Dreaming of Houses

Exploring how a house becomes a symbol.

In order for a house to exist, it had to have begun as a thought in the mind of a human being; it was an idea before it was an object. This is a great place to begin when we are defining the symbolic meaning of a physical, man-made item.

Imagine our ancient ancestors wandering the earth without a house. Why might they create a house? Perhaps they are lying under the stars and a huge animal attacks them. After fending off the beast, they think, “Ugh! Me need to keep beast out.  Me need to stack stones.  Me call it wall!”

While overly simplified, the scenario above could have been the first thought about a house – ever. An ordered series of thoughts would be required to bring that house into being. Something such as the following:

  • What can I use to build a wall?
  • How can I make it strong enough to withstand a beast?
  • Can I do it with only my hands or will I need a tool?

The necessary tools may then be created, after they are imagined up, of course. Perhaps the tools began as simple chopping and carving tools, but they sufficed to build a simple house.

From then on, a house was no longer a thought in someone’s mind, it had become real; it existed.

The Birth of the Symbolism

We build a house around us for our safety, our protection, and our relief from the elements, among other things. Doesn’t it then stand to reason that when we dream of a house, it is our shelter from the storms of life; our protection from predators?

Although we don’t often stop to think about it in our fast-paced world, our hearts and our souls and our minds need protection as well as our bodies. After all, they are the true creators of our lives. As a house protects our physical body, a house in our dreams provides shelter for who we are inside. This is why it is a symbol for the self.

More Symbolism

Rooms in a house represent different parts of you. When you find yourself opening a door into a wonderfully amazing room, realize that you are opening a door into a part of yourself.

When you see a room that’s really messy, realize that it too is a part of who you are; where your inner thoughts and feelings are messy.

Sometimes the house you’re dreaming of actually represents someone else. Perhaps you’re at a friend’s house and having a wonderful visit. You note all the things you like and dislike about their house. In this case, the house in your dream would represent your friend or how you feel about your friend.

In some way, shape, or form the house in your dream is showing you some interaction that you are having with the world around you. On a completely “self” level it would represent how you are personally thinking and feeling about something.

Dream Phenomena and Remote Viewing

Perhaps you are remote viewing inside someone else’s house?

As an example: I was telling my best friend that I had a dream about her in which she was in her closet and there were extension cords and hangers and lights. I told her that her husband yelled something up the stairs to her.

She told me that all of those things actually happened that night. It was like I was in her house “seeing” what they were doing, even if only for a few minutes.

The only way to know if you are doing this is by speaking about your dream experiences. My advice is to share your dream with the person to find out if you were visiting them while you were dreaming.

Additional Notes

I’d like to end by letting you know I have a few posts and dictionary entries you may find helpful in understanding the symbolic meaning of the clues in your dreams with reference to a house.

Are you in the bathroom?

Are you opening a door or sitting in a closet?

A house is also a building.

If you were eating in the dream, you may want to see my post on food.

Did any of the following appear in the dream: kitchen, living room, cooking, eating or laundry?  If so, check out their meanings in my Dream Dictionary.