Analyzing and Interpreting Your Dreams
The meanings of dreams are as personal and unique as the people
who dream them. No one interpretation, no matter how universal,
will apply to every dream, dream symbol or dream situation. When
analyzing or interpreting a dream, it is always important to pay
attention to the details of the dreams, your feelings within the
dream world, and of course, what is going on in your own life.
If you do wish to interpret your dreams, either purely for fun
or to pursue personal and spiritual growth, there are a few
pointers that will help you get the most from your dream world.
As you awaken, immediately replay the dream scenario in
your head. It is important to do this immediately, preferably
before you even open your eyes. The dream world slips away
quickly, and as much as 50% of it can be gone in a mere five
minutes. By the time ten minutes has passed, more than 90% of
the dream's contents may be lost. Replaying the dream in your
head will help you remember more of those tantalizing details.
Immediately write down a description of the dream,
focusing on key objects, symbols or feelings. Write a few words
about each key element in the dream quickly, before they are
forgotten, they go back later and fill in the gaps. Again, it is
important to write your dream down as quickly as possible.
Keeping a notebook by the bed will be a big help.
Choose a quiet place in your home to begin your interpretation
process. Cutting yourself of from sources of distraction will be
very important. The space you choose should be as quiet and
peaceful as possible. If no such space is available, review your
notes a final time, fill in any details you can remember, and
come back to them later.
Use your intuition as you review your dream notes and
try to make sense of your dream. You may already know on an
instinctual level what your dreams are trying to tell you.
Connecting with your intuition can help you connect with your
unconscious mind. If you meditate, a short meditation session
can often be a big help. Connecting with your inner self is
always a huge help when it comes to interpreting and analyzing
dreams.
As you review your dream notes, pay close attention to
the emotions they stir in you. Paying close attention to your
emotional state, both at this moment and during the dream, can
help you to understand what your dream really meant.
Think very carefully about any vivid details, situations,
locations, sensations or symbols that make the dream memorable.
Open your heart as well as your mind and carefully explore the
possible meaning of each symbol, situation and event. It may be
helpful to jot down the impressions in your dream journal or
notebook. As you search for meaning, don't limit yourself to
obvious interpretations. For instance, dreaming about a missed
appointment could simply mean you are worried about being late
for work, but that missed appointment could also symbolize a
feeling of missed opportunity in your life.
Running an inner dialog with the people or objects you
dreamed about is often helpful as well. This inner dialog is
especially useful when trying to determine why you dreamed about
certain people. Try asking them in your head "why am I dreaming
about you?", "what are you doing in my dream?". It is also
helpful to know that often people in our dreams are symbols of
aspects of our own personality instead of literal people.
If you are stuck for an interpretation, it is a good
idea to leave your dream notebook and come back to it later. It
may also be helpful to discuss the dream with others, or to
consult an expert on dream interpretation.