Dreaming Lens: Did the phone ring or did you initiate the call? Were you using the telephone or did you need to and could not? Was someone else using it? If so, was that an obstacle for you? Were you waiting for the phone to ring? Was the phone ringing off the hook or silently hung up? Was it a pay phone, cell phone, new, antique, large or small phone?
Personal Focus: Most people in the Western world are accustomed to the instant gratification of picking up the telephone to contact people with whom we want to speak. In a dream, this points to the need or desire to communicate, with the added texture of ease and immediacy.
The most powerful element of a telephone is the ring. We are conditioned to respond to that sound with a visceral and instantaneous reaction. The feelings elicited by this run the gamut from relief and excitement to dread, depending on who we think may be calling. Hearing a phone ring can be a sign that some part of your psyche is attempting to get in touch with your conscious awareness. Wanting or wishing it to ring may connect an area of your life where you need some information. Whether it is reassurance you crave, validation of some kind, or the solution to a problem that requires insight that has yet to occur to you, your hope with regard to who is calling will let you know what it is that you need.
Being involved in a conversation on the phone implies that various aspects of your personality are collaborating in some fashion. Whom you are speaking with will offer insight into what qualities within you need to be consulted at this time in your life. The nature of the conversation will, of course, reveal a great deal of data for an accurate interpretation. Hanging up connects to the desire for control. If this is the case, notice how politely or abruptly this is done, as this can reveal the level of defensiveness you may be expressing.
An important perspective to consider when a phone is being utilized for communication is the absence of a face-to-face connection. The physical distance that a telephone allows may imply the presence of vulnerability and fear around an issue in your life. Using a phone rather than connecting in person could indicate a number of darker motivations, such as a lack of authenticity, the need to avoid, or a deception in the works. On the lighter side, a telephone can unite loved ones separated by distance. If this is the case in a dream, it could represent that integration is taking place between aspects of your personality.
If you remember a telephone number from a dream, there may be some meaning to explore through using the meaning of numbers. Add up all the digits you can remember until you get to a final, single digit between one and nine.
See Numbers for an interpretation of the numerology being revealed.