Prison

Prison

Entrapment is a common and interesting dream event. While some would also classify it as troubling, the flip side of being stuck somewhere is relative safety from the threats of an unknown outside world. Often, this safety facet of entrapment is neglected because of our obsession with freedom. Being entrapped is often a dream about self-awareness. As the old saying goes, Wherever you go, you take yourself with you. As this relates to dreams, being unable to escape usually is a picture of being unable to grow or accomplish in life what you desire to do. Jung's theory of archetypal individuation may be helpful for interpreting this dream.

Entrapment can be portrayed as either an absence of choices or too many choices. The absence of choices is a one-room cell. You are alone with no where to go. Too many choices is the mansion with no exits. Wherever you go, you are still stuck. This dream indicates that while choices may exist, they are unsatisfactory for effecting the new freedom or opportunities desired by the dreamer.

Discerning the solution to your captivity may often be revealed by who your captors are or where you are being held in captivity. To gain additional insight into the prison dream, look for familiarity among the guards, the decor of the mansion, and your sense of why you need to escape. Are you just uncomfortable being told what to do, or is there an actual threat within the prison, mansion, or inescapable dwelling?

Some inescapable dwellings are protective while others are punitive. Which one are you trapped in by your dream?

In waking, did you assume a negative feeling about a place that actually provided safety and predictability in your dream?

Cliffs