Black and White Dream Meaning

Our eyes perceive the color black when there is an object which absorbs the full spectrum of visible light. The color white, on the other hand, results from all light being reflected so that the eye's visual receptors are charged at once.

This contrast in how black and white are perceived by our eyes is also reflected in the meaning that we attach to the two colors. In dreams, black signifies mystery, the unconscious, mourning and potential. The color white in dreams signifies the conscious mind, purity, rebirth and potential. In dreams where black and white both feature, the emphasis tends to be on the contrast and opposition between the two. Although a small number of people dream in black and white, the majority of us dream in color. As a result, a dream which is in black and white has significance for most people.

A black and white dream may be drawing your attention to the lack of color, meaning that your life may seem colorless and drab. Since the first mass media productions were in black and white, we tend to associate black and white dreams with a sense of nostalgia or with the past. A black and white dream may, therefore, imply that some attention is needed to be directed toward your past. Because black and white are opposites, then having a dream in black and white can also mean that you may be thinking of a situation in terms of absolutes.

In this dream you may have

• Been in a black and white movie.
• Lived on a black and white planet.
• Been black and white in a color world.
• Been in color in a black and white world.

Positive changes are afoot if

• Perceive yourself to be color.
• Nostalgic movie.

Detailed dream meaning

The lack of vibrant color in a black and white dream is reflective of a lack of color or excitement in your life. You may be trapped in a rut where one day seems very much like another. Dreaming of black and white may also imply that you lack friendships and emotional supports. You may feel depressed or trapped in a monochromatic world.

To dream of living on a black and white planet indicates you are very rigid in your outlook on the world and tend to see things as being either black or white. Similarly, being black and white in a color world indicates that your views are out of touch with those around you, and you need to be able to compromise and be more flexible or risk endangering your social, family or work relationships.

A dream in black and white may also indicate that your unconscious mind is attempting to communicate some problem to your conscious mind. Since both colors signify a blank slate or screen, dreaming in black and white signifies that you have the opportunity for a new beginning. Dreaming of being in color in a black and white world indicates that you have outgrown your environment and it is time to move on.

Dreaming of being in a black and white movie or dreaming of a black and white scene in which figures from your past feature prominently signifies that there is some lesson from your past which you need to review in your current position.

This dream is in association with the following scenarios in your life

• Depression.
• No opportunity for advancement at work.
• Outgrowing friends.

Feelings that you may have encountered during a dream of black and white

Nostalgia. Wistfulness. Boredom. Ennui. Depression. Emptiness. Sadness. Repression. Obsession. Stubbornness. Indifference. Monotony. Yearning. Sentimentality.