Last night I had the most interesting dream. It began with me sleeping at my current boyfriend’s parents’ house in Boston. He had his own bedroom. In the dream I remembered that I had to come back to New York. His parents and family suddenly came in to enjoy a huge meal with my boyfriend and I before I departed. I remember feeling like I was pressed for time. Suddenly, I looked to my wrist and there was a pimple. I popped it, and instead of the usual result, I pulled a worm out of my wrist. As the situation became really serious, I remember someone, a doctor or somebody, pulled a signifigantly larger worm out of my wrist. It was as if I had only pulled a small part out in the begining and this was the same worm. The doctor (or whoever he was) began to act scared and concerned. Then I remember him pulling a large worm out of my mouth. This worm had teeth, and while he was removing it, it bit a piece of my lung, and part of my lung was removed with the worm.

The doctor (whoever) was around my age 23. And he told me that I lost a Quarter of one of my lungs. Then all of the worms were put into a bag. And I remember people talking about the bag. They said it weighed 35 lbs.

Then I was on my way. They gave me that bag to take back to a doctor in New York for research. I was afraid that the worms would escape. So, for some reason there were multiple layer of bags to ensure that they would not escape. By the time that I got to New York the bag weighed around 5lbs. Then I woke up.

A little information on the current situation:

I am a 23 year old gay male, and I just recently revived an old relationship with an ex. We have been going out for about a month now. Things are going OK, but it’s not too intense. He lived in New York until recently, when he was forced to move back to Boston because of a lack of an apartment. Now he wants to move back to New York, although he doesn’t have an apt, and he wants to stay with me. I don’t feel close enough to him to have him move in with me. Also, for the most part I don’t really think that I am with the right person. I have a very strong crush on someone else, and he may suspect it. The crush I have on this person is very instinctive and it blows the current boyfriend out of the water.

Could you please give me some insight on this?

--Travis, Age 23, New York, NY, USA

Hi Travis -

I’m glad you included all the background to the dream. It helps all the pieces fit together.

The first part of your dream is very telling. You are at your boyfriend’s house in Boston, yet the entire time you are there you are feeling pressed for time and feel a need to get back to New York. Then suddenly your boyfriend’s family arrives for a large, dinner celebration. But you are not excited by this and in fact are again reminded that you want to get back to New York. You look at your wrist (to check the time again?) and now you notice a pimple.

This first part of your dream reflects very clearly the hesitation you feel about resuming your relationship with your ex-boyfriend. As you say in your dream report, you feel that you may be wasting your time with this person. The appearance of the boyfriend’s family suggests a deepening of ties with this person - but again you feel like you are in the wrong place. The metaphor - that you are with the wrong person - could not be clearer.

The second part of the dream is more problematic. Suddenly you find a worm inside you - a worm that threatens your health. You also write that, “It was as if I had only pulled a small part out in the begining and this was the same worm,” again an unfavorable allusion to the fact that you have resumed dating this person. You broke up once, no doubt due to an earlier hesitation you felt, but now you are back involved (the same worm). Due to its likeness to a penis, the worm may also symbolize the means of conveyance of this disease. (Are you concerned about unprotected sex with this man?) As a gay male you certainly hold a keener awareness of sexually transmitted diseases than most, although the illness in the dream may simply reflect your sentiment that the relationship itself - at an emotional level - is unhealthy. Finally, the fact that the doctor in the dream is your own age strongly suggests that you yourself are the “doctor.” You are diagnosing your own situation.

It is curious that the weight of the bag of worms in your dream - 35 pounds - is so specific. Dreams do not include specific details without there being specific associations attached to them. An obvious possibility would be the age of your ex-boyfriend - is he 35 years old? I suspect that if you free-associate upon this aspect of the dream that you eventually will identify its associative link. For example, do you live on 35th Street, or in Apartment 35, etc? Is there any other reason the number 35 is significant to you? Whatever the case, I think the fact that the bag becomes lighter as you return to New York suggests a “lightening” of your concern or worry. Perhaps when you are with this person you are more confused in your emotions. When you are apart - when you are back on your home turf - perhaps the mis-match is easier to see and it does not weigh upon you so much.

Your dream is what we commonly refer to as a “warning” dream. You are attracted to this person from Boston, but I think you know inside yourself that continued involvement with him - at a romantic level - is not healthy for your continued development. You also write that you are interested in someone else, and that your connection with this someone else is very strong.

If you want to achieve your dreams in this world, (Make the Dream a Reality!) you are going to have to recognize influences and involvements that are impeding your progress on the path and learn to wean yourself from the comforts (temporary) that they provide. Ultimately it is a question of self-esteem. To do this you need to visualize who you want to be, what types of relationships you want in your life, and then work hard - every day - to achieve these goals. Be selective! Be choosy! The trick is to make decisions today that will lead you to the destination you desire in your future, because way does lead unto way.

Best wishes.