Dream Symbols

Books Dream Meaning and Symbolism

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Books can be a great source of knowledge and entertainment, and in our dreams often symbolize learning or needing an escape from reality. As there are many different types of books and ways books can appear in our dreams, there are also different possible dream interpretations.

What Do Books Symbolize? What Does it Mean to Dream About Books?

Books can have a number of different meanings in our dreams. It is important when trying to understand your dream about books to think about the context in which you saw the book in your dream.

For example, dreaming about seeing a tall stack of books on a table with a sense of anxiety for an upcoming test is an entirely different feeling than dreaming of a being in a field while reading a book peacefully in the sunshine.

dream book symbolism meaning

Here are some of the common associations we have with books and what it might mean in your dream:

Wisdom and Knowledge: Books are a great source of knowledge and research. Dreaming of a book often symbolizes a desire to learn something.

Truth & Judgement: A book can sometimes be a symbol for truth or judgement. Many religions have important books. Often times, laws and judges are often depicted with a gavel resting on law and legal books.

Record Keeping: Many people have journeyed to the Akashic records in their dreams, and books are often a prominent vision associated with this. This is because books are a good way to keep track of things! Dreaming of a book could mean you should look closely to details or look at the sequence of events for insight to solve current problems in your daily life.

Studying for a Test: We often associate books with going to school and studying for a test. Is there something in your current life that makes you feel tested? Maybe you are feeling tested at work, or you are feeling like your patience is being tested with a situation in your everyday life.

Communication & Expression: A book is a form of communication. Many people share their thoughts and ideas through books. Pay attention to the other details of the dream: Is there a message or something being communicated to you? Conversely, a book could also mean there is something you want to tell others but can’t. Is there something you wish you were able to tell someone but are unable to?

While these general meanings are useful to start identifying what it might mean to dream about books, it can also be very helpful to look at the different types of books and what they might mean. After all, there are all sorts of books – from cookbooks to yearbooks!


book dream meaning

Common Types of Books That Appear in Our Dreams

The type of book you dream about can also play a big role in what the meaning of a book in your dream might be about. Think about what types of books you saw in the dream. Were they fiction? Non-fiction? Old books? New books? Text books?

Here are some of the types of books you might dream about and what they may symbolize:

Comic Book: To dream of a comic book suggests a lighthearted approach to a problem or situation in your life. It can also be a symbol of a need to express your sense of humor or to have more fun in life.

Telephone Book: A telephone book suggests that you need to communicate more effectively with someone.

Fiction Book: A fiction book in your dream suggests that you are looking for ways to be entertained or that you feel the need to escape from reality.

Non-Fiction Book: A non-fiction book suggests there is something new you would like to learn.

Books in a Library: To see a library full of books in your dream might suggest that you are looking to increase your knowledge or want to learn about something. You may also wish to read more on the library dream symbol to further explore what it might mean to dream of books in a library.

Scrapbook: A scrapbook symbolizes memories you have and a need  to perhaps let go of the past.

Yearbook: A yearbook suggests you are stuck in the past and need to let go.

Hardcover Books: A sturdy, hardcover book symbolizes your need for strength and knowledge.

Paperback Books: A paperback book is flimsy and less durable than a hardcover book and can also symbolize a need for strength and knowledge.

Journal/Diary: To dream of a journal or diary in your dream symbolizes closely guarded secrets.

Cookbook: A cookbook in your dream symbolizes your need to “cook something up” – or find a new solution to a problem or situation in your life. It can also be a symbol of creativity.

 eBook: To dream of reading an eBook symbolizes you desire for instant knowledge or advancement in skills.

Children’s Books: Children’s books indicate your need for playfulness, or it can symbolize memories from your childhood.


What Do Books Mean to You? Questions to Ask for Interpreting Your Dream

To interpret your dream about books, here are some questions to ask to help you better understand what the dream means:

What is the book about? The genre or subject of the book can provide a lot of insight into what your dream means. For example, a math book might suggest you are calculating something, where a suspense novel might indicate your anxiety over something.

What have you had a desire to learn lately? Has there been something you want to learn about recently? Whether it is a new skill needed for your career or learning a new hobby, this may have some insight into your dream.

What feelings did you experience in the dream? Your feelings in the dream are also important. Were you excited by the books? Did the books make you feel sad? Think about how this relates to your waking life.


Did you have a dream about books? Share your experiences with books in dreams and what it means to you in the comments section below.

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11 Comments

  1. In my dream I was engaging with my cousin and as we were engaging conversation she all of sudden took my books that I am carrying around in waking life. She placed it in her purse and I was confused and gently took them back out of her bag and trying to understand why she took my books? One is a journal I write in everyday and the other is a soft paper book Michal Singer the surrender experiment

  2. I had a dream about an old hardcase book from 1906 with alot of names on the first pages, like the names of the earlier owners, swedish, norwegian, and english/american, might have been some kind of swedish novel.. But so detailed i had to search for the meaning 🙂 interesting

  3. I had a dream, a woman gave me eleven novels as a gift, was asking her to add up some pen, but those novels were foreign novels.

  4. In my dream it was a bookshop and all the books were free. I was super excited because there were all kinds of books available. Study books, leisure books, magazines etc. I couldn’t get enough. I spent the whole day collecting and it suddenly got dark.

  5. I dreamt of my own cousin returning my book after I had lost and looked for it everywhere in class,put in mind it’s true we were classmates

  6. What is the meaning to dream about the book character i was just reading. The book contain some paranoraml characters and in dream i was the character which was an angel and fae and i just saw some scenes that were not even in the books it were made by me

  7. Hi I had a dream where I was alone in a bedroom and I saw lots of books laying on the floor and they started to open by them self and it was flipping the pages on their own and the books started to print or write words but really didn’t understand what it was writing but I felt really terrified like if was something bad

  8. I had a dream about breaking into an old library at night to return two books. I had to climb over the roof of the library and go through an open door on the other side. I slipped the books into one of those openings for books to be returned in a door inside a long hallway.

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