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Dream InterpretationDreams are free therapy, but you can ~Grey Livingston
Dream interpretation is a very popular subject. You have probably woken up after a vivid dream and wondered what your brain was trying to tell you. After all, the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud believed that the meaning of dreams is to express dream symbols from the unconscious mind. If only part of your personality is visible as the conscious brain, what hidden depths are there to the human psyche? Can you access deeper emotions and insights with dream analysis? The Meaning of DreamsDreams are written in a different language to reality. They use dream symbols and subtle imagery, often woven together by intricate but illogical plot lines. To interpret the meaning of dreams, we have to understand the language of the subconscious mind. The human brain learns by creating neural patterns. If you burn your hand on a hot flame, you associate fire with pain. This idea is reinforced through experience and emotions as you grow up. It creates a pattern of behavior: don't touch fire! That is a very simple example of a neural pattern. So now imagine a more complex issue. Say, a good friend repeatedly lets you down. Can you trust them anymore? The neural patterns for this are much weaker. Experience has taught you that some people are trustworthy; others are not. You have positive feelings for your friend, but recent events suggest they may fail you again. Emotions make the scenario even more complicated. Now, back to dream interpretation. When your subconscious mind analyzes this situation in a dream, it looks for established neural patterns. Similar experiences and feelings of anger or disappointment may rise up in the form of dream symbols - a critical part of understanding dream analysis.
Dream SymbolsDream interpretation is based on identifying important dream symbols and translating their true meaning in dreams. Instead of replaying a situation from your past, dreams give you concepts to relate to. Breaking a promise is a concept. It can be revealed in many different ways using dream symbols. There are literally thousands of dream symbols to consider. I will use the common experience of flying dreams below. Remember to consider them in the context of dream analysis: Flying DreamsAssuming it's not a lucid dream, flying dreams represent your own personal sense of power over a situation. If you are soaring with ease and enjoying the landscape below, it is likely that you are in complete control of a real life situation. You have overcome a hurdle, or have gained a new perspective on life. Having trouble flying or staying on course suggests you feel vulnerable or have no control over your life. Trees, power lines, buildings or even good old gravity may obstruct your flying dream. Try to identify who or what is at the root of your fears. Having said that, remember that the meaning of dreams is subtle. Don't look for literal explanations because this is not how dream interpretation works. For instance, if you dream of closing a door on a puppy, it may mean that you have emotionally detached yourself from a relationship. The puppy represents someone you care about or feel protective over. Freud and Dream InterpretationIf you have already read my article on why do we dream you will have a good insight into the dream analysis of Sigmund Freud and his theory of Id, Ego and Super-Ego. This will help you understand the unconscious mind. In 1900, Freud published his famous book called The Interpretation of Dreams. You can preview it for free online at Google Book Search. Freud explained how the meaning of dreams is censored to protect us from our instinctive urges and desires. He described how dream analysis can be broken down into two parts: manifest and latent content. Manifest content is what you remember when you wake up. You can easily describe its logical properties. Freud said this manifest dream content is meaningless. This is because we look for the obvious dream interpretation and not the underlying meaning. Latent content holds the true meaning of dreams. It represents our forbidden thoughts and secret desires. While latent content is often present in manifest content, we can't tell the difference because it is disguised. Freud suggested that certain phallic shapes (like tree trunks, weapons, balloons and rockets) represent a male erection. Similarly, hollow objects (like boxes, cases, cupboards and ovens) represent the female genitalia. While Freud stressed the importance of sexual symbolism in dream interpretation, the idea had been around for a long time before him. Freud used free association to isolate the latent content in his method of dream analysis. He would get a patient to describe their dream - to reveal the manifest content. Then he would ask them to focus on a specific element and form as many associations or links as they could. This allows the person to be guided by the subconscious mind. Ultimately it unravels the dream to reveal the disguised latent content. Online Dream DictionaryDream interpretation is not usually a simple case of searching through an online dream dictionary and making a literal translation. It requires some careful thought and patience, by studying the content of your dreams. Dreams can be very personal experiences. They are unique to you. Don't expect your subconsious mind to always conform to a mass-produced dream dictionary. After clearing away the manifest content, your dreams can reveal private information about your own secret wishes and fears. Check out Jenny Lansbury's Dream Meanings Kit - which includes a Dream Interpretation E-book, starter Dream Dictionary and Dream Analyzer. When you use the three together, along with your own personal insights, you will begin a journey of understanding the true meaning of dreams. (I offer discounts on the Dream Meanings Kit and other top dream-related products in my monthly e-zine. You can subscribe for free now.) Dream interpretation is a journey of self-discovery. Discover true dream analysis by searching for links with your life and having the confidence to deal with problems as they arise. Even if you have lucid dreams, you will still have plenty of room for regular dream interpretation.
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