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Examination Dream
Recurring dreams about taking an examination can identify missed opportunities, unfinished goals, fear of failure, pressure to perform and waking tests. According to the author of Decode Your Dreams, Jenni Kosarin, examination dreams convey, "If you dream about taking an exam, it might indicate a concern about failure. A stack of tests could suggest you feel you are being tested too often. You feel that someone is judging you. Look at the surrounding elements in the dream. If you forget to go to class in your dream, it suggests that you are worried about being unprepared" (214). It is very important to address waking problems to reduce the frequency of examination dreams to realize success.
For example, Kosarin mentions failing a test or taking too long to complete an examination may confront the fear of failure. The complexity of a test shows there is concern over the tough obstacles which prevent a person from accomplishing their goals. If a person struggles to make it past page 1 on a test, then it suggests their goals are too complicated and difficult to figure out. While you have the desire and motivation to become successful, your dreams may be fading away. An examination also indicates the time allotted to complete a goal.
A person may set a time frame to accomplish a dream, or to quit their journey altogether. A past co-worker once told me that her sister's boyfriend set a date to accomplish his music dream. If this music dream was not accomplished prior to the date, he would commit suicide. Although this type of goal setting is far too extreme, there are many people that are over passionate about their dreams. The examination dream is possibly a recurring symbol in their dreams.
On a few occasions, I have taken examinations so complex that I experienced anxiety because the content was impossible to understand. I refused to give up trying to complete the examination. To most people, an examination represents a performance tool to determine whether they are prepared as well as an indicator to rate their performance. For the most part, examinations measure the aptitude level of a test taker. Therefore, a student who fails an examination demonstrates the lack of preparation and or poor competence level in the content. Essentially, an examination dream refers to waking dreams.
The examination dream is an important dream symbol. Write down everything you can remember about the test. Was the test hard? How long did you take to complete the test? Are you the last one in the testing room? Do you feel stressed about the test? A test addresses the balance between failure and success. Passing a test means one can move on to accomplish their dreams and goals. In order to maintain the hunger to achieve success, find out what elements in your waking life are holding you back from success.
Do you have fear of success? Author of Overcoming Procrastination, Neil Fiore, addresses the three most problematic areas in the fear of success:
1) You find yourself in conflict over the awful choice between advancement and friends
2) Success in completing a project means facing some painful disincentives to success, such as moving, looking for a new job, or paying back student loans
3) Success means advancement to increasing demands and a fear of ultimate failure sometime in the future (21).
One major reason that people delay their goals is to avoid change and to please others. Neil identified that a person demonstrates fear of success "through unconscious self-defeating behavior" (22). Family and friends may interfere with your dreams because they require attention. Whereas their actions are unintentional, their actions compromise the requirements demanded of you to achieve success.
Most people realize that writers must dedicate their time and energy to write articles, screenplays, and other bodies of work. Musicians must practice playing a guitar, working on vocal training, write songs and perform additional tasks associated with their music dreams. Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant must shoot the ball into the hoop hundreds and even thousands of times to perform at a high level. Professionals and experts constantly work to refine their skill in order to maintain success.
The examination dream identifies your fear of failing in life. The test represents your dreams and goals. When a test taker completes the examination, then it suggests that they accomplished their goal. Chasing after a dream is no easy task. There will always be obstacles and challenges that will push an individual off course.
Once a person resolves their waking struggles, they can move past the examination dream. The examination dream conveys that a person must make adjustments to accomplish their dreams. Most people who respect their journey will never give up on a dream. Thus, recurring examination dreams point to an inner desire to accomplish success. You must assess your life struggles to determine what is holding you back.
Hopefully you can use this article to guide your dream journey. The next time you have an examination dream, write down everything you remember within the dream. Record every dream sign and dream symbol to evaluate what factors are possibly delaying your success. Common setbacks that cause examination dreams are:
- Time management issues
- Lack of desire
- Motivational problems
- Financial distress
- Unfortunate events
- Negative emotions
- Past failure
- Traumatic experiences
Good luck on your future endeavors.
Fiore, Nick, PHD. Overcoming Procrastination. New York: MIF Books, 1989. Print.
Kosarin, Jenni. Decode Your Dreams. New York: Fall River Press, 2005. Print.
