Issues of Race in Dreams Are Highly Personalized Says Dream Analyst David Rivinus

If someone has a dream in which race becomes a symbol, the meaning is determined by the individual life experiences of the dreamer, says dream analyst, David Rivinus. Unlike the meanings of many dream symbols that are similar from dreamer to dreamer, issues of race expressed in dreams vary widely in their purpose and message. “While there are many exceptions, if a dreamer dreams about a telephone, that might symbolize something about communication or outreach,” says Rivinus. But no similar generalizations can be made about race.  

Rivinus offers the following example: A retired Caucasian male living in Phoenix, Arizona might dream of a white policeman. “To him, that policeman might be a symbol of security, safety and peace of mind,” observes Rivinus. But suppose that same police officer appeared in the dream of an African American living in Ferguson, Missouri. “The same visual image in a dream might conjure up the opposite feelings: fear, injustice and brutality.”  

According to Rivinus, race plays many important roles in dreams. “Dreaming of another race in a dream is often a sign that something in the dreamer’s life is moving beyond the status quo,” he says. Suppose a Hindu from Mumbai dreams of a Russian Cossack carpenter building a structure. “To the East Indian, the Cossack would probably seem really exotic,” Rivinus explains. The fact that the Russian is a carpenter might imply that some building is going on in the Hindu’s life. “The message might be that whatever the East Indian is building in his or her own life, will be approached from a different perspective—a foreign or unusual point of view.”  

Based on the life experience of the dreamer, race has many connotations in dreams. “Suppose a dreamer has a dream in which there are a dozen people. All of them are of the dreamer’s race, with one exception.” According to Rivinus, it would be fascinating to interview the dreamer and discover the dreamer’s attitude, not only about the individual of the different race, but about the dreamer’s own race. “The dreamer is clearly exploring something in his life from a different perspective. But why?” Says Rivinus, only the dreamer himself could answer that.  

David Rivinus is a respected dream analyst with over four decades of experience. He is the author of the book “Always Dreaming.” For more information, visit www.teacherofdreams.com