As I stumble through doorways, the sun turns shadows into blazing particles of glinting dust, settling on the shoulders of a childhood friend, a sister and the man living across the street who runs in peacock blue spandex every morning. Another doorway and suddenly I realize I am standing naked in the middle of a kitchen with no walls or roof. These unconnected figures are busy baking cookies, talking naturally with each other and seeming to not notice my lack of decency. I have an inkling. My forehead crinkles and I squeeze my eyes shut. That sense of confusion stays with me as I wake up and shake the cobwebs away.
It can seem non-sensical. I mean, how many of us dream of being exposed among family, among strangers? To feel naked in a dream is to feel afraid of being vulnerable when we reveal the fragile parts of ourselves to complete strangers. Psychologically, the dream reminds us there are events out of our control which will challenge our personas. We need armour to protect ourselves. A psychological analysis may include self-reflection to help analyze psychological discomfort, assessing it to find a reason for the dream as well as offer tools for coping with or fixing the situation.
Psychological analysis is one way to interpret and understand these uncomfortable parts of us, but it is not the only way. Dream interpretation is one means for understanding the abstract qualities of a spiritual perspective. While an empirical or an objective approach may qualify materials such as the contents of a dream and provide tools for understanding the self, a spiritual approach considers this as only one layer of understanding. What is rational is very much a valid assessment of an experience, but dreams divulge the mystery, the secret, the inkling that there is a greater depth that ventures into the personal journey of our lives. Not just a moment in time, spiritual significance conveys an entire life’s experience as it is understood as a reality in that one moment.
Dream dictionaries provide a connection between the experience of a psychological moment in time and our very human life. Our inherently spiritual human life. When you search online, make sure you are comfortable with the author, there are versions for different religions as well as those who consider a broader range of understanding. In general, you will find explanations for one’s psyche and emotions, but there is usually a discussion on the symbolic elements common in many dreams, as well as how these symbols interact within different contexts. The dream is a sort of embodiment of what one consciously understands from the input received through sensations. My personal favourite dream interpreter is Florance Saul, also known as AuntyFlo in her online platform. The dream of being naked in public is familiar to most people at some point in their lives and AuntyFlo shares how the naked dream may reveal the dreamer feels shame and guilt in particular contexts of their life. My dream tells me I feel guilty for not being kind to myself, especially when other people (even strangers) are trying to help.
My dream does not just inform me of my emotions regarding nakedness in public, it also provides a sense of direction. As an individual, I can connect to the signs and symbols that are personal to my own experience of reality (whether it does or does not coincide with social norms). Baking cookies reminds me of comfort foods that I made with my mother as a child. It may mean something completely different for another person. The spiritual platform of being human is ingrained in a web of relationships between your feelings about something, your experiences and instincts regarding a direction toward a better experience in your own life. AuntyFlo tells us if the naked dream involves other naked individuals, then your thoughts, actions and emotions are taking you on a path of positive change as you face what makes you uncomfortable. You are living authentically, keep following your instincts!
It is this inkling, the crinkled forehead, that reveals something special about this dream. In that moment we feel it in our guts and bones and heart that something about our living selves (some may call spirits, others call it a soul) that needs attention. This moment is the only proof I need to know I am inherently spiritual. There is a mystery winding itself from deep within my psyche and driving me toward becoming a healthier version of myself.
Reference: Saul, Florance. “Naked in public dreams.” AuntyFlo A-Z Dream Dictionary & Tarot by Florance Saul. October 12, 2012. Accessed: June 9, 2025. https://www.auntyflo.com/dream-dictionary/naked-public
Featured Image: early Sumerian pictograph of maš = ‘dream/omen‘
**See post The Sophistication of Sumerian Culture for source
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