Seeing Saw Sight

Looking at something implies our attitudes or response to what is seen. Being looked at by someone else in the dream suggests seeing oneself from a viewpoint which is not our norm. By actually attempting to stand in the role of the other person, as described in Being the Person or Thing, we can become conscious of this different viewpoint. By standing in our own role in the dream, and actually taking time to consider what it is we are ‘seeing’, and the impressions involved, we can ‘see’ or become aware of what the dream is getting us to look at regarding ourselves. Also see Characters and People in Dreams  

In a word count from a sample of a 1000 dreams, the words SEE, SAW, LOOK, LOOKING, occurred 1077 times. This is the highest occurrence of any words in the sample.

Next were Feel, Feelings, Felt, with a score of 855, and HOUSE, HOUSES, with 412. Whereas Fall  Falling Fell, which is usually said to be the main theme of dreaming, scored only 83

This suggests that dreams are almost entirely about giving attention to, being aware of, being confronted by, considering or realising, some aspect of the enormously wide range of experience which human consciousness meets. Therefore, whatever appears in the dream shows we are giving some thought to, feeling or confronting, what is depicted.

During each day we meet, in sensory impressions, in memory, in emotion, in thought, a huge variety of things. It is therefore of great interest what comparatively few subjects our spontaneous dream response chooses to give attention to out of all the range. It seems likely these chosen areas are important to us. The view a person has in their dream, the environment they see, reflects how they see life and themselves at the time of the dream. It shows the narrowness or wideness of their ‘vision’.

Looking up: Looking up suggest directing your attention above your normal view, or taking in things that were above your normal living experience.

Looking down: Shows you looking at what is below you, so could suggest having an excellent overview, looking down on eople from a superior attitude, or looking back from having climbed to a higher place.

Looking around: Maybe you are taking stock of where you stand or what you have achieved. Or are you looking for or searching for something or someone? Or do you not know where you are?

Looking sideways: Often suggests trying to see what is happening without your glance being noticed. The example suggested below shows Debbie viewing a huge landscape and sea, The size and space of it shows the depth and breadth of her mind.

Example: ‘I was leaning over the settee with my hands cupped under my chin looking out of the window. The view was spectacular, in that it was as if the house was situated on top of a cliff overlooking a huge bay, shaped like a horseshoe, with the house in the middle. From the sea suddenly, coming into the bay I could see three enormous whales making their way toward me. As I was staring in amazement they began to transform themselves and come up out of the water as three giant Viking like figures. They were so huge, that the water came up only to their knees and everything was moving so slowly, as they waded towards me. It was the most awe inspiring thing I had ever seen in my life.’ Sue B.

The bay, the beautiful sea, the sperm? whales / men, show Sue touching the most primordial yet inspiring aspects of her own womanhood and urge to love.

Idioms: From the look of things; look after; look askance at; look at; look before you leap; look blue; look down on; look for; look forward to; look into; look out; look over something; look small; look the other way; look up to; look for a fight; not like the look of; as far as I can see; as I see it; do you see what I mean; I’ll see about that; I see; see over something – overseer; see eye to eye; see life; see red; see which way the wind blows; Catch sight of; get out of my sight; in sight of; lose sight of; out of sight out of mind; second sight; at first sight. This is one of the major aspects of dreaming. Unless we are born blind, virtually every dream shows us looking at, seeing or viewing the events, objects, environment and people of the dream.

See: searching