How to Interpret a Dream Involving Doors

Last Updated: October 21, 2021 References

Have you ever had a dream involving a door? Was it recurring? Did you find yourself wondering whether the dream meant something or was trying to give you a message? Doors can be powerful dream symbols and carry any number of meanings, bad or good. Keeping in mind that dreams are highly personal, you can better decide what a dream door symbolizes for you by recording the dream, understanding its range of possible meanings, and learning more about the limitations of dream interpretation.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Recording your Dreams

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Write it down. Writing your dream down will both help you to recall its events and serves as a good reminder for the future. It should also gradually improve your recall of dreams in general.^{[1]
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- Try keeping a dream journal. Pick up a notebook and use it exclusively for recording dreams, and keep it near your bed, like on a bedside table, for easy access.
- Get in the habit of writing down the details as soon as you can, before your waking mind forgets or starts to add items that weren't there originally.
- Focus on images rather than on telling a story when recording the dream. The sequence might not be important, and you may end up forcing the dream into a narrative.
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Consider your association with doors in the dream. Start by re-reading your dream log and analyzing your personal link to doors in your dream. What and how does your mind associate with them? For example, do they remind you of your time working in a restaurant that had swinging doors leading into the dining room? What feelings do your associations raise?^{[2]
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- Pay attention to the setting of the dream. Where did it take place? It is somewhere you've been before or a totally new, imagined location?
- Was anyone or anything else near the door in your dream? For instance, it might be important if your late grandmother stood and opened the door for you.
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Consider relationships with people in the dream. As with a grandparent, the people who appear may shed light on your dream's overall meaning. Oftentimes they represent themselves, but sometimes they also reflect facets of our mind. For instance, a little child who tugs at your coat could represent an inner sense of guilt.
- Who appeared in your dream? Besides their relationship to the door, think of who they are and what relationship you have with them.
- Oftentimes, the less direct personal relationship we have with someone in a dream means that it is more likely they are a part of our psyche – that is, your mind is trying to tell you something.^{[3]
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Recall the dream's emotions. Focus on how you felt during the dream, as emotion be the key to a dream's interpretation. If you felt nervous, there is a good chance that the door has something to do with inner anxiety. If you felt exhilarated, perhaps the door represents something hopeful that you are looking forward to.^{[4]
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- When you record dreams in your log, make notes about how the dream made you feel. All you need are impressions – happy, depressed, fearful, angry, anxious, powerful, etc.
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Learn more about collective symbols. The psychologist Carl Jung thought that some images in dreams are actually universal symbols. These tap into a “collective unconscious” that goes across cultures. If you're serious about getting to the bottom of the doors that appear in your dreams, consider learning more about Jungian dream analysis.^{[5]
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- For example, dreaming about being chased might mean that you are running from a fear – something that you feel unprepared for.
- Dreaming of death might signify transformation in your life; disease could mean an inner conflict.^{[6]
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Part 2

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Understanding the Symbology of Doors

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Understand the possible meanings of doors. Doors mean a variety of things in dreams. In general, people interpret them as a symbol of transition. Dreaming about a door suggests you are in need of change, or that you are currently in a transition from one stage of life to another. Doors can lead to adventure, secrets, opportunities and new beginnings.^{[7]
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- The saying “when one door closes, another one opens,” is very relevant here. Your door might be leading you to a new phase.
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Assess the door itself. The door's placement, condition, color, and kind are all important to the interpretation. A door in good condition, for example, might mean that your transition is a healthy or sound one. A dilapidated door might conversely mean you are uncertain or afraid of change.^{[8]
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- What is the door's color? Some interpreters think a red door signifies that you are keeping anger or frustration bottled up. A black door symbolizes secrets, and opening it means that you are taking a risk.
- What kind of door is it? Trapdoors can represent hidden opportunities or, sometimes, suppressed feelings in the subconscious. A revolving door can mean going around in circles – that perhaps you feel your life is going nowhere.
- Are you outside or inside? Being inside might suggest you are in need of introspection and should take stock of your life, while being outside can represent freedom and opportunity.
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Assess what lies beyond the door. A closed door might mean closed opportunities. However, if your dream takes you through the door, what stands on the other side is also important. Pay attention to where the door leads, as this is closely connected to its possible interpretation.^{[9]
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- For example, if you come across a land of plenty the dream might indicate you will transition to a glorious new phase in life.
- On the other hand, if the door leads somewhere depressing, dull, and sad, it could suggest you are afraid of change and holding back.
- A door that takes you somewhere familiar and comforting is a sign that you are ready to transition, but that you will remain whole, just more experienced and wiser on the other side.
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Assess your passage through the door. Moving through the door is important, as are the emotions raised. If you awaken with a memory of stepping over the threshold, for instance, this means that you are ready to embark on your new phase in life.^{[10]
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Part 3

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Learning More About Dream Interpretation

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Read up on dreams and the dream science. If you're interested in learning more about the possible meaning of dreams and dream symbols, consider learning more about the field. Although we still know very little – including why we dream – new and interesting discoveries are being made.^{[11]
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- Humans have tried for centuries to interpret and understand dreams. However, the first modern attempts only came in the early 1900s with the theories of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, many of whose interpretive ideas are still popular today.
- Currently scientists have a range of theories. Some argue that dreams don't really mean anything but are the result of random electrical signals in the brain; others think that dreaming evolved as a defense tool; and still others link dreams help us to process the emotions and events of the day.
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Be aware of dream interpretation's limits. Looking into dreams may give you insight into your own psychology. But we still know very little about dreams and their function. Dream symbols may not always be universal – that is, they might not apply for everyone – and you probably shouldn't rely on them to make major life decisions.^{[12]
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Take online resources with a grain of salt. The internet has all sorts of website that purport to give the meaning of symbols like doors, water, fences, and other things. Many are even in handy, searchable “dictionaries.” If this sounds too good to be true, it is. Take these sites with a grain of salt.
- Websites will often plug very specific meanings into symbols. Dream interpretation is actually a lot more messy than this. Given how little we know about the brain and dreams, you are better off relying on your own judgment or on the advice of a psychoanalyst.^{[13]
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- Dream interpretation is highly personal and varies widely. There may be some symbols that carry a shared cultural or even universal meaning, but these are exceptions to the rule. Don't trust that a symbol really means what the “dream dictionary” says.