Dream meaning
Being an object
The short answer
Dreaming that you are an object, such as a tree, a rock or a piece of furniture, is the rarest of the typical dreams. It usually reflects stillness, detachment or feeling used, unseen or unable to act.
3.5% of people in the study had had this dream. No. 55 of the 55 typical dreams · Nielsen et al., 2003
What does a dream about “Being an object” mean?
What psychologists say
Researchers added this theme to the Typical Dreams Questionnaire and found it rare. Such dreams may reflect the brain's freedom to take any perspective during sleep. Emotionally, they can feel peaceful or eerie.
Nielsen et al., 2003; Zadra & Stickgold, 2021
The Jungian reading
A Jungian reading sees becoming a tree or stone as contact with something older and more enduring than the ego. A tree can stand for growth and roots; a stone for permanence.
Jung, 1964
In history and folklore
Myths of people turned into trees or stones, such as Daphne becoming a laurel, read the change as escape, punishment or eternity.
How common is this dream?
3.5% of people in the study had had this dream. From a survey of 1,181 first-year university students in three Canadian cities. No. 55 of the 55 typical dreams.
Common versions of this dream
What if I'm a tree?
A tree often points to growth, rootedness or patience.
What if I'm a rock?
A rock suggests endurance or emotional numbness.
What if people use me as an object?
Being used matches feeling treated as a tool.
Dreams that often come with it
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Sources
- Nielsen, T. A., Zadra, A. L., Simard, V., Saucier, S., Stenstrom, P., Smith, C., & Kuiken, D. (2003). The typical dreams of Canadian university students. Dreaming, 13(4), 211–235. doi:10.1023/B:DREM.0000003144.40929.0b
- Zadra, A., & Stickgold, R. (2021). When Brains Dream: Exploring the Science and Mystery of Sleep. W. W. Norton.
- Jung, C. G. (Ed.) (1964). Man and His Symbols. Aldus Books.