Old

If something is old in the dream, it often symbolizes that it is outdated, psychologically past, or that something has been repressed and out of consciousness for a long time.

Outdated

For example, if one dreams that one is wearing old clothes (one used to wear), it may indicate one is carrying outdated attitudes or identifying with an outdated role. If one is riding in a old bus, it might suggest that one has fallen into old collective patterns. If one encounters a colleague who is unexpectedly old in the dream, this could symbolize that the job is outdated (given that the colleague symbolizes the job itself or the dreamer's engagement with it); if one is forced to carry something old, it may indicate that one is bearing outdated burdens, and so on.

This symbolism relates to secondhand—something already used (by someone else, but certainly a previous version of oneself); something one has already utilized. It does not necessarily need to be something negative but can suggest a need for renewal.

Ancient

That something is old can, of course, also mean that it is from the past, a part of one’s history, such as an old place. Ancient places and objects in dreams can suggest an archetypal content, that is, inherited or impersonal ideas. (Cf. Old Man.)

One could summarize it by saying that if "the old" in the dream is still within the framework of the dreamer's life, it probably concerns his or her personal psychology; but if it is much older than that, a more collective perspective may be more appropriate. However, note that our personal "primal events" in early childhood can very well be colored by archetypal patterns and dressed in ancient garb.

Old Dream Figure

That a dream figure is old indicates it belongs to the past. The dreamer tends to encounter older individuals in dreams when his or her attitude is too "young"—too childish or inexperienced. The old figure's attitude compensates for that of the dream ego. With its presence, the figure may suggest what the dreamer ought to become—more mature, more experienced, and so on. In this way, the old figure can also represent the dreamer’s future in potentia.  Our past shapes our future, so the future is a kind of renewal of the past.

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