The Dream Book of Self-Knowledge
- represents the mind, soul, psyche (in Greek, psyche means a butterfly).
- one of the strongest symbols of transformability, can represent transformative happiness, as well as the constantly changing illusion of the material world and even the transformative nature of the human psyche.
- butterfly during the day: represents a positive view of the world.
- moth: expresses a negative view of the world.
- catching a butterfly: the desire to recognize the illusiveness of the material world, of the dream world, of emotions and thoughts; the longing to understand; in some images also the longing to stop the relentless passage of time.
- observing: the butterfly's appearance characterizes the dreamer's view of the world; beautiful and colorful butterflies indicate that the dreamer is preoccupied with the world; butterflies of dull colors or that are transparent express the fact that the world of illusions, ideas and bizarre feelings and ideas not longer entice the dreamer that much.
- a butterfly turning into an animal or other creature: the unconscious is warning the dreamer of the strongest instinctual component that the dreamer will soon be confronted with.
- flying: an illusory world in constant flux.
- wings of a butterfly: an illusory world in constant flux.
- as a symbol of metamorphosis (egg – larva – caterpillar – butterfly): symbolizes the final part of the developmental process whose nature can be indicated by the butterfly's color (see Color) and even other accompanying dream symbols.
- with a human head: an example of a transformation to a spiritual state (Romans described the mythological Psyche as a slender girl with butterfly wings).
- pupa: the pupa is where the larva's body completely transforms into an adult beetle and thus is the final phase of transformation; the pupa is therefore a symbol of the approaching transformation; the object of transformation can then be discerned according to other dream symbols.
