Child

Children in dreams represent, above all, potential for the future, but it is a complex symbol with many meanings. "It represents the strongest, most inevitable drive in every person, namely, the drive to realize oneself." (Introduction to a Science of Mythology, p. 124.)

Future

"The child is potential future. … [It] paves the way for a future change in the personality." (Introduction to a Science of Mythology, p. 115.) If the dream concerns the individuation process, the image may refer to a synthesis of conscious and unconscious contents. "It is therefore a unifying symbol, which unites the opposites." (Ibid.)

Besides this more overarching meaning, the child can also hint at a new adventure, probably linked to previously neglected aspects of ourselves or emerging personality traits. (A boy can symbolize a new, "sincere" endeavor, according to von Franz [Skuggan och det onda i sagor, p. 140].) To integrate this, playfulness may be required; doing something contrary to, for instance, intellectualizing it, since play, which belongs to the child, involves surrendering to a spontaneous energy.

Newborn Child

A baby needs time, patience, and care; it does not necessarily symbolize something new that has sprung to life in the dreamer’s outer world, but something that has just begun, something still in potentia that needs time and nurturing to be realized.

Childhood

When one dreams of something related to childhood, the dream may paint with a broad brush referring to one's entire life—one's development from childhood to the present. Similarly, a "dream-child" may represent our own childhood experiences that are now part of our personality.

Savior  

The symbol implies potential for development, even transformation; a synthesis between conscious and unconscious content. In this way, it is a symbol of the union of opposites—a mediator, a healer. Savior figures such as Jesus are child-gods for these reasons.  

Unreservedness  

Concerning the Christ child, children are symbols of the unspoiled, the pure, but also of playfulness and spontaneity—values that are or are considered desirable, especially in Eastern traditions. The unreserved attitude and naivety that characterize children (together with the aforementioned values) are likely the background to Jesus’ words: "Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." (Mark 10:13.) (Compare with Sacrifice.)

"It is not about remaining a child but about, as an adult, mustering enough honest self-criticism and humility to recognize in which contexts and in relation to what one must act like a child, that is, irrationally and unreflectively receptive." (Psychology and Religion, par. 273 ?)

Playful and Cunning  

To "become like a child" does not mean to become infantile and foolish but to dare to listen to and follow one’s unreserved and playful side. However, this requires cunning and caution because it makes one vulnerable (see below). Children and "childish" figures in folk tales are characterized by energy and spontaneity, but also cunning—they are never foolish.  

The Self and Life Energy  

Early dreams of the Self’s emergence sometimes involve children who are in some way "illegitimate" or out of the ordinary; often something that is not immediately acceptable, as the Self transcends the ego's rules. (The Eternal Drama, p. 81.) Similarly, children perceived as "original" or stemming from nature in some way may represent the Self in dreams. But children ("the divine child") in dreams and stories can, in general, be an expression of the Self as the source of vitality, energy, and so on. The image of the child can as a symbol express "the unrealized" Self, as it is still "boyish."

Most people, when thinking about their own childhood, associate it with life—how alive they were, how strong the impressions and feelings were, etc. Is there anything as curious, energetic, and happy as healthy little children? In this way, the child as a symbol becomes an expression of life itself or life energy. For this reason, children are associated with water on the one hand and snakes on the other. Jung called the image of the child "a unifying symbol with reconciling qualities."

The Inferior Function  

The developmental potential that the child represents, while the content may be infantile (see below), is sometimes connected to the fourth, underdeveloped function in Jung’s typology. The primary function can run out of energy at a certain point in our lives, and the fourth function may instead come to life. Since it is more or less unconscious and beyond one’s control, it cannot be dictated, but one may need to follow it in the unreserved and playful manner suggested by the child symbol. 

The Transcendent Function

Related to this is the image of the child as the solution to an impossible situation. Children appear in dreams just when we find ourselves in an insoluble conflict, as a previously unthinkable solution, "the third." They are "bringers of light" that "expand our consciousness." One way to interpret the child symbol is that it hints at or is connected to the process of individuation.  

The Striving for Wholeness  

Jung writes about "the inner child" (The Development of Personality, par. 286): "In every adult, there lingers a child—an eternal child, something that is always becoming, never completed, and demands constant care, attention, and education. It is the part of the human personality that wants to develop and become whole.' "

A New Beginning  

One might say that the child we once were is the prima materia of the adult self. If one dreams of being a child again, for example, it can hint at a fresh start, free from the preconceived notions and general rigidity of adulthood; the child is open, innocent, and still moldable. The motif of the child in dreams is generally an expression of something new and positive (potentially) beginning.

The Childish  

On a more "negative" side, a child in a dream can symbolize something within us that is "childish." For example, if a child is in possession of something, it may sometimes be assumed to be a part of the dreamer’s undeveloped creativity, or that regarding what the child symbolizes, one has a childish attitude. If one is reading a children’s book or finds to one's surprise that only children are present in a place expected to be filled with adults, it can indicate that the object or place is too childish for us, and that we may need to find something more aligned with our age and current outlook or maturity. In dramatic cases, a dream may even suggest the necessity for a child—that is, the childish attitude—to "die."

The Underdeveloped – The Shadow

Aspects of ourselves that have been pushed away from the light of consciousness stop developing in the unconscious; when they reach consciousness again, it can be as infantile impulses or behaviors—or as children in dreams. In this way, children who appear negatively in dreams, for instance, if they are self-destructive, rude, or mean, can represent infantile shadow aspects of ourselves.  

That which has a future and the possibility to develop is, by definition, underdeveloped, or indeed infantile and childish. When seeking the path of development, one always begins as a child, and therefore children can symbolize development itself. The first stumbling, awkward, and naive steps are a prerequisite for maturity. Thus, despite what has been said, the childish in the dream can have a positive meaning.  

Homunculus  

A little boy who suddenly appears, teaches humans something—like agriculture, laws, or art—and then disappears again, is a recurring image in mythology. The helpful boy appears as a homunculus, a “little man,” in various forms and expressions throughout history. Children therefore share a symbolic value with “little men,” as expressions of unconscious creativity, and so on. In certain dreams, it may be useful to interpret, for instance, a number of small boys as a dwarf motif rather than a child motif. (See Dwarf.)  

Multiplicity in Contrast to Unity  

An undefined multitude of beings usually indicates wholly unconscious processes (see Multiplicity). If a large number of dwarves or children appear without individual characteristics, there is a risk that the dream rather reflects a dissociation; but if the child motif appears as a unity, we are dealing with a “synthesis,” which—like all unconscious material—only expresses a possibility. (Introduction to a Science of Mythology, p. 116-117.)  

Eros  

The naked boy is often a symbol of love, as in Eros or Cupid, something that can be mirrored in dreams. Jung referred to our “relational function” as Eros, which “only thrives when spirit and instinct are in harmony.” (Two Essays on Analytical Psychology, par. 32.)

Desire and Play

The childlike play is spontaneous, unconscious forces that can be entirely necessary for the dynamics of inner work (often symbolized by small creatures like playful Cabiri or elves). As previously mentioned, personal development may require playfulness. (The wise old man is thus playful and curious like a child and often appears as an archetypal image in the company of a boy.)

We all have, to a greater or lesser extent, a need to play in a broad sense. Dreaming of children who aren’t well may illustrate that one isn’t allowing oneself to play, explore, or be open and curious. All of this is linked to creativity, which is symbolized by children.  

The Fragile

It is not uncommon for children to be in danger in dreams, as it represents something new and fragile that needs care. Helping and protecting children is a common theme and expresses the need to nurture what is new, perhaps defenseless due to “immaturity,” and important for our development. We spoke earlier of the child as an expression of joy and energy, but with bad experiences, this can be destroyed. It must be nurtured without being stifled.  

The Inner Child  

Children in dreams are sometimes an image of the dreamer’s “inner child,” as one always carries within oneself who one once was, like the rings in a tree.  

Sons and Daughters

If one dreams of one's own children, the symbol likely has a different quality since they are, in a way, an extension of oneself. Not infrequently, one’s children act in dreams in a way contrary to how one wants them to behave or how the dream ego behaves. This can suggest an inner split between the hesitant self and the unconscious impulse to move forward; perhaps between the present and the future.

Age  

The child's age is almost always relevant. It may refer to an experience the dreamer had at the age of the child in the dream, but also to something that happened—or was “born”—a certain number of years before the dream. For instance, dreaming of a twelve-year-old could refer to something that happened or was ongoing when one was twelve; dreaming of a two-year-old could make it relevant to consider if something happened (“was born”) two years ago, and so on. (See also Birth.)

Alchemy

The individual child to be born or just recently born was called filius, the stone born in the retort.

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