Re: Unpleasant dream
If this were my dream, I would take those feelings upon waking as a very clear indicator that it was about something significant. I'll give you some impressions I had and perhaps they'll help you work it out.
Last night I had a muddled, disturbing dream
If it was muddled, perhaps attempting a dream re-entry will clarify some of the issues. In a meditative state, try bringing the dream environment back and have good look around for anything or anyone that may have been forgotten.
about being in some kind of hospital, where I had no say over my treatment
This may be predictive, warning of an upcoming situation so you'll be ready to assert yourself. Of course, it may be commenting on something in progress. Maybe you should consider if some type of powerful institution is mistreating you.
a (male) doctor jabbed (but really more stabbed!) a hyperdermic needle into my arm several times with really vicious intent (it still hurts!)
Possibly you feel a male figure is misusing his power over you or pretending to be helping you when, in fact, he is deliberately hurting you. An injection is supposed to be therapeutic but, in your case, it feels like a violation and cruelly intended. We sometimes use the expression, "He took a jab at me," or "He took a stab at me," when describing somebody attacking us verbally. It could just be a person forcing something on you that they feel is for your good but that you do not welcome. It's about something being forced into you, something you're internalising.
It's possible the doctor is a shadow aspect and the dream is a comment about beliefs that you've internalised that you may think you need as "medicine" but that are not sitting well with you.
I don't want to get too Freudian on you but if you're thinking about the symbolism of injections, the dream could be about issues around sexual intercourse.
Because of the turn in symbolic imagery your dream takes later, I'm also inclined to point out that injections can be used to induce birth.
Then I was released, & allowed to stagger off along a corridor, only to see this doctor & another (female) doctor were running after me.
To stagger is to be shocked and overwhelmed. The female doctor possibly expresses your female side though she could conceivably represent a real woman too.
How did you feel when pursued by the two of them?
The woman doctor then asked me to wash her jersey for her, which I said I'd be happy to do (!), so we all went to a laundry room.
Washing tends to be quite a positive dream action for me. Cleansing the garments can symbolise work with the unconscious female aspects such as intuition or gentleness or nurturing and so forth. Because we're talking garments, we're probably talking outward expression of these qualities.
The machines were all taken, so I planned to wash it by hand in a tub; next minute I saw there was a free machine, & as I was about to load it,
Perhaps this is referencing not knowing exactly how you wish to go about this task of cleansing.
I noticed that there was an egg inside the drum, which someone was planning to boil in there!
Well, eggs have implications of something about to be born. The egg to be boiled could be referencing something incubating. Alternately, the eggs that we eat that are boiled are those that aren't fertilised. It's disturbing to find it in a washing machine - not the place for something so fragile but washing machines run on cycles, as do women's reproductive systems . I'd wonder if this was related to issues of fertility/fruitfulness/creativity. I'd also consider the expression, "It'll all come out in the wash." If there were a pregnancy happening with someone close, I'd be a little worried by this dream imagery as it develops.
We had an argument about it, I loaded the laundry, realized that the jersey was too delicate to wash along with other heavy stuff, so prised open the door & pulled the sodden mass out again.
At this point, I'd like to stop speculating and leave it to you. It's very hard to guess at meanings without really knowing what is occurring in your life. I hope one or two things I mention give you a lead.
"A dream is a question, not an answer."
(Therapist and dreamworker Strephon Kaplan
Williams)
Reply With Quote
I'm still rather stumped about it, though - I can't think of any issues in my life on those lines; except that I often have dreams of being forced to eat eggs (usually fried & leathery) & I wake up feeling queasy - am a vegan. Am being treated medically for hemiplegic migraine, & I admit I do rather resent the way my neurologist gave me no info or details about the condition, just produced a "label" for it; I had to research it myself & join a migraine forum.. . . I shall do as you advise, try to re-enter the dream. I have such an active dream life that I can hardly keep pace with noting them all down!
Bookmarks