Feeling guilty about what you dreamt
Should I feel guilty about a dream I had?
No, and this is one of the more important things on this site.
People who dream of harming somebody, of infidelity, or of anything they find shameful frequently feel guilty for having had the dream, as though having it were an act.
It is not. Dream content does not indicate intent, desire or character, which is well supported, and the traditional claim that dreams reveal what is hidden does real damage to the people most likely to believe it.
You did not choose it. Choosing is not available in the state it happened in. The killing, infidelity and knife entries each say the same thing about their own material, and the general version belongs here.
If shame about a dream is stopping you recording it, your journal will end up recording only the harmless ones, which makes it useless for the thing you wanted it for.
Where this reads well
The relief people describe on reading this is the entire reason the page exists.
Where it is harder
The self-suspicion is caused by the interpretation rather than by the dream, and it can last years.
Worth asking yourself
What did I conclude about myself? Did I choose anything in the dream? Have I stopped recording certain dreams?
Dream interpretation is subjective. Nothing here is a diagnosis, a prediction, or medical advice.
Sources and reviewed references
No sources are attached to this page yet. It has not been through editorial review. How we review material