Amelia was filled with fear and disgust by the maggots appearing in her dream. The disturbing image penetrated her waking life, and, upon exploring the dream, she recognized how it pointed to a deeply distressing fear she was experiencing. However, the dream also led her to a way to manage herself through a challenging situation.

“I dreamed about maggots on the walls of my boyfriend's room,” Amelia reported. “There were so many of them, and we were feeling disgusted while holding each other for safety. I have no idea what this dream means.”

"When did you have this dream?" I began. "I understand you felt disgusted. Did you feel anything else? And can you tell me what comes to your mind when you think of maggots?"

Amelia responded, "I had the dream during the day while I was resting a bit at work at my desk. I felt disgust, like something was smelling. A very bad smell. I felt like vomiting."

She added, "To answer your question about maggots, they are these small, whitish, wormy-looking things. You would usually see maggots in a garbage, or on food that's rotting. I know maggots can be found on dead bodies, too. Gross.

"I was both nauseated and afraid of them, but then my boyfriend distracted me because he didn’t want me to feel afraid."

I observed, "So we could be looking for a situation in your recent life that has you feeling disgusted and afraid. It may not be something very scary, but tell me what comes to mind: What in your life is making you feel disgusted and, at the same time, nervous or scared?"

Amelia offered, "I started up a small business, and just the thought of it makes me feel positively frightened. Will I prosper with time?"

I wondered aloud, "Is it the possibility of success that makes you feel fearful or the possibility of failure?"

Amelia responded, "I don’t want to fail, and I also don’t want to be poor. That’s why I want this business to work out for me. It actually took a lot of courage for me to start."

Hoping to uncover Amelia's personal associations with the images, I said, "Can you please tell me what comes to mind about your boyfriend’s personality? Is he funny? Serious? Giving? Selfish? Stubborn? Loving?"

"He’s funny and loving,” she replied. “I would say he’s kind of selfish, too, though, because he stays true to what he feels, even if you try to sway him.

"He tells me not to give in so much to other people. He thinks I am too soft. I give in too easily. I should hold my ground better, maintain my confidence and my opinions."

I continued, "I wonder whether something or someone related to your business said or did something that triggered your dream. Did someone recently say something that you think 'stinks'?"

Amelia answered, "No, not really. But I just remembered a few people discouraging me, saying how they tried the same business, and it didn’t work out for them. So, that’s what stinks! Those are the maggots!"

"What do you mean by 'a few people’?” I asked. “Do you mean friends or family? Who, specifically?"

Amelia explained, "My boyfriend's sister and some friends of mine. I just told them, ‘Now, I am scared.' I'm very afraid of wasting money and failing. That’s what I said to them."

"So,” I offered, “this is a story about believing in and encouraging yourself to believe the best and move forward, and perhaps to adopt more of your boyfriend’s attitude.

"What do you think about our discussion? Do you see it connect with your dream?"

Amelia exclaimed, "Yes! I do. This discussion has made me remember how, often in some situations, he tells me not to be so ready to agree with everyone. He encourages me most times when I'm feeling discouraged.

"He is very supportive of my decision to open this company, even in the face of his sister feeling negatively about it."

I added, "He seems to have traits that might help you in running your business, like putting yourself first and holding your ground. These qualities may help your confidence in starting up the business and achieving some success—even though his sister didn't."

I closed our discussion by saying, "In your dream, you and your boyfriend are holding each other for safety. It seems like you can get through this with his support. Perhaps that's one of the feelings you're expressing to yourself in this dream. How do you feel about what I am saying?"

Amelia responded, "I feel safer and more motivated—and kind of relieved from stress. I will also definitely speak with my boyfriend's sister, asking if she can be more supportive."

Often, when people feel afraid or anxious, they push their feelings away, as if hoping the fear will disappear by not talking about it. But our suppressed fears and anxieties rise up in our dreams.

Although talking through our fears with others won't eliminate their source, it allows us to identify them and then deliberate on the best course of action. We can take advantage of our nightmares to set such a process in motion.

Amelia did precisely this by reaching out to me about her dream. Even the feeling of vomiting in the dream is as if the dreamer is pushing herself to let the words and feelings out of her mouth.

When analyzing a nightmare, it’s not enough to stop with the strong emotions being experienced. Examining the characters and symbols in a dream can offer greater insight into one’s feelings and situation.

In Amelia's dream, the maggots evoked the anxiety she had around the new business, magnified to a nauseating fear. However, her boyfriend offered an approach to success through staying true to her goals and displaying greater confidence.

A nightmare often contains both your greatest fear and the seeds of its resolution.

© Psychology Today