The Question

Please help me. I am very troubled by what a work colleague told me. She said she had a dream in which she and I were walking together and a vicious dog approached. She became very afraid of the dog but I laughed and assured her that the dog would not bite. However the dog did actually bite her despite my assurances.

NL, City Unknown

Prop in a dream

This dream may have relevance to your colleague but I see no reason why it has any relevance to you at all. Dream language is extremely personal and subjective and most dreams are for the dreamer alone. The exception is a prophetic dream that God gives someone for the church or for a particular group or even one person. That does not seem to be the case here.

The interpretation of the dream depends on the perspective of the dreamer. “You” in the dream is only a prop and she has to determine what that prop is telling her. If the dream was strong enough for her to mention it to you, perhaps it was scary for her but it should not be troubling to you.

For your co-worker, the dream may speak to her relationship with you and may point to several possibilities. In her heart she may see you as braver or more courageous than herself. Or, she may feel your judgment is not trustworthy because she sees you as too trusting and naïve. In the dream you did not end up being right about the dog. The dog could represent any perceived danger in the workplace.

Is there ever a time when we should pay attention if we show up in someone else’s dream? Yes, there might be a few cases so ask yourself: Does the dreamer have a gift of prophecy and a track record of accurate dreams? Does the dream seem to have nothing to do with their life — only yours? Is the dream re-occurring? Does the dream have a special quality about it that the dreamer senses has relevance for you? Does the hearing of the dream strike some deep chord and give you a feeling “this is for me”?

If none of those things can be answered in the affirmative the dream was no doubt meant only for the one who dreamed it. You can dismiss it and go back to puzzling over your own dreams.