Dreams and Dream Interpretation

In this blog post, I thought my readers would find it interesting to have some pointers on how to improve their dreaming memory and retention, plus an overview of what I refer to as the universal symbolism of dreams. There is partial continuation of information regarding Prophetic and Psychological Burn off dreams, also included from a previous blog post. Enjoy!

Things to do to enhance understanding and increase awareness of your dreams...

• Start keeping a dream diary, simply means keep a pen and paper at your bed side and as soon as you awaken (even before trip to bathroom) start making as many point form notes about details of a dream or dream you have just awaken from. This done consistently for at least 2-3 weeks will serve to teach your mind to start remembering dream details that can then successfully be interpreted.

• After recording for a time, you are likely to notice specific universal and some of your own personal symbolism.

• Note date and time with each dream entry, and include brief details of key events from your waking life, day before and day(s) after dream recording was done.

• Keep notes organized in one spot so you can easily review them for important clues about yourself and your future as time progresses.

• Dream Seeding – What is it? Lucid Dreams – What exactly are they? (More on this topic in future blog posts).

• What may happen to you intuitively when you dream? (More on this topic in future blog posts).

Dream Categories

When I offer dream interpretations, my habit is to categorize dreams into three general types...

1. Psychological burn off dreams

Typically very intense emotionally in theme, events and people depicted are usually very uncharacteristic if not bizarre in their behavior and/or appearance. Talking spiders, flying cats or warm, loving mother-in-laws for example.

The dreamer typically awakens feeling disorientated, agitated mentally or emotionally and sometimes physically.

Typically, these kinds of dreams are not indicators of the dream being prophetic (warning about the future).

There rarely is a time element, calendar, clock, seasonal details (snow, plants blooming) etc. to demonstrate some kind of indication of time.

These dreams can feel very intense, but are essentially not seeking to communicate helpful information, but instead are giving your psyche an opportunity to burn off some steam mentally and emotionally.

2. Self-Awareness / Self-Signaling Dreams

These dreams tend to present as a way to warn or alert you to something specific. Like changes in the future or potential concerns i.e. person health, unresolved emotional issues etc.

A common classic dream scene for example, is to dream of losing your teeth. This is a clear and frequently accurate warning for the dreamer to be careful with their health and to thoroughly investigate any concerns and or symptoms no matter how small or innocent they may seem.

3. Prophetic dreams

These dreams can and do depict information pertinent about your future. Different from other dreams, in these dreams others (people, animals etc. in the dream) tend to behave appropriately, there usually is a clear time element depicted and most importantly individual objects, people etc. can and do hold specific symbolic significance.

A classic example of a time element in a Prophetic Dream could be… a clock face displaying the hands showing 10:15 may be interpreted as suggestion within the dream that events depicted could take place on the 15th day of the tenth month in the dreamer’s future... for example.

Alternatively, a newspaper in a dream, could display a partial or full date and year, how you or others in a dream are dressed can offer meaningful clues as to which “season” or “time” of year an event in a dream depicted may materialize in the future.

Special Note: Do not let yourself become one of those interested people that can become frustrated and unnecessarily confused by dream dictionaries.

Regrettably, the majority of these books have the tendency to represent every definition as holding a future prophetic significance, which is frequently inaccurate, and simply not true.

Choose to educate yourself beyond the use of cheesy dream dictionaries. Maintain the practice and discipline of recording and interpreting your dreams and you will only benefit from the insight it will provide you into yourself and others.

Being Chased

This is one of the most commonly reported dreams. The anxiety we feel in the dream feels so vivid, that it makes it easier for us to remember them.

Often, the reason for these dreams is not rooted in the fear of being pursued, but rather what we are potentially running from in our waking lives, and repressing subconsciously.

Chase dreams are a means our subconscious uses to help us understand that we may not be addressing something potentially significant in our waking lives that desires our attention.

Water

Water frequently represents our emotions or our unconscious minds. The quality of the water (clear vs. cloudy; calm vs. turbulent) provides insight into how effectively we are managing our emotions during our waking lives.

Vehicles

Whether a car, airplane, train or ship, the vehicles in our dream tend to reflect what direction we feel our life is taking, and can offer information about your existing job or employment situation.

In addition, how much control we think we have over the path ahead of us.

Vehicles can give us the power to make the journey and see ourselves getting to our destination - or highlight the obstacles our subconscious mind thinks we are facing and need to work at confronting in meaningful and constructive ways.

People

Seeing other people in your dream often is a reflection of different aspects of our selves. The people in our dreams often relate to characteristics requiring scrutinizing within our emotional selves. Key people tend to relate to existing relationships or interpersonal issues asking for our attention. For example, dreaming of a lover is frequently symbolic of an aspect of ourselves, from which we may feel removed or detached.

School or Classroom

Another very common situation for people in dreams to find himself or herself in a school or classroom, sometimes confronted with a test that they are not properly prepared to take. This is a great example of a "dream pun" -- the mind using a word or concept and giving it a different definition. The "lesson" or "test" we face inside the school or classroom is frequently one we need to learn from our past -- which is one reason these dreams are often reported by people who have long since finished school. Looking for other details within this kind of dream can offer insight into more specifically, what the lesson to be learned is that your subconscious mind is striving to draw you towards.

Paralysis

Most people, do not realize that the body is actually encountering a form of paralysis during dreaming, which prevents it from physically performing the actions occurring throughout the dream. Dreaming about paralysis can indicate that the subconscious is trying to signal the dreamer that they are repressing feelings of a lack of control in their waking life.

Death

Although death images can frequently be perceived as a negative, within a dream, it is more directly related to signs of dramatic change happening for the dreamer -- the end of one thing, in order to make room for something new.

Additionally, in some dream interpretation circles, death, being buried alive, cremation, can all offer subconscious messaging about birth and or fertility events associated to the dreamer’s own life.

Flying

Flying in a dream, and how efficiently it is being performed, relates to how much control we feel we have in our lives, and whether we have confidence to achieve our goals within a key waking life area.

High flying is one of the most exciting dreams imaginable, while flying or "skimming" low to the ground or being restricted within the dream as to how high a person can soar, can indicate the dreamer may be feeling limited and frustrated in realizing personal goals and or targets in their waking lives.

Falling

Falling dreams can alternate between being scary and negative or recalled as a type of slow falling. This indicates the dreamer desiring to a make a sense of peace with something or someone in their waking lives. In addition, these can be representative of the act of letting go. Falling uncontrollably from a great height can indicate something in our waking life feels very much out of control.

Again, look for details and additional symbols in your dream to help determine what the exact message is from your mind. Are you falling from some place familiar?

Is the dream scene depicted and remembered relating to the past or present?

Details like this help fill in the blanks with interpreting your dreams.

Nudity

Dreamer experiencing emotional or psychological exposure or vulnerability is frequently demonstrated in dreams through depictions of nudity. The body part exposed can help give insight into the emotions or feelings that our dreams are helping us to understand.

If genitals are exposed, could be indicative of worry or concern about sexual performance or attractiveness.

The chest/breast area, fear or worry about being seen as attractive, desirable and or loving.

Baby

Dreaming of a baby often represents something new: It might be a new idea, new project at work, new development or the potential for growth in a specific area of our waking life.

Additionally, themes like birthing (even by a male dreamer), knowing you are pregnant and or hoping to be; in a dream can be interpreted in some circles as a subconscious warning about information or news about a upcoming death.

And would be considered a prophetic dream, but again one dream symbol on its own is not enough to accurately determine a dream’s significance. Time elements, repetition of the dream etc. must all be present in the dreams remembered be correctly interpreted as an omen of death.

Food

Food typically symbolizes physical and sexual energy, knowledge or nourishment and relates to our intellect, emotions and spirituality. Food can also be a manifestation of idioms like, "food for thought," and reveal that we may be "hungry" for new information and insights.

Specific foods can demonstrate symbolic meanings regarding things the dreamer may be preoccupied with in their waking lives.

House

Houses represent the dreamer's mind. Different levels or rooms relate to difference aspects of the individual dreamer and different degrees of self-awareness.

The basement often represents what is being neglected, or what the dreamer may not be aware of in his or her waking life.

Bedrooms relate to intimate thoughts and feelings.

Kitchens and bathrooms represent subconscious messages relating to health and physical wellbeing.

Dens or family rooms tie to personal relationships with immediate or extended family.

Attics typically relate to goals and ambitions desired or pursued by the dreamer.

Sex

Sex in dreams can simply be an outlet for sexual expression.

However, dreams about sex can symbolize intimate connections with one's self and others. Look for additional symbols that can offer insights with sex themed dreams.

Is sex happening in private or out in the public?

Are other people in the dream aware that you are having sex or are your actions being ignored?

Sex in unorthodox places can reinforce theme of dreamer craving excitement or recognition they may feel they are not getting sexually in their waking lives.

Sex in more expected locals expresses additional messages depending on specific dream details.

Do you recognize with whom you are having sex?

What is the atmosphere in the dream while having sex?

These kinds of details relay information about the dreamer’s satisfaction with or lack of sex in their waking lives.

Numbers and Letters

In dreams, number and letters are typically things taken literally.

Again, to recognize complete significance they need interpretation in conjunction with other symbols. To ensure no important symbol or message is lost; follow the discipline of recording everything possible in your dream journal.

Clocks, timepieces, calendars

Things like clocks, timepieces, and newspaper headlines are used to potentially determine timing of events depicted within a dream. As mentioned in a previous paragraph, clock face showing 10:15, could be interpreted as the 15th day of the tenth month.

A newspaper headline proclaiming “summer heatwave” appearing in a dream-taking place during winter months, could be trying to offer clues about an event to take place in the dreamer’s future.

See you next installment.