Dreams are highly personal communications between the subconscious and the conscious minds. I firmly believe that no one else can accurately interpret a dream better than the dreamer. Dreams are communication using the highly subjective language of symbols. This symbolism is unique to each individual. Two people can have an identical dream of a dog, but if one person raises dogs for a living and the other person was mauled by a dog as a child, the symbolic meaning of "dog" will be vastly different. Who would dare tell those dreamers what "dog" means to them? Toss that "dream dictionary" right into the trash.
Many dreams are simply the result of the brain sorting through the days experiences and filing them for future reference. Images get sifted, compared, joined, disjointed, and played with before getting tucked away. Analyzing these dreams will offer you lots of insight into the nature of your individual subconscious, and help you keep track of your own inner workings. But most of these types of dreams are of the "routine housekeeping" variety, and don't necessarily have a lot of significance beyond that.
Then there is the dream that is fraught with significance. You wake up just knowing that the dream is important. This one isn't forgotten by the time your feet hit the floor. It stays with you all day, nagging at the back of your mind. You get the sense that it really means something, and you devote brain power trying to figure it out. Your subconscious mind really wants to get your attention, and send you a message the best way it can. These are the dreams that are really worthwhile to spend time translating.
Here's a foolproof tool to Interpret your dreams: (To learn how to encourage and remember your dreams, see "The Morning After")
Personal Dream Interpretation Method:
Write out the complete dream in as much detail as possible. Write down the "insignificant" details, and even the little disconnected bits. Underline each major or significant element of the dream and list them. (For example: "I'm in my backyard where there are skeletons hung in the trees", underline “Backyard”, “skeletons”, “trees”, etc...)
Next to each element, free associate words for possible meanings. This is where it gets personal... what does "backyard" represent for you? What comes to mind when you think of skeletons? Free associate meanings and write them down. Do this for each element you listed.
Now, using your list of element interpretations, re-write your dream. Replace your underlined element word with a meaning from your list. Your dream should now read more clearly for you.
For example, when I think of:
"backyard", I think privacy, sanctuary, nature, close to home
"Skeleton", I think death, bare essentials, support
"trees", I think life, wisdom, shelter
So instead of the original dream reading "I'm in my backyard where there are skeletons hung in the trees" I might re-write that "I'm in my private place of sanctuary where my basic support is sheltered by wisdom".
Quite a difference in the translation, eh? But this is exactly why nobody else can translate your dream as accurately as you yourself can. Work with yourself to decode your own inner symbolism, and you will write a dream dictionary for yourself that will unlock even your most seemingly disconnected dream. You will find out what messages your subconscious is trying to get out to your day-brain.
To Encourage Dreams
What if you never remember your dreams? The most useful tool for encouraging a richer dream life is to keep a “dream diary”. A dream diary is a journal where you record your dreams, or your failure to remember your dreams. Recording our failure to remember our dreams is just as important as recording the dreams we do remember. The purpose of the dream diary is to engage your conscious mind in the process of dream recall. Recording your successes as well as your failures does this.
To be most effective, the dreamer should write at least five to ten minutes every morning upon waking, preferably before you even get out of bed. Record any little snip or fragment of dreams that you remember, even if it makes no sense to you. Don’t try to interpret your dreams at this point. The goal of the dream diary is to simply get your brain into the habit of recording and remembering the dreams you have. If you don’t remember any dreams or fragments, then don’t leave the page blank. Write the date, and begin your entry with “I don’t remember any dreams from last night yet, but here’s what I imagine now that I’m awake...” At this point, spend a few minutes jotting down any thoughts that are swimming through your still-groggy brain. Always end each entry with an affirmation that you will intend to remember your dreams more clearly as each night passes.
It takes dedication and persistence for this practice to work, but it is a highly effective technique. Having a rich dream life can greatly enhance our waking experience of self.
To Dispel Bad Dreams
Sometimes the simple approach works best. Take a hot, relaxing bath or shower before bed. This both relaxes you and cleanses your aura at the same time. Have a warm glass of milk or a soothing cup of chamomile tea. Deliberately let go of any anger, fear, or worry that is plaguing you. The goal is to go to bed in a relaxed frame of mind, and not spinning with the stress and tension of the day. While laying in bed, begin to visualize your "special place" where you go when you meditate. It should be a happy, peaceful place where you know you are completely safe from all harm. Visualize a Guardian that will stand by you and keep watch for you while you sleep. This Guardian will maintain vigilance so that you can relax your thoughts into sleep. Visualize yourself laying down in this peaceful, protected place until you fall asleep. You might also find that repeating a soothing, affirming message to yourself helpful to keep your mind focused on your need for restful sleep.
This should work to alleviate stress-related nightmares. Other nightmares that come through are acting as powerful messengers, and you should probably not attempt to halt these, as they are often sent as warnings that you are seriously straying off your planned path in life. Pay attention to the bad dreams that really shake you. Write them down, and try to work out what they may be trying to tell you.
Toddler Terrors
So what happens when young children are plagued by troubling dreams? They often can’t use the tools described above to ease them through a difficult dreams. For young children, the issue isn’t really the dream, but the fear that the dream is expressing. Night time fears plague almost all children. Both my daughters had some huge fears between the ages of 2 - 5 that manifested as nightmares. If you can help them handle the fears, the dreams will most likely fade away.
I took advantage of the fact that young children think that the parents are "all- powerful". They really do think that we know everything, and can do anything. We can use their confidence in us as parents to help them handle the fear of bad dreams. When my daughters woke up crying about the monster under the bed or in the closet, I first listened to their fears. I treated their concerns with attention and seriousness, and then I told them equally seriously how I would take care of the problem. I did not mock their fears by scoffing at them. No matter how ridiculous their fears may seem to us, to them, it's genuine.
No matter what the fear of the night is, reassure your child that you have the power to create a solution. Make sure you reassure the child that you can take care of the problem, and that you will take care of it. A child's natural belief in your powers will meet you the rest of the way. Taking them seriously helps enormously.
Depending on the age of the child, most young children don’t really benefit from in-depth dream analysis. If you suggest to a child that they had a nightmare because they are afraid of the first day of school, the child will likely respond “No. I’m afraid of the monster under the bed.”. Therefore, try some different techniques for helping a child handle scary dreams.
Over the course of a week or so, I created some cleansing rituals for their bedroom, and got them involved. We invoked God and Goddess, swept the room with feather fans, and drew ward signs (hearts - to protect their room with love) over the doors and windows. I also blessed a dream catcher to hang over their beds, and made a sachet of lavender and hops to put under their pillows. Finally, I created a special Night Blessing that I recite every night. My girls are 7 & 9 now, and still insist on the blessing every night before bed. It goes:
Have a good night sleep (hands crossed over my heart) Filled with pleasant dreams (hands spread out over my head) Knowing you are safe and protected (hands palms out, circle around) By the light of my love. (hands return crossed over my heart.)
Be patient with the little ones. Developmentally, this is a time of great anxiety and fears. Give lots of reassurance, love, and support, and everything will gradually work itself out. The consistency of the nightly routine helps diminish many fears, and creates a sense of security. Kids are such slaves to routine and habit. As parents, we might as well accept it and take advantage of it.
Our deepest hopes and fears manifest themselves in our dreamworld. Dreams are powerful messengers of our inner spirits. They can inform and guide us toward a more satisfying and fulfilling life. By learning how to encourage the important dreams and handle the fears that arise from our bad dreams, we can come to a greater understanding of ourselves. By reaching deeply into our own subconscious, we can tap into the more intuitive aspect of ourselves. This can release and dispel trapped fears, and align us with our own true purpose. Dreams are the gifts of our spirit to our waking mind, in an attempt to bridge the gap between our conscious and subconscious selves.
~Flame RavenHawk