Face
How your face appears in a dream points to how you see yourself, your self image, the fears or feelings, even anxieties you have about how you appear to others and yourself. It can also show the expression of or hiding of inner feelings and attitudes. It can be defined in two words – ‘identity’ and ‘communication’. This is because not only do most of us believe we are how we look, but also through our face we communicate to others what we feel and think. See Dreams are Virtual Realities
The face, especially if you are looking at yourself in a mirror, can also mean that you are facing yourself – facing up to yourself, or need to, ‘face yourself’. This dream often occurs when you are ready to really look at who you are and what facets of yourself you might be ignoring or even hiding. It is a sort of seld assessment or self analysis; but it might only be reflecting an aspect of you that needs attention and is usually about your inner world. See Inner World
Someone else’s face: How you see them and how you relate to them. What you feel and think suggest what your opinion of them is, and how you relate to them inwardly. The face could also point to what feelings and memories of them you carry within you. See Characters and People in Dreams
Blushing: Unconscious response to things. Feelings that you usually keep hidden, or are not usually aware of yourself. Often about strong feelings about another person you really like but are not showing, except for blushing. Something wrong with face: Sense of not being adequate; fear of how others see you. If it is someone else’s face it probably depicts how you feel about them, or your intuitions about them.
Changing ones face or head: Changing ones attitudes or decision about something; being uncertain or ‘two faced’. Having different aspects of your personality or seeing another side of yourself. Change the wording to fit seeing someone else with changing face – your to their.
Hiding ones face: Being ashamed of something; low confidence or uncertainty; being afraid of how others see you; hiding motives or feelings.
No face: This is probably what is called a shadow figure if you see it on another person – parts of your nature or behaviour that you usually keep hidden or do not admit to. If you are faceless then it could suggest either that you realise your real self is pure potential without particular characteristics, or you feel a fear of about loss of identity or uncertainty about who you are.
Example: Was looking in a mirror. Suddenly a shadow appeared on it. At first the shadow seemed threatening or frightening. Then I saw it was only a directive, a face, figure with its arm and hand extended as if pointing. Looking behind me I saw that the shadow was cast by a featureless cat or animal. That is, its head was completely smooth, without eyes or ears. At first I thought it could not see or hear, but then realised it must be able to, as it was pointing to a man out in the rough sea. The man had a lifejacket on, so was in no immediate danger. But the sea was very rough. I went out and brought him in, dried him off, put him in my house to recover, then phoned the police in case they needed to know.
Here the dreamer was looking at himself in the mirror, and was directed to realise that although there wasn’t any immediate danger, he was fighting against heavy emotional forces. The dream tends to not directly tell us about ourselves, but uses another person of event to point things out to us. See Characters and People in Dreams and Exploring Dreams -Techniques to use
But being faceless in the role of a helper, guide or nurse can have a much deeper meaning. It suggests that it is an aspect of you that has given up its egotistic state of being important, a leader or even a saint. As such it becomes a Christ like figure who becomes a servant of Life – washing peoples feet. Such a dream figure is worth listening to.
Idioms: Blue in the face; egg on my face; face down; face the facts; face the music; face up to; face value; fill your face; flat on one’s face; face lift; fly in the face of; get out of my face; in your face; keep a straight face; long face; poker face; pull a face; save face; shut your face; two faced; wipe that smile off your face; written all over your face. See: head.
Useful Questions and Hints:
What is being expressed or felt here?
If there is change what is the change moving toward or expressing?
What character, qualities, or lack of them does the face depict?
See Secrets of Power Dreaming – Emotions and Mood in Dreams – Associations Working With
Comments
I was wondering around trying to avoid someone. There was something in the dream about the teacher wanting to pick someone (one of the students) for something. I was close to being picked, but he already picked someone else. No one knew who he had chosen. Later in the dream I was walking around in a costume. The costume was black. It had a symbol on the back similar to a yin and yang with some white. The back was similar to a cloak and and it was shaped like a dragon from the back. I was helping a lady who suddenly looked like a mermaid. I looked down from where I was and saw an arena full of people. A crowd was watching the center and I heard the teacher say that he had chosen an assassin. The “assassin” was wearing an outfit very similar to mine except longer and more assassin like of course. There was a broom conceiled out from the bottom of the cloak where he hid a broom that was touching the ground. He looked similar to a black dragon not only in his attire, but when he was shooting balls of fire. The assassin was dueling with my brother. My brother was trying to fake him out, but ultimately was defeated since the assassin stood his ground and watched every move he made and countered it. The assassin was also wearing a helmet/mask. I peered closer and saw the person’s face. I was shocked, it was the person I was trying to avoid. His face was serious, determined and had that same intensity that he has in waking life. I also try to avoid this person in waking life as well.
Hi,
I had a dream where I had some sort of disease that was spreading purple (with outlines of blue) discolouration across my face, from top to bottom but not covering, & also on my body. I remember thinking I didn’t need to worry about the ones on my body though as no one could see them.
Can you help explain please?
Thanks
Sophie
Dear Sophie – The skin is a window on your emotions so any disturbance can show in your dreams as spots or things or colours. So what emotions – strong ones – have you felt recently?
Were you worried that “someone else” might become aware of your emotions?
Do you believe that strong emotions are “some sort of disease”?
See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/beliefs/
Purple may symbolise the colour of a bruise, and in some dreams can either indicate hurts you feel, or sexual passion.
Because we go blue when suffocating or having breathing difficulties, it can be used to show what a struggle we are having with life, how bruised we are with experience, or how cold we feel.
If you feel like it, you can allow and explore your feelings by using http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/acting-on-your-dream/#BeingPerson and http://dreamhawk.com/approaches-to-being/opening-to-life/
Anna 🙂
Hello, hope all is well. I’d like to ask help as I do not think this is a dream but it happened while asleep. I turned in bed and saw a rock with design etched on it and so i stared at it to see clearly but then the rock disappeared and my boyfriend’s face appeared instead. And that’s it – no long dream just a momentary scene. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!
i see faces. either mine or strangers. the eyes are completely black. or i see a girl in white robe her face covered with long black hair. the faces are scary they laugh or open their mouth as if shouting. at night any little noise…just startles me. even if i have a normal dream these faces pop up. either i’m possessed by a demon that is killing me or my loved one is possessed and killing me. it just frightens me. i wake up instantly, but moment i close my eyes the faces come back. i try to make it comical, so i’ll make the scary faces disco dance or i’ll box them . but mostly, they are red eyes or black eyes, dark rotting skin. sometimes i see dolls which i really hate. i absolutely hate horror movies. this makes me feel weak and like i cannot control my thoughts. i have been losing sleep…
Dear Dikshita – Eyes that are completely black may symbolise a lack of awareness about what is going in on your inner world.
What you meet in your dreams are your own fears and your recurring dreams suggest that you have to “face your fears” in order to be healed from what you perceive as “being possessed”.
A demon in your dream is a symbol for the expression of things in life and yourself that you feel threatened by. You may feel an urge is sinful, so you repress it. Your dream then presents it as a demon or devil, not necessarily because it is, but because that’s how you see it. Thus, a person who has terrible feelings of guilt about sexual urges may represent them as a demon threatening to possess them. Therefore a demon may represent guilt, hatred, feelings of uncleanness, aggressiveness or desire for love, and so on.
The words demons or evil spirits in the past really meant, ‘invisible but powerful influences that can make you ill in mind or body’.
Useful questions:
If you think of the demon as the difficult feeling in the dream, what (feeling) are you actually afraid of?
Have you been raised to believe certain things are sinful or evil – if so what?
Are you haunted by guilt or something you feel ashamed of?
A first step towards changing your dreams is to use http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/secrets-power-dreaming/
While awake and relaxed imagine yourself back in the dream and continue it as fantasy or a daydream and move it toward satisfaction. Alter the dream in any way; experiment with it; play with it, until you find a way to fully feel at ease with it. In doing this you must not ignore the feelings of resistance and spontaneous emotion and fantasy that may occur.
When you feel you are less afraid, you can try http://dreamhawk.com/approaches-to-being/opening-to-life/
Much of the time we edit or control what we allow ourselves to think or feel which is also symbolised by the demon killing you in your dreams.
Killing is a symbol for an interior or exterior influence which you feel is ‘killing’ – undermining, making ineffective, strangling, choking – your self-confidence or sense of identity.
Dropping this form of judgment of editing and controlling, if only for short periods while you open to the mystery you are, is important. At first it may cause some concern because you are unblocking part of the flow, and it may start pushing out some of the attitudes, past experiences and habits that have been blocking your greater flow. Usually those things would have been cleansed in the normal LifeStream, but unconscious tensions and resistances prevent the healing. This is why we have to consciously take in hand the work of dropping our self-control for periods of time.
You may also explore if you perceive (it may be your perception “only”) that in the relationship with your “loved one” you cannot express yourself freely; http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/self-observation/
Anna 🙂
Last night I had a dream where I was going to take a shower and I saw myself in the mirror after I turned the water on. I stopped and noticed my eyes were a vibrant blue, not brown-green(normal). I also had no beard and my hair was short, which looks slightly different, as I may have looked years ago. When I looked into my own eyes, I felt the “me” in the mirror. The “me” in the mirror felt feelings of early youth, like happiness and disappointment and heartache. I don’t feel emotions as much lately, but it was interesting to feel that again, and I accepted the “me” in the mirror, gladly. It was all me when I looked away, and I felt whole and excited to be whole. It felt almost like getting a new phone or something, because it would be fun and useful to have.
I have felt a little divided from my emotions lately. I feel like I don’t have enough energy to use them, and I feel as though they wouldn’t be useful anyway, so I don’t use them much. I feel like its not right, but I also feel like its easier not to have them in the way. Anyway, I can function normally without much emotion, but it was an enjoyable encounter in my dream.
Dear Jon – Getting a new phone I see as becoming aware that there are more ways to communicate with yourself – your inner world – and with what you perceive as the outer world.
I wonder what other means you use to find your way in (your inner) life; http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/dream-sources/#Funct
You wrote; “I feel like I don’t have enough energy to use them, and I feel as though they wouldn’t be useful anyway, so I don’t use them much.”
Not expressing your emotions may serve as a necessary first step in a healing process after you have experienced an extremely negative event.
You are also aware of the negative effects of repressing your emotions (too long?) – repressing them costs a lot of energy and that is why you may feel tired – and so perhaps you feel like trying a different approach?
See http://dreamhawk.com/approaches-to-being/opening-to-life/
Anna 🙂
Plz help I had a dream my partner was cheating then he took my kids and locked me in my flat and set it on fire next thing I know I’m in a white room but there are no exist no doors or windows there’s a sort of flap but it leeds no where and disappear then I’m in a bed in this white room and I turn to see a man wearing a top hat but he has no ooo face please can u help find my meaning as I was soooo scared x
Dear Dani – What do you think could have triggered a dream like this or links with it in some way?
Do you believe that your husband is having an affair?
Do you generally believe that you are “the innocent one” in your relationship with your husband and he is “the guilty one”?
See also http://dreamhawk.com/dream-dictionary/whole-2/
Can you imagine that this form of “black and white thinking” is trapping you and leads to nowhere?
The man wearing the top hat may be a symbol of thoughts and feelings that unconsciously go on in your inner world and that you do not recognize as a part of your nature or behaviour yet and it is called “your shadow”.
The Shadow is any part of ourselves that we reject, and so do not allow sufficient expression in our inner world or in our life. We may so dislike aspects of our nature we fail to recognise them altogether and instead see them in other people and criticise them.
In other words; the man is a part of your inner world – your inner male – which you have repressed and then projected onto your husband; http://dreamhawk.com/dream-dictionary/projection/
Because a hat in a dream can define what you are doing “in your head” in the way you deal with your emotions, sexual desires and relationships because of your attitudes and opinions, it will be helpful to explore what you hide underneath the top hat; http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/acting-on-your-dream/#BeingPerson
If you are still too afraid of looking within – it can be difficult to let go of the way you perceive yourself – then you could use http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/secrets-power-dreaming/
Another approach could be http://dreamhawk.com/approaches-to-being/opening-to-life/
Anna 🙂
Plz help I had a dream my partner was cheating then he tool my kids and locked me in my flat and set it on fire next thing I know I’m in a white room but there are no exist no doors or windows there’s a sort of flap but it leeds no where and disappear then I’m in a bed in this white room and I turn to see a man wearing a top hat but he has no ooo dace please can u help find my meaning as I was soooo scared x
In my dream, my family had gone out (I guess I was still living with my parents but in my current apartment) and I was in the bathroom cutting my hair. I heard something in my bedroom and turned to look. When I turned back around to finish, my face in the mirrors reflection had changed to a skull. I screamed and put my hands to my face to cover my eyes. When I dropped my hands to look back into the mirror, my face had changed to an old man’s. At this point I was terrified and ran out of the bathroom screaming. I was feeling my face and it felt like mine so I slowly went back to the bathroom and hesitantly looked at my reflection which was now normal. But then something happened in my room again. My closet door was moving like something was stuck inside. I thought it was our cat but the cat was by my foot. So I shut the door more (its a sliding door),and walked out of my room. The moment I walked out of my room, my clothes basket toppled over on its own and the clothes were falling out on to the floor as if someone was throwing them out.
I woke up after this. I has emotions of being scared and anxious. I’ve never had a dream like this .. Ever. It felt like someone else was with me in my dream even though I was alone.
What does this mean and why did I have this scary dream?
Dear Natalie – Your family is a symbol for all the values, attitudes and emotional responses that you have absorbed from living with them and cutting your hair can be about making a change; it may be about an initiation into another type of life. In traditional initiation rites and a boy’s or girl’s initiation to manhood or womanhood the cutting of hair, was symbolic of growth beyond childhood and a taking on of mature life; http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/individuation/
What you see reflected in the mirror is something about yourself that you find difficult “to face”, that is why you have stuck it in a cupboard and keep the door shut.
It could relate to a part of you that is trapped in memories that you rather “forget” and/or attitudes you use and do not want to admit to, feelings that you are ashamed of, your mistakes, your imperfections etc.; it is your shadow.
Your dream suggests that you throw “them” out which is like making you aware of what is part of the inner world you have created.
Feeling that someone else is with you also reflects the idea of having “a shadow” and most of us tend to be very afraid of it and that is why you too put your shadow in a cupboard so that no one will ever see it – or at least that is what you believe – including yourself.
Because the symbols and the actions in our dreams have different meanings “wrapped up in one action or symbol”, your shadow throwing out the clothes also reflects that because you lack awareness about your shadow, you are likely to explode without warning when something or someone triggers you into acting out the feelings you are suppressing.
See also http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/the-archetype-of-the-shadow/
The silly thing is that we all believe we have to put our shadow in a cupboard, because we all believe that if anybody would ever see it or know about it, they would not like us or love us anymore. And if we would ever see our shadow or know about it, we would not be able to keep up the pretence that we are perfect and so we would not love ourselves anymore.
The opposite is true however, if you dare to do your inner shadow work by bringing it out into the open, you will discover that you share your shadow with the rest of the world and rather than fearing that it will separate you from others, it will unite you with them in common humanity; http://dreamhawk.com/dream-dictionary/whole-2/
and
http://dreamhawk.com/approaches-to-being/the-lifestream/#Open
Anna 🙂
I havn’t actually experienced this dream, well I don’t think I have.. I keep thinking I have had a dream I was walking through a large field with three other people, the grass was bright green, and we was walking towards 1 big tree at the end of the field, but those three other people did not have faces?!!. It was just a dark circle covering their face!! I do not know if I actually experienced this dream or not? please help, because I keep thinking about it and don’t know if it has a meaning or not.
Dear Jason – Maybe it was a dream or a day-dream or the dream process breaking through – http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/hallucinations/ – and in a way it does not make a difference. The content of your dream arose from your unconscious mind and so it is good to have a look at it and explore what it is trying to communicate to you.
A person without a face is probably what is called a shadow figure if you see it on another person – parts of your nature or behaviour that you usually keep hidden or do not admit to.
Because the faces are covered by a dark circle, it may also reflect – as does the bright green field – that these three people represent a part of your natural feelings that when integrated will make you grow and feel more whole.
The shadow develops in us, according to Jolande Jacobi, because as we grow and absorb our culture, we naturally repress parts of our nature as they are not acceptable to ourselves and/or society.
If you can think of the characteristics you loathe or admire (the so called “golden shadow”) the most in others then you get a fair picture of what you do not allow yourself to think, feel, be and/or do.
Becoming aware of these feelings can therefore function as a helpful tool to recognize where your shadow gets projected onto other people – http://dreamhawk.com/dream-dictionary/projection/ – and this awareness will give you the possibility to explore the content of your shadow.
See also http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/self-observation/
Anna 🙂
i had a dream of this guy i knew for along time he was trying to avoid me but as the time goes one he started looking at me but when out when our eyes meet he would turn down and away then when looks me again he had blue eyes and he always has brown eyes .its like he wanted to look at me but he was shy and this isnt the first dream that he is avoiding to look at me please share with me your knowledge
I had a dream that these people were throwing an experiment in a building that looks like a church. But the rooms they were doing the experiments with were square rooms enough to fit a dozen people. I was told in a whisper from somewhere saying “you will pay for what you’ve done” then people started to go into these rooms. They were white and the walls were fabric. I never went into one because of what the voice said. I was in fear of some dark evil spirit. There was a doctor in a larger room that was trying to explain that these experiments don’t prove anything. I stopped him and told him something evil is happening. Then a girl came out of the room and said “I don’t like what Robert is saying, I feel really uncomfortabe. I told her to go into another room, so she did and I felt like that was a mistake. I turned to the doctor and he ran out the door saying that I was trying to ruin his career. I cried for help and told him he can’t go and he needs to help everyone. The one was white rooms are turning black. I felt as if I needed to rescue them all. So I ran to the fabric lined rooms and beat on them and yelled that everyone needed to come out. People started walking out but none of them had faces and they were all black. As black as the black as black could get. They walked but followed me. I felt like I couldn’t get away. And I ran back into the room where the doctor was and said I need his help. The room I was in was your typical church gathering room with the wooden padded rows of benches. And as soon as the doctor realized there was a problem. A black figure started walking it’s way towards me and something from below grabbed my ankle and yanked me under the rows of benches to the middle and every row flew up in the air as it dragged me. Then I woke up. Everytime I tried to fall back to sleep I entered back into the dream. This was around 6am and now I am still awakeand it’s close to 7am. I’m on this site trying to seek reasons. I have had bad dreams close to these many times. I get a really bad dream like this one 1-4 times a month.
Thank u for ur guidance and ur help with delivering my dream I appreciate ur help and can accept and relate to what u are saying thank u kindly
I have been on more a spiritual journey recently and finding out More about my dream s and meditation so what u are saying I can retaliate to complealty
Thank u for ur help
Dear Katie – You are welcome and I salute you for being willing to start the inner journey towards healing and growth which will enrich your (inner) life but also that of your children.
If you feel you could do with some more help to learn to explore and understand your dreams, feel free to post them on the website.
See also http://dreamhawk.com/dream-dictionary/practical-techniques-for-understanding-your-dreams/
Anna 🙂
Dear Master Tony, sorry,but I do hope you can help me interpret my dream? I was disturbed lately by this guy since hes name and pictures are still being used by bad people…and I was hoping that I could talk to him…I do not know in what way…but I do hope you can help me…
Thank you and more power!
Ruby
Hello how are you? I also would like to know whats the meaning of my dreams…but I will just take this one since this is latest.
Last night I saw in my dream the guy who I saw on the net last year althought this guys picture was stolen from him…which means he was a scam victim like me… Before when I first saw hes picture I was really so feel intense feel like I know him and there is something in him…then i did know it was not hes real name and he was fake.
Last night I saw him, and I said to myself stepahne? He just walking over with whole body when he was still bit young, he looks not happy not content but ok, we were together walking in a crowded place he was busy on hes phone but when I talk to him he would answer me back, then it was raining so he waited for me a bit and said in casual way. He said we need to find a place where we can have shelter for the rain since we dont have an umbrella… Then he smile and ask me about hes back pack…and we continue walking in a greenery area but still lots of people… What is the meaning of this? Although am really hoping he would talk to me…the real ownwer of that pics…I already know hes real name…
I woke up in a dream
I felt I had lost my children
There where lowered roof tops and cobbled paths
I ran around looking for my children and was told they had slept in a car so I rushed to find them
I stopped people with three children a boy and two girls they were not mine
But the people who’s children they where new me by name girl twins and one young boy In a pushchair
I found myself back in a dirty space but the person who was there was an x and Saudi couldn’t have my children unless I came with him
When I was brought to them I was in the back of a car with my daughter on my lap but the other two children in car seats some one else driving the car but wouldn’t let us go
When I looked at the face in the mirror it kept changing
Like evil faces and laughing evil faces and then glaring
I couldn’t get out and I couldn’t save my children he said we where going to see some one called josh
When I woke up I had to make sure my children where safe and in the house because it felt so real
When I woke up before I woke
I saw myself asleep in my own bed
If u could shed some light I would appreciate ur guidance thank u
Dear Katie – To wake up in a dream and see yourself asleep in your bed, means that there is something important that you are missing; this could be something in your everyday affairs and/or something in your inner world.
Your children sleeping in a car might also refer to you not being aware of your inner child and the way this aspect influences your lack of drive and motivation to thrive in life; http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/dreams-growth-and-the-trackless-way/
This I see as a very important part of your dream (too); “I found myself back in a dirty space but the person who was there was an ex and said I couldn’t have my children unless I came with him.”
The dirty space might show that there is still a lot of inner work – mental and emotional housekeeping – to do in order to clear out/digest a relationship which must have been difficult for you and in which you must have felt wounded (too); please also read http://dreamhawk.com/dream-dictionary/digest/
The pain of losing your children is frequently a sign that your infant or child self is still wounded or malformed, and needs the healing of being allowed into consciousness and thereby integrated into the adult personality; please also read http://dreamhawk.com/health-and-healing/inner-baby-and-child/
The part where you are sitting in the back of the car could refer to how you have experienced your life when you were the age of your children. The person driving might be your (inner http://dreamhawk.com/dream-dictionary/father-dad/#InnerFather ) father – or other important caregiver – and at that time in your life you “could not get out” the car or “save your inner children.”
I wonder if you still believe that you are dependent on others to love and value you (your inner child) before you can feel loved and valued (love and value your inner child).
This dependence might make that you still do not feel that it is YOU who is leading your (inner) life – you are not in the driving seat of the car – and that you are still in the grip of an inner force that drives you to look for love and value outside of you.
Who or what do you associate with the name “Josh”?
What I associate with it is this:
Joshua (Josh for short) is best known as Moses’ second in command who takes over and leads the Israelites into the Promised Land after Moses’ death. Joshua is considered one of the Bible’s greatest military leaders for leading the seven-year conquest of the Promised Land, and is often held up as a model for leadership and a source of practical application on how to be an effective leader. Please also read http://dreamhawk.com/inner-life/the-driving-seat/
Also Joshua and Jesus are basically the same name. Another way to see Jesus might be to see “Him” as the archetype of the divine child.
The holy or divine child dream occurs usually when the person is attempting to transform their life and clean out their basement – the dirt and so their unconscious hurts and psychological, social and family debris. This divine child reflects how a new being linking with the wider awareness of Life can emerge out of your ordinary and often malformed self.
So “going to see someone called Josh” is a very promising decision you took in your dream – yes you created all of your dream yourself – and perhaps also a decision you took/will take in your waking life.
Please let me know if you have any questions Katie.
Anna 🙂