THE NAKED-DREAM dream meaning

Who has not dreamed of being suddenly bereft of their clothes and of finding themselves in some public place, the cynosure of all eyes, without even so much as a pocket-handkerchief? A dream of this kind happened to someone I know — someone who is much to the fore in society. He dreamed that he and his brother were strutting up and down Bond Street, when he suddenly noticed that everyone was looking at them in a very odd and marked manner. Wondering what it could mean, he hurriedly glanced at his person (the subject of clothes, by the way, was ever uppermost in his mind), and, to his undying shame and horror, saw that he was naked, and so was his brother. In an agony of mind, he caught hold of the latter by the arm and whispered: “For goodness sake, Dick, make for the first cab you see! And don’t stop to ask questions!” But his brother shook him off.How ridiculous! I shall do nothing of the sort! He said. “I came here to walk, and walk I shall.Ah! By Jove! There is Mrs. So-and-so. How well she looks!” and in the most gallant manner possible he took off his hat and bowed. A universal shriek was the result, and a piping voice — that of the charming girl’s small brother — was heard to cry out, “Look, look, Ethel! There are the DeJones, and they have nothing on!” Then a huge policeman bounced across the road, and in a moment the two brothers were hustled along the busy thoroughfare, with half London at their heels. I cannot remember what my friend told me happened to him next, but I well remember him assuring me that, until he woke up, he certainly had an exceedingly disagreeable time of it. The dream, however, foretold good fortune; for my friend, who was in the army, received unexpected promotion shortly afterwards.In one instance my own experience of the naked dream was very similar. In this dream I went to a fancy dress ball attired, as I thought, in some very fantastic but complete costume of the MiddleAges. To my surprise, however, the moment I entered the ballroom there was a loud chorus ofOh! And every one stopped dancing to stare at me. Feeling rather flattered than otherwise, I was making my way to one of the only available seats, when the host, his face aglow with fury, strode across the room, and, in a voice quivering with passion, said, ” How dare you, sir! How dare you disgrace yourself and me by coming to my ball like this? “Thoroughly taken aback, I replied that I did not know there was anything so very out of the way in my choice of costume.Indeed, I stammered, “I think it most ordinary.” “Altogether too ordinary! Too infernally ordinary!” thundered my host. “Look at yourself in that glass!” and he pointed to a huge mirror as he spoke. Then my blood turned to ice. I had — yes, I had come as Adam — Adam before the fall! “Chase him!” shrieked my host, “Chase the insolent wretch, and when you catch him, skin him alive! Hardly were the words,” out of his mouth before the guests and musicians, armed with chairs, fans, and violins, rushed, shrieking and yelling, at me; but, happily for me, I was still some few feet ahead of my pursuers, when I awoke.On another occasion, I dreamed I was handing round the bag in some fashionable church, when all the men suddenly turned round and scowled at me, and the ladies fainted. Utterly unable to conceive what I had done, I was about to sneak away as fast as I could, when the verger suddenly tapped me on the shoulder and, in a stage whisper, said, “I beg pardon, sir, I don’t want to say anything disrespectful, but what has become of your clothes ? You had them on right enough a moment ago”. To my unmitigated dismay, I now perceived that what the verger said was only too true — my clothes, had been taken from me; I was absolutely and shamelessly nude. With a howl of anguish, I dropped the bag and awoke.Immediately after each of these dreams I experienced unexpected success in my work.From what I have been told, I conclude that it is the more prudish and ostentatiously pious people who are the more often subjected to this kind of dream. I remember once travelling on board a steamer with a Nonconformist minister as the sharer of my cabin. In all respects he was of the middle class, being supercilious and smug, and of course very respectable — at least, respectable in all but his dreams, which he narrated to me with so obvious a relish for detail, that I could not help thinking he enjoyed them rather than otherwise.It is a sure sign I am a very good man, he said to me on one occasion, because I am being tempted continually in my sleep. Were I not good, the devil would not have to resort to so subtle a device to seduce me. Last night I dreamed I was calling on some of my most highly respected parishioners — the Gardner’s. Mr. Gardner (it was one of the minister’s idiosyncrasies to bore me to death with the family histories of all his congregation) is a grocer in Lemon Street, and must be making a good six hundred a year clear profit. He hires a carriage every Sunday afternoon — not that I approve of desecrating the Sabbath in such a manner — only in his case there is some excuse, as he is hard-working and honest, and his wife is too delicate to walk; she is most genteel, she invariably dresses in silk when she comes to chapel, and gives most liberally. Her daughter’s name isMartha — Martha!” and he turned up his eyes heavenwards as he repeated the name. “Well, to prove to you how sorely the devil tries me,” he went on, ” I dreamed last night I was calling on the Gardner’s, and, just as Mrs. Gardner was handing me a cup of tea, into the room, with a bounce and giggle (so utterly unlike herself; she is a most decorous young woman), came Martha — Martha wearing one of those short skirts so popular with the depraved aristocracy, and her feet — bare!””Only her feet?” I exclaimed. ” Was that all?””All! ‘‘My companion sighed reproachfully —”all! And was not that enough, and more than enough? Bare feet! Oh, how indecent! But I can assure you, much though the devil tempted me, I did not look twice at them. I kept my eyes glued to my cup. And her mother — her mother! Oh, how shocked she was!’ Martha!’ she screamed, clutching hold of me for support, ‘Martha! Are you bereft of your senses? Whatever has come over you? And before Mr. Simpson, of all people!What mortification!’ ‘Well, ma, neither of you need talk!’ Martha retorted, her face one broad, shameless grin. ‘Neither need pa, for he is dealing out the groceries in just the same plight. Oh, what a day we’re having!’ But, before she had finished, Mrs. Gardner (don’t ask me to describe her) had fled from the room with a shriek; and I, catching sight of myself in the mirror, had all but fainted. I was nude — quite nude — absolutely and wickedly nude!”Well, cheer up! I ejaculated, “For you have got plenty on now, at any rate” — which was only too true, for Mr. Simpson was one of those people who, not content with excluding the fresh air, only partly undress at night and go to sleep in more than half the clothes they have been wearing in the daytime. On our arrival in port he received the welcome news — which he certainly lost no time in making public — that he had been promoted to another and more lucrative living.Dreams of this sort generally augur well.