▲ Leans unlucky (a warning) Traditionally a warning — read it as pointing to what to watch, not as doom
A symbol of hiding your feelings behind cheer; a scary clown, the unease behind a smile.
Category: Monsters & myths abroad (how to read this category)
Psychology
A clown can stand for the cheerful mask you wear over your real feelings — Jung's persona grown too thick. Fear of clowns may be the mind reacting to the eeriness of a smile that does not match the heart.
Folklore and history
The Pierrot comes from a white-faced fool of Italian improvised comedy. Fools could once tell kings the truth. In the late 20th century, horror novels and films spread the image of the clown hiding malice behind a smile.
AAA alkaline batteries for gear that takes this size, such as some headlamps, IC recorders, and small EMF-meter-type devices. They keep for 10 years, so they double as disaster-prep stock — swap in a fresh set before heading out to explore.
Panasonic Evolta Alkaline Batteries AAA (20-Pack) LR03EJ/20SW
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This site's view
In this site's view, it all depends on whether you saw the face under the paint. If not, you may have lost track of your own feelings. If it was crying, you have put your sadness aside to make others laugh. That clown is probably you.
Going deeper: our reading
A clown's makeup, such as a painted teardrop or an exaggerated mouth, is said to be designed so expressions carry to the back of the audience. In this site's reading, a clown dream mirrors the gap between the painted expression and the feelings left unpainted. If the clown made the crowd laugh but you alone could not, your heart may not be keeping up with the cheerful mood around you. Watching a clown wipe off makeup suggests a growing wish to step out of a role and return to your bare face. This is our speculation, but people chased by clowns in dreams may hold positions that demand cheerfulness and secretly want to escape that role. If you were the clown and truly enjoyed making someone laugh, you are beginning to accept your gift for putting others at ease.
What to do on waking
Once today, drop the polite smile and let your real face show. Tell one trusted person how you feel.
In this scene
- ◎Good It helps you or gives treasure: like the zashiki-warashi, luck is coming (good)
- ▲Warn Tricked or taken: a hidden trap, or words to doubt (warning)
- Seeing what it really is: a fear becomes clear and fades
- It felt good: the lucky reading gets stronger
- ▲Warn It felt frightening or painful: the warning reading gets stronger — rest first
- The same dream again and again: something your mind has not settled yet
Turning a bad dream
In Japan, people once tried to turn a worrying dream for the better: a baku charm under the pillow, telling the dream to a nandina bush, or reciting an old dream-turning poem. Read the column on dream trading and dream-turning
A small, IP67 dust- and waterproof Bluetooth speaker — play an audio guide or video sound on the way to a ruin or in the car, or share audio with the group during a multi-person exploration.
JBL GO4 Bluetooth Speaker, USB-C Charging, IP67 Dust/Waterproof, App-Compatible, Passive Radiator, Portable, Black JBLGO4BLK
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FAQ
Q. Is dreaming of a Clown a good or bad sign?
A. Traditionally a warning — read it as pointing to what to watch, not as doom. A symbol of hiding your feelings behind cheer; a scary clown, the unease behind a smile.
Q. Why do I keep dreaming of a Clown?
A. A recurring dream usually points to something your mind has not settled yet. Research suggests such dreams tend to stop once the underlying worry is resolved. Keeping a dream diary helps you notice what triggers it.
Q. What should I do after dreaming of a Clown?
A. Once today, drop the polite smile and let your real face show. Tell one trusted person how you feel.
Related dream essays
- True Dreams and Reverse Dreams: Why We Read Dreams Backwards
- Buying Dreams, Turning Dreams: A Japanese History of Dream Trading and Dream Charms
Read this dream with your own scene in the Dream Dictionary →
More dreams in "Monsters & myths abroad"
- A Dragon
- A Dinosaur
- A Monster
- A Devil
- Space or Aliens
- Zombies
- A Witch
- A Skeleton
- A Fallen Angel
- A Vampire
- A Werewolf
- An Artificial Being
※ Dream interpretation here is entertainment drawing on psychology and folklore — it is not scientifically proven. "This site's view" is our own interpretation.
