BABY If a baby is born or appears in your dream, were you the proud parent? If you were, this suggests a budding talent or creative potential that is just emerging. If you give birth to two or more babies, this may symbolize groups of ideas or personal talents. On the other hand, it could also suggest that you need to lavish extra care and attention on your ‘brainchild’ if it is to be a success; if the dream baby is premature, this message is stressed further.

      If you are looking after someone else’s baby in your dream, it could indicate that in waking life you feel as if you have been left ‘holding the baby’ in some way. Did you enjoy holding the baby or feel panicked by the responsibility? If you felt anxious, maybe you are worried about the responsibility that has been placed upon your shoulders in waking life. Pay attention to the behavior of the baby. If the baby is happy, this suggests that you are fulfilling the needs of your brainchild, but if the baby is distressed, this suggests that your idea, project, or talent isn’t being developed or cared for.

      If you lost or injured a baby in your dream, this can suggest a loss of confidence on your part and an inability to put in the hard work required to see a project to completion. If you are the parent of a young baby and you have this kind of dream, it could indicate that you are finding it hard to cope with the demands and responsibilities of caring for a baby in waking life. Your unconscious could also be highlighting your sense of guilt about not being a perfect enough parent, and your desperate need for time to yourself.

      If, however, procreation in waking life is not at the forefront of your conscious mind, dream babies may be an expression of an unconscious counterpart trying to acquaint you with the baby, or your own inner child, within. This is an aspect of yourself that is dependent on others for financial or emotional support, or the part of you that longs to be reborn and relive your life again. Or perhaps this ‘baby’ is a part of the personality or aspect that has not been ‘born’ or expressed before. If your dream baby is born with an adult body and a baby head, this suggests an approach to life that is still immature. If your dream baby is born with a baby body and an adult head, it suggests adult intellect but emotional and sexual immaturity. If the baby is beautiful, gifted, or remarkable in some way, this represents the emergence of personal insight and previously unconscious elements of yourself.

      A baby boy in your dream suggests the birth of a new phase of self-expression and new activities and achievements, whereas a baby girl suggests new aspects of feeling and relationships with others. If the baby is crying, this indicates that your fundamental needs for love, support, comfort, and happiness are not being met. Is there something distressing you at a feeling level that you are not acknowledging? If you drop a baby in your dreams, this suggests carelessness in dealing with your basic needs, especially as it concerns connection with others. It can also refer to a mistake or missed opportunity, or a feeling that someone has dropped or lost interest in you. If the baby is smiling, this suggests a deep level of comfort, security, and satisfaction.

       BABY ANIMALS

      See ANIMALS.

      BABYSITTER If you see a babysitter or nanny in your dream this may indicate that you lack confidence in your ability to handle things yourself.

       BACK

      See BODY.

      BACTERIA Fear of being influenced in some way by other people. In dreams, the presence of bacteria, germs, and viruses also suggests hidden attacks that can weaken or destroy your sense of well-being. They might suggest anxieties about your health or simply reflect a sense of inadequacy in waking life. The word ‘germ’ can also be used in its positive sense as the beginning stages of something, the point at which great growth can occur. If you dream of bacteriological warfare, it suggests the undermining of your personal or social well-being. Any form of infection or virus in a dream might be symbolic of ideas or thoughts that cause irritability or anxiety in waking life, or might be indicating that you are taking in negative attitudes from others to the detriment of yourself. Such dreams may also be a warning about your physical health and the need to boost your immunity.

      BAD DEEDS Any negative action in your dream is typically a reflection of negative feelings about yourself or something or someone in your waking life. According to Jung, negative actions in dreams symbolize the shadow or dark side of your nature. The shadow is everything that you are repressing or denying, the hidden side of yourself that you refuse to recognize. By conjuring up such images in your dream, your unconscious is urging you to bring these hidden feelings into the light of day so that they have less hold over you, otherwise you are in danger of projecting this ‘other self’ onto other people.

      Dreams about violence, crime, and other actions may not only reveal your inner feelings about yourself; they may also reveal your feelings about the situation around you or, in some cases, your feelings about other people in your life. The type of negative action highlighted in the dream will be worthy of your attention if you are to fully understand yourself and your situation. Although disturbing, and unfortunately more common than positive actions in dreams, dreams in which the action focuses on bad or negative feelings, words, and actions are seldom predictive, so you don’t need to worry that the horrifying events will be repeated in your waking life. Recurring dreams of committing rape are a different concern, suggesting violent urges that are in danger of spilling over into your waking life. If this is the case, professional therapy or counseling is strongly recommended.

       BADGER