepted as normal, or are ‘at home’ with. Also your private and personal place of comfort and ease – unless there is stress associated with it.

This will have a slightly different significance if this is a dream flat, and is one you have lived in in the dream. Therefore the questions need to be asked as to whether you lived/live alone in the dream apartment or the real apartment? Did you share the apartment with others? What was living alone or sharing like? These form the associated feelings connected with the dream apartment. See: Associations Working With; house.

Living alone: This suggests you have achieve a level of personal independence. It is a first level, but shows you have mastered the ability to earn your own way, to function as an individual in society.

Living together with another: Shows you moving toward independence but need the support of others to manage it. It might also mean you are learning the lessons of sharing and adult behaviour.

Block of Flats: Communal living but with personal space. An atmosphere created by a group, as in second example. Meeting with and dealing with or failing to deal with your relationship with others.

Example: I am in a block of flats. Lee from college has run off owing me money. Old flats I am on 4th floor; there are a few kids and dogs playing on. The roof is the same level.  I realise that I can live in any of the block as they are all empty. I tell myself that I will not take any more shit from no one as I return to 3rd floor flat. As I enter I hear movement from behind door. I shit myself. I wake up and think of the c*** who robbed my cottage. I felt I had no power.

Example: I was walking near big, old, blocks of flats. I noticed one was called Matins, and thought they were for Roman Catholics. They were very worn, almost slums. I then noticed that it was all black people in these blocks. Really jet black. One called out from a balcony asking what I wanted. There was a slightly hostile feeling as they all looked at me to see what I would do or say. I was then partly my father, and said I had come for a blow, (i.e. on the saxophone or clarinet). Everybody was now friendly and crowded around. They asked me if I had my brushes with me – that is, drum brushes. I said no, and then started playing the clarinet. It was completely spontaneous, moved by the spirit, and was wonderful music.

Example: I went up to a place – either a room or cliff top – where two old women lived. They were supposed to be insane, and I was a little apprehensive, but felt I could cope if things went wrong. In the place were too large packing case things like rabbit hutches – the women were in these. I just stood about, and felt I was company for the women. I noticed a hole in the sacking that covered one box, and saw an eye looking at me through the hole. Then both the women were out, and were completely naked. One of them came up to me and looked at me. She was short, old, with a funny little face, but brown live skin, not repulsive. She said something to me, which may have been a request to be attached. I said, “What, you want to be attached here?” And put my hand on her vagina. Then she came close to me and I felt like having intercourse with her, but refrained. It seemed as if her vagina was a black void. I then went away. Later, I came back. Everything had changed. It was now distinctly a block of flats they lived in, on the top floor. I climbed up, very worried that they had gone, or been misunderstood, or something. When I saw them I realised how much had altered. They were dressed, sensible, more intelligent and generally sociable than before. I was so relieved to see this that I ran forward into the old woman’s arms, and we wept uncontrollably to be reunited in this way.

Here the dreamer is probably dealing with his feelings connected with his mother – the old woman.

Useful questions and hints:

What is the atmosphere of the apartment or what am I doing in connection with it?

Am I involved with other people, and if so in what way?

Is this apartment one I have lived in – if so what were the major experiences or life I experienced there?

Try Being the Person or Thing or Techniques for Exploring your Dreams