Dreaming Lens: Were you in a tunnel? Were you about to go through a tunnel? Had you just come out of a tunnel? Were you afraid to go into a tunnel? Was there a light at the end of the tunnel?
Personal Focus: A tunnel allows for movement underground and safe passage underneath a body of water or other above-ground landscape. The creation of a tunnel is dangerous work that can sometimes even be fatal. But the results are well worth the risk as the increase in productivity and convenience are enormous.
There are a number of things to consider when interpreting the symbolic meaning of a tunnel. First and foremost is what two landscapes are being connected by the tunnel itself. The above ground elements are parts of your conscious environment that you are aware of; one as origination and one as destination. If this information is available in the dream, assign some interpretive meaning to each and consider the tunnel as a journey that seeks to connect these two elements. The tunnel symbolically represents the deep, hidden place you must often go in order to be outwardly successful in some endeavor that is visible in the outside world.
Be sure to expand your interpretation to include what obstacle the tunnel is bypassing. If a tunnel goes under a river, look to where emotional issues are being avoided. If the tunnel runs beneath a city environment, the area being subjugated may connect with the way in which you structure your life and how you navigate your movement through daily tasks.
Being inside of a tunnel can also connect to a transition into new territory in your life. The part of this transition represented by the tunnel itself is the most difficult part, often characterized by a sense of loss and lack of direction. Very often when you find yourself inside a tunnel that is symbolic of a transition, you may not know where you are coming from and, more frightening than that, you may not know where you are going to wind up. The thing most often looked for while in a tunnel is the light at the end. And, of course, you must make sure the light is not an oncoming train!