I Dreamt I was Paralyzed & Could Not Speak

Dream Question: I had a dream where I was in a small concert hall to hear a lady play the piano on stage. Until the program started there was a lot of confusion as to where people should sit. I was sitting with a group of friends, and when the end of the concert came, there was complete silence. I was trying to applaud, but my arms would not move they were paralyzed and I could not speak.  I was trying to get everyone’s attention to applaud the lady at the piano who was stunned that there was complete silence. Finally after several seconds the crowd applauded. There was more confusion after the concert but I don't remember what it was. M.F.

Patti's Answer: The dream sets the stage for you by telling you it’s about someone doing something alone (the soloist) and there is confusion. People don’t know where they belong. You place yourself in a comfortable place (among friends) but you feel stuck. You want to give appreciation but your arms were paralyzed and your voice was silent. Even the soloist is stunned with the silence. Finally, the others applaud, but it’s almost “too little, too late”. Somehow confusion continues and you have no resolution within the dream.

Although paralysis in dreams can be associated with the state of body paralysis that we are normally in when we are in the REM cycle of sleep, the paralysis in this dream feels tied to the story line and your life. See if the confusion and the feeling of being unable to move are connected with your waking life in any way. Is there a situation that has called for action or comment, yet the people in your life are slow to react? Most often the dream is commenting on aspects within ourselves, though they do give us insight into situations in our lives as well. Accordingly, if all of the people in the dream are an aspect of yourself, then you are the soloist and the audience, yourself and the others. Is there a situation where you feel alone and in a performance of some sort (and all of the pressure that accompanies that? Is there something you need to do or to say that you have felt paralyzed over or slow to motivate others? See how these possibilities resonate for you as you begin to bridge the dream scene to your waking life.