Ask Steven Fox discussion

Hi Steven,
I am always fending off or struggling with someone or some situation in my dreams. Not a physical fight, but defending my actions/words or trying to get someone to understand a universally perceived truth. Is this my subconscious telling me to not be so concerned with others opinions? Any thoughts?

One enters an endless hall of mirrors when talking about conflict in this case because we are literally discussing how the different parts of your own psyche disagree at the first level of dream interpretation. There is a very idealistic part of you concerned with universal truth that is defending itself from compromising what you believe in versus what you may have to do to satisfy other needs. The constant struggle is emotionally draining and upsetting.

At the second and interpersonal level, the clarity of interpretation decreases; however, it is likely that the dream is trying to gauge how necessary it is to defend yourself from others. I would take direction from the final outcome of each conflict dream as follows: (1) if the final outcome of the dream is negative, it is likely that the dream is urging you to be less defensive, and (2) if the final outcome of the dream is positive, the dream is supporting your protecting your ideals in that case.

Overall, the dreams can be seen as your subconscious trying to decide how far to negotiate or compromise your ideals, either within yourself or with others. The answer is usually both with the two levels of interpretation condensing into one another.

Thank you for the great dream question.