Oh, and this weird recurring dream...

I'm having recurring dreams that I'm in this place, and I enter a door, and it's just one giant public bathroom after another, lined end to end with stalls, all of the empty. Sometimes I dream there are dressing areas, but the whole place is usually deserted and empty. I never wake up having to pee or anything; it's as if I am searching for something. Any ideas of what this dream means? I am totally perplexed by this.

What are your associations to public bathrooms? Do you have any thoughts or feelings about them?

I've had lots of dreams about large public bathrooms with no dividing stalls. There's always something in my own dreams about the shame of having to be visible while I "go," but doesn't sound like that's in your dream.

The Empty stalls represent the various places where you can "go" in your mind. There are also places where you can get "dressed". Do you feel there are empty places in your mind? If all the stalls are in a row, that means your mind has order in it. Being a public restroom indicates others can use your mind or access the stalls. Do you feel the need for more privacy?

That's interesting...

I do see the stall in a row. I sure don't feel "in order" sometimes though.

You seem to have hit on somethign about the need for more privacy. I lived for years in a quasi-homeless shelter, athen moved out. The one sister helping me the most tends to rather ramrod me over, privacy wise, when she visits (will simply open my dresser drawers and clean them out, as if looking for contraband, lol.

The dream doesn't leave me upset, just perplexed.

Wonderful interpretation--thank you!! .

I still think there may some specific associations you have to public bathrooms that could shed additional light. Do you feel they are dirty unsafe places, or are they sanitary usually? Have you ever been somewhere in real life that had very large public bathrooms? It's interesting that it's a large public space, ready to be occupied by people, but no one is there. How do you feel about this absence of people? Is it lonely? Peaceful?

To me, a large empty building seems to express that there is some potential in your life, some potential capacity or way of relating to people, but it hasn't been put into action yet. That's my association. But tell us yours.

I was in janitorial a few years ago. Ws demoted and this person who had spent years sabotauging me got my job. They brought me back after this person showed their true colors. I also lived in a homeless shelter with a large bathroom. But I don't feel any associative issues with the bathrooms in my dream aside from a feeling of wonder as I wander around looking. Maybe a bit of fear? Maybe I'm wondering where everybody has gone to?

This is interesting. When you lived at the homeless shelter, when you entered the bathroom, were you ever alone in there, or did you always expect people to be there? Did you ever think, "I hope I'm the only one in there" or something like that?

EDIT: another thought. did you ever have conversations in the bathroom? ever have an enjoyable conversation in a bathroom?

Thunder Bow, I like your ideas, but I'm confused. You said earlier today that you never interpret dreams. Isn't this an interpretation?

No, it is just an insight, some thing to look at, and make ones own interpretation, based on my insights and other posts.

Both, actually. Does that mean anything?

It has to do with your associations to a vast empty bathroom. I'm not sure which you mean by "both"? You mean you both hoped you would be alone, and you had some enjoyable conversations in there?

If for instance you think of the bathroom as a place for socializing (I realize that sounds a bit strange, but just putting out an example), then the absence of people in your dream would seem to have a significance, saying something about a part of your life that is missing people where maybe you would like them to be. And, if you enjoyed being alone in the bathroom, the dream could also (or contrarily) be talking about a part of your life that is satisfying to you rather than signifying an absence. The fact that you were searching for something would hint that it is more like an "absence."

Mike

Oh, you said you were searching for something. Do you think it could be that you were searching for people? Since there is a conspicuous absence of people, I think of that.

If you actually counted the number of times a day we use a bathroom, especially if we have some intestinal problems, we probably would not realize how much time we spend in the bathroom, it occupies alot of our time. I know i like to know where the bathroom whereever i go. Just in case of an "accident". I also grew up with scarlet fever that affected one of my kidneys and i have scar tissue on it as was seen electronically. Could it be you need to know where the bathrooms are to get to them if an emergency came up?

Oh mi gosh, that really struck a chord. Yep, that is something I am always doing ,checking out where bathrooms are same as you are. Even in mydreams, apparently!! So funny!!

Thanks to all who piped in on this one. I had another strange dream that makes even less sense, I may post that one as well.

But in the dream you're not searching for the bathroom, right? You're searching within the bathroom, right? Do you know if it makes sense to say you are searching for people or for a specific person?

Oh, that's true. Thank you. Yes, I am looking, already in there. Hmmmm.

I met my best friend in a domestic violence shelter many years ago. We would often meet up in the bathroom (it was huge), and just chat by the sinks. She
died some years ago, maybe I'm looking for her? But the dreams dont' feel sad.Maye it's just a general "Im looking for something" thing. though being a public bathroom, maybe I'm looking for public approval? I don't know.

Do you recall what the feeling in the dream is?

It's helpful to list all your associations to empty, large public bathrooms, just brainstorming everything that they make you think of, without initially concerning yourself with the overall meaning of the dream. Chatting with your best friend in a huge bathroom ("huge" seems relevant) would be an example of an association. It might not "click," however, because you don't feel sad in the dream. But just try brainstorming all your associations.

EDIT: since you are alone in the dream, it might be saying something about the parts of your life you spend by yourself. are you introverted or extroverted? (i.e. do you recharge by spending time alone, or with people?)

crazy....
I've never been to this forum before and registered simply to reply to you.
I Googled "recurrent dream huge bathroom many stalls" and this thread was the first result.

I've had this dream many many times. It's very odd.
It's almost just as you describe it. For me, it's always a very very large public bathroom...it almost feels as large as a football field. It's often dimply lit. There are hundreds if not thousands of stalls...all of them empty.

I just had this same dream last night...which lead me to Google it. I find it very odd that someone else has the exact same dream. Really makes you wonder what's going on in our brains...

Some other recurrent dream "locations" of mine...

- A very large dark cathedral...often crumbling within or leaking water.

- A neighborhood with downed trees and houses, like a hurricane blew through.

- An airport and/or airplane(airports often figure into some of my most profound dreams)

- The large bathroom described above.

- A very very large mansion that's super tall(like 30 stories)....with hundreds of rooms of various sizes. The mansion is often populated with people. This dream location is another setting for some of my most profound and meaningful dreams.

Oh, that IS wierd. I have had similiar dreams to yours also, though they vary a little bit. Airplanes crashing yards away (scariest), but I also have a recurring dream about a house with a tree that's coming down. I understand that one, though. It's set in my deceased parents house, and I suspect the nightmare part is just my brain trying to wake me up (becasuse I'm sad). Do you ever feel like your scary dreams are a protective device in the brain trying to keep you away from disturbing memories?