BRIEFCASE If you lose your briefcase, handbag, purse, or wallet in your dream, your unconscious may simply be urging you to be more careful with your finances in waking life. Handbags for women and briefcases for men are highly personal items, carrying everyday and emergency objects, not to mention address books and keys, and if you lose either in a dream it might suggest that you are feeling anxious about your identity in waking life. On the other hand, if you were looking through someone else’s bag, you may be curious to know more about them in waking life. As symbols of femininity, handbags and purses in dreams may also refer to female sexuality, while briefcases and wallets may refer to male sexuality.

      BROOM Dreams that feature brooms are considered to be a sign of good fortune, suggesting that you are making a clean sweep in your waking life. The dream may be urging you to sweep out something from your past, so pay attention to what you are sweeping up. If the broom is damaged, you may be suffering from low self-esteem or feelings of insecurity. If the broom is being used outside, are you taking too much interest in the outside world and neglecting what is really important to you?

      BROTHER In dreams, brothers tend to depict an aspect of yourself rather than the brother himself. They can also represent the characteristics you like or dislike about your own siblings and the dream may be telling you something about those particular characteristics in yourself. An older brother can represent experience and authority, while younger brothers can suggest vulnerability and, in some instances, immaturity. If a woman dreams of a younger brother, it can express either her own or her brother’s rivalry or vulnerability, but if she dreams of an older brother, it might signify her extrovert self.

      See FAMILY.

       BROWN

      See COLORS.

       BRUISE

      See BLISTER.

      BUBBLE This image in a dream suggests day dreaming or something that isn’t real or something delicate that can easily be damaged.

       BUCKLE

      See CLOTHES.

      BUD If you dream of flower-buds in the middle of winter, your unconscious may be mirroring your longing for spring and warmth. It might relate to a budding relationship, a potential talent waiting to be developed, or to someone close to you. The unconscious can sometimes use buds or seeds to symbolize unborn children, the potential germination of an idea. If you picked or nipped your bud this could be urging you to nip something in the bud. If the bud looked plump and ready to flower this could mirror a potential development in your life. To recap: a flower-bud represents new beginnings and your potential, while an opening or blossoming flower indicates development and fulfillment. So, a magnificent bloom could reflect your sense of satisfaction and fulfillment at having realized your potential? If you feel that you are past your prime, a bloom that is losing its petals may echo your sense of regret and loss.

      BUDDHA In dreams Buddha characterizes the highest spiritual attainment; enlightenment and the true wisdom that accompanies it.

       BUILDER

      See WORK.

      BUILDING Carl Jung talked about recurring dreams he had in which he would discover parts of his house that he didn’t know existed. In these dreams he believed the house represented his personality, and the new things he discovered in the house related to new developments in his work. Many dream researchers subscribe to Jung’s theory and believe that buildings in dreams represent aspects of the self, or constructions we make in our lives. The upstairs represents the conscious mind, and the lower floors and cellars the unconscious, or hidden, mind. Different parts of the building might represent different times in your life, and the attitudes and beliefs you have built from experience. The features of your dream building can also mirror features of your personality; by so doing, they reflect your character, hopes and dreams, and how you feel about yourself.

      If you dream of a house or a building, ask yourself what aspect of you the building represents. Does it represent how you see yourself? Is it a symbol of your body, mind or spirit? If the house is crumbling or decaying, are you in need of some kind of psychological, spiritual, or physical cleaning and renewal? If the building is burning, does this show your desire to get rid of something that is holding you back? If the building is in ruins, do you feel worthless and manipulated by others? If the building is tall, does this suggest ambitions yet to be fulfilled? Is the house symbolic of your feelings in childhood or other past experiences? What are the conditions like in the house? Ask yourself what personal associations the buildings in your dreams have and what they represent to you.

      The environment and your feeling reaction to the building in your dream will all contribute important clues as to its meaning, but it is also important to bear in mind the purpose for which the building is used in waking life. For example, castles and fortresses suggest protection and royalty, whereas factories suggest work and routine. Although high-rise buildings are believed to be phallic symbols, as a type they all have different functions: skyscrapers are homes and workplaces, lighthouses offer hope to sailors at sea, and towers isolate, elevate and imprison.

      Churches and religious buildings offer us hope and quiet reflection, libraries and museums supply us with