How to Interpret Your Dreams

Interpreting your dreams can be a lot of fun. It can also give you valuable insight. Dreams are like coded messages from your unconscious mind. When you decode them, you gain access to a wealth of intuitive wisdom.
Remember that only you can interpret your dreams. Many people have published "Dream Dictionaries" that describe what each part of the dream symbolizes. Actually, the same dream can have infinite meanings, depending on the person who dreamed it. The important thing is, what does it mean to you? Follow these simple steps to find out.

Steps

1. Write down your dream as soon as you remember it. Write down everything you remember, even if it doesn't make sense. Most often, the parts that don't make sense or are out of place are the most valuable.
   
2. Ask yourself, "How did this dream make me feel?" Write it down.
   
3. Ask yourself, "What real-life situation does this remind me of?" Write down the first thing that comes to your mind. This will likely be the real situation in your life that is symbolized in the dream. If this is the same feeling represented in your dream, you're on the right track. When there is more than one part to your dream (more than one story line), that usually means your subconscious is trying to tell you two things.
   
4. Let's say you're stranded on a desert island in your dream. If you've recently broken up with your partner, this could easily make sense. Maybe you feel guilty about the breakup and think it's partly your fault. Or maybe you're still angry about it. Sometimes the feelings you have as you're drifting off to sleep spill over into your dreams.
   
5. If some of the details don't make sense, repeat Steps 1, 2, and 3 to decode them. Write down the meanings you discover for each detail. Then you can put them all together to see the big picture.
   

Tips

• Practice is key. Each time you do this, you will get better at it.
  
• Trust your instincts! If something seems important, it probably is. Try not to let your logical side take over.
  
• Read the experts. Jungian analysts, in particular, have published a lot on dreamwork. Especially recommended are the works of Marie-Louise von Franz (see 'The Way of the Dream', 1988).
  

Warnings

• Do not use this technique if you don't want to know what's in your subconscious mind.
  
• Please, don't use this technique on other people. It will most likely irritate them.
  

Sources and Citations

• States of Consciousness and Dreams in Vedic tradition
  

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