In our dreams a building could represent us, we may need to understand what point in our life the building is trying to be. Some interpretations say that buildings represent the dreamer’s body. As there are a multitude of different buildings you may need to explore what the structure means to you.
Of course sometimes dream buildings may be nothing more than scenery. If a building is strange or unusual in any way you need to look closer.
Types of Building
The function of a building may give clues as to its meaning within the dream. A church is likely to be associated with your spiritual side or religion. A bridge may indicate that you need to cross an obstacle. Basements or other underground structures may have relevance if you are in the process of exploring deeply rooted personal issues. An industrial building will inspire quite different feelings than a little cottage would.
The same setting will get different responses from different people – you may find a factory to be a noisy, smelly, confusing place, someone else may find it represents mass production, innovation and newness and may be to do with progress in their waking life.
Appearance
Particular qualities of the building may stand out for you – maybe the materials or the style, the state of repair, or perhaps a chimney or a staircase.
An ultra-modern building might suggest order and control in your life or a detachment from your heritage, yet an old, lived-in rustic cottage could indicate a feeling of comfort and security. However, our response to these things is highly personal and you must look at the building in the context of your own feelings and tastes.
Is the building clean and tidy or dirty, well maintained or falling apart? If the building is taken to represent some aspect of your own being then its state could indicate how you view yourself. A neglected building may be a hint that you need to look after yourself more, or that you suffer from low self-esteem.
Staircases
A staircase may be symbolic of a man’s virility, ambition or career progress. It may mean any or none of these things, but notice its significance in your dream – of course it may simply be a staircase in your dreams. It is worth considering that staircases enable access to higher places and you may be using them to symbolize your ability to progress or achieve greater status; on the other hand going down a staircase may show a loss of these things. A staircase may also transport you between the higher and lower aspects of your being.
Elevators and escalators may perform the same functions as staircases, but do they represent an “easy ride”?