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Dreams about Broken Glass – Meaning and Symbolism

Seeing broken glass in a dream is common and those who see such dreams tend to feel anxious about what the dream could mean.  While broken glass can seem like a plain and insignificant thing to dream about, it can hold deeper meanings.

Many believe that seeing broken glass in a dream is a bad omen or a sign of impending danger, as glass is viewed as a barrier that offers protection. However, your dream could simply be drawing your attention to something that needs to be changed in your waking life or may be related to clarity, honesty, change, and transformation. 

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Dreams about Broken Glass

Symbolism of Glass in Dreams

Glass is a strong material that doesn’t break easily, can handle high stress, and is regarded as a symbol of strength and endurance. While its shape and configuration can be maneuvered, its existence is indestructible. However, in real life, we associate glass with characteristics of vulnerability and brittleness. This duality gives glass double-faceted symbolism, as it represents both a protective mantle and fragility.

The breaking of glass is viewed differently in various cultures across the world. In oriental cultures, broken glass is generally viewed as a sign of misfortune. At Jewish weddings, it’s customary for the groom to crush a glass with his right foot. The glass, in this case, symbolizes the fragility of life and serves as a reminder to the couple to enjoy each day together like it’s their last. In Islam, seeing someone breaking a glass in a dream is a sign of impending death.

Broken glass in dreams can symbolize the desire to break rules or limitations that you may be experiencing in your waking life. Perhaps you have been feeling trapped and as though your freedom is limited. In this case, dreaming of broken glass could mean that you have already or will soon be breaking free from the ‘cage’ you’ve been living in. Dreams of broken glass can also indicate that you’re finally able to see things clearly for what they are.

According to Carl Jung, dreams are a method of communication used by the psyche to pass on an important message to an individual. By analyzing our dreams, we may be able to understand what’s really going on in our psyche.

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Common Interpretations of Dreams About Broken Glass

Dreaming of Holding Broken Glass

If you see yourself holding broken glass in your hand, it could suggest that it’s time for you to take a look at your lifestyle and attitude towards life. Holding broken glass is dangerous since it’s very easy to injure yourself. Therefore, this dream could be letting you know that there is impending danger in your life – you will have identify what is dangerous and what you should be careful about.

Dreaming of Seeing Broken Glass

If you dream of seeing glass that was broken by someone else, it could mean that those around you are helping you to rid yourself of negative emotions and any issues you may have in your waking life.

This dream could also mean that you’re currently struggling due to lack of control over your life. All your decisions and actions could be influenced by others. In this case, this is a positive dream, as it gives you a sign to take responsibility for your own life.

Dreaming of Broken Glass Inside Your Mouth

Broken glass inside your mouth symbolizes words that you may have said or will say to hurt others. Perhaps you have been talking about others in a way you shouldn’t, causing a great deal of damage, and hurting their feelings.

If you’re someone who tends to say what’s in your mind without thinking twice, now would be a good time to change this. Your subconscious mind could be telling you to be careful about what you say, or you may soon regret it.

To dream of eating and swallowing broken glass could mean that there’s something you’ve been struggling to say, but you’re finding it difficult to express yourself. If someone else is eating the glass, they may be going through similar issues.

Dreaming of Broken Glass Slicing Your Skin

If the broken glass in your dream is slicing your skin, it may indicate that you should take things easier, go easy on yourself, take care of yourself, and be more forgiving not only towards yourself but also towards others. It could mean that you feel subject to criticism and constant scrutiny, which leaves you feeling vulnerable and exposed. 

A Broken Glass Door

A shattered glass door is an indication of heightened insecurity and that you may be keeping your guard up due to certain trust issues. Strangely enough, if the door happens to be a familiar one – perhaps of a house whose owner you’re acquainted with, it’s symbolic of an impending betrayal. Your subconscious mind could be giving you a sign to be aware of your surroundings and the people around you.

Dreaming of Breaking Glass

Broken Glass

To dream of breaking any type of glass, whether it’s a bottle, wineglass, or a windowpane, represents complexity and difficulties in life. Once glass is broken, collecting the pieces can be difficult. Your subconscious mind could be using the image of the broken glass to let you know that you may soon face many challenges in life, and you may have to face them alone.

Dreaming of Walking on Broken Glass

To see yourself walking on broken glass in a dream could reflect problems you’re facing in your waking life. If you step on the glass by accident, it means that while you’re struggling in this difficult phase of your life, you have the determination to overcome all the challenges you face, regardless of how much damage has been caused.

Dreaming of a Child Breaking Glass

If you see a child breaking glass in a dream, the dream’s meaning could depend on the gender of the child. If it’s a girl who broke the glass, it indicates that you may experience difficulty in finding someone who will be committed and in a long-term relationship with you.

On the other hand, if the child is a boy, it could mean that someone has been speaking negatively about you behind your back and you will soon find out their identity. The dream could be helping you to find out who your true friends are.

If a person who is ill or bedridden sees this dream, it indicates that their health will soon improve.

Dreaming of a House with Broken Windows

To dream of a house with broken window glass indicates that someone you know is jealous of you and your achievements. You may want to keep a watchful eye at work since there may be someone who’s planning to steal your job from you or a project you may be working on.

Dreaming of Glass in Your Hair

If you dream of finding shards of glass in your hair, it suggests that you’re an intelligent person.  However, it may also indicate that you lack maturity when it comes to certain aspects of your life.

This dream could also mean that you will soon go through a phase of inactivity and become idle. As a result, you may find it difficult to break out of this phase, which could lead to a lack of motivation and the desire to work hard for a better future.

Dreams about Broken Mirrors  

Broken mirrors typically signify bad luck. When seen in dreams, they can also represent betrayal and financial or material loss of someone else. For example, someone close to you may soon betray you but as a result, they will suffer severe financial loss.

If you see yourself holding a broken mirror, the meaning depends on what you see in it. If you’re smiling at yourself in the mirror, it could mean that you will soon experience some important changes in your waking life. These changes may be frightening at first, but you will soon realize the benefits they bring. If your expression is frightened or sad, it indicates that you may be about to feel disappointment or bitterness towards someone.

Dreaming of walking into a room full of cracked or broken mirrors may mean that you’re currently going through a difficult phase in your waking life. On the positive side, it indicates that regardless of how daunting the situation may be, you will find a way to overcome it.

Why Are You Dreaming About Broken Glass?

broken glass window

Much of the content in our dreams comes from our waking experiences. According to sleep researcher and associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Robert Stickgold, who says to NPR “When we sleep, the brain does a lot of work, taking what we’ve learned, what we’ve encoded as new memories in the last day, and trying to figure out what they mean”.

In this case, dreams can simply be a reflection of your waking experiences. If you watched a horror movie that involved broken glass or saw broken glass while walking on the street, it’s not unusual to dream about it. So, while the dream may have been disturbing, sometimes it may just have been a dream about broken glass and nothing more.

If, however, you find no connection to your waking experiences, analyzing the dream to  understand any deeper message is always interesting – and fun to do.

How to Stop Dreams about Broken Glass

Dreams about broken glass can be worrisome, but they’re not all bad. In fact, there are some positive interpretations that you can take from such dreams. These dreams can indicate that misfortune is on the way, so that you can prepare yourself to face it and overcome it. 

If you’ve had recurring dreams about broken glass, it may help to reflect on your life. You may be able to identify any stressors in your life or issues that may be causing you anger, dissatisfaction, anxiety, or any other negative feelings.

If these dreams continue to recur and make you feel uncomfortable, it might be a good time to talk to a psychologist or therapist to address any underlying issues that you may be having.

Wrapping Up

Although dreams about broken glass can seem negative, they can offer you solutions or guide you towards addressing issues in your waking life. Sometimes, the answer or solution to a problem may be hidden in the dream – your subconscious good be trying to tell you something. These dreams can alert you to the fact that something may be wrong in your waking life that you were not aware of before. By analyzing the dream and thinking on it,  you may be able to understand yourself better.

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Apsara Palit
Apsara Palit

After completing her post-grad in Values, Ethics and Indian Culture, Apsara is sharing her knowledge of symbolism, mythology, history and culture through her blogs. Apsara lives in India and believes in getting a first-hand understanding of culture through travelling.