The sleeping world is a veritable treasure chest of personal insight. It’s well worth spending some time recording and thinking about the meaning of dreams. Doing so will unlock the secrets of your waking world. Dreamers may be surprised by what’s lying just beneath the subconscious surface.
Record the Details in a Dream Diary
Writing down the details of a dream is an important first step in the process of dream interpretation – especially for those new to dream analysis. It may take a bit of practice and discipline to reach for the pen just after waking, but it’s worth it. As one begins to remember the more minute details of dreams, you’ll have more information to work with.
When dreams are consistently written down, they’ll be more awash with detail in the future. Colors will become more alive; subtle facial gestures more apparent; locations more recognizable. It’s almost as if the act of recording the dream allows the subconscious permission to elaborate on the dream.
Marinate on the Feeling of the Dream
In today’s culture of instant answers, people often forget to just sit and be. The only way to appreciate a dream’s message is the feel its effects, without being in too big a rush to capture its meaning.
Did the dream make you feel frightened? Hopeful? Excited? Nervous? It’s important to savor and fully experience these feelings upon waking so that the dream will stick in your memory later in the day.
People tend to run away from uncomfortable feelings; to try and escape from them. But the only way to work with your dreams, instead of against them, is to own every part of the dream – even a nightmare.
“Four Words for…” Dream Analysis Exercise
If there is a prominent symbol in the dream, say a butterfly, it’s important to ask yourself what the symbol means to you. Since dreams are so intensely personal, it’s impossible to place a one-size-fits-all meaning on these symbols. Butterflies may mean hope and transition to one person; and mystery and fear of the unknown to another.
A trick to understanding dream symbols is the “Four Words for” exercise. It’s a word association exercise: write down four words that you associate with the symbol. For example, you may associate the moon with space, cold, atmosphere and life. You can then use these four words to see how they fit into your waking life.
Enjoy the Dream Process
Beginning to understand how the dream life and the waking life relate can be daunting. This is especially true when it becomes apparent that your dreams are telling you to pay more attention to some potentially scary issues.
Working with your dreams, instead of against them, means facing your fears head-on. While the conscious mind is quite good at pushing problems away, the subconscious mind of the dream worlds won’t allow for this. The only way to align the mind is to give in to it – face the fear wholeheartedly.
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