The strange thing is I haven’t a clue who this person is. Various people visit my home and I am terrified the body will be discovered. In one of these recurring dreams the police actually investigate the disappearance of “the person’’ and go into the cellar. When I wake from these dreams I always have the most terrible guilty feeling’ (Mrs P L). Usually the things we have hidden from awareness in our unconscious.
The example shows how Mrs L has killed or repressed a pan of herself. We might kill’ ambition, love, sexual drive, and push them into our unconscious. But the basement or cellar is also the entrance to general memones, our biological unconscious’ functions, archetypal patterns of behaviour, subliminal or psychic impressions, the collective unconscious. Frequently the place we keep memories of traumatic events in our life. So a dark shape or intruder might emerge from downstairs*. Our dark deeds or guilty memories are also in the basement.
A snake in the cellar, cave: our psychobiological drive; the energy behind our growth and motivation which includes sex drive. This connects us with awareness of our evolution. Bad smell: emotions which could cause depression or illness. [1]
To dream that the basement is in disarray and messy signifies some confusion which you need to sort out. It may also represent your perceived faults and shortcomings. Wine is traditionally kept in the cellar and the contents of your unconscious can similarly harbor special treats that you can bring out on special occasions. Try to decide if your dreaming mind took you into the cellar to confront an issue in your life or to make good use of talents you have been suppressing. [2]
A basement can also highlight the power that is available to us provided we are willing to make use of it. Often associated with self-image and self-confidence, we may not have come to terms with our own charisma and personal power and prefer to keep it hidden. [4]