Interpreting Dreams

While no one knows for sure why we dream, one useful way to look at them is consider dreams as pictures of emotions and things that preoccupied your mind during the previous day or two. These could be emotions and issues that you were too busy to deal with, that were too much for you to deal with completely consciously, or that you didn't want to deal with. If a dream makes no sense when taken literally, it should be seen as a metaphorical statement of your feelings at the time of the dream. Even when dreams seem very obvious, they may also contain messages at this metaphorical level. It is always useful to look at both possibilities.

Since all dreams are triggered by something on our minds or in our hearts, the primary objective must be to relate the dream theme to some event or preoccupation of the previous day or two. The feeling tone of the dream usually gives a clue as to what this particular life situation is. For example, if the feeling tone of the dream is anxiety, then the dream was sparked by some anxiety provoking situation or aspect of your current life.

When interpreting your dreams, keep in mind that the various images in your dreams can mean quite different things to different dreamers according to the individual's life circumstances at the time of each dream. I recommend that you stay away from dream dictionaries that give universal meanings to various dream images.

It is common for the same dream theme to recur from time to time in your dreams and have a different specific meaning each time, according to his life circumstances at the time of each dream. It is also common for a person to have a specific symbol that recurs when events of the day "feel" the same as when the dream symbol was first experienced. For example, if you were an automobile accident that was frightening when you were young, you might have dreams with the theme of an automobile accident whenever you feel you are headed for a "crash" in life, such as a job interview a test at school for which you are not prepared.

You will know that you have successfully interpreted a dream when it makes sense to you in terms of your present life situation. Here is a simple approach that I've found useful:

• Write down your dream.
• Write down what the theme of the dream seems to be.
• List any obvious puns.
• List feelings you had during the dreams and any associations that come to mind as you recall your dream.
• Make a list of events that have generated strong emotions or which were important in your life during the previous few days.
• After looking at the above, what do you think your dream means?
• Look at your written record of the dream and circle all of the nouns and verbs. Pretend that you are talking to an alien being who is visiting earth for the first time and explain to this imaginary being what each word you have circled means. Keep in mind that this alien knows nothing about earth and human beings. The more detailed you are at this stage, the more successful you will be.
• Re-tell the dream substituting the definitions you have just written down. If you've taken care in the above steps, the meaning is usually clear

Six Different Kinds Of Punning

A pun is a play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and sometimes on the similar sense or sound of different words. Here are six common types of punning that occur in dreams.

Verbal Puns: One word represents another of similar pronunciation but different spelling. Examples: A person with a sore eye might mean ?sore I' - he is hurt in some way; a dog gnawing at the sole of a sandal might reflect a feeling of something gnawing at your soul.

Reversal Puns: The syllables of a word are reversed to make a different word. A dream of filling full a jar or some other container might express a sense of being fulfilled; trying to overtake a car might represent an attempt at you or someone trying to take over something.

Visual Puns: The dream creates a picture based on one sense of a word in order to express an idea involving a different sense of the same word. Being arrested might symbolize a feeling of possible arrested development; dreaming of things or people in a play might imply that you are just using them or playing with them for some other end.

Puns Involving Proper Names: An idea or feeling is represented by a person who's name is a word for that idea or feeling. A tree representing someone named Ash, Wood, Branch, or Leaf. The form of the tree would also represent the dreamers ideas about the person. A gracious or graceful person might be represented by someone named Grace.

Puns Involving A Literal Picture Of Some Colloquial Or Slang Metaphor: A dream picture is formed based upon some colloquial or slang metaphor. A dream figure dying because of something wrong with his legs might indicate that all of your running around is killing you. Sitting in a chair and seeing yourself sitting in the next chair might indicate ?being beside yourself' about some problem.

Puns Based On Body Language: A dream picture that creates a literal picture of common body language. A dream involving a bear chest or removing something from your chest might indicate getting something off of your chest. A one-armed man could be a picture of feeling disarmed.

Common Dream Themes

Dreams Of Falling: Literal: a fall in your life because of something you have been neglecting or have failed to register consciously during the previous day or two. Metaphorical: what kind of "fall" could you be currently concerned about? Demotion, loss of status, poor report card, fear of not being able to keep up with something, guilt feelings - a fall from grace and virtue, etc. If the dream is a metaphor for one of these, it will usually have unpleasant feelings associated with it.

Flying Under One's Own Power: Literal: None unless you're an astronaut o diver. Metaphorical: a feeling of being "high" or "on top of the world" or attempt to "rise above" or "overcome" something. The height to which you fly may be important, e.g. "flying high" is unpleasant to you.

Nudity: Literal: something is wrong with your clothes. Metaphorical: in what way do you feel naked, revealed, vulnerable, exposed, or open in your life at the present time? Young men often dream of being in public without their pants on. This often reflects concerns about showing their sexual prowess. The feeling tone is very important in nudity dreams. Approval and good feelings verses disapproval or embarrassment. They often reflect feelings of one's honesty, openness, or vulnerability.

Examination Dreams: Literal: if you have a test of some kind coming up it may be a warning of a need for more preparation or that you will do all right. Metaphorical: you may feel that you are under examination or being put to the test, or are not making the grade on some life issue. Religious people often use this to indicate unpreparedness for the final judgment.

Losing Teeth: Literal: check your teeth and maybe make an appointment with the dentist if you have not been for a while. Metaphorical: lost face, spoiled self-image, careless speech, aggression, decisiveness. Ask yourself what it is in your current life that is making you feel "toothless".

Losing Money And Valuables: Literal: check for the item. If it is safe, make sure you are taking reasonable steps to safeguard it. Metaphorical: what values, beliefs, etc. are you losing in life? May not be bad, e.g. loss of old values to find new and deeper ones. Look at the feelings that come up.

Finding Money Or Valuables: Literal: follow the lead. Metaphorical: may reflect finding your own value or inner worth as a person. If at a time of external problems, it may be reassurance of riches to come. If you do not feel you are entitled to what you find, it may be a warning of self-depreciation.

Loses Of Other Kinds: Literal: in all of the following, follow the lead. Metaphorical: loss of resources may be that you are throwing away your resources by not using them fully.

Loss Of Memory Or Direction: If you don't know where you're going, your dreams may be encouraging you to take some direction in life rather than wandering about lost and lonely or not knowing what you're doing. Ask yourself if you have a sense of identity or purpose in life.

Loss Of Physical Faculties: May reflect fear of the future in older people although they may also reflect mental attitudes toward living.

Death And Dreaming: Literal: only on rare occasions is it precognitive. Metaphorical: death is usually a metaphor that our feeling for someone or someone's feeling for us is dead or that we have allowed something in our inner life to die or that the part of the dreamer represented by the dying person is losing its influence in the dreamer's life. The feeling tone is very important here.

Killing is often a metaphor for resentment, when we want someone to drop dead. It can also be a desire to rid things we dislike in ourselves. Here are a few ideas on some specific kinds of dreams about death.

Death of self is often the death of some obsolete self-image.

Death in the family is usually some resentment or a feeling that the person is moving away from them in some way. May also be a sign of happy release.

Death of children may be a sign of warning or resentment. It may be your perfectionistic side punishing you for not meeting some unrealistic standard of what you should be or do.

Strangers are usually the death of whatever the person represents.

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Disclaimer: This site contains general reference information and is not intended as a substitute for consulting with a physician or a psychotherapist.

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