Dream analysis: My mouth opened in utter shock... the hair on my head stood up straight

What's in a dream? Our resident expert has the answers. Picture: iStock
A. This dream is a graphic portrayal of the horror of death. The young, graceful ballerina changes into a decomposed mummy, while the observer grows pale with shock, can’t speak, and his hair stands on end. He realises that “I now had a view of myself” and the fate that awaits him. The death theme is emphasised by the absence of reflections in the mirror wall.
Dance is one of the physical arts protected by the Greek muse, Terpsichore.
Indeed, a famous French 18th-century ballerina, Marie-Madeleine Guimard, had a private theatre built in her palace called the Temple of Terpsichore. It was torn down by Baron Haussmann when Paris was re-built.
In mythological terms, the green shoots, ivy and leaves are associated with Apollo, the Greek god of prophecy, who foretells our transient fate. He is depicted as a handsome young man wearing a laurel wreath. Apollo has an ancient association with the plague and its control, which suggests that this dream of death is triggered by Covid fears.
A. Again, this is a Covid dream to do with lockdown. Cycling is an individual way of getting around and this woman is locked down because the chain on her bicycle has come off. She walks, but the traffic prevents her from crossing the road. The chain falls off again and the saddle is too high. These obstacles prevent her rushing home and the feeling in the dream is one of frustration.
She is compelled to slow down like the elderly female driver, who does yield to her. The mechanic also helps her. By accepting the limitations under lockdown and slowing down her life, the dreamer finds other compensations in the kindness of strangers.
- Send your dream queries to feelgood@examiner.ie