The Meaning of a Bridge in your Dream

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is nauseating. I've encountered it many times, especially since I lived in Virginia Beach for about eight years. It's expansive, reaching 17.6 miles in length. In fact, it is so intimidating that it offers a drive-across service for those fearful of traveling across bridges. One time, a ship I was on was coming back to port, and I saw a car on fire on that very bridge. I am not exaggerating when I say that is my absolute nightmare.

I've gone across it many times as well. When my family and I were looking for a new home in Pennsylvania, it unfortunately cut our trip time down by at least an hour, so it was the logical route even with the hefty toll. I've personally never driven it—thankfully my husband is unfazed by bridges of any size—and I feel like no amount of Klonopin could keep me from having a panic attack making the trek.

I mention this bridge because it has made many appearances in my dreams, or at least a bridge similar to it. I always assumed it was such a recurring theme due to my fear of bridges (the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in general), but almost a year after our move, I still have them appear in my dreams.

So what is the meaning of a bridge in your dream?

In Dreams and What They Mean to You, Migene González-Wippler writes about bridges, "To cross it safely, the overcoming of difficulties. To see it falling down, beware of treacherous people around you." Usually in my dreams I cross it, or I'm in the process of crossing it. Sometimes I avoid the bridge altogether, or spend most of the dream debating if I should go over it. That feels particularly symbolic, like seeing how we confront difficulties in general in our life. Do we avoid them, or face them head-on? Also, I think you should look to see if someone is with you in this dream. Is it a partner? Are you by yourself? Do you take on hardships solo or with help?

Another fantastic resource is A Dictionary of Symbols by J.E. Cirlot. He writes about bridges, "According to Guenon, the Roman pontifex was literally a 'builder of bridges', that is, of that which bridges two separate worlds. St. Bernard has said that the Roman Pontiff, as the etymology of his name suggests, is a kind of bridge between God and Man. For this reason, the rainbow is a natural symbol of the pontificate. For the Israelites, it was the sign of the Covenant between the Creator and his people, and in China, the sign denoting the union of heaven and earth. For the Greeks, it was Iris, a messenger of the gods. And there are a great many cultures where the bridge symbolizes the link between what can be perceived and what is beyond perception. Even when it lacks this mystic sense, the bridge is always symbolic of a transition from one state to another—of change or the desire for change."  

To me, this also makes sense, as I feel my spiritual journey has progressed further than ever before in my life. I think if you also are going through some sort of spiritual or religious awakening, bridges appearing in your dream could be indicating, or acknowledging this.

Maybe it's an uneasiness of the unknown, especially when you are going through a transition in your life (spiritual or just big life events). Once you're on it, there is no U-turn. You have to keep going, even if the bridge is 17.6 miles long. Intuitively, I keep thinking of the Death card in Tarot. To me, it means an intentional change, or a transformation. Also, in case you were wondering, reversal of the Death card is resisting an inevitable change, or a forced transformation. The Death card, bridges—it's about getting to the other side to something better than before, no matter how scary it looks.