The Dream Archive

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Search across 2,348 dream symbols drawn from the older dream books and the public archive. Each entry carries an original interpretive note for the contemporary dreamer.

From the Dream Archive
Face medallion
Face

Face

A face in dreams often reflects how we're meeting the world — or how we fear the world is meeting us. The expression matters more than the features themselves: brightness can signal ease with being seen, while distortion may speak to a conflict between who we are and who we think we should be.

Miller 1901Fontaine 1862
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What the old dream-books say

These are the entries the historical dream-books record for face, in their own words. They are period voices, not predictions, and they do not always agree with one another.

Gustavus Hindman Miller, 1901

Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted

This dream is favorable if you see happy and bright faces, but significant of trouble if they are disfigured, ugly, or frowning on you.

To a young person, an ugly face foretells lovers' quarrels; or for a lover to see the face of his sweetheart looking old, denotes separation and the breaking up of happy associations.

To see a strange and weird-looking face, denotes that enemies and misfortunes surround you.

To dream of seeing your own face, denotes unhappiness; and to the married, threats of divorce will be made.

To see your face in a mirror, denotes displeasure with yourself for not being able to carry out plans for self-advancement. You will also lose the esteem of friends.

Fontaine, 1862

The Golden Wheel Dream-book

To dream that your face is swelled, indicates an augmentation of wealth and honor; but if it grows pale or emaciated, you will be severely disappointed. Of a fresh smiling face, friendship and joy; black face, long life; washing, repentance.