Why Should You Interpret Your Dreams?
I read somewhere that dreams are the doors to our soul, and it just might be true. You don’t have to be a pro in psychoanalysis or interested in spirituality to decipher the meanings of your dreams, but your interest in psychology might grow once you start.
I started analysing my dreams when I was seventeen. In the beginning it was hard remembering my dreams, but if you keep a dream journal next to your bed and remind yourself to remember the dream, it becomes much easier with time. Remembering your dreams becomes a habit and that’s the part where it gets exciting. Because as long you can recall what happened in your dreams, you are able to write your dreams down. What I do is write the dream down in form of a story. There are many techniques when it comes to dream journaling. You can either just write down a few words which are important to you, such as symbols. You can write your dreams in bullet points or you can write them as stories the way I do. Another method would be to record your dreams on your smartphone or using a voice recorder. For each method, you should capture your dreams immediately after you wake up, because the chances are you will forget them throughout the day or even just during the five minutes it takes you to get ready for your morning shower.
Now you might ask, why do I recommend analysing your dreams? Even if it sounds hard to believe, while you’re asleep, there is a lot going on in your mind and body. Not only does your body recover from the strains of the day, your brain is very active during this period too. Your sleeping life is as important as your waking life. Dreams do not only give access to our subconscious, but they also give hints of certain areas in our life we should work on. To put it very simply, dreams can guide us in many aspects of our life. They can reveal our deepest fears; one can encounter people who passed away a long time ago and one is able to live situations which you would like to experience during your waking life.
For instance, last week I was dreaming of drinking poison from a cup. To me it was important, what the cup symbolized and why I was drinking poison. I just could see two faces, the person who gave me the cup, and myself, drinking out of it. The dominating colours in the dream were black and red. Our faces were not human, but more of an abstract painting. One could only see our faces, which were red, and not our bodies. The background was black. Now, the internet is a great resource, but I recommend to invest your money in a good Dream Dictionary. You can buy them online, get a copy at Waterstone’s, or in a spiritual shop. I’m currently using Theresa Cheung’s “The Dream Dictionary from A to Z” published by Harper Element. According to the book, the cup has several meanings, but I tried to follow my intuition and adapt the meaning of the cup to my life: “ indicating a receptive state that encourages intuitive development and a go-with-the-flow approach to life. Or ‘it may also be encouraging you to be more open to the feminine side of your nature, and to give and receive in equal measure.” I was thinking about maybe expressing my feminine side through clothing, or getting involved in more creative activities.
It is important to know that you’re the only person who can interpret your dreams in a way they resonate with you. Taking out different symbols or seeing the dream as a bigger picture is a great approach to analysing your dreams.
Maybe you’ve heard of the phenomenon called Lucid Dreaming. This is the case when you’re actually aware during your dream that you’re dreaming and can direct it.
There are also different types of dreams like prophetic dreams, inspirational dreams, nightmares. I’m sure that you have experienced at least one of these before.
I hope I offered more insight on this topic, and that it encourages you to keep track of your dreams and perhaps try to analyse them.
Best, Natascha
Pictures: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=dream&safe=active&rlz=1C1CHWA_enGB600G…