Metal is a substance that is tough and enduring. When it appears in a dream it can symbolize hardness or a lack of feeling that comes from being overly self-protective. Metal can still be weathered and worn by the elements to become rusty, where rust would signify how an old way of being may not be appropriate to the present. Metal is portraying something other than your organic nature because it is usually ‘prepared’ or shaped into something for use or display. Seeing a meshlike object can symbolize mental dynamics or defense mechanisms at work. Metal objects in dreams are often a message that you are being too hard or not natural. See Amulet and Necklace .