Diamond Dreams

[Vex Kitten]

First off, I had a Jack Russel named Diamond. I was very sick for a couople days last fall. I slept the day and night away. I forgot to bring DIamond in for the night. That same night I dreamed that I was playing with Diamond in the front yard. A pack of wild dogs came and they coaxed her away from me. I tried to protect her from them at first, keep her with me. She left with the pack without looking back.

The next morning I woke up and went out to fetch her. She was dead. I'm not saying the dream was a premonition. I know it was some part of me trying to get a message through via the dream. I didn't heed it and I lost my puppy. I felt so horrible afterward that I couldn't set foot in my back yard for a long time. My dreams of her after that were of DIamond being just out of reach or of her ignoring me.


Recently, these past couple of months, I started dreaming about Diamond again. I see her and she's happy and affectionate like she used to be. This past month I've had dreams in which she jumps into my lap and a few moments later she turns into a different dog. I initially took this to mean that I'm ready to bring a new dog into my life but there is something else about these dreams that bothers me. I think I took the dreams too literally. I know most dreams aren't to be taken at face value and I know I mis nterpreted the message. I can't figure out what it might be. Any ideas? These dreams are very vivid and usually the first I remember upon waking.

[Burned up]

A couple of things come to mind, VK.  But first I'd like to identify with your feelings that you let Diamond down.  I had similar feelings when my favourite grandfather died and I hadn't bothered to spend time with him in his latter years.  I dreamed of him for years after (and still do occasionally), like you, with the two of us happy together.

Dreams, according to some, can represent a wish.  So for your dreams of a playful puppy (and mine of a wonderful grandfather) we dream of how we wished things had turned out.  That's a rather simple interpretation.  Not really an interpretation at all, I guess.  But from what little we know about dreams, it may be that simple.

More generally, these dreams can be symbolic of all loss and grief you have had in life.  From the first time as a baby you looked up and your mother wasn't there in front of you to the more mature experiences from which we've learned to just "move on".  Either way, feelings are triggered, if only briefly.  So just as we "move on" from more adult experiences of loss so do our dreams replay our strategies from whatever losses they might find.

I wonder why it is you're dreaming of Diamond just now?  Is there a void in your life that needs to be filled?  A companion/playmate/loyal friend?  Maybe these dreams remind you of what you are denying yourself - perhaps because you don't want to suffer the same sort of loss again.  Your suggestion that the "different dog" might mean that you're ready to care for another pet (or person).  But from what you've written I'd be more intrigued at exploring what it is that's bothering you.  Any thoughts as to what that might be?  It could well be something you're not admitting even to yourself.

I don't get a huge amount of symbolism from the dream.  Dogs can mean loyalty, but the fact that this was your special dog seems to override any symbolic meaning.

[Vex Kitten]

As a matter of fact, there is a great void in my life right now. I've lost touch with a lot of people both on line and off line. I've been so busy lately that I haven't got the time to simply enjoy myself anywhere or with anyone. I'm always in a rush to get things done. I have been wanting to get back out and start to really enjoy myself again.

I bit the bullet and got a new dog.  I got a husky not meant to replace Diamond at all. I kept having the dreams and I figured maybe this dream is literal. In case it was I went for it. I haven't had a DIamond dream since. It's also nice having a critter around again. Feels a bit more secure around here with a dog.

Thanks for the response. It really brought the 'void' into focus and I plan on fixing that situation.
 

[Burned up]

As a matter of fact, there is a great void in my life right now. I've lost touch with a lot of people both on line and off line. I've been so busy lately that I haven't got the time to simply enjoy myself anywhere or with anyone. I'm always in a rush to get things done. I have been wanting to get back out and start to really enjoy myself again.

I bit the bullet and got a new dog.  I got a husky not meant to replace Diamond at all. I kept having the dreams and I figured maybe this dream is literal. In case it was I went for it. I haven't had a DIamond dream since. It's also nice having a critter around again. Feels a bit more secure around here with a dog.

Thanks for the response. It really brought the 'void' into focus and I plan on fixing that situation.
 

Sounds like it helped to recognise and name the "void".  Hope your husky does not disappoint, like wake you from nice dreams.