◇ Depends on the scene Lucky or not depending on the scene — see "In this scene" below
Inner sway and indecision. Steady swinging means calm; wild swings show emotional ups and downs or hesitation.
Category: Objects (how to read this category)
Psychology
A pendulum always swings back — wavering between options or feelings. Steady rhythm is calm; wild swings, big emotional highs and lows. Staring at one reflects a wish to surrender to something.
Folklore and history
Pendulums are linked to hypnosis and to dowsing for answers, while Foucault's slowly turning pendulum famously made the earth's rotation visible. In dreams it hints that a wavering question will soon be settled.
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This site's view
In this site's view, the answer lies where it stopped. Resting to one side means your heart has already chosen; dead centre suggests a third path of choosing neither. A pendulum that never stops is a heart afraid to decide.
Going deeper: our reading
The time a pendulum takes to swing back and forth depends mainly on the length of its string; changing the weight makes little difference. A long string swings slowly, a short one hurriedly. In this site's reading, a pendulum dream may suggest that how fast your heart sways depends less on the weight of your worries than on the length of your tether. A short pendulum ticking rapidly suggests you are chased by immediate plans. A long, leisurely swing means that despite doubts, you have space to think. Practising to a metronome may show you straining to match a pace set by others. This is our speculation, but stopping the pendulum with your own hand suggests the strength to end the wavering is returning. Being stopped by someone hints at a wish to hand the decision over.
What to do on waking
Flip a coin on a dilemma and notice if you feel relief or disappointment. That feeling is your answer.
In this scene
- ◎Good Receiving or finding it: new strength or a chance arriving (good)
- ▲Warn Losing or breaking it: worry about what it stands for (warning)
- Old or dirty: a habit to review, or time to let go
- 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
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We may earn a referral fee on purchases made through these links.
FAQ
Q. Is dreaming of a Pendulum a good or bad sign?
A. Lucky or not depending on the scene — see "In this scene" below. Inner sway and indecision. Steady swinging means calm; wild swings show emotional ups and downs or hesitation.
Q. Why do I keep dreaming of a Pendulum?
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 Pendulum?
A. Flip a coin on a dilemma and notice if you feel relief or disappointment. That feeling is your answer.
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 "Objects"
- A Painting
- A Sculpture
- A Paper Lantern
- A Round Fan
- An Hourglass
- A Cuckoo Clock
- A Balance Scale
- A Dressing Table
- A Keyhole
- A Padlock
- A Chain
- A Net
※ Dream interpretation here is entertainment drawing on psychology and folklore — it is not scientifically proven. "This site's view" is our own interpretation.
