Have you ever had trouble speaking or communicating in a dream? This type of dream can take a variety of forms–whether you are attempting to use your cell phone and it just won’t work, dreams where calls you are being dropped or garbled, or even dreams where you have a mouthful of peanut butter or gum or you physically can’t move your mouth in the dream. Anytime your cell phone,  your mouth, or your throat is malfunctioning or blocked, it could be useful to consider how this dream experience is related to your communication.

If you have ever had a dream like this, you are not alone. We collectively have a pretty serious communication problem. Too often we hold back what is truly on our minds and hearts, even with those we love.

It’s very understandable why we would do this. We all have situations from our past or perhaps even events our ancestors went through that make us afraid of being open and honest and vulnerable with other people—-throughout time, it has been dangerous for all the reasons.

But the reality is in our times, for the most part, we can speak our truth and we will not be killed or fired or ostracized or jailed as political prisoners. We might be harassed, we might lose relationships. It’s possible we are in an abusive relationship where we feel at risk physically. But in those situations, I would actually say speaking your most vulnerable truth to someone who can support you is vital. Most of the time, the biggest thing blocking us from speaking our truth is our own shame about what that truth is.

Dreams of blocked communication can take many forms. Anytime your cellphone plays a significant role in a dream, or your mouth is physically blocked somehow from opening or speaking, it’s worth investigating how this could relate to your communication. How does the feeling in the dream compare to how you feel when you’ve got something on your mind but you aren’t able to express it? How comfortable are you expressing how you truly feel? Are there people or situations you’ve been avoiding bc something is left unsaid? Who are you trying to communicate with in the dream? What are you trying to say, or what are you feeling?

We have been socialized to suppress our feelings, and it leads us to feeling unseen and unheard and disconnected even when we are surrounded by people and opportunities to connect. Everyone has a part of themselves that longs to be truly heard and seen–but often we are the ones keeping this possibility at bay, blocked by our egos.

When you believe it is other people’s fault that you can’t speak your truth, you surrender your power to speak to others. Again, there could be legitimate reasons for this blockage from your past—-but the question is are you truly facing any material harm if you speak vulnerably and from the heart to someone right now?

Or do you simply fear the emotional reaction of the other by your words? It’s true, your power to communicate how you internally feel to others is one of humanity’s most precious gifts, and it can have a profound effect on other people. Your dream could be supporting you in discovering how to use this power in a positive way.

Learn to feel your truth by speaking it out loud. The trick is our truth can be like a fish out of water, sometimes it spits out and then it thrashes, and you realize it wasn’t your truth after all.

Don’t get stuck thinking you have to say everything just right the first time! Allow the truth to shimmer, to lean this way, and then that, like water glimmering under passing clouds. If you say something that then doesn’t sound right or hits the other person in a hard way, you can refine it, revise it, or even take it back.

I say this not bc I think you will say something wrong. Truly, I believe if you make a legitimate effort to speak from your heart and your vulnerability at any given moment, you can not go wrong. You are allowed to change your mind, refine your truth, and make adjustments when needed. This is strength, not weakness. The flexible branch bows in the wind.

So if you dream of blocked communication, dream about a broken phone, or dream that your mouth is stuffed or your mouth is stuck, try this: closing your eyes, ask, is there a part of me that is not being heard by those I love? Is there a situation or a time where I feel like I “just can’t” say anything, even though there are things on your heart that just won’t go away? Why can’t you speak up? I know the fear is real. But what about the pain of silence? How much suffering continues, right now, because so much has been left unsaid? Now is time to start speaking your truth. I know this because it is always time,

Keep dreaming dreamers! Do you have any dreams about blocked communication that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear about them!