Dreams have been a fascination of human interest throughout history. In ancient societies, such as those of the Druids, Egyptians, and Greeks, the practice of assigning meaning to dreams was looked at as a legitimate source of guidance and prophesy.
Due to its proven validity as a tool for life navigation, it has remained a common practice today. This is especially true in the realms of psychology and personal development. However, interpreting them has always been a puzzling task.
Nightly Messages
Dreams are essentially a way for your subconscious mind to communicate with your conscious awareness. The subconscious speaks to you in dreams to convey guidance, insight, and healing to your waking mind. But because the language of the subconscious is vastly different than that of the conscious, maneuvering between them is where the dream message often becomes lost.
But the powerful messages of dreams are not impossible to comprehend. All it takes is some simple understanding of the language of the subconscious, and the messages of your dreams can be deciphered.
Here are 10 tips for dream interpretation. Use them to unravel the nightly messages of your dreams:
10 Tips to Interpret Your Dreams:
Don’t take dreams literally. This is the number one mistake in dream interpretation. The subconscious speaks in imagery and metaphor, so if you try and take the dream at face value, the message will be lost. Symbols and metaphors are the languages of dreams.
Pay attention to mood. How does the dream make you feel? The mood of the dream is a key indicator of its message. Typically, happier dreams are signs that you are on
the right track, or that healing is taking place within you. The subconscious often uses the fear of nightmares to highlight your issues, such as negative patterns you need to overcome in your mentality, habits, or the current trajectory of your daily actions.
Pay attention to the setting. Where are you? Are you in a cave, outdoors, or in your childhood home? The setting of a dream can show you which aspect of your life the subconscious is highlighting for you. For example, dreams of past homes may indicate issues you need to focus on that formed at the time you lived there. Dreams set in vehicles often point to the current direction that your life is heading. Think about the setting in terms of metaphor, or ponder what the setting represents to you, and you’ll find the underlying key to your dream.
Watch for movement. What moves in the dream? Is there a body of water that moves? Are you in an elevator that moves? Are there gusts of wind, people, or vehicles that move? How fast or slow does the dream progress? Movement in dreams symbolizes movement in life, as well as emotional patterns.
Pay attention to people. Who is in your dream with you? What qualities do they represent to you? Is there anyone in your life now that they remind you of? Typically, dreams of past loves or old friends are showing you a pattern of interaction you are repeating with someone who is in your life now. Or, it may be a way to highlight a quality that the dream person has that you are either in need of increasing or decreasing, within yourself.
Look for patterns. Patterns are strong messages of guidance in daily life. If you have a recurring dream or continue to experience the same type of dream images, it is probably because you are stuck in an unhealthy pattern in your waking world. If you can see the pattern, you can change it.
Objectify the dream. Try and see if you can look at your dream without taking it personally. One trick to do this is to pretend it is someone else’s dream. If someone else asked you to interpret it, what would you tell them? It is also helpful to write down the dream and allow some time to pass before you revisit it.
Use a symbol dictionary. Symbols are the bridge from your subconscious to your conscious mind. A symbol dictionary or an online dream interpretation tool is a valuable resource to help you decipher the imagery in your dreams. To use them, write down the main symbols in your dream and look each one up. See links below for resource suggestions.
Connect the dots. What did you do and think about before you went to sleep? What are your current worries or challenges? What are your goals or habits? How is this mirrored in the dream? What do you think the dream is telling you to look at? Even the most obscure dreams have a message for you. Put the pieces together and discover the message.
Don’t take it too seriously. Recognize that not all dreams have an urgent message. Some dreams are simply a way for the subconscious to complain and unload a bit. Some seem intent to just make you laugh and lighten up a little. Try not to take dream interpretation too seriously. If you do, you risk missing out on the amazing and often humorous way dreams guide you to a happier life.
Benefits of Dream Interpretation
The practice of interpreting your dreams can serve you in many ways. It can show you where you need to go, what you need to do, and how you need to think or act, in order to reach your goals in life.
Dreams can also help you to heal past wounds, face your fears, and release them. They can help you to become healthier, or more creative.
They can lead you to love or warn you about a mistake you are making, an illness you have, or the danger you might be in.
Some dreams can even help you to find a higher purpose, or show you how to be a more compassionate person. Those are some of the best dreams to have.
Pay attention to your dreams. Write them down and examine them. Recognize the messages they convey. If you do this, you’ll soon realize the valuable tool that dreams are as they show you how to live a more amazing life.
Suggested Links:
Web:
What Do My Dreams Mean? 12 Types of Dreams and Their Purpose
Was it Real? The 6 Qualities of a Deceased Visitation Dream
Suggested reading:
Further Reading:
12 Types of Dreams and Their Purpose
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