Understand the Hidden Messages in Dreams
Interpret the Symbols and Emotions That Come During the Night
May 5, 2009
It is thought that the longer REM sleep continues, the longer one’s dreams become. Hence, the reason for most people recalling their dreams just before waking. Nevertheless, many people only recall few of their dreams. Some people do not recall any dreams that they have and may, in fact, vow that they do not ever dream.
The Psychology of Dreams
Psychologist, Sigmund Freud saw dreams as the “royal road to the unconscious.” Carl Jung was another psychologist who studied dreams. He thought that dreams were a way for people to communicate with and to receive messages from their subconscious.
Today, therapists ask their clients about dreams as a means to decipher unspoken trauma, fears, anxieties and concerns that the client may be experiencing and trying to work through beneath the level of the conscious mind.
In 1993, G. William Domhoff published a book on repetitive dreams. In the book titled The Functions of Dreams, Domhoff wrote that dreams did not perform a psychological function but that they did reveal perceptions that one held about oneself and about others.
Since many dreamers and therapists focus on each single dream as it occurs, it can take a few weeks or months before one begins to see a pattern or repetition in dreams.
Emotions and Dream Symbols
Whether dreams are repetitive or not, it is nearly impossible to understand the message or meaning of the dream before one understands what the symbols in the dream represent.
Emotions – particularly intense emotions – that one feels when a symbol emerges in a dream may hold more importance than the actual symbol itself.
For example, someone who is afraid of cats may associate dreaming about a cat as a negative, foreboding sign. On the other hand, someone who loves and appreciates cats may associate dreaming about a cat as a sign of good fortune.
Leon Nacson, a dream coach, notes that the emotions a dreamer associates with a dream symbol can help the dreamer work through feelings that they might be suppressing in waking life.
One fact is certain: dreams don't lie, nor to they bury the truth about what one feels or thinks about an experience, the self or someone else.
The Dreamer is the Key to Dream Symbol Interpretation
People who take the time to write down their dreams tend to increase their chances of remembering their dreams.
A good way to encourage dream recall is to sit up and write the dream down as soon as one awakens. To keep from depriving oneself of valuable sleep, consider jotting down notes about the dream rather than writing out the entire dream content.
It's also vital for dreamers to jot down the emotions associated with the dream immediately after waking. Dream dictionaries, both in book form and online, can be useful as they list common dream symbols and meanings. However, it's important to remember that the dreamer’s interpretation of the symbols is where the real meaning of the dream lies.
It is also said that the real meaning of dreams is often hidden from the dreamer because the dreamer does not want to know how or why a previous experience is still affecting them and influencing the choices that they are making today.
A dreamer may also not want to know the meaning of their dreams because they do not want to confront deep-seeded desires, fears or people.
Keys to Understanding Dream Symbols
To understand one’s dreams, jot down emotions associated with scenes and symbols that crop up in dreams.
Next, write down the first three words that pop into one’s head regarding the dream symbol and the emotion.
Lastly, write down a current challenge, situation or experience one is having that may be causing inner conflict.
Continue this process until one arrives at a one sentence meaning for the dream. Pay particular attention to the times when the emotion one experienced during the dream crops up while working to decipher the dream. This may be a strong clue that one is on the right track to decoding the dream.
If the dreams are precognitive in nature, waking life events may begin to parallel nighttime scenes. As this happens, it may become easier for one to interpret a series of dreams.
Self trust is vital when it comes to dream decoding. Recording dreams immediately after they occur encourages the conscious mind to begin recalling dreams that occur during REM sleep.
Dreamers can also refer to dream dictionaries. However, keep in mind that many dreams do not have a universal meaning. In these cases, the dreamer, a good dream coach or therapist may be the only people who can decode the dream. And as more and more dreams are recalled and interpreted, continue to move forward in waking life and watch your dream life become richer.
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