Terms for letter: E




The eagle is associated with keen vision and the ability to 'soar.' This powerful bird of prey can appear in dreams when you are feeling the need to expand your horizons or explore life in a more all-encompassing way. If there is something frightening about the eagle, you may feel that your desire for success and power is 'preying' upon your sense of fulfillment. Birds often appear in dreams when we are exploring critical conscience or ideas related to spiritual fulfillment.


The focus on a ear in a dream can be associated with peripheral perception from the standpoint that you are aware of something that has yet to make itself clear to you. It can also suggest the need to be more attentive or to start listening more. Seeing an ear is an objective way of seeing how you fail to listen. Something is being said that you are not hearing. Explore the other imagery to shed light on what it is. See Anatomy and Body Parts.


When what you earn becomes the subject of a dream, you are exploring the idea of self-worth. Even receiving change from a clerk in a store can be a message of this type. Often the numbers are significant in understanding how self worth can be increased.

Representing what you receive in return for your efforts, this type of dream can offer a message about balance and finding value in what you do. The sense of bartering or trading shows this desire for balance, yet being 'paid' can represent fulfillment or finding work that really fulfills you.

Arguments about the amount of money due on a bill can symbolize issues related to the Number discussed. In a sense, one side of you (waiter/what you do to gratify and nourish yourself, or builder/what is constructing your mindset, or tailor/what is constructing your identity) isn't adding up to everything your worth. Arguing over the bill can be symbolic of giving importance to one area at the expense of another. Also see Urn under Homonyms.


Since earrings 'adorn' the ear, dreaming of this type of jewelry can symbolize the need to hear and believe the positive reinforcement you are receiving. Additionally, you may be hearing only what you want to hear and are ignoring or covering the negative influence of another. Since the ear relates to listening and the jewelry enhances it, this type of dream can focus you to listen closely to what you hear. Finding, losing or giving an earring shows the power of words and your relationship to them.


Your relationship to the earth in a dream can reveal whether you feel your ‘feet are on the ground.’ Perhaps you feel that your ‘foundation is giving way,’ since any shifting of what appears to be ‘solid ground’ disrupts your foundation or beliefs. Working with the earth to grow something or digging beneath it suggests work that you are doing to uncover your ‘earthy’ or organic and natural aspects. See Dig, Natural Disasters and Landscape and Scenery.


In life, you can have the feeling that once a foundation (usually beliefs) is in place - it should not be changed. You may have the sense that changes need to happen - but are afraid to allow any type of 'inner shifting' to occur. When you dream of an earthquake - the dream is bringing about this foundational change. Unlike a landslide that shows an inconsistency in thinking that undermines the foundation, or a flood that embodies how emotions eventually wear away at the foundation - the earthquake relates more to a tendency to block change - or a tendency to hold your ground. Dreams provide a safe environment to explore change. When you dream of an earthquake - the message is to loosen up your rigid outlook and move with the changes so that a foundation more appropriate to your needs of the present can be established. See also Natural Disasters and Landscape and Scenery.


The East can been associated with a new start or the coming of a ‘new day’ since the sun always rises from the East. Dreams of Houses and Buildings that focus on the East, suggest some new aspect emerging as your sense of identity is given definition.

Dreams of Anatomy and Body Parts associated with the idea of the East can be focusing on the left side of the body. East is a relative symbol but can sometimes be associated with the idea of Left - or a new way of doing something. Finally, the East can be a spiritual symbol and may represent changes in your spiritual outlook.


Eating Food in a dream shows how you are exploring the idea of fulfillment from a broader perspective. Fulfillment is being explored in what you are currently doing and how you might find greater nourishment from experience. An animal attempting to eat you shows your non-integrated feelings, emotions or anger that might better serve you if it were acknowledged and assimilated. The type of animal will offer more information about the side of you that is seeking integration. If it is a type of monster, the dream is focusing more on the Shadow and describes non-integrated power that is trying to find expression. Since eating leads to digestion, we can 'chew' on ideas or explore new ways of being through the symbolism of eating.

Eating Utensils

Kitchen utensils are associated with changes you are making. You use them to take what you need in order to find nourishment and self worth. Like food, the symbolism is exploring fulfillment. The difference between a fork and a spoon is their shape. A spoon suggests what you need to hold onto in order to feel satisfied, while the fork is more symbolic of taking a stab at something, or making a change in direction that will help you provide for yourself. The fork can also symbolize choices or a crossroad, as in a 'fork in the road.' The knife can symbolize ideas that are painful or the cutting away of something. You may have to face the truth or eliminate outworn behavior. Since it is used as a weapon, it can symbolize allowing feelings to rise to the surface. A spatula is associated with turning something over or seeing another side of the situation. See Food and Cooking.


Eavesdropping or spying is an interesting dream theme because you may be accessing information about yourself in the only way your psyche will allow. Not being a part of a conversation taking place between characters can show your disinterest or how you are not owning up to something. Often what the other characters are discussing seems bizarre. It is these bizarre clues that are richest in meaning - if you really explore what is being brought to your attention in this cryptic manner - you will discover something very important about yourself that you had not acknowledged prior. People discussing food can portray your lack of fulfillment and what you might do to feel fulfilled. People discussing work can symbolize how you are not satisfied with your career - even while you ignore these feelings. People discussing a car can be helping you to recognize what it will take to move forward in a more empowered manner. If people are discussing the weather or a natural disaster - your inner foundation may be undergoing transformation that will lead to rebirth.


Hearing an echo can be a way of revisiting something that was said. Your attention is drawn to how what you say is repeated back and can suggest the result of actions and beliefs.


Seeing an eclipse of the sun and moon can symbolize the harmonious alignment of feelings (moon) and assertiveness or power (sun.) If the landscape suddenly becomes dark because of the eclipse, you may be testing your idea of power against external powers that feel beyond your control. The onset of sudden darkness is also symbolic of recognizing how there may be issues that are still outside of your awareness. How the eclipse makes you feel becomes important in understanding the message of the dream. It can suggest a turning point and remind you to take stock of the magic and miracles that unfold around you.


An egg is a symbol of gestation and rebirth. It can symbolize careful work that will lead to success. Reptiles and birds both hatch their young with eggs because birds descended from reptiles. The egg is an ancient symbol of expanded awareness and powerful transformation.

In many ancient cultures, eggs were shared to celebrate the new year (the origin of Easter coincides with traditional new year festivals.) The 'underworld' that the reptile inhabits is given wings to become like the phoenix that rises from the ashes. Observing an egg in a dream embodies this metamorphosis - or the idea that something is about to hatch. It can be a new idea, a new direction or simply a new you. See also Circle.


Dreaming of ancient Egypt can signify the symbolic 'archeological digging' of the deeper layers of the psyche. Its association with magic and resurrection offers a landscape of initiation and metamorphosis. To see a mummy can symbolize being wrapped up in one aspect of life at the expense of another. It can also relate to the idea of 'mommy' and whether or not you were encouraged in the free expression of feelings and affection. Often you will visit this type of setting when you are going through a difficult transformation, or when you are embarking on a spiritual path.


Eight can symbolize wholeness and the infinite aspect of life. In numerology, eight is considered to be a powerful number of creativity and leadership. Eight on a clock can symbolize a threshold where consciousness and the unconscious exchange places, signifying a type of transition in awareness. Eight can symbolize both awakenings and deeper levels of activating power. To see the number 8 written out can be showing you that two things are connected and you might explore how they are inter-related. The eighth floor can symbolize arrival and a sense of accomplishment. See Numbers and eight/ate under Homonyms.


If you are dreaming of this type of sexual release - you may need to examine whether you are finding outlets for the release of your energy and passion. Semen can represent new life from the sense of rebirth. It can symbolize the release of power in a way that has previously felt trapped. We generally dream of what we are repressing - so dreaming of ejaculation can be a sign that you are not expressing your urges.


Dreams of electricity often depict faulty wiring that leads to ‘unreliable’ lighting, affecting your ability to see clearly. It can be a message about stress and the need to tone it down in your life. Wiring is a symbol of how one thing causes another or the root of an issue. Its association with ‘charge’ can portray ‘emotionally charged’ situations, or the type of conflict that can activate growth within you. As a source of energy, the well-being of the electrical circuits can reveal your current feelings about how things are ‘flowing’ within you. In Houses and Buildings, electrical dreams can also be associated with neurological issues or being somewhat aware of the changing brain patterns that occur naturally during sleep. See Sleep Paralysis.


As a powerful mammal, the elephant can signify feelings that are below the surface, yet have the power to trample over you. It is said that elephants 'never forget' and can be associated with long held emotions that need to be processed and released. See Animals.







Eleven is a number composed of one listed twice. It can symbolize an inability to bring two things together (as in the idea of two or relationships.) The eleventh hour suggests a sense of doing something against a deadline. Often you will explore the idea of balance and integration in the number eleven. See Numbers.


Since dreams are exploring insecurities so that you can transcend them, often you will dream of doing something that leads to embarrassment. Dreams push you out of your comfort zone so that you can be who you are - independent of what others think of you. In new situations when you are revealing yourself to others, you may dream of being underdressed, in your underwear or going to the bathroom in front of others. Feeling like your dress isn't appropriate is the same as feeling that who you are doesn't quite 'fit in.' Evert aspect of nature is unique and human beings are no different. Even among family members - you are a unique variation of your the line you carry forward. The dream is showing you that you are indeed, different and should cherish what makes you unique.

Being in your underwear or revealing yourself intimately is the same as overcoming the need to hide. Its okay to share your feelings with others. That is what real friendships are based on. If you have done something in a dream that makes you feel embarrassed - you may be awakening to the way the Trickster mechanism teaches you to lighten up, stop being so serious so you can laugh at yourself. See also Naked.


This ‘green’ stone has associations with healing and the idea of your ‘precious’ connection to your natural existence and life. See Colors, Rock, Stone and Purses, Wallets, Luggage, Jewels and Keys.

Emergency Room

You may have a series of dreams where a portion includes a visit to the emergency room, doctor's office or other crisis setting. Generally the prior dreams will be describing a situation you are working through and going to the emergency room is a message about seeking help. Our memories associate this symbol with the idea of a last resort or a life and death situation. This type of dream should be considered as the idea that you are not getting the message, or are not achieving the breakthrough. Surgery can suggest the 'cutting away' of unhealthy beliefs and often there is some type of pain involved in healing. Your defenses may be ingrained to the point that a necessary change is not being heeded. See also 911.


The idea that something is ‘empty’ in a dream suggests that you have a sense of fulfillment that may not be real. Whatever symbol is associated with being empty can provide further clues to the area of life that may be more appropriately recognized as being unfulfilling. The action of emptying something has associations with releasing or discarding the unnecessary.


Something that is enclosed, like a courtyard or corral can have associations with feeling trapped. At the same time, good feelings of being enclosed or embraced can suggest integration. The circle portrays the cycle of life and suggests how feeling trapped can be traced to dynamics within you that continuously create opportunities for you to escape. When you are experiencing constant rejection, you might explore its root as your fear of intimacy. Feeling trapped goes hand in hand with ideas of being a victim, when in actuality you are the perpetrator of a perpetual cycle.


Not usually a type of book that is read for pleasure, dreaming of an encyclopedia can reveal a type of disconnection between thought and real experience. You may be moving forward in life classifying things into neat categories, while you miss the opportunity for real discovery. See Book.


As a sense of finality, exit or route of escape, this type of dream can focus on ‘searching for closure or a way out’ of difficulty. It suggests worry that there may be no end in sight. The dreamscape offers a more holistic perspective, where one thing simply merges into something else. At the same time, the unconscious demonstrates a type of perception that also transcends your normal distinctions. The end of a road can symbolize letting go of the past, while the end of a hallway can signify the end of a transitional phase. If the end or a lack of resolution becomes a major focal point that stirs feelings of anxiety within you, perhaps you are learning to release a way of perceiving that has limited you. In this case, the end may be a message to let something go. Anytime a door closes, another one opens and all endings hold the seeds of a new beginning. See End of the World under Apocalypse and Landscape and Scenery.


Dreams offer us inspiration about relationships and living. All the people that appear in our dreams represent an aspect of who we are/were or might be. These characters can personify emerging or unknown aspects or areas of the self undergoing exploration. Dreams seem to say that the same process might be happening in our daily existence. What if all the people on our path are meant to teach us something about ourselves? This is what is occuring in the dreamscape. There are no enemies and none of us are victims. We simply bring our baggage (good and bad) into situations to identify what parts of us should be strengthened - and what parts of us are unproductive and may need to be discarded. When a dream presents a character that threatens you or is at odds with what you are trying to do - examine how this character might represent your own unconscious tendencies. The enemy tests your vision, sincerity and sense of direction. You are the hero on a journey to activate your potential and discover your destiny. Just as the characters that test the hero of our ancient myths activate Self Awareness - the 'enemies' that appear in dreams and on your path are serving the same purpose. See Evil, Attack and Shadow.




The idea of entering a structure shows inner movement toward exploring new aspects or potential. The entrance of a building symbolizes our inner ideas and the threshold of conformity separating what society expects of us. We enter a house to explore our 'inner architecture' and may enter strange rooms as a portrayal of untapped potential. We can enter a building to explore our potential more from the aspect of work or sense of self-worth. See Cave, Houses and Buildings, and Arriving and Leaving.


Something can erupt in a dream because it has been kept under the pressure of conscious controls. This type of behavior in a dream often symbolizes how feelings can be repressed. See Volcano under Landscape and Scenery and Atomic Bomb.


You can dream of trying to find a way out of some situation as the representation of how you are attempting to make a similar change in daily life. Feeling trapped can signify your own self limiting ideas - and seeking an escape can portray how you are moving to broaden your options. The dream is exploring the limitations you place on yourself where buildings can portray work; houses can portray ideas; and escaping in a vehicle through streets can symbolize needed changes in motivation or a new sense of direction so that you can find fulfillment. Escaping through doors can represent being open to opportunity, while escaping through windows symbolize a change in perspective or how you see the world. Since everything in a dream is embodying your inner world - you need only open the things you close so that you can move freely. See also Enemy and Attack or Being Chased.


When you dream of a large and luxurious house, you are exploring your potential and expanding your capabilities. This setting is also symbolic of an increased sense of self esteem. If the estate is run down, you may be neglecting your aspirations or trading your dream for the security of a 9 to 5 job. If the estate is surrounded by walls - you may be acting overly protective in your relationships with others. The gate can be associated with becoming open or how you close yourself off. If there is something mysterious or eerie about the estate, you may not realize how you are shutting down opportunity in an attempt to hold to the status quo. This setting shows your desire for financial security at the same time that it represents the well being of your 'inner world.' The condition of the estate can portray your potential to achieve your aspirations.


The idea of evening is slightly different from night. It suggests subtle awareness, in that some light remains before the symbolism makes it way into the darker realms, where it can be repressed, or forgotten. Sometimes evening can represent time restraints or the idea that you are in your twilight years. See Day and Night and Dark under Placement and Perspective.


A dream that focuses on a special event is bringing high focus to an area of your life. If it is a concert, you are exploring the expression of passion or the need to balance your life so you achieve harmony. If it is a performance, you may be viewing a type of change objectively or exploring how you may be acting. A fundraiser can symbolize the need to develop more self esteem. A sporting event can be exploring your sense of competition or your need for acknowledgement. If a spiritual leader is speaking at an event - it can be the activation of your Higher Self as you learn to trust its guidance. The theme surrounding the event can shed let on the area of your life that you are being drawn to 'witness.'


Human beings receive both physical and mental nourishment. As you grow, you are trained to express behavior that is ‘correct and good.’ Your more natural way of expressing yourself in behaviors that may have been classified as bad, can become repressed within the unconscious. Maybe you were exuberant when your family was not. This part of your nature does not go way, but continues to seek expression. Dreaming is a way for the psyche to express and integrate unprocessed qualities that you believe are not acceptable.

Nightmares or dreaming of something evil is actually the personification of your own misplaced power. They are a sign that something powerful and good (yet unexpressed) is coming to the surface.

Nature abhors a vacuum and energy that is created does not disappear; it simply transforms. Unprocessed ideas can fund a fear of a boogeyman or the enemy 'out there' who simply mirrors how you might confront the things you are hiding in here.

The less this energy finds natural and outward expression, the more powerfully it colors dreams, giving added charge and dimension to your encounters. If you are brave enough to open the door of your fears, you would find your childish and disowned nature, standing on a stool like the Wizard in the story of Oz. The by-product of disowning your natural vitality is how you create the idea of good and evil out there to avoid taking responsibility for what is happening in here.

The ancient stories at the root of western religion personified good and evil as opposing characters. Nature teaches us how opposite forces simply drive life in a state of change. What we might label as bad is the way that something evolves before we can understand its purpose. The ancient Greeks first described evil as the uncivilized passions that were not actively under the control of the will. As these ideas were tossed through the hands of time, and applied to dogma, the image of evil merely gives us permission to become victims.

Today, psychologists agree that evil is something that is committed by people conflicted by inner crisis. While you may believe that there is some mysterious or negative influence working against you, life has been committed to your success since the beginning. Denying or repressing anything only gives it the power to overwhelm you. Because it is repressed, it can become obsessive and compulsively driven. You become drawn to the very situations you fear because the psyche, like any other part of the body, seeks to process any energy that is unhealthy and counter-productive. See Shadow and Archetypes and Universal Characters.


Dreams that focus on the elimination of bodily waste are a message about release. Perhaps you are holding onto resentment or unproductive thoughts that need to be 'eliminated.' When you cannot find the proper place to relieve yourself - the dream can be suggesting that rather than projecting or dumping your condition on others - simply let these unproductive feelings (generally anger or resentment) go. There is no designated place for this type of healing or release - it is something that happens within - so examine what you are holding onto. Just as the body takes in nourishment and releases waste - the mind too, remains healthy when you can let the unnecessary go. See also Defecate and Excrement.


Searching for, or going through an exit is exploring the idea of a type closure that is necessary and will lead to new fulfillment. The exit can be symbolic of pointing you toward resolution or the end of difficulty. See Depart, End and Arriving and Leaving.


Any explosion signifies the release of repressed anger or emotion of some type. The natural energy released shows the extent of how repressing emotions is not healthy. This type of dream explores the necessity of releasing feelings so you can be renewed and open to a changing world. In a dream, seeing the explosion of an atomic bomb and its threat of ‘radio-activity,’ can also warn of the psychological manifestation of physical symptoms due to the inability to recognize and process anger. An explosion is a positive sign that the past can be released so something new can grow in its place. See also Atomic Bomb.


Anything exposed in a dream shows the need to confront what may be hidden away. If you feel exposed, the dream can be examining your ideas about intimacy. Perhaps you revealed yourself emotionally in a way that left you feeling uncomfortable. See Naked.


Eyebrows frame your expression and can symbolize your response and behavior. If you are grooming your eyebrows, there is a sense that you are changing your approach and self-image. See Anatomy and Body Parts.


To dream of an eye can portray the need to look at something more closely. Associated with seeing, eyes represent how you are viewing experience. If your eyes are closed, you are choosing not to face something. To see with your eyes closed portrays escapism. On another level, the eye can symbolize the connection of other imagery to the sense of "I" or the self when it is not being acknowledged. See Anatomy and Body Parts.