New York is a city of big dreamers — people come here from all over the world to start their lives or reinvent themselves.
It’s so vibrant that you can’t even escape it when you’re asleep.
So what does it mean when your dreams are set in the city?
To get New Yorkers off to a fresh start in 2014 — and to help them make sense of their nocturnal musings — we consulted local psychoanalyst and dream interpreter Anne Cutler, who lives in Brooklyn.
“Each image in a dream is deliberately chosen by the psyche and has significance,” says Cutler. “Upon waking, the dreamer’s challenge is to unlock the meaning of the dream to understand the message.”
If you ever found yourself tossing and turning, and unable to escape a New York City dream, then Cutler’s interpretations of various NYC scenes in dreams may come in handy resolving what she calls “underlying conflict” in the New Year:
Riding the Cyclone at Coney Island
This image carries a mix of excitement and fear. May often be a childhood reference for simpler times. A roller coaster is often an image for mood swings around events somewhat out of our control.
Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge
A bridge in dreams is often a metaphor for a transition or connection from one aspect of life to another. The Brooklyn Bridge in particular has iconic significance to most New Yorkers as well as tourists. For some it connects home to work. The views while crossing the bridge also offer unique perspective on different aspects of the City and thus may indicate an opportunity to see one’s life events from a new perspective.
Catching a fly ball at Yankee Stadium
Being singled out in a crowd. A unique experience that makes you feel special and brings the envy of others around you. For some, going to a ball game may also be a childhood family reference.
Ice skating in Central Park
For some, this image could indicate a sense of freedom, gliding effortlessly through some aspect of life. For others, it may signify a struggle to stay upright while others whirl quickly past. All of this is also occurring while crowds watch, so there’s a sense of lacking privacy.
Watching the ball drop in Times Square
Anticipation. Putting away the old and hoping for a good new beginning. The moment when things are changing — the unknown, being on the cusp. If the dreamer is there in person, there’s also a sense of being a part of a large crowd, sharing the excitement.
Riding the Staten Island Ferry
Being in a boat on the water may signify a sense of floating above the surface of things. The Staten Island Ferry specifically may be a metaphor for connecting something on the periphery to the more central aspect of one’s life.
Watching the sunrise at the Williamsburg, Brooklyn waterfront
Williamsburg is currently associated with a hipster lifestyle that could connect to a youthful, artistic desire. Watching the sunrise could represent newness and opportunity for a more artistic life. It could also imply staying up all night — defiance of norms, rebellion.
Climbing up the Statue of Liberty
The obvious association with the Statue of Liberty is freedom — perhaps personalized in a dream to freedom from some family or work situation. Climbing up the statue could represent an effort toward freedom — it doesn’t come easy.
Taking a swim in the East River
Bodies of water in dreams often represent the unconscious — what’s going on beneath the surface. Since people don’t generally swim in the East River, it may also represent something a little dangerous/forbidden.
Waking up in the gorilla exhibit at the Bronx Zoo
Being in a cage in the zoo could be a vulnerable image — on display for people to see with nowhere to hide. Perhaps the dreamer is feeling particularly exposed in some aspect of his or her life. The gorillas could be scary or funny, depending on the individual’s association.