Excrement

Very often expresses feelings of repulsion or distaste, or emotions or parts of experience that need to be released or let go of. Like digested food, faeces can represent experience that was relevant and enjoyable at the time of consumption, but needs to be let go of to release tension or internal discomfort.

But very often it shows the shit we carry around in us – our emotional attitudes and views that are so much rubbish that we need to clear up and admit.

Example: As I write this an inner realisation has come to me which I cannot yet explain intellectually. It is that holding onto my faeces in this way is a holding on to one’s creativeness or outgoingness. It would block one’s ability to express oneself in the world. I didn’t see why or how, but the idea certainly links with some of the dreams and then gives an interpretation later. The dream of looking for the toilet; the block of capable outer expression, etc, due to a problem in connection with the abdomen.

Also in connection with the above meaning, some dreams about faeces link with the body being clogged with toxins. This might show in dreams where faeces are everywhere and interfering with normal activities. Toxins might arise in the body through poor food, or through an allergy to something like wheat. So these dreams might be suggesting the physical need to have a healthy bowel. See: kasatkin.

Because babies often play with their faeces, and have a feeling connection with this to do with their self expression and self-giving, in dreams that show this it could refer to an infant level of exploration or self expression.

From infancy we gradually learn to consciously control our bowel movements, and so excrement can depict either how we are controlling what we hold within us, or the need to release it. Control, flowing, or lack of control are therefore very linked with excrement dreams, and often with the way we deal with money or how we give of ourselves. The Incan description of gold was ‘excrement of the gods’! See: toilet.

Sometimes: Personal creativity; being able to let go of what you don’t need – so can link with money and generosity; the primal level of our being; sensuality, intense pleasure and infant sexuality. Shit can of course produce wonderfully rich fertiliser.

If shitting on someone or something: Expressing desire to belittle them or to feel one’s superiority; heaping unjust accusations on someone; bringing something which appeared powerful into perspective.

Idioms: In the shit; feeling shitty; talking a lot of shit/crap; being shat on; being a shit; sometimes life is a bucket of shit and the handle is inside; a pinch of coon shit; up shit creek; that’s a crock (of shit); in deep shit; dump on; take a dump; the shit hit the fan; wouldn’t say shit if her mouth was full of it; get your shit together; shit or get off the pot; happy as a pig in shit; shitting bricks; shit list.

Useful questions and hints:

Are there feelings I need to let go of?

Am I living in a way suggestive of being in a pig pen?

Does the dream suggest I am over controlling what comes out of me?

See Learning to Allow Yourself – Techniques for Exploring your Dreams – Questions