Double Reflection

In my dream, I was in my washroom, looking at myself in the mirror, whilst avoiding in-laws that may have entered my apartment. The door to the bathroom opened slightly and someone popped their head in and looked into the mirror as well, at me. It was my double. We just stared into the mirror and at each other. I looked slightly dishevelled- hair up in a messy pony tail, grey bathrobe, no make-up, how I look when I'm at home- while my double looked more put together, with nice side swept shiny hair, tasteful make-up and overall looked confident and composed while I looked anxious and weary.

Some background- I do struggle with anxiety, depression and avoidance behaviour. It felt like a very literal representation of my worst and best self...and what saddens me is the "worst" version felt like the "real" me. Would love to get an objective opinion, thank you.

In a nutshell, it looks like your dream is trying to encourage you not to give up the fight against feelings of anxiety, depression and avoidance behaviour.

That’s partly because the dream takes place in your washroom which normally would have a bath or shower installed.

Water in this context is usually related to “baptism”, “renewal” and the whole idea of transition to a new attitude which can foster growth and self-development.

Anxiety and depression unfortunately can cause a kind of further withdrawal from triggers which tend to make the person feel worse, perhaps as symbolized in this dream by the in-laws.

Your confident and composed double then appears and your gazes meet in the mirror.

The way the dream sets up the scene by having your double appear from behind you possibly represents the fact that she is a potential which exists in your unconscious mind.

This is because “behind” and “in back of” usually symbolize the unconscious, based on the analogy that we can’t see what’s behind us, i.e. we’re unaware and unconscious of it unless we turn around, or in this case, unless we can see it in a mirror.

In contrast to you looking anxious and weary in a grey bathrobe while avoiding the in-laws, your double appears to have been enjoying a friendly encounter with them.

So it’s possible that the dream is encouraging you to gradually make that little extra effort to meet various disconcerting challenges head-on because the real potential exists inside to change your current unhappy situation.

In this way of looking at your dream, it’s possible then that the "worst" version feeling like the "real" you means that the current, three-dimensional and unpleasant state of affairs is indeed “real” at this time, but with the dedicated effort of you, the ego, this other potential better self can emerge over time.

Perhaps there also may have been a recent positive incident, encounter, or idea for a project etc. which was generally put aside and not followed up.

If so, the dream could be encouraging you to look more carefully at such an event because it could hold the key to some improvement in your current state of feelings.

Anyway, without knowing much about you, this approach to your dream might not fit your personal circumstances very well, but I hope that these ideas can be helpful in some way.

Please feel free to ask any questions or to make any comments about this particular way of looking at your dream.