Bones, from a symbolic point of view, easily refer to death. However, it is important to point out that they also help us retrieve our origins and the events that brought us here, since they carry with them important information about the entire course of life on earth .

Dream interpretation helps in self-knowledge and decision making

The first step in interpreting a dream is to become familiar with the symbols it contains and their meanings. The second step is to know that dreams always concern the dreamer, the characteristics of his personality and the attitudes he adopts that should be observed. Once this is done, it is possible to use dreams as an important tool for self-knowledge and guidance in life.

Due to the long period they take to deteriorate - especially when well preserved, as is the case with fossils of dinosaurs and civilizations before ours -, through them it is possible to understand phenomena that occurred long before us, as archaeologists, biologists and historians translate.

Not coincidentally, much of the history of mankind and animals is known through bones. From bones found in caves and ancient cemeteries, for example, it is possible to reconstruct a time that was apparently lost.

Perhaps the most usual images that come to mind when we think of bones are Hamlet's skull and/or the bone that the hominid discovers as a tool in "2001: A Space Odyssey" (as shown in the picture to the right) However, the symbolism of dreams can present many variations, such as human bones, animal bones, broken bones, and buried bones. It is up to the dreamer to contextualize and observe the symbol as it presents itself.

Symbology of bones

Bones are the most rigid part of organisms that have them. In most vertebrate animals, the skeleton is responsible for structure, support, and movement, together with ligaments, tendons, and muscles. In addition, some bones also have a protective function.

In most vertebrate animals, the skeleton is responsible for structure, support, and movement, together with ligaments, tendons, and muscles. In addition, some bones also have a protective function.

This is the case of the rib cage and the cranial cage, which house very sensitive and important organs. However, it is worth noting that many diseases can affect the bones, and such details can also appear in dreams. They will evoke different symbolisms, for example: deformed bones, very fragile and brittle bones, fractures, arthrosis, tumors, etc.

Culturally, the Day of the Dead in Mexico and the very popular Halloween in the United States use bones among other objects to celebrate the dead and also mortality itself and the sense of finitude in their celebrations. On pirate flags and poison packs, skulls with crossed bones attest to danger and evoke the need for caution and caution.

Questions to better understand your dream

The amplification of a dream consists in exploring the symbolism of what the unconscious has chosen to represent a psychic situation for us. In this sense, the questions we ask to the dream allow us to go deeper into the meaning that the symbol has for each one of us individually. They facilitate self-reflection and stimulate personal associations with the dreamer's own experiences.

First step: reflect on the context of the dream

What kinds of bones appear in the dream? Are they human bones, animal bones? Are they complete skeletons or just a few bones? Are these bones broken, whole, deformed? In what context does the symbol appear? Are they buried, apparent in a fracture, hanging?

Second step: reflect on what the unconscious may be signaling

• Do I know my own history? Do I access deeper information about my own psychic structure?
• What of past events still lingers in me? How do I deal with these reminiscences?
• Do I feel structured in life and in my decisions, or am I fragile and everything could collapse at any moment?
• Am I too rigid or do I become more flexible in the face of events?
• Am I able to revere death or do I fear my finitude too much?

Possible applications

Open fracture

To dream with a compound fracture can put the dreamer in touch with aspects of himself that need to be looked at and that, even if they bring hidden pains, should receive attention and care.

Buried Bones

The dream with buried bones that are discovered in an excavation may indicate a movement of self-discovery, in which the dreamer connects with forgotten and deep aspects of the personality that become more evident.

Bones as tools

Using bones as tools in a dream can point either to creative use of internal resources, or to outdated methods, which need updating, depending on the context.

Animal Bones

Animal Bones in dreams may indicate some devitalization of instincts or disconnection with life itself.

Our Experts

- Thaís Khoury She has a degree in Psychology from Universidade Paulista, with post-graduate studies in Analytical Psychology, and uses dream interpretation, kalatonia, and creative expression in her treatments.

- Yubertson Miranda He has a degree in Philosophy from PUC-MG, and is a symbologist, numerologist, astrologer, and tarologist.