[TishaBuv]

Erg... Dream about my mother-in-law, money exchanged in the form of coins that I gave to her. I have failed, I gave her back the money, I don't deserve anything.

[Thunder Bow]

I need more details. You gave her coins, how can you give them back?

[TishaBuv]

I've never dreamt about her before. I felt like I couldn't take any thing of value from her because I failed in my marriage to her son. So, that's how my subconscious sees it. Truth be told, he failed me and she should have raised a less dysfunctional son.

[medkev13]

I think you just interpreted yourself

Additional point - remember that everyone in a dream is, in some level, a projection of some part of yourself. So you could also ask yourself the following questions...

"What in my mother-in-law do I dislike? How do I see that in myself?"
(This is addressing the psychology of negative trait projection, where we see and react to negative traits in others that we subconsciously dislike in ourselves.)
When looking at negative traits depicted in dreams, typically what you may want to consider next is -
"How can I take these traits and make them positive?"

"What emotions came out of the return of the money? Did it make the tension feel resolved?"
-- This can give perspective on the significance of the event.

"How did my ex make me feel devalued?"
(This is addressing the fact that your ex was symbolized as the coins, which are typically seen as a form of minimal value currency.)
Similarly, you might ask -
"How do I feel I devalued my marriage?"

Was there anything said in the dream? This could reveal some significant point of view as well...

[TishaBuv]

I felt sad and ashamed for having disappointed her and felt love for her. I think the giving her back the coins meant that I couldn't take anything in good conscience from her because I didn't deserve it. Yes, maybe the coins even represented her son, her value, the prize.

I am so ashamed I wasn't able to just be healthy in the relationship despite his mistreatment of me. He's not my ex yet. We've been struggling this whole time.

[Thunder Bow]

Maybe you feel you are failing yourself. I think this dream mirrors how you are feeling in that relationship with her son. On some level you feel the problem was not your fault and that is why you returned the coins, because you are not buying to it anymore. No need to feel ashamed of yourself.

[TishaBuv]

Originally Posted by Thunder Bow

Maybe you feel you are failing yourself. I think this dream mirrors how you are feeling in that relationship with her son. On some level you feel the problem was not your fault and that is why you returned the coins, because you are not buying to it anymore. No need to feel ashamed of yourself.

That's another way of looking at it. "Keep your money. I can''t be bought".

I felt like that with my college boyfriend who I might have married. Some rich uncle made some stipulation in his will to give money to a child who did something in his name. I didn't like feeling like I was being bought like that. The kids were in competition to do it first to get that money. Creepy.