VIEWS OF HILLARY AND BARACK

SEEN BENEATH CLOSED EYELIDS

A REVIEW OF 300+ DREAMS

ABOUT THE CANDIDATES

by Dr. Robert Van de Castle

with editorial input from Carol D. Warner

An analysis of the 333 dreams collected by Sheila Heti on

her website, Metaphysical Poll (or: I Dream of Hillary… I
Dream of Barack…) at www.metaphysicalpoll.com.
Beginning in February 2008, people emailed the author
dreams in which Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and/or
John McCain appeared. A selection of these dreams were
edited and posted by Sheila Heti. The postings began on
February 18, 2008 and ceased on May 23, 2008.

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 ~ Table of Contents ~

The Role of Dreams in Our Lives …03

Introduction …05
Editorial Note …07
Male Dreams of Hillary …08
Female Dreams of Hillary …13
Female Dreams of Barack …37
Male Dreams of Barack …40
Conclusion …49
About Dr. Robert Van de Castle …51

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 ~ The Role of Dreams in Our Lives ~

Humankind has always been interested in trying to understand the dramatic scenarios
known as dreams that we recall upon awakening. Many theories have been advanced
about the sources involved in creating these nocturnal dramas. Perhaps most implausible,
at least to me, is the theory advanced by those scientists who propose that dreams
essentially originate in gibberish. Their explanation for the elegant, sophisticated imagery
reported in the dreams shared by respondents of this site – and which bear striking
similarities to the visual imagery one sees on political news broadcasts, etc. – is a simple
one: random neuronal impulses are sent from a very primitive part of our sleeping brain,
and the overwhelmed brain attempts to make sense of these random firings.

Many other current researchers – myself included – feel that dreams are created because
emotional events occurred during the waking life of an individual which did not get
adequately assimilated before they fell asleep. This “unfinished business” provides the
raw material for the dreamer’s mind to reprocess the material to better be able to
assimilate it into the dreamer’s view of him- or herself and how the universe operates.
The dreaming mind has access to a vast reservoir of personal experience accumulated in
one’s life. Through examining dream content remembered upon waking, an individual
may discover insights about the patterns of thinking that contribute to their emotional
distress in waking life. There seems to be a fair amount of agreement that the dreamer
may also possess access to archetypal and emotional material and images that came “pre-
packaged” in the software package we inherited at birth.

There is, at present, a great deal of curiosity about how the upcoming elections in the
United States will manifest, and, as usual, tens of millions of dollars have been invested
in sophisticated polling techniques to determine the attitudes of voters. Sometimes these
polls are quite accurate in predicting which states will favor selected candidates and
which topics are of most interest to voters of a certain demographic background.

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Sometimes, however, the polls turn out to be inaccurate to a surprising degree. Voters
might report to a pollster that they intend to vote a certain way because that is the
“politically correct” stance to take on a candidate or about a controversial issue, but their
behavior in the privacy of the voting booth may be quite different from what they
publicly espoused.

A question that naturally arises when reading over these dreams is whether the sort of
imagery that potential voters remember and report upon awakening provides a “deeper”
assessment of how a potential voter “really” feels about a given candidate or topic – at a
level more profound than that which is accessible in an interview with a pollster.

As a researcher who has been involved with dreams for over 40 years, it is my opinion
that there is a marked correspondence between the dream imagery people report and their
waking actions and behavior. This is called the “continuity theory,” which essentially
says that there is a significant continuity between dream behavior and waking-life
behavior.

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 ~ Introduction ~

The dreams used for analyses were submitted to Sheila Heti as a result of a request made
through the media and to readers of her website. The responses were not sent by a
random sample of dreamers, nor do they represent any population stratification which
would ordinarily be included in more careful demographic polling, such as geographic
locale, socio-economic class, education, age, marital status, or other variables.

My assumption is that respondents sent in dream accounts because of a serious conscious

or unconscious interest in the candidates. Women made up the larger percentage (almost
two-thirds) of the dreams posted on the site, but a reasonably large number of men also
contributed dreams. In some cases it was not possible to know the gender of the dreamer
with any certainty.

One may ask why predominantly women reported their dreams. It is known from
extensive lab investigations that women have the same percentage of REM sleep as men.
The ability to recall dreams is constant between the sexes (although women use
somewhat more words to describe the content of their dreams). Women are more open to
requests about their views on interpersonal and communication issues. The subject of this
survey is extremely captivating for women: the recent nomination contest between the
two Democratic candidates had very positive emotional valences with regard to each
candidate. Women may feel vindicated and empowered because a female candidate was
at last receiving very active consideration for the top executive position in our
government, while the male candidate has a great deal of personal charisma, sexual
appeal, and platform eloquence.

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It is my impression that the occupations of the dreamers included in this sample are
drawn mainly from the professional and white collar category. Overall, respondents
might be considered to represent sort of a “Starbucks contingency” – those who would
discuss a recent dream over a cup of coffee.

In my analyses, each of the candidates’ perceived attributes will be considered from the
point of view of male dreamers and female dreamers separately. I will attempt to quote
from the dream being considered. I will also refer to the number assigned to each dream
on the website, so the full dream can be examined by the reader. Dreams with an HC
affix refer to dreams at idreamofhillary.blogspot.com; dreams with a BO affix:
idreamofbarack.blogspot.com; dreams with a COM affix: idreamofboth.blogspot.com.

Not all the dreams reviewed have been cited in this study. Some dreams did not readily
fit into any categories, while others did not contain very clear clues as to whether the
dreamer possessed a positive, negative, or concerned attitude about the candidate.

In order to place my subsequent comments in context, I should share my bias: I favor

Barack Obama as my preferred presidential candidate, as my perception is that he intends
to find some sort of method for respecting and synthesizing the disparate views that
currently characterize the state of demoralization and loss of hope affecting our country.

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 ~ Editorial Note ~

When Sheila Heti began her call for dreams, there was no plan for a formal research
project. Dreamers were asked to send in details about themselves including gender, age,
location, profession and marital status, and respondents complied in varying degrees:
sometimes gender was stated, sometimes not.

Bob Van de Castle is the seventh person to analyze the dreams on the site. His
background in developing Content Analysis of Dreams makes him one of the world’s
leading experts in understanding gender, age, cultural etc. differences in dreams. Once he
began looking at the dream collection with his content analysis perspective, he began
noting clear general patterns in male and female dreaming of Obama and Hillary, and
conceived the idea of writing an analysis based on observable gender differences. His
article is based on his observations of these trends, but because the source material in
some cases lacked significant information about the dreamers, educated guesswork, at
times, came into play.

The clear limitation of this study is that it was not set up under strictly scientific
conditions, and represents a number of subjectivities: on the part of Sheila Heti, who
posted only a selection of dreams on the site, and in the case of Bob Van de Castle, in the
case of individual bias in analysis. The incredible strengths of this study are the general
patterns and trends this fascinating collection of dreams demonstrates about people’s
feelings and perceptions regarding the candidates. Bob’s work-up of Sheila’s large dream
collection compellingly shows gender differences in perception of the candidates, and
reveals specific details about those differences.

– Carol D. Warner, Editorial Consultant

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 ~ Male Dreams of Hillary ~

Sexual content …08

Friendly interactions with Hillary …09
Romantic interactions with Hillary …10
Hillary praises the dreamer …10
Hillary as a ruthless opponent …10
Hillary’s lack of credibility …11
Hillary in a presidential role …12

SEXUAL CONTENT

A married man dreams that Hillary wants him to date her. Although he respectfully
declines, she insists he consider her advances with an undertone of or else. She takes off
her dress and asked him to check her out. The dreamer noticed she was wearing average
women’s underwear that is not very flattering [HC18]. A New York designer reports a
dream where Hillary has a rumpled silk blouse and she is wearing only underwear – and
not particularly impressive underwear: kind of grey and a little baggy [HC102].
Underwear also comes up for scrutiny by a married man when Hillary is a guest in their
home and puts on one of his wife’s light cashmere sweaters over a black bra. The
dreamer protests that the bra shows through the fabric glaringly [HC45]

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Hillary is not an available sex partner for an older art critic. He picks her up at a peace
rally and they go to her apartment where she has a waterbed, Melanie poster, and a book
of Kahlil Gibran’s poems, but she won’t put out. This leaves the dreamer really put off,
but with grudging respect for her [HC74].

She engages in love making with a 24-year-old Texan man who discovers that to my
frustration, my lovemaking skills were not enough for her. I woke up so confused and
disappointed by my failure to please her. I awoke feeling sexually inadequate for the first
time in my life and saw how all of the power in Hillary’s life was acquired through a
personal sacrifice of sexual desires [HC25]. A married man is at a county fair. Hillary
walks up to him, introduces herself, and asks if the dreamer was going to vote for her.
When the dreamer indicates that he hasn’t yet decided and needs more information, she
tells him that she had to go to the restroom and if he goes with her into the bathroom, she
will talk to him while she takes care of business. The dreamer, however, refuses. He
doesn’t want to get caught in a women’s restroom with Hillary Clinton [HC10].

FRIENDLY INTERACTIONS WITH HILLARY

A married man living in Toronto dreams he is shopping for dinner when he runs into his
mom, then sees Hillary in the back of the store with eyes shining. I stepped forward and
said, ‘Hi, Hillary.’ I was impressed by her handshake. She looked me right in the eyes.
‘And what’s your name?’ she said. I told her my name and she smiled: ‘That’s a nice
name’ [HC37]. An American student living in Turkey is sitting across a picnic table
where Hillary is eating a hamburger. I wanted to say something to her, but couldn’t think
of anything to say. I would begin to ask her a question, but then I would just smile. She
would smile back [HC32]. A journalist interviewing Hillary meets him in the grand
entrance hall of what looked like a 19th-century building. She was smiling and we walked
out together. I remember finding her hot [HC113].

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ROMANTIC INTERACTIONS WITH HILLARY

A food writer is in the kitchen of his country house when Hillary sits next to him. She
speaks to the dreamer very gently and is very affectionate and wants to know how I am
doing, and with each answer I give, she closes her eyes and brings my hand up to her
cheek [HC62]. A young Canadian dreams: My head was resting on Hillary’s thigh, and
she brought her hand down to my cheek as I nuzzled into her jeans [HC41].

HILLARY PRAISES THE DREAMER

A young lawyer in D.C. is pleased that he knows what to say in a college classroom:
We’re having a discussion about current economic troubles. Hillary is teaching the
class and she is using the Socratic method, trying to elicit the correct response. No one is
getting her point, so I raise my hand and she calls on me. I say, ‘The problem is
liquidity!’ She agrees: ‘Exactly.’ I feel so proud [HC92].

HILLARY AS A RUTHLESS OPPONENT

When sexually rejected in a dream, Hillary’s Secret Service people begin pursuing the
dreamer. They said they needed to find him or else Hillary is going to be mad as
hell [HC18]. A 25-year-old dreamer reports: Hillary had plotted against me and my
friend and was trying to destroy us, and had set her thugs upon us. The thugs chase them
and the dreamer eventually runs into Hillary and tries to convince her to let them go
because they were on the same side [HC111]. A writer in Colorado begins firing at two
women with a rifle: The first woman drops dead, but Hillary is only wounded and turns
to me and returns fire. When he runs out of ammo, Hillary comes after him and stalks
him. The dreamer reports: I have a sense that the fight is not over [HC83].

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HILLARY’S LACK OF CREDIBILITY

Hillary’s credibility is suspected in some dreams. A history professor is in a seven-card-

stud poker game with Hillary. She is the bettor. The dreamer keeps calling her each time.
In the end, she claimed to have a flush but then showed several different colored trinkets
which she insisted was in fact a flush. Hillary refuses to accept the dreamer’s hand which
is a higher flush, and she took the pot [HC125]. A New York-based graphic designer is at
a school gym as Hillary and Barack are trying to shoot hoops. The basketballs are flat,
worn, heavy and hard to throw, the dreamer complains, but Hillary is adamant that
everything is completely fine; we’re having a great time. She keeps shooting but nothing
is going any where near the hoop [COM4]. A man who is both a clarinet and saxophone
player observes a jazz band playing. Hillary was in front of the stage with the mike, trying
to be hip and somewhat relating to black people using language like ‘Let me tell y’all
about it!’ Then she started to play the saxophone – she sounded awful [HC65]. A 38-
year-old married man with three daughters is chasing Hillary down a sidewalk, but she
indicates she didn’t want to talk with him. He ends up pressing her against a brick wall
and asks her why the Democratic Party has not been getting behind Barack but rather
tearing him down when he had grown up so poor… truly poor. At that point, Hillary
breaks eye contact and looked off in a peevish kind of way that said to me that she knew I
was right, but that she couldn’t be bothered [HC121].

A journalist expatriate in Budapest gets Hillary’s cell phone number and calls her. When
she answers, I want to tell her not to play so dirty in the campaign, but then I realize
there’s no way she’s going to listen to me. I tell her that I think she should use good
karma in the campaign [HC66].

Reasons for not voting for Hillary are expressed in other dreams. A Hillary supporter puts
a tiny action figure of Hillary back together after a terrible plane crash and tells her
‘That’s the second time we’ve brought you back from the dead this week!’ When the
dreamer goes to give her a hug, her mood immediately changed. ‘I don’t do hugs,’ she
said coldly, which makes the dreamer suddenly very angry and embarrassed. Her tone

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was incredibly rude. I thought, ‘Well, if she’s going to be like that. I’ll just vote for
Obama!’ [HC122]. A Barack supporter is on a plane. It starts to experience mechanical
difficulties and the pilot has to land at a fairly busy highway. This takes out a couple of
cars but everyone on the plane is safe. Later, the dreamer sees a newspaper with a
headline that reads: Clinton Pilots Plane to Safety and a bunch of pictures of Hillary
smiling and being congratulated on saving the lives of the passengers [HC104].

Hillary’s priorities may be questionable in the dream of a graphic designer who is in an

industrial city in Eastern Europe. There is a war in the streets, and after jumping from
one roof top to another, he and some others wind up in a warehouse and we start finger-
painting at little art stations. The dreamer is awe-struck by her presence. Hillary
announces she is holding a rally and asks who she can count on to come. I raise my hand
and shout ‘Go Hillary!’ The dreamer’s enthusiasm is met by groans from others. I
remember that a war is raging outside and suddenly feel ashamed [HC91].

HILLARY IN A PRESIDENTIAL ROLE

After Hillary becomes president, several other countries declared war on America and
were going to launch nuclear weapons and Clinton and others were ready to surrender to
prevent devastation of the population [HC36]. A middle-aged man in Calgary is very
frightened because Hillary was president and was ordering a nuclear strike [HC42].
After Hillary wins the election with Barack as VP, a Baptist dreamer was watching a
news broadcast from Mexico. They were complaining about the huge number of illegal
aliens that were flooding in from the United States [HC9].

In another dream, Hillary is going to give a concession speech. Her voice began choking
up. Everybody became very upset in an almost biblical way – shouting, tearing their
clothes [HC35].

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 ~ Female Dreams of Hillary ~

Hillary’s light-hearted side …14

Positive emotional connection with Hillary …14
Hillary’s physical attractiveness …15
Hillary in a culinary and helpful role …15
Hillary as a maternal figure …16
Sympathy for Hillary …16
Concern over Hillary’s welfare …17
Hillary refuses advice …18
Hillary’s ambitions …19
Hillary’s impulsiveness …20
Hillary’s caustic behaviour and temper …20
Bill Clinton in Hillary dreams …22
Ambivalent feelings about her credibility …24
The dreamer is dishonest with Hillary …25

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HILLARY’S LIGHT-HEARTED SIDE

A wife who scrapbooks dreams that Hillary Clinton and I were cleaning my parents’
attic: She was actually a lot of fun, and we got a lot of work done [HC16]. A young non-
profit worker falls off a ladder and splashes mud on Hillary’s suit jacket. Hillary is good
natured about the whole thing, and I am pleased [HC97]. An undecided voter dreams: I
was in a room with Hillary and a bunch of other people. She was so funny that when I
woke up, I was laughing [HC61].

POSITIVE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WITH HILLARY

A lesbian dreams that Hillary and I are intimately involved. I feel so lucky and thrilled
that I actually have a relationship with Hillary [HC88]. In another dream, Hillary is
driving a research scientist to a biochemistry class. She reports: I felt like she was
supporting me in my life goals [HC75]. A Texas lesbian at a church retreat ended up
sitting next to Hillary in the dining hall. We struck up a pleasant conversation. I found
her easy to talk to, genuine and personable [HC117]. An Interfaith Minister at a
fundraising dinner dreams that Hillary wows us all. She is personable and friendly. She
takes me aside and says very earnestly, ‘I’m so sorry you had to deal with all that
harassment stuff at your work.’ I am deeply touched by this [HC124].

A history professor is sitting in a town hall in Vermont and the dreamer asks Hillary, who
is sitting next to her, what she thinks of the primary controversy in Michigan and Florida.
She responds, in a warm and confidential tone, ‘Honestly, I’m so busy on the campaign
trail, I can’t keep up with what’s going on.’ We then start talking about our hair
[HC78]A Canadian woman is at a small gathering and Hillary asked to borrow my
vacuum cleaner. We had a deep conversation about women in politics [HC85].

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HILLARY’S PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS

Hillary is portrayed in a regal fashion by a New England nanny: She is wearing a

beautiful purple robe and is looking very queenly and goddess-like. An entourage of
smiling people surround her and place a glittering, radiant crown on her head [HC127].
A woman who doesn’t support Hillary dreams that Hillary Clinton is my therapist. I am
telling her my real life troubles. She is so warm and caring, sparkling in the sunlight
[HC90]. A linguistic major dreams that Hillary came up to me personally to ask if I
would campaign for her. She was gorgeous – much prettier than on TV [HC106]. In the
dream of another woman, Hillary Clinton was trying to seduce me, and it worked a little.
I was thinking, she’s never looked more beautiful. her eyes shining in the light.
eventually, we went shopping for Tupperware [HC01].

HILLARY IN A CULINARY AND HELPFUL ROLE

A Hillary fan in her late 20s is shopping for corned beef in a New York deli with Hillary,
who says: ‘Don’t worry honey. I’ll show you the best stuff.’ [HC81]. A Barack supporter
dreams that Hillary and Barack are participating in a soup-making contest. Hillary’ s
soup was light and oily, essentially a broth, but it was tasty enough that people couldn’t
get enough of it. Barack’s was richer, with a much heavier consistency. After one taste,
no one wanted more. I really wished Barack’s soup was better [COM25]. An undecided
voter reports dreaming that Hillary rang my doorbell at 5:30 in the morning and
presented me with a box of blue placemats and some condiments [HC69]. A director of
public policy received a personal e-mail from Hillary Clinton, thanking me for inviting
her to participate in Girls Day and sharing with me her T-shirt size [HC72].

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HILLARY AS A MATERNAL FIGURE

A woman with a newborn is in a hospital about to go into labor. Hillary is there and they
decide to let her deliver my baby. Everything goes fine with the birth [HC84]. A college
student is at a rally with her sister and her baby when Hillary asked my sister if she could
feed the baby. She started talking about the trials of being a mom and that her heroes are
mothers everywhere. It was lovely [HC99]. A staunch supporter dreams she is in a remote
mountain town when three tigers walk over to a hunter and started to harass him. We had
to take refuge in a car. The tigers went through a huge cat door and went up to Hillary.
Hillary said, ‘There you are my babies. Mummy’s so glad you’re back,’ and bent down to
nuzzle and scratch the belly of the first one [HC43].

SYMPATHY FOR HILLARY

Some dreams expresses sympathy for Hillary, in some cases, after Hillary elicits it. A
Brooklyn speechwriter dreams that it’s the night before Hillary’s ‘coronation’ as
President of the United States. We’re in a sprawling hotel suite. I have been invited to
take part because Hillary liked the speech I wrote. When Hillary talks to me, I feel
important. I ask, ‘But how are you?’ She yells, not unkindly, ‘Terrible! I’ve had a terrible
life! I’m miserable!’ It’s what I most feared and there’s not a thing I can do [HC22]. A
paediatric nurse is working at a psychiatric hospital. Hillary Clinton is one of the
patients. We are in a group therapy session and she talks at length about her anxiety and
depression. She cries as she speaks openly and honestly about her struggles with mental
illness [HC94]. When the dreamer informs Hillary she needs to do some serious talking
to convince me why I should choose her over Barack, she starts crying [HC95].

A mother of a toddler who is also a writer and teacher was walking down a city street
with dirty pavement, probably in New York, beside Hillary Clinton. There was this sense
that somebody had to walk with her, and I was there. Barack passed in front of us. I felt

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Hillary bristle and I began to feel really bad for her. She stared after him forlornly and
we sat down on the hotel steps. In real life, I am an Obama person, and Hillary generally
makes me very, very angry, so the rest of the dream was strange. The weight of her
sadness and her disappointment was acute. I felt so sad, so sorry that she had worked so
hard and it didn’t matter because Obama would win. It all seemed monumentally unfair.
I felt like it was because she was a woman. I still supported Obama, but felt the injustice
Hillary Clinton faced. I wanted to cry because I could see how she deserved the
nomination, how she had worked for and earned it, and that she really felt like she was
letting down her supporters – especially her female ones [COM31].

CONCERN OVER HILLARY’S WELFARE

A supporter from Glasgow screamed and cried and cried when Hillary was found dead
shortly after she was chosen as the candidate of the Democratic National Committee
[HC31]. A woman in Bloomington dreamed Hillary was shot down by terrorists [HC40].

Many women are concerned about Hillary appearing tired and fatigued. A Hillary
supporter was concerned about Hillary. I said, ‘You look a little ragged.’ She said, ‘Yeah.
I’m a little tired’ [HC44]. A fundraiser found Hillary at a classical music concert,
slumped over in the chair asleep. I remember thinking I’d better get on the phones and
raise more money for the campaign so Hillary can sleep [HC63]. A young actress is with
Hillary and her people in a hotel room. We eat leftovers together at a small table. Then,
though she protests like a child, I tucked her into bed for a nap to rest before the speech
[HC77]. A grandmother signed up for a class at a large university: I am is aware that
Hillary and her people are there to help students register. Hillary has reserved 10
minutes to talk directly with me. When she approaches me I say, ‘I really don’t need any
help. But you look tired. Why don’t you take the time you were going to spend with me
and have a nap?’ Then we lie down together on the carpet and I put my arms around her
and she falls asleep [HC60]. In another, Hillary is at the dreamer’s house: I had her rest
on the couch, and her hair turned white like Bill’s! [HC33]

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Some dreamers help out by feeding Hillary. On the night before the Texas primary,
Hillary and her campaign manager are sharing a hotel room with an editor: Hillary and I
sat on the king-sized bed watching a late-night news report on her dim chances of
winning the Democratic nomination. I felt bad for her. I pulled a box of thin mint Girl
Scout cookies out of nowhere. This brought a smile to Hillary’s face, a real smile. We
devoured the cookies in no time [HC55]. A preschool teacher is was making a salad for
Hillary. I was carefully choosing some veggies from each plate to compose a
scrumptious, elegant salad [HC58].

HILLARY REFUSES ADVICE

In some dreams, Hillary fails to heed advice offered by the dreamer. A woman who
supports both candidates is in an auditorium where the candidates are giving speeches.
Before Hillary’s turn, as her aides prepped her to go on stage, I noticed she was wearing
a costume pig snout. Apparently it was a tongue in cheek joke about the bad press she
had been receiving. I advised her that it wasn’t a good idea to wear this on the stage.
However, she and her aides insisted it was important that she wear it. She stepped onto
the stage and I could sense the audience was not amused. The joke had flopped. I was
sure it would cost her in the polls [HC105]. A woman studying sign language dreams
Hillary was my college professor for a deaf studies class. A deaf guest was visiting the
class so Hillary decided to have one of the Assisted Sign Language students interpret for
the deaf person. I was outraged. I told her it was wrong to use a student. She did not
care, so I protested in front of the class with some of my classmates [HC46].

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HILLARY’S AMBITIONS

Hillary approaches a dreamer’s table. She sat down with me for a half-hour or so and told
me why she wants to be President [HC50]. When a young female actress rooms with
Hillary in her dream, Hillary confides in a stripped-down, desperately honest voice: ‘I
want to be President so badly’ [HC77]. A Hillary supporter tells Hillary I have been
praying for her. I say ‘I pray for the best possible outcome.’ She snaps at me, ‘Pray for
me to win!’ [HC129]. A college student from Chicago realizes that Hillary was running
for president unopposed. Something needed to be done to ensure a fair election. Also, she
had become a mad woman and was making all sorts of outrageous suggestions for new
policies [HC103]. A former assistant was Hillary Clinton’s personal assistant and I was
miserable, partially because we were working non-stop on little sleep, but also because
she was a tyrant. She yelled at me in front of a group of people for a small mix- up I had
nothing to do with [HC24]. A New York woman is working as Hillary’s assistant. My
primary duties include walking her really big dogs and carrying shopping bags full of
auto parts. A passing rodent causes the dogs to go crazy and drag me into a puddle of
raw sewage in Central Park [HC114].

Hillary’s elevated aspirations may have been behind the dream of an oil painter in Las
Vegas who reports: I was at a Hillary Clinton press conference. When she appeared we
were all stunned. She was wearing a gown reminiscent of Queen Elizabeth 1. The entire
creation was made of gold and silver lame and looked more theatrical than authentically
royal [HC54]. A California graduate student is reading a magazine article about Hillary,
when she got to the part that read: ‘Also she can be cruel. She enjoys wearing billion
dollar dresses, one of which is made from the fleece of an endangered penguin.’ [HC49].
A woman getting married in May is fully dressed in my wedding dress and jewelry and
was peeking into the hall where I’d be getting married. The wedding coordinator
informed me that I would have to share my space with a political networking event posted
by Mrs. Hillary Clinton. To top it off, she said I would not be allowed to wear my
wedding dress at the reception because Mrs. Clinton was afraid I would have outshined
her if I had my dress on [HC80].

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HILLARY’S IMPULSIVENESS

An illustrator anxiously waiting to hear the results of the evening primaries hears Brian
Williams say, ‘And this is what Hillary does in her spare time.’ There is a clip of a Texas
landscape, like George Bush’s ranch and into the scene rides Hillary Clinton on a near
perfect, super horse. She looks stiff as usual. She holds the reins tightly, trying
desperately to control the horse. There is another clip of her homeland. Then Hillary
appears, coming down the path on a skateboard. All of a sudden there is a shot of her
doing some kind of skateboard jump right into the lake, then a huge splash [HC101].

A woman who has met both candidates dreams: I am in a car with Hillary – an old 70s
Mustang convertible. The top is down, even though it’s very cold. She is driving on the
highway very recklessly, too fast for the curves. She loses control of the car, barely
missing the other cars. I am getting mad at her, telling her to slow down, that she has no
control of the car and is going to get us killed. She laughs maniacally, throwing her head
back saying we are fine [HC82]. An American woman in Taiwan was in an urgent
threatening crowd. I got Hillary Clinton into the car, in the driver’s seat. She was a good
driver, though a bit of a tailgater (which makes me nervous). I told her, ‘Senator Clinton,
ma’am, I would be happy to drive if you have something else you need to do,’ but she just
smiled and kept driving. On a driveway we had to stop short. Hillary opened a door and
got out. Then we got back in the car and she drove, backing up and turning to drive
across the wide median to the other side of the highway [HC23].

HILLARY’S CAUSTIC BEHAVIOR AND TEMPER

Hillary can display a lack of gratitude for people trying to help her, as well as a
condescending attitude. A young Barack supporter reports of her dream: I was
campaigning for her, doing cold calls, and she walks by me and starts laughing at my
Afro – just really digging into me. It felt very upsetting [HC26]. A reporter is standing in

20
the hall with Hillary’s staff: We say hello, then Hillary leans over and says snidely ‘I love
how your boots almost match your coat…but not quite’ [HC71].

A teacher takes a magazine article that she has been working on to the office: Hillary
Clinton and Keith Olbermann are the editors. Clinton asks me if I understand the
meaning of the word homogeneous. They continue to be quite rude to me. I end up in a
huge childish fight with them, screaming and giving them the finger before I run out
[HC116]. A woman living in Denmark dreams Hillary Clinton and I got into a screaming
fight [HC30].

A former newspaper editor reports that Hillary was yelling at me for everything I’ve ever
done wrong in my life, literally haranguing me that I need to make serious changes or my
life will have been a waste of precious resources. She was yelling, ‘You need to lose some
weight. You need to go back to work. You need to get you your shit together!’ I woke up
and realized that overnight I’d become an Obama supporter [HC70]. A young Barack
supporter was walking with Hillary down the railroad tracks in my home town, Illinois.
She had her arm around my shoulder and I had my arm around her waist and she felt so
nice and soft, like my mom. After walking in comfort and silence for a while, I quietly
said ‘Hillary, I love you.’ She said, in a very harsh voice, ‘Well, Obama’s policies and
his personality are just so STUPID,’ and the spell was broken. Then I had to crawl on the
ground while Hillary kept walking upright [HC18]. A woman who took woman’s studies
dreams the actress Kathy Bates (of Misery fame) was her therapist. While Kathy Bates
was talking, there was a panning over a large display of Hillary magazine covers, and on
each of them Hillary looked monstrously enraged [HC119].

An older Ph. D. was watching a political show on TV at someone’s house. Hillary

appeared in the kitchen in a rose pink chenille robe. We had some perfunctory
exchanges. She would not make eye contact. She was irritable but feigning civility. I tried
to say something sympathetic about growing up in a house with brothers, but she brushed
it off [HC112]. A San Francisco woman partial to Barack was renting a place and the
plumbing in the bathroom had multiple leaks. Hillary Clinton appeared at my door with a

21
group of people. I began to make casual conversation with Hillary, but she wasn’t
listening or acknowledging me. She was smiling, but seemed very robotic. I didn’t like
her much at that moment [HC126].

A New Yorker social worker was standing with Hillary and a man who was her former
husband. She was berating him and recounting all the things that she did not like about
him when was married to him. He was looking very hurt and I felt badly for him [HC14].

A woman into fashion went up to Hillary and said, ‘Thank you for running, it means a lot
to us.’ She rolled her eyes in this weird way. The dreamer didn’t know if Hillary was
rolling her eyes in the ‘Bitch, please, I know you like Barack’ sense, so the dreamer
turned to my mother and asked her opinion. ‘I don’t know,’ my mother said, ‘but she has
beautiful skin up close.’ And she did, too [HC22]. Perhaps this last expression might be
taken as a metaphor to indicate that though Hillary was attractive, it was only skin deep,
and more troubling characteristics may lay hidden beneath her surface-level appearance.

BILL CLINTON IN HILLARY DREAMS

While Bill Clinton is essentially an insignificant figure in the male dreams, he plays a
major role in female dreams about Hillary. In one dream from an Irish woman, Hillary
and Bill were renewing their wedding vows in a small ceremony [HC109]. In another,
from a “soul mate expert,” Bill and Hillary were dancing in a soft embrace [HC17]. In an
auditorium, Bills stands at a podium: He gave Hillary a wonderful introduction [HC105].
After Hillary spent time speaking with the dreamer (a Barack supporter), she left to
socialize with the crowd at a large restaurant: Bill replaced her at my table [HC50]. The
dreamer’s father and Bill hit it off [HC67]. Hillary confided to a Canadian dreamer that
Bill has problems with dust mites [HC85].

A woman from the New York Times is in a cavernous theater when Bill gets up and
makes a speech extolling Hillary’s virtues, including her commitment to ‘the forgotten

22
class.’ The audience applauds, but between Bill’s exit and her entrance most of the
audience leaves [COM30]. One young woman from Seattle is in a classroom where
Hillary is going to give a little speech, but Bill Clinton was already there and all the
parents and kids were circling around him and talking with him, laughing at his jokes. It
seemed like people weren’t interested in Hillary [HC96]. The woman who makes this site
dreamed that the situation deteriorated to the point where the political rival she was
running against was Bill Clinton. I felt bad for Hillary [HC115].

The changing role Bill plays in Hillary’s life is nicely symbolized in a dream of a happily
married woman where Bill disappeared behind a secret rotating panel in the fireplace,
which spun around like a secret passageway. When it turned around, the other side had a
picture of him painted on it, except dressed up like Napoleon [HC20]. A graduate student
dreams that Hillary was in the White House and Bill Clinton was in the first lady’s office.
I was hired to be Bill’s assistant, but I had the overwhelming feeling that I couldn’t trust
him, that he was running the country [COM17].

Bill’s physical appearance is not very appealing in a college student’s dream in which he
started getting nervous about something as evident from the pit stains on his shirt. As his
nervousness increased, he started turning into a beige-colored larva about 2 feet long or
so. This made me dejected [HC110]. A college student in New York is looking at photos
of Bill and Hillary from way back when. They’re both only wearing underwear and
they’re in a dorm room with another couple only in underwear [HC120]. An American
woman in Taiwan arrived at the dining hall at the University of Virginia. Bill Clinton
was there. My heart leapt and I blushed when I saw him [HC23]. A mom, in response to
a request from Hillary to go and get Bill discovers that he is in the shower. She saw Bill’s
back, white with freckles, He said ‘Hey, how ya doing?’ [HC87]. A young Moslem
woman sees Bill’s pecs. He had a hot bod. For a second I thought I was going to sleep
with him [HC19]. In several dreams [HC2, HC4] Bill hits on the dreamer. A post-
production supervisor dreams that Bill puts his hand on my knee, and then checks my
reaction. I’m in the middle of saying something when he reaches out and grabs my
breast [HC89].

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AMBIVALENT FEELINGS ABOUT HER CREDIBILITY

A political candidate has to possess credibility if they are to gain a voter’s confidence.
Several dreams revealed doubts about Hillary’s believability. In the dream where Hillary
is wearing a gown reminiscent of Queen Elizabeth, a male reporter asked her why she
was wearing so much silver and she replied ‘my father was a miner’ [HC54]. In the
dream of a Brooklyn woman working in the media, her sister explains why she didn’t like
Hillary Clinton. ‘I don’t trust her,’ she told me. ‘She claims to go to the gym every day,
but have you seen her body? There’s no way Hillary exercises half as much as she claims
to. And if I can’t believe her about that, I can’t believe her about anything’ [HC48].

Another dreamer from Brooklyn, who is a post production supervisor, is walking on a red
dirt road. Up ahead of me, I see four tiny, blonde, blue eyed children. They are wearing
white outfits and are radiant, otherworldly, and so healthy. While the scene is so
beautiful that I don’t want to break the spell, I feel but there’s something not quite right. I
look back for their mother and it’s Hillary. She stops to talk to me and I say, ‘I’ve never
met your children before. They’re beautiful.’ She goes on to say something, but I’m not
really listening. I can tell she’s giving the answer her handlers have told her to give when
she’s asked about this. I think to myself that she must have had these kids one after the
other, nine months apart [HC89]. A young Californian dreams a few of us
voters/volunteers were at the mall, sitting on a bench. Hillary comes up to us all nice. I’m
about to tell her that, sadly, I’ll be voting for Obama. She sits us down on the sofa and
confesses that she’s got cancer, but it can’t get out because it could ruin the election.
We’re all really sad and I start to change my mind about voting for Obama. Then we all
start strategizing about how to keep this from leaking to the media [HC28].

24
THE DREAMER IS DISHONEST WITH HILLARY

Some dreams reveal a feeling of obligation to support Hillary, although the dreamer is
actually supporting her rival. This appeared in dreams where the dreamer is deceitful in
dealing with her own ambivalence. When Hillary and Bill visit the apartment of a young
woman from Washington DC, a dreamer reports: I spent the visit frantically rushing
around the apartment trying to conceal evidence of my support for Obama [HC67]. A
similar struggle is experienced by a 55-year-old feminist: Hillary is coming up the steps
to my front door. In a panic I realize I am wearing a big Obama button. I don’t want her
to see that I made the decision to support her opponent. I dart out to the back porch while
hastily plastering something over my Obama pin so I can neutrally greet my high-profile
visitor. As Hillary comes into the front hall, I realize I’ve pasted over my Obama pin with
an Obama sticker [HC68].

Some women voters dream of having a difficult time publicly taking a stand against
Hillary. A part-time editor dreams she is in a televised debate with Hillary. Hillary
looked at me and said firmly, ‘I think we both know, Kate, that you are one of those
women who stays at home and doesn’t really do anything with her life.’ For some reason
it seemed vitally important that I agree with her. ‘Yes, that’s true,’ I said. Why did I feel
such a compulsion to agree with her statement? I kept looking for an opening in which I
could retract my words [HC57]. A young California fan hopped a plane to Tokyo. Hillary
Clinton was there. She came up to me and asked me if I wanted to take a picture with her.
I didn’t want to, but I said yes anyway. When the photographer tried to snap the picture,
the camera broke [HC100].

A New England woman who knits is at a campground: Then I noticed that Obama and
Hillary were near – close enough that I could talk to them. There had been a couple of
state primaries and Barack had taken the lead. I began telling Hillary that it would be all
be okay, it would work out. Next thing I knew, I was wandering around outside, carrying
the biggest Obama for president sign ever [HC21]. An ambivalent supporter is escorting
Hillary to the stage at a rally at some fairgrounds. I was surprised to discover that she

25
was wearing a completely over-the-top red ball gown and spiky heels that poked holes in
the soil as we walked. I was really worried that she was going to make a fool of herself,
but I tried to pretend that she looked absolutely fine [HC29]. A middle-aged woman
dreams she was at a Kmart and Hillary was speaking to a small crowd. I began feeling
really sorry for her and hugged her. Hillary asked me if I had voted for her. I hesitated
and then said ‘Yes,’ even though I hadn’t [HC27].

A Hillary supporter dreams she is a super delegate. I’m sitting at the dining room table
filling out the ballot. My husband sees that I’m marking my ballot for Hillary and yells, ‘I
knew you voted for her all along!’ Then I realized that I am a super delegate. How did
that happen? I began to worry that I haven’t voted wisely given the impact of my
decision. I feel the heat of shame rising on my neck. I feel not worthy of being a super
delegate. I want to hide the ballot and lie to him, tell him that I really voted for Barack,
but the truth is right there in front of us. There is nothing I can do [HC76]. In the dream
of an undecided woman: We are lined up with our luggage along the side a building in
Eastern Europe. It is a very nightmarish scene, like from Schindler’s List. Then Hillary
comes by to examine us for deporting. When she appears, she says, very friendly and
motherly, ‘What are you doing here? I didn’t mean you. Come help me catalogue my
roses.’ I feel guilty, like I am obeying her for my own safety while the other people are
being deported and killed [HC98].

Perhaps the strongest consequence for trying to incorporate ambivalent feelings about
Hillary is expressed in the dream of an independent voter in Washington State. I was at a
Hillary rally with an all-woman audience. Hillary was on stage and we were all
chanting. ‘We support you Hillary! We support you!’ over and over. Then we all grabbed
our right legs in agony. I felt a severe pain running from my hip to my foot. Then it hit me
that supporting Hillary was causing the pain, and I started to yell, ‘I don’t support you! I
don’t support you!’ – hoping that the pain would go away [HC128].

26
 ~ Female Dreams of Barack ~

Barack on the campaign trail …27

Barack in a presidential role …29
Concern about Barack’s health and welfare …29
Barack in a helpful role …31
Barack in an inspirational role …32
Barack’s unusual powers …32
Sexual content …33
Barack’s aggression …37
Barack is critical of the dreamer …37
Barack as an unsavoury character …38
Disappointment with Barack’s views …39
Barack’s unavailability …39

BARACK ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

The contrast in perceived campaign styles between the two candidates can be seen in this
dream of a female urban planner when she was viewing a parade scene for Democratic
candidates:

27
Both candidates had a float. Barack’s was very small with a sign that said ‘Hope.’ There
was loud music coming from the direction of the parade and people were dancing in the
streets. Next came Hillary. She was riding a bicycle that had been covered up to look like
a donkey. She was riding in the middle of the street, but no one was next to her because
attached to either side of the tricycle were long metal poles that stretched to the
sidewalks. As she rolled along, people had to move off the street and onto the sidewalks
and grass to make way for her [BO33].

Music in the streets is present in the dream of law student who was on a busy street with
radios tuned to the same station, playing a modern jazz song. The DJ said, ‘Now it’s time
for Barack Obama, live from Hawaii!’ Barack’s voice came on and said, ‘My fellow
citizens, this has been a long, hard campaign and I am very tired. It’s a rocky path I must
travel and I just don’t know if I can make it.’ Then he sang Ole Man River and the entire
street fell silent. For the duration of the song, everyone just stood and listened [BO94].

A New York grad student was in a Barnes & Noble. Barack stopped in while we were
perusing. He was standing next to us and all kinds of people were coming up and telling
him they supported his policies, telling him their stories, asking questions. His presence
was very calming and he answered everyone’s questions thoughtfully [BO45]. A director
dreams Barack passed me on the street. I got excited about shouting something out to
him, something memorable, but all I could think of was: ‘You’re great! I know that
you’re going to win!’[BO29]. A musician is invited to ride in the Obama campaign bus.
The senator was driving the bus and chatting informally with me, and was very polite and
amiable. I remember him spinning the big steering wheel and casting his clear gaze
across the horizon as he drove. I woke up with the impression he could win [HC50].

Barack’s middle name comes up for emphasis in a dream of a college student: I was at a
Barack Obama rally on the steps of Congress in Washington, D.C. Barack announced
that he wanted to change his middle name to be more patriotic and show his commitment
to being a true American. He said his middle name would no longer be ‘Hussein.’ It
would be ‘Congress’: Barack Congress Obama [BO125].

28
BARACK IN A PRESIDENTIAL ROLE

A Portland dreamer is at a Barack rally sitting on stage talking to Barack. I found his
speech compelling and invigorating. I knew he was the President we needed. He was full
of compassion and insight [BO116]. A young college student dreams: Barack and I are
dating and it’s pretty serious. He wants to get married but I tell him I won’t unless he
passes two particular bills. They are awesome; the equivalent of universal health care
and free college education for everyone. We find ourselves at a big party. Barack takes
the stage. He makes an announcement that he will introduce the two bills to Congress.
Watching him, I know that, in some way, he’s doing it for me [BO130].

A liberal Feminist in Kansas went to Washington to meet Barack. I had to run to catch up
with him. I was going up to people and telling them who he was – that he was running for
president, and all the great things about him. People were walking right past him and
they didn’t know that he was the most amazing man in the world! Barack and I ended up
in his small office. He had to run off again, this time to the Library of Congress to return
a copy of the Constitution that dated back to the 1700’s [BO47].

CONCERN ABOUT BARACK’S HEALTH AND WELFARE

A campaign volunteer dreams Obama’s plane was flying through the sky. He was on his
way to another rally. Suddenly the plane began lurching about and flying haphazardly.
The plane plunged from the sky and crashed in a big, fiery explosion. Everyone was very
emotional and heartbroken. People were devastated and weeping in the streets. It was as
if all of our hopes and dreams for this country had crashed and burned with the plane
[BO138]. In another dream, there was a shootout in my home. I don’t know who was
fighting whom, or why. Barack Obama was there [BO104]. A California screenwriter
dreams Barack is unconscious in a medical care ward, and the only doctor there is
absorbed with another patient. On the way down, the elevator starts shaking wildly. I

29
think it might be an earthquake. Then the building crashes to the ground. I am unharmed.
The doctor carrying Barack seems fine, and Barack is not harmed further [BO88].

A Canadian optician dreams Barack was sitting in my office, and he was consulting with
me about corrective eye surgery. I was flattered that he had come to me. I referred him to
a well-known surgeon for the consult [BO39]. A graphic designer in Denver is at a nice,
big cabin in the mountains of Colorado, when an unplanned guest shows up. It is Barack
Obama. He is so weak he can barely walk. Some men are helping him into the house. I
get close and see that he is crying. I say, ‘It’s ok; it’s just tears of milk.’ White tears are
streaming down the left side of his face [BO98].

A Spanish woman living in Canada dreams Obama was a candidate in the Spanish
general elections. It was Election Day and I went to cast my vote for him. I went up to the
lazy officials, blaming them for just sitting around rather than having ballots ready. I
tried to run and tell him that I was unable to cast my vote. I saw him, in the distance,
grow tired. He sat down on an empty wooden stool in a fetal position. He looked
beautiful and peaceful, still as a sculpture [BO59].

A white woman with an adult son who is part Hawaiian is on a cruise with Barack
somewhere in the Pacific. Barack is wearing a brightly-colored hibiscus-printed sarong.
He looks so thin and concerned and vulnerable. As my maternal feelings well up, he
begins to look more like my boy [BO93].

A writer in Los Angeles dreams Barack and a girlfriend of mine and I are sitting, talking
about politics. Barack says something and I smell alcohol on his breath, then I remember
we just had a party. He turns away and on the back of his head there are two nails. I get
really upset and say, ‘I know they got him bugged.’ I proceed to talk to my girlfriend
about a secret government that is conspiring and following him. He comes rushing into
the room and says he wants to know all about it, and I am shocked that he could hear me
from the bathroom [BO107].

30
BARACK IN A HELPFUL ROLE

Several dreams involve Barack rescuing the dreamer. A video journalist is walking
around this dangerous neighbourhood at night. There were no people around, just angry
rabid dogs that would come out of nowhere and start chasing me. Barack would grab my
hand and make me run the other way so we could escape them. I kept turning down the
same alley and facing the same dogs and Barack kept pulling me to safety [BO139]. A
Seattle dreamer is at a dinner table with 25 people: I start choking but everyone is talking
and laughing and no one notices me struggling. I try to stand to get their attention when I
feel someone grab me and began the Heimlich, launching the chunk of food into the
middle of the table. I turned to see who helped me, and it’s Barack Obama. He takes my
hands and gives me a big smile and says ‘Thank you!’ [BO89]

A woman who works at the Grand Canyon is labouring at a freshly tilled field and
Barack was showing me how to pick out the rocks from the soil. He was very
encouraging, and placed his hands on my shoulder at one point to offer kudos for my
efforts. I remember feeling very excited about what we might plant there [BO69]. A
dreamer is at a mini-workshop with a shaman who is performing the last of the “ritual”
by the fire. The shaman is doing some sort of blessing. Heading back, I found myself
walking with Barack. I somehow knew him on a personal level. It felt good to see him,
like seeing an old friend [BO83].

A woman from Belgrade is back in college where Barack was a professor. Barack was
organizing an Orphans’ Thanksgiving for all of us who had no where else to go [BO43].

31
BARACK IN AN INSPIRATIONAL ROLE

Music plays an important role in several dreams. An art dealer dreams she is back in my
high school classroom in the Ukraine. Barack Obama was sitting near the back, by the
window. He was wearing a big white turban. He was calm and was singing. The song,
the sound, the music he was making was unbelievably beautiful. It was so beautiful that
everyone was silently listening to him. The music was so touchy I almost couldn’t take it.
It was an ancient language and sounded like a gospel. I never had such an experience
from listening to music. It was a pure catharsis [BO115]. A young dreamer came across
a display of Valentine’s Day gift ideas. It included a CD entitled Barack sings 20 Classic
Love Songs [BO82]. An art teacher had a dream that Barack, my favorite musician, and
my first love were the same person. When I woke up I began thinking that these three
people have inspired me in similar ways and intensities but through different mediums
(politics, music and love) [BO66].

Someone gives a young Rochester dreamer a book by Barack, but instead of the Audacity
of Hope it was The Lion King children’s book. The strange thing was that instead of
Simba’s face on the lion it was Barack’s. I looked up and saw Barack smiling and he
asked if I liked it. I said ‘I loved it; The Lion King is one of my favorite movies’ [BO63].

BARACK’S UNUSUAL POWERS

Barack is larger-than-life in some dreams. A Unitarian Universalist reports dreaming that

Obama came to my church and gave a speech. He was very eloquent. Afterwards he and
his wife were standing near the doors, shaking hands. He was 8 feet tall in my dream. He
gave me the sweetest smile [BO10]. A dreamer in her twenties also finds Barack to be
very tall: Barack was about 8 feet tall and he smiled at me. He came over and sat next to
me and asked if I would like to come on the campaign trail with him. I agreed if he would
take the mountain of garbage from my front lawn. He agreed and we walked down to the

32
abandoned castle [COM3]. A 58-year-old supporter in Chicago dreams: Some people and
I followed Obama into Lake Michigan. My terror of deep water came to me but then I
suddenly knew I would be able to swim in the soft water and stay on the surface, and not
drown or be afraid. We came around a curving shore towards a downtown Chicago
harbor where there was a cheering crowd waiting to see him [BO101].

Barack is able to perform at a superhuman level. The dreamer is on an elevator and

notices a man in a suit was using a breast pump. In the 10 seconds that it took us to reach
the 10th floor, he filled both five oz. bottles ‘Wow!’ I thought admiringly. ‘He is really
productive!’ The man was Barack Obama [BO150]. The woman reporting this dream
was a breast feeding mother of five month old twins.

An artist was at an Obama rally. He began to raise his hands in the air and levitate small
objects around him. Everyone was shocked at first, but quickly accepted his abilities as
real [BO71]. A Nova Scotia student has a different reaction to his powers: Barack was
walking toward me. He was so magnetic and seemed to be emitting a golden light – very
shiny. I couldn’t look away. He smiled at me, and just as he was next to me I thought, I
have to vote for Obama. Once he was gone, however, I snapped back into the real world.
I felt as though some spell had been cast over me and I was pretty angry at him [BO51].

SEXUAL CONTENT

Barack has a great deal of sexual charisma for a number of the women who share their
dreams. A woman from Switzerland is having a tête-à-tête with Obama. It was very nice.
We kissed and embraced each other and I loved his smooth dark skin, his special features
[BO108]. A 28-year-old dreamer was on Obama’s campaign bus and was sitting right
next to him. He was wearing a crisp, light blue shirt, which I think contributed to me
wanting to snuggle up closer to him. He then hugged me and we held each other for
awhile like that. The embrace had the warmth of fatherly affection, but I also remember

33
waking up semi-aroused and thinking about his body [BO80]. A young woman from
Saudi Arabia dreams: Obama was reading me a bedtime story [BO21].

In the dream of a recent Harvard Law School Grad, she manages to get up the nerve to sit
next to Barack. I extend my hand and say ‘Good afternoon, Senator.’ I introduced myself
and say, ‘Class of 2006.’ He says, ‘Barack Obama, class of 1991.’ After the event I see
him walking toward the T station. He’s wearing an oxford cloth shirt and slacks and is
pulling a roller suitcase. Then he is in my bed wearing blue-striped boxers. I remember
the intense conversation we shared, and think about how I offered him my bed for a nap.
We’re talking less intensely now. I’m reclining on the side of the bed, not touching him,
but am very close and the attraction is palpable. We fall silent and our eyes meet. Then
we kiss very softly [BO147].

A young woman dreams: Barack and I had been involved in what I thought was a serious
romantic relationship. Throughout the evening, I was sending him loving text messages
and continually checking my phone, though I never received a response. It became clear
that he was either focused on his campaign or, more likely, had just lost interest in me,
which was very upsetting [BO61].

A San Francisco dreamer reports: We were on the campaign trail. It was literally a trail:
a wide, dusty, old western trail. Barack asked my college best friend and me to go into a
hotel bedroom. Then he asked us if we would have sex with him. He was polite and
reserved and when we said no, he seemed neither disappointed nor surprised. I did kiss
him, and it felt solid [BO110].

A California woman dreams she is so frustrated with her stepfather’s family that I fall on
the floor and start throwing a temper tantrum. My husband arrives and sees me. Without
saying anything, he turns on some reggae music, which he knows I can’t resist. I get up
and start dancing. We dance and dance – I think I’m so lucky to be married to somebody
who does exactly what I need! Then I realize that’s not my husband – that’s Barack
Obama! [BO96]

34
A number of dreamers become aware that the potential for a fuller relationship with
Barack Obama is limited because of his marriage to Michelle. A 79-year-old Chicago
woman shared this dream with her granddaughter: I was dancing with Obama. I went into
the dining room and announced, ‘I forgot to tell you that this is my husband Barack
Obama and he is running for president’. Then I said, ‘Oh wait, I made a mistake, he’s not
my husband.’ Michelle came in and I told her that was sorry I had said Barack was my
husband because he is hers. She replied, ‘That’s okay’ [BO77].

A writer in Los Angeles dreams: Barack and I were hanging out. He leaned in and
whispered to me that he had been in love with me since we’d been in grade school
together. He started singing Dolly Parton’s ‘I will always love you’, but really quiet
because he didn’t want anyone to hear, and because of Michelle [BO128]. A single
kindergarten teacher dreams: I was Barack’s mistress. We went driving around a small
town. I asked the driver if I should buy a suit so that people would think I was Barack’s
assistant, rather than his mistress [BO17].

A public school librarian met Barack in the West Village while he was campaigning. We
made out all over the city and he was a very good kisser. His campaign staff prevented
Michelle and the media from finding out. As it turned out, Obama was quite the ladies’
man. Everywhere we went, women flirted with him openly and thanked him for past good
times. I was so thrilled to be with him [BO95]. In the dream of a young woman in New
York City: Barack Obama and I were in my bed, having sex; he was on top. Everything
was going really well until we saw Michelle in the next room. Barack started to get
worried and lose his erection. I told him I was on the birth control pill; that I wouldn’t
get pregnant and Michelle wouldn’t find out. That made him feel better and he got hard
again [BO106].

A different genital status is involved in the dream of a dancer: Barack and I had a dinner
date. I was too shy to ask him to pressing political questions on my mind, like ‘Where did
the expression, Audacity of Hope come from?’ After dinner, propped up against the
counter, he couldn’t stop gazing into my eyes. The inevitable, delicious kiss followed. I

35
thought of how I had to consider Michelle and not let it go any further than that, but then
he admitted he had something he wanted to show me. He took off his clothes and placed
me on his lap. Under my female genitalia he arranged his own, and they looked a lot like
mine. I touched them to be sure, and they felt a lot like mine. I reached under them to see
if he had male genitalia and asked him softly, ‘Do you have a penis, also?’ He said, ‘No.’
I was touched that he felt comfortable enough to share that with me, and didn’t feel he
was any less masculine for his female genitalia [BO113].

One dreamer finds an interesting resolution to deal with the reality of Michelle’s
existence. A middle school librarian reports: I’m staying at the Obama residence with
Barack and his wife. The guest spot on the floor is uncomfortable, so I get into bed with
the happy couple. Michelle is sandwiched in the middle. Barack has his arm around his
wife, but he’s stroking my ear the way a lover might [BO143].

A 38-year-old kindergarten teacher dreamed she was in a conference room at a hotel: I’m
not sure if there were other people in the room at the time. In slacks and a white oxford
with sleeves rolled up, Barack approached me and extended his arms and we embraced.
He said, ‘Thank you for your help, Verna.’ We hugged and he kissed my cheek. We
continued embracing and then suddenly we were kissing for just a few more seconds. I
somehow knew his wife was approaching and that we needed to part ways before she
discovered us. And that was that [BO68].

A 66-year-old white woman is at a large gathering, perhaps the Democratic convention.

We were sitting together at the back of the hall in the last row. As we listened to speeches
he put his arm around my shoulders like we were kids on a movie date. It was a nice
feeling, but at the same time I was wondering if he had a record of womanizing, since I
knew he was married and had seen his wife in the crowd. Then I realized my dress had
fallen down to my waist. I was a little uncomfortable about being exposed, but no one
noticed since we were covered by a blanket. He then stretched out behind me, full -length,
spoon-like, and wrapped his arms around me. It felt warm and protective and slightly
sexual, but I said, ‘I’m sorry I really can’t do this. Michelle would have me for lunch.’

36
[BO146]. A young dreamer writes that she is hanging out with Barack, flirting with him a
bit. My boyfriend was getting annoyed at this. I dismissed him saying, ‘Dude, it’s
Obama!’ Of course I’m going to flirt with him. Then I thought about Michelle Obama,
thinking I shouldn’t be a home wrecker [BO60].

BARACK’S AGGRESSION

A Hillary supporter in California reports that in her dream Hillary is an infant and I’m
holding her protectively and nursing her. Barack is taking aim at both of us with a
shotgun. Fearing he will shoot us, I awaken [COM12]. A lawyer from Africa was
running towards something and Obama was chasing me [BO20]. A graduate student who
is scheduled to see her therapist was told we would be having group therapy with Barack.
I felt angry that Barack was intruding on our session [BC67].

BARACK IS CRITICAL OF THE DREAMER

In the dream of a filmmaker, Barack spoke to me of one of my ongoing internal struggles.

He was checking in to see what I was doing with my life. He thought I was wasting my
life with all this artsy fartsy stuff and I should be doing something more pragmatic and
political, be a lawyer like him – commit myself to service [BO70]. A Clinton supporter
dreams: I kept running into Barack Obama. He’d stop and hassle me for not being
politically active enough [BO117].

37
BARACK AS AN UNSAVORY CHARACTER

A woman from Boston dreams Barack was the new youth minister at my university. A
group of us invited him out for the night for beers. We were getting comfortable when
Barack excused himself to go to the restroom. He came out, lit his Speed Stick Gel
deodorant on fire, and huffed the fumes. His adeptness implied this was simply his
standard nightcap [BO86]. A young dreamer is watching The Today Show. I see a shot of
a very dirty toilet. The voice-over says that it’s Barack’s dirty toilet [BO135]. A different
view is portrayed in the dream of a female editor who was travelling with Barack. He
didn’t want to use a public restroom because, as was understood, he is a germophobe. I
invited him to my parent’s house so he could use theirs [BO85].

In the dream of a former NYU student: I had to get something signed by Barack Obama.
Instead of sleek campaign headquarters, it was him in a messy desk in a dusty, cluttered
room, like where a professor would be. I sit in front of his desk and pick up a magazine.
Obama gets on the phone. He speaks in a low quiet voice, but then I start to notice
something strange: Obama has an incredibly dirty mouth. Then Michelle Obama enters
the room, also furious. She starts yelling at her husband, and the reason why becomes
clear very quickly – she’s brandishing two Playboy magazines, which she apparently
found in Barack’s desk. Apparently, he promised her he would get rid of them and
reneged [BO19].

A young Canadian woman dreams that Barack sits beside her: He was wearing a dirty
suit and smelled bad. Then he gave me his business card from his wallet. It was really
cheap, like something printed off a school computer, and ‘Senator’ was misspelled
[BO148]. A 52-year-old nurse dreams she is in front of a building when Barack came out
by himself. I went over to introduce myself and shake his hand. He gave me a dead fish
handshake and wouldn’t look me in the eye when I spoke to him. I decided that I didn’t
like or trust him [BO38]. A mother and Clinton supporter dreams: I was in my dining
room with Barack. He was writing his date of birth on a piece of paper. I noticed that the
year was 1974 and I was shocked – he had been lying about his age! [BO149]

38
DISAPPOINTMENT WITH BARACK’S VIEWS

In the dream of a feminist Barack supporter: Barack came to speak at my summer camp. I
was sitting close up. After he spoke, I raised my hand to ask a question. ‘Barack, are you
a feminist?’ He said that he was not. I was very disappointed [BO55]. A grandmother
dreams she is on an old-fashioned airplane. I am not a flight attendant, just a helpful
fellow passenger. When Barack appears behind me, patting me on the shoulder and
saying positive, encouraging things to suggest I am doing a good job, I feel his tone is
patronizing, since I am obviously not an airline employee [BO133].

BARACK’S UNAVAILABILITY

An animal lover dreams that Barack was giving a speech at the Phoenix Zoo. He was
talking about the importance of conservation. I’ve found myself very impressed with his
ideas but a little put off by the fact he was so rushed. He didn’t have time to talk with us
after his speech and was just hustled on by a crowd of handlers [BO87].

A student dreams: Barack was running beside me. I talked to him and we realized we
both had a Columbia connection. He had been very nice to me on the run, when I felt I
had him to myself, but then he became more interested in what was going on in the room
and he ignored me. I felt that he wasn’t who he said he was. He walked away from me,
over to some women. I realized that everyone in the room wanted a piece of him [BO37].

39
 ~ Male Dreams of Barack ~

Barack’s ability to generate enthusiasm …41

Barack’s vivid physical appearance …42
Barack’s musical and dancing skills …42
Barack’s athletic ability …43
Barack reaches out to others personally …43
Barack engaging in speeches and conversation …44
Feeding and supporting Barack …44
Inconsistencies in Barack’s behaviour …45
Barack as an addict …45
Barack as an elitist …46
Barack’s caustic or elusive manner …46
Surprising and inexplicable outcomes …47
Concern about Barack being assassinated …47

40
BARACK’S ABILITY TO GENERATE ENTHUSIASM

A young California dreamer describes a situation where Obama and Bin Laden have been
fighting and Obama bites off two of Bin Laden’s fingers. Then Obama, in a suit, gives a
speech in the White House as president. Each time he would say the part of the speech
that garnered applause, he would show the two fingers [BO102]. A man from Brooklyn
dreams, Barack got elected and I was crying out of happiness [BO26]. A young man
studying video game design describes a dream in which Barack inspires incredible
enthusiasm from his supporters: Barack was singing a song about cleaning up Chicago,
and people were screaming at dilapidated buildings to make them fall down [BO40].

In the dream of a Canadian man who was in a kayak only once, the dreamer indicates: I
feel tired, humiliated and discouraged. The other rowers can’t believe how bad I am. In a
moment alone, my trainer, Barack Obama, puts one of his sneakers on my kayak and his
hand on my shoulder. He gives me a good pep talk about determination and not backing
down. He also says, ‘You shouldn’t even be this tired,’ and gives me proper rowing
techniques. Then I feel better. I at least have the sense that I tried my best [BO142]. A
young Georgia dreamer is on the sidelines of a baseball game: When I began to speak to
one of the outfielders about why I supported Obama, a large crowd gathered about,
listening and cheering. Talking about Obama seemed to eliminate any sense of self-doubt
or uncertainty about my value as an individual [BO92]. A father strongly devoted to a
“Green lifestyle” dreams: Obama was having a rally in a giant arena. Obama was
standing before the cameras and gesturing with his arms. I could not concentrate on
what he was saying because I was awed by his presence [BO23].

41
BARACK’S VIVID PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Barack is wearing an unusual costume in the dream of a man studying environmental

policy. It is Valentines Day and the dreamer is in a department store: All of a sudden I
saw that Barack was behind me. No one would let him cut in line, so I let him go ahead of
me. He was wearing a completely pink suit. He had a dozen roses. He asked me: ‘How
come you’re not dressed up for Valentine’s Day?’ I told him I don’t usually do that. He
paid for the roses and strolled out [BO56]. A 24-year-old labor activist is standing in the
front row of a large packed arena. The crowd is going crazy in anticipation for Barack;
the atmosphere is more rock concert than political rally. Barack finally emerges, only he
has long, bright green dreadlocks and he’s bouncing around on stage, getting the crowd
fired up. He goes straight to the crowd, ripping his T-shirt off along the way, and gives
everybody in the crowd a high- five. The crowd loves it [BO103] A journalism student is
sitting with Barack in the back of a stretch Hummer SUV. When Barack learns of his
New Hampshire poll numbers, he gave me a double-handed high-five [BO31].

BARACK’ S MUSICAL AND DANCING SKILLS

A musical emphasis was given to some dreams. A young dreamer from Tampa, Florida
reports: Barack was teaching a middle school class. I was at a desk in the back of the
room. He was a passionate teacher and had all of us engaged in the lesson. Then he
pulled out an electric guitar and started playing and walking around the classroom,
singing. When he came near my desk I jokingly yelled, ‘Do your thang, Huckabee! Do
your thang!’ [BO79] A punk musician from Wisconsin reports: Last night I had a dream
that Barack showed up at a wedding reception and did a funky-ass dance to the tune of
the Jimmy Castor Bunch’s punk masterpiece Troglodyte and I was sold! [BO42]

42
BARACK’S ATHLETIC ABILITY

In the brief dream of an American man: Barack was winning the election, except instead
of an election it was a volleyball tournament [BO41]. A New York graphic designer is in
high school gym and there are basketballs all over. Barack seems to have a pretty good
ball which he passes to me from time from time [BO4].

BARACK REACHES OUT TO OHERS PERSONALLY

A teacher in Italy dreams he is at a train station with his four-year-old son: Barack comes
up to us and I introduced myself and my son. I say, ‘Look Owen, here’s the next president
of the United States.’ Barack shakes our hands and exchanges pleasantries with us. He is
very cordial and interested in what my boy has to say. I feel very privileged to meet him.
He leaves the impression that the honor was his [BO120]. A college student met Barack
at a little rally, and everyone was happy to meet him. He was authentic and shook my
hand and I felt a part of his movement [BO36].

A software developer in his 50s dreamed he was taking a cooking class from Barack
Obama. Every Monday evening he showed up to teach us cooking, even though he was
still immersed in the presidential campaign. I was so touched that he would take time out
from his campaign just for the twelve of us, but it seemed very important to him [BO111].
A very brief dream was submitted by a Marketing Associate in California: Me and
Barack, just hanging out, watching Lost together. Sweet [BO75].

43
BARACK ENGAGING IN SPEECHES AND CONVERSATION

A man who reports that he is three-quarters black dreams: I was in a town on the Hudson
River. I catch glimpses of Obama walking by, usually no more than a block away. The
streets are empty like the early morning. His expression is intense and thoughtful, with a
small smile, as if he’s composing a speech in his head as he walks, or listening to
something only he can hear. He leans forward as he walks [BO137 ] An assistant
professor of English had a dream about Obama last night where he was giving a public
speech that I had written for him. He was even speaking in my voice [B024].]. A gay
white college professor is in a motel room where Barack is about to address an
audience: His speech goes very well. Afterward, she (Michelle) and Barack and I have a
conversation about race in America. We agree about almost everything and have a lot of
esteem for one another [BO126].

FEEDING AND SUPPORTING BARACK

Barack stirs up a desire on the part of some dreamers to help him. One young Irish man
in New York City decides Barack needs some peanut butter cookies and set about making
a batch. Later, Barack politely informs the dreamer that they are not the right
consistency. The dreamer later goes on to come up with a new fundraising idea for the
Barack campaign – an iPhone/Barack collaboration [BO132]. A married playwright in
Toronto dreams I was Filipino and was making dinner for Obama. I was worried that I
wouldn’t have enough food [BO54]. A young California pastor dreams he is shuffling
Obama and his wife around from campaign stop to campaign stop. I was driving a beat-
up old Toyota Corolla [BO3].

44
INCONSISTENCIES IN BARACK’S BEHAVIOR

Barack also seems capable of making shifts in his behavior toward the dreamer. A
technical writer was at a resort. Barack was there greeting the guests of the resort as we
came in. He walked with me a few steps and made sure I had towels
and a drink before going out on the beach. I returned to the building where a friendly and
helpful Barack showed me to an empty shower. I exited the stall and attempted to hang
my used towel on a hook outside the door. Barack became serious all of a sudden and
told me not to hang up the towel. He said that I had to fold the towel in
thirds, then roll it jellyroll style. He showed me a basket where I had to place the jelly
rolled towel, flat side down [BO109]. A California tech start-up geek was in a smoky
hazy hotel / office / suite with Barack Obama. We had driven back together from a big
rally and speech. He walked ahead of me and was dismissive, or maybe just distracted. I
was acting as one of his assistants. I’d been respectfully carrying his coat and now I lay
it on the bed. When I tried to engage him in some light banter, he seemed distracted and
annoyed. I was struck that in private, behind closed doors, he was a different man:
cordial enough, certainly not mean-spirited, but his tone in private was nothing like his
public persona [BO49].

BARACK AS AN ADDICT

Several dreamers seem concerned with Barack’s cigarette smoking. In one dream he
reached for a pack of cigarettes, though the room was already smoky enough [BO49]. A
communications student at Howard University dreamed: Obama came to visit Howard,
and he was really funny, but in a rude way – he wouldn’t put out his cigarette [BO14]. A
college student in Boston had a nightmare that Barack had secretly been continuing that
drug use he started 30 years ago as an experimenting youth and overdosed on cocaine
and died [BO22].

45
BARACK AS AN ELITIST

Several dreams reveal Barack acting elitist. An academic in New York dreamed that
Barack was being interviewed on one of those Sunday news shows. The host asked him if
English should be the official language of the United States. He said ‘Yes, absolutely: it
is the national language. How horrible would it be to hear someone speak a language
other than English in our country?’ I sat there watching, thinking, This campaign is
pretty much over [BO33].

In the dream of an Oregon public defender: I was taking a test Barack has designed.
Competition is steep and I am really emotionally invested in doing well. After the test is
over, we all sit on the tables and wait for the scores. Mine comes out in the “weak”
category. Barack starts walking up and down the aisles, acknowledging the people who
have scored in the top category. Everyone else becomes an “untouchable” to him. It is
like we didn’t exist and are of no importance at all. I feel absolutely horrible [BO99]. A
New Jersey student was paired with a celebrity for a project: I got Barack Obama. I was
intrigued by our pairing. I wondered what he would ask me, but he just “mailed in” the
interview. He was mostly on his cell phone. He could have shown a little class [BO6].

BARACK’S CAUSTIC OR ELUSIVE MANNER

A 24-year-old youth minister finds out that Barack’s new campaign strategy is no more
big rallies, just meeting normal people in normal places. After a few minutes, I leave the
shop and run into Barack outside. He tells me to walk and talk with him. He always walks
a few steps ahead of me and asks me if I am a student. I tell him I’m a youth minister.
Barack laughs derisively and walks away [BO78]. A young Connecticut supporter was in
an empty restaurant, sitting with Barack. I asked Barack about his feelings regarding the
constant need for him to publicly reiterate that he is not a Muslim. Barack said nothing,
and got up and walked away. I try to follow him, but he was elusive [BO62].

46
SUPRISING AND INEXPLICABLE OUTCOMES

An unexpected misfortune appears in the the dream of struggling New York actor in the
back of a helicopter with Barack flying over the waters of Cape Town. After a pleasant
conversation, Barack slides open the door and I leap into the air. As I fall, I begin to see
the dark gray outlines of sharks swimming in the waters below. I splash into the waters,
far from shore, with the full knowledge that there are sharks all around me [BO131].

In several dreams, Barack displays surprising behavior. A book editor is in a context that
seemed like World War II. Barack was my platoon leader. I was waiting for orders while
he phoned somebody on a field telephone, when I noticed that it was just a piece of waxed
string and a Dixie cup. I pointed out it wasn’t a real phone and he said, ‘Be quiet, I’m
talking to Cheney.’ He said not to worry, it was Jim Cheney, not Dick Cheney and he was
getting his orders from him. I said, ‘But you’re the President! You’re not supposed to be
taking orders from anyone!’ He grew exasperated and told me, ‘Listen, everyone takes
orders from someone!’ [BO11] A California web developer hears that Barack hadn’t been
seen in a few days: Then suddenly he shows up at a Clinton rally, and is campaigning for
her all of a sudden. He gives us great speech about how excited he is to be on Hillary’s
side. I turned to the people I’m with and asked, ‘Did she brainwash him?’ [BO32]

CONCERN ABOUT BARACK BEING ASSASINATED

Hillary remarked on May 23 that one of the reasons that she was continuing her
campaign was because there might always be unexpected events similar to the
assassination of Robert Kennedy, which could change political outcomes. Several
dreamers were concerned with the theme of Barack’s assassination before Hillary
committed this gaffe, which was widely reported on in the media. A man born in the
1970s reports: My dream was set at the Robert F. Kennedy assassination, in that same
room. Barack was at the podium. He finished speaking and stepped down from the

47
podium and began his exit, everything as it had been at the RFK assassination. As
Barack walked through the narrow path which security had made through the crowd, a
man lunged forward and shot and killed him. I felt terrible for the people whose hopes
had been shattered, with no recourse [BO48].

A 24-year-old Austin man is at Barack’s inauguration. A representative at the podium

introduces him, when suddenly there is shouting and I see a group of people wearing the
white hoods of the Ku Klux Klan. There is a lot of commotion and they’re yelling and
causing a disturbance, which is a diversion. I see someone rush the podium and shoot the
person who was speaking, then start heading for Barack. There is a total absence of
secret service and security, and my heart starts racing as I fear they’re going to make it
to Barack [BO127].

A man living in Vancouver had a strange dream. Obama, who is now president, was shot
by one of his Secret Service men. What brought all this on? I don’t have a great interest
in the US election [BO12]. A man who once lived out of his Porsche had a dream last
night that Barack Obama was on the verge of becoming the first black President, but was
assassinated right before the election [BO5]. To add to this disturbing string of dreams
involving assassination was this account from a woman: I dreamed last night that Obama
was assassinated. I was like, ‘No this is a dream. It can’t be true!’ Then I woke up but I
was still in the dream I went to npr.com and there was a picture of him shot. I thought,
‘Wait a minute, am I still in the dream?’ People were trying to tell me I wasn’t [BO13].

A young college student who writes poetry reports: Barack and another politician who is
the Democratic nominee – who I don’t think exists or maybe it was John Edwards – were
having a gunfight in my basement. I shot them both and had to figure out what to do with
the bodies. My parents thought I should put the bodies in trash bags with some other
random stuff and try to throw the bags away and pass it off as household garbage. When
I was like, ‘Shouldn’t we tell the police what happened, or something?’ My mom said,
‘No let’s not do that.’ Later I saw Barack on the news and I felt relief that I hadn’t shot
him – it was just one of his copies [BO34].

48
 ~ Conclusion ~

SUBJECTIVE IMPRESSIONS OF HOW THE CANDIDATES

WERE PERCEIVED IN THIS POLL

One trend that emerges from this analyses is the marked difference in the perception of
the candidates when the gender of the dreamer is considered. Most of the male dreamers
did not appear to be fond of Hillary, although a few felt comfortable in some settings
where handholding or cuddling could occur. Men were not strongly drawn toward Hillary
in an overt, sexually way, and typically made unflattering comments about her
appearance or undergarments. She was viewed as rather ruthless, and as someone who is
not above using physical force to try and achieve her objectives. She was seen as quite
capable of engaging in deception.

Male dreamers were overall quite favorably disposed toward Barack. There seemed to be
an attitude of positive expectation that he had a “can-do” attitude about creating
significant change in the way that the government would operate in the future. But he
seemed to be someone who did not give off a great deal of personal warmth or openness
when he was in a one-on-one situation with the dreamer, in contrast with his public
campaigning persona. His attitude might be described as an aloof one, and a few
dreamers characterized him as walking ahead of them or not making a very determined
effort to personally engage them in conversation.

The level of feelings expressed by women toward both candidates was much more
intense. Many had a strong desire for Hillary to be elected, or felt concern over her
tiredness and fatigue and wanted to physically support and nourish her. But Hillary was
also perceived as rather untrustworthy and ruthless, and this produced somewhat of a
“double bind” for women. Dreams showed how they wanted to stand shoulder-to-
shoulder with a female candidate, but for various reasons, did not feel totally committed

49
to supporting Hillary all the way. This led to some female dreamers displaying
deceitfulness, and many were unwilling to give Hillary a direct and honest answer when
she inquired about their voting intentions. They did not want to hurt her feelings, so were
unwilling to honestly tell her that they did not intend to vote for her.

In many female dreams, Barack was perceived as a very appealing and attractive
potential sexual partner, although this led to some guilt because of the dreamer’s
conflicting desire to respect his marriage. Many women saw Barack as having almost
magical or creative powers. He was willing to engage in meaningful personal
conversations with dreamers and respected their desire for further professional
development. Once women thought they would be able to have a closer relationship, they
felt a sense of rejection when he did not continue the relationship at the same level. This
contrast between Barack’s public availability and their frustrated desire for his private
availability was similar between the genders.

Many dreams merged concern with the political candidates with current, ongoing
emotional concerns and issues in the dreamers’ lives. Examples of this linkage between
waking-life reality and dream-life reality are demonstrated in the following dreams: A
Hillary supporter trying to get pregnant dreamed I really wanted Hillary to deliver my
baby and I needed to see her [HC53]. A breast-feeding mother of five-month-old twins
dreamed Barack was able to fill two five ounce bottles of breast milk in ten seconds
[BO150]. A woman getting married in May dreamed Hillary wouldn’t allow her to wear
her wedding dress because it might outshine Hillary [HC80].

50
 ~ About Dr. Robert Van de Castle ~

Dr. Van de Castle has been studying dreams for over 40 years. In 1966, Dr. Van de
Castle co-authored The Content Analysis of Dreams with Calvin Hall Ph. D., who was
considered to be the most prominent dream researcher in the world at that time. The
content analysis method they pioneered in their classic book has become the standard
approach to objective dream research used by hundreds of later researchers.

The Hall-Van de Castle scales provide a normative material listing of the various types of
settings, objects, characters, social interactions, activities, emotions, etc. found in 500
male and 500 female dreams. By checking the table showing the frequencies of various
objects, it can be seen that items of jewelry were referred to 29 times by women and 5
times by men, while hand-held weapons were referred to 10 times by women and 38
times by men. Hundreds of other dream images are similarly indexed. Dr. Van de Castle
also wrote Our Dreaming Mind (Ballantine, 1994), which was an alternate for the Book-
of-the-Month Club. This book has been used in many dream courses, is 500+ pages in
length, and has more than 550 references. For more information about Dr. Robert Van de
Castle and his book, please visit www.ourdreamingmind.com. If you’d like to purchase
an inscribed copy of the book, contact Dr. Van de Castle: rlv@virginia.edu.

Dr. Van de Castle conducted two years of laboratory research with Dr. Hall at the
Institute of Dream Research in Miami, Florida, and has served as the Director of the
Sleep and Dream Research Laboratory at the University of Virginia Medical Center for
several years. He served as an experimental dreaming subject in his own lab at the
University of Virginia, at the Institute of Dream Research, at the University of Wyoming,
and at the Maimonides Hospital Dream Laboratory in Brooklyn. The successful
demonstration of his telepathic dreaming ability there was described at some length in the
book Dream Telepathy by M. Ullman & S. Krippner.

51
Dr. Van de Castle has had wide-ranging field experience in collecting hundreds of
dreams from subjects in Panama, Nicaragua, and Guatemala, and has worked with the
dreams of participants at workshops he has offered in Canada, Mexico, Belgium, and
Russia. He has gathered dreams in various educational settings such as elementary
schools, high schools, colleges, nursing and graduate schools and he has also obtained
dreams from hundreds of psychiatric patients in hospitals and clinics, from pregnant
women and from members of a Senior Center.

In addition to presentations at scientific conventions, Dr. Van de Castle has discussed

dreams on TV: Phil Donahue, Letterman, Barbara Walters, Tom Snyder, Mike Douglas.
His work has been referenced in dozens of popular publications such as Psychology
Today, Omni, Ladies’ Home Journal, Playboy, Glamour, McCall’s, Self, Parents, Family
Circle, Men’s Health, and in newspapers such as the Washington Post and USA Today.
He has been a keynote speaker twice at educational presentations on dreams at the
Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D. C., and served as co-editor (with Dr. Henry
Reed) of the Dream Network Bulletin. The State University of New York has published
over a dozen academic books on various dream topics in their SUNY Series in Dream
Studies under his guidance as an Advisory Editor.

Dr. Van de Castle’s wide-ranging contributions to understanding the world of dreams

were recognized by the members of The Association for the Study of Dreams (ASD)
when they elected him President of the organization in 1985. At an international meeting
of this organization in 2004 at Copenhagen, Denmark, Dr. Van de Castle was awarded
the first Lifetime Achievement Award in Dreamwork and was also recognized for his
Lifetime Contribution to ASD.

For more information about the International Association for the Study of Dreams, an
organization open to dream appreciators from all walks of life, go to their website at
www.iasdreams.org. This organization hosts an annual five day live conference, in
additional to an inexpensive two week online psiberdreaming conference, and also
publishes a quarterly newsletter and a journal.

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