Waking Up

One can wake up both in a dream and from a dream. Both scenarios have, or can have, symbolic significance.

Waking up in a dream

Waking up within a dream indicates that one has been asleep, meaning unconscious of what is happening around oneself. (See Sleep.) For example, one might believe one is in control, but the dream reveals that one need to wake up and see reality as it is.

On a more archetypal level, waking up can symbolize a higher state of consciousness. When Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge, “their eyes were opened” (Genesis 3:7), as if they had been asleep but now had awakened.

Waking up from a dream

Actually waking up from a dream is sometimes used by the dream function as a symbol in itself, representing an "awakening," a signal that the dreamer needs to wake up and become conscious of something. This is also a common metaphor in everyday speech when urging someone to confront reality.

If we encounter something terrifying in a dream and then wake up from it, this can be a sign of ego strength; instead of being overwhelmed or consumed by the unconscious, we manage to escape and become conscious.

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