Giving a Lecture
I am on stage getting ready to give a lecture about my most recent work to a large group of fellow microbiologists. There must be 200 hundred people in the audience. I am nervous. The room is very quiet. As I start to speak no sound comes out of my mouth and I really have use the restroom. I don’t know what to do.
Understanding
The dream opens with the dreamer on stage.
A stage in this dream refers to an elevated area that is in a room specifically used for lectures, presentations, or plays. There is also usually an interested audience in attendance.
In the dream, the dreamer is the focus of attention for a specialized group of fellow scientists (the collective) interested in his most recent findings. The dreamer and his work are in a professional spotlight and he freezes. In waking reality this would be a nightmare for most people. In a situation like this, it is normal to be nervous but not able to speak at all would be considered unusual, very embarrassing, and possibly damaging to one’s career.
A question to be explored with the dreamer might be, “Is he accustomed to speaking to a large group of his fellow professionals?” When asked the dreamer’s response was no. He said that he never lectured before to more than 10 or 20 people, however, he also stated that he is extremely thorough and always well prepared in his research. The dream seems to be telling the dreamer that he is not ready yet, not experienced enough, to make this move up in his career. It is a warning to take it slower.
Not specifically in this dream but to be considered is that the word stage can also refer to a period of development.
