How to interpret dreams 101
ByDreams are often times a mystery. They can often times be mysterious and frightening. Hollywood movies really make us afraid of our dreams in recent years with movies like Nightmare on Elm Street and very recently, the movie Inception.
These movies portrait sleeping and dreaming as something to fear. This is a reason that we really have to look at our filters or perception of our reality. Reality is perception. Everyone views there reality from what they feel it is. If we decide to filter our reality from a perspective of our fears we will only draw to ourselves the information that confirms that reality. There are just as many movies that will confirm positive aspects of our existence, What Dreams May Come, is a movie that comes to mind. However, we will many times blow it off. Sometimes the best way to hide information is in plain sight. Hollywood is no exception.
What is it "like"?
I am going to give you a primer on how to interpret you own dreams. I will say that all dreams are not the same. Without me going too deep into the esoteric, understand that when we dream we go into different levels of our consciousness. Some people are “gifted” in that they can remember and recall some of the deepest level of these dreams. An analogy I like to use to differentiate these abilities is an Olympic athlete and the average Joe or Jane. For example, if we have normal use of our body we can all run but we cannot run as fast or as far as an Olympian. An Olympian is specially trained and gifted in what they do. As far as dreaming goes, we all dream. Some people will say they don’t dream but if they did not they would not exist. Again esoterica. However, we cannot all remember our dreams. And for those that do it is at differing levels of consciousness. What I will do is give the basics of interpreting dreams.
Dream basics:
It is information from you the soul to you in the physical.Everything and everyone in the dream is an aspect of you. Esoterically speaking there is No Thing that exists outside of you (consciousness).
Dreaming is a symbolic language from your soul.
Like any language it has a grammar. Look at the context of the dream. In other words, what is happening in the dream?Your dream symbols are unique to your experience. There are universal symbols however; a dream dictionary is not always a good idea. For example, a dog for one person may bring up wonderful memories. However, for another that is afraid of dogs and dreams about them may bring a feeling of dread and fear. A dream dictionary will have a generic meaning not dependent on the experience of the person.
Interpretation 101
To interpret a dream you have to think from the perspective of your soul. It is not in the physical world therefore the symbols it will give you are representative of what something is “like” in your physical world to the abilities of the soul outside the physical world or its perception of an aspect of your physical world.
For example, your physical body from the perspective of your soul is how it(your soul) moves around in the physical world. In a dream this function can be represented by a car. When you are dreaming you are driving a car it is you the soul inside your physical body. Your body is “like” a car from the perspective of your soul.
If in the dream you are riding in the car and someone else is driving, the context of this scenario means you are not feeling in control of the situation. The person driving is another aspect of your personality.
To understand the symbols simply interpret the function of the object or what it is “like” in your physical life from the perspective of the soul and look at that context of what is happening in the dream.
Dream Grammar
- All languages have a grammar. So do dreams. Dreams are symbolic. Before man had language we communicated with drawings. Even the drawings had syntax so others could understand the information. Dreams are no different. In dreams you often want to know what syntax or how the symbol is used because it gives more meaning to the dream. Using the example of the car above. If it is an old car you are driving around in within your dream that may mean it is how your body felt in the past. Or how you viewed something in the past. The context is what you will have to figure out.
Old car equals a past body. Maybe you were overweight in the past and did not feel you had control over your life, or an aspect of your life, hence someone else driving and you riding in the old car. If it is a present model car it is something happening in the present for you. If it is a new car it may be a new feeling or new way of being.
One of the scariest things most people have happen in a dream is for someone to die. This is because most of us see death as the end of us or our loved ones. But remember you have to see a dream from the perspective of your soul. The soul knows that death is simply a transition from one form to another.
Logically and scientifically speaking everything in the universe is energy. The law of conservation says that energy cannot be lost or destroyed, it can only change form. The soul understands that it exists forever. Your physical body is simply a form of energy. When it or someone dies in a dream it means you or an aspect of you have changed into something else. Death is not the end, it is a transition in dreams.
More on Syntax and Grammar
“like” = from the perspective of your soul
Anything “like” Death = transition or change
Anything “like” new or young, such as a baby = new and fresh; like a new car, a new house, a new coat. You must remember the function of the symbol. For example a new born may be a new idea, or a new you. It is being birthed! “like” new.
A computer is “like” = Your physical mind, which connects you to a collective consciousness (“like” the internet)
House or building = The totality of your conscious mind, an old house or building would be grammatically past tense. old = “like” in the past.
A room in a house = (“like”) an aspect or part of your physical conscious mind, an old room would be grammatically past tense.
Outside =(“like”) being in collective mass consciousness
In space amongst the stars = (“like”) Universal or God consciousness
Light = something that is known, (“like”) it is illuminated or you can see it, a room that has a light on would be something your are consciously aware of.
Dark = something that is (“like”) hidden or unknown you can’t see it, a dark room would be something you are consciously unaware of.
Conclusion
I hope this can help you with a starting point on interpreting your dreams. They are a wealth of knowledge for you. Your dreams should not be feared. Even a nightmare is a dream that is ramped up to get your attention. It is the way your soul makes you pay attention to a message that you desperately need to know in the physical.
Once you start to analyze your dreams will not have need to fear them anymore. You will realize after a while that many of your dreams are the same message. It is a lesson that you need to learn and understand about yourself. You don’t need a dream dictionary. You will KNOW when you have interpreted the symbol for yourself. You will feel it intuitively. Trust what you feel. Know that you are a soul having a human experience.
I am really fascinated by dreams and very interested in the subject. I think I used to ‘remember’ my dreams much more. Now, most of the time when I do, the memory will be a little foggy. However, occasionally I will have a dream that I will ‘remember’ so well and will seem so vivid, so real, it is hard to distinguish from an actual physical experience. In fact, it will have such an impact that if for instance it was a ‘bad’ dream, I will be in a funk the whole rest of the day, or if it was a nice dream I will feel really uplifted the rest of the day. Do you think that would be a ‘lucid dream’, or is that only when you are truly aware you are dreaming, and controlling the dream?
Reginald Martin Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Hello my friend. What you describe about dreaming and trying to remember them is normal. Just make a suggestion to yourself before you fall asleep that you will remember your dream in the morning. You will find this simple technique very helpful in remembering dreams. Being lucid simply means you are aware that you are dreaming. Understanding that you can manipulate and dream and doing so is a whole ‘nother level of consciousness. It is possible for anyone to learn to do so. Remember dreams are a message from YOU the soul to YOU the physical being. They are not meant to put you in a funk. Try to analyze the symbols. Often times when you might think they are bad symbols they are really not. For instance, a house burning down may mean that you have changed to a whole new pattern of thinking. Which could be very positive.
I would definitely recommend that you try and write your dreams down immediately upon awakening. Unless it is one of those that really sticks, you will lose most of them. I actually use a digital recorder. i can flip it on in the dark and immediately talk out my dreams quicker and in more detail than writing. I then can transcribe them later. Once you figure out your symbolism you will find that most dreams are not scary at all. As you develop more you will be able to remember dreams within a deeper level of consciousness. When you learn to manipulate your dreams, you will have the power to create your waking reality. All waking reality is chosen from the dream state in the deeper levels. You can suggest things, to dream about, that you wish to create in waking reality. I hope that is not to far out there for you.
But in actuality the dream world is the more broader world outside of physical reality. We are more knowledgeable and conscious in the dream state than we are in our waking state. But lucid = aware.
This is GREAT! :0) You have given me a whole new perspective, thank you. First, I never really thought of dreams being a message, I kind of just thought of them as the science fiction of my brain. Even so, I could not deny the impact some of them would have on me. With that, I also never thought of the symbolism that could be had in seemingly ‘bad’ dreams. I am going to try your suggestions. This is very exciting in a way, I’ve never done any type of dream analysis on myself and certainly never wrote anything down. As I am thinking about it now, I can see this to be a whole new tool to see what I can do with and what I can learn from me. I’m so glad I found this blog, thanks for your superb writings!
Wow is coming out of me at a moment. That may look childishly but I see your site as a lovely dream – everything looks so clear as you put it down. Thank you for the help to expand my vocabulary. That’s especially beneficial in case one is hard to make a distinction between his wanderings and dreams and see better with the closed eyes. It would be the real miracle to dream over a cup of coffee with you and the whole humanity at the same time… Wow. What a dream! Or the reality?
Reginald Martin Reply:
August 24th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Tomas, I am glad I could be of help to you.
I close out, I am ALL…
I close out, I am ALL… I can’t wait to speak to a twin soul… We came back here for to do somethin…
When the Student is ready… The Teacher will appear…
When the Subject is ready… The Master will appear…
There is one thing that is for certain… And that is Change…
Conservatism can not stop it… and, Liberalism can not control it…
Peace&Love
I have been interpreting my own dreams for a while now, the latest one today. I use a couple of dream dictionaries, not for the interpretation of my dream so much as to get a general understanding of a particular symbol. As light represents something that is known could perhaps fire or flame be interpreted the same way as it too gives off light, or would that be stretching it a bit?
I also found this dream to be one of much interest because It had my ex-wife in it and just as I was finishing up writing my dream down, she called and left a text. I took it as a sign to really try and understand this particular dream.
Thanks…
Reginald Martin Reply:
October 6th, 2010 at 6:27 am
Hi Darius, Yes, flames can be light. However, many symbols can be something different personally. For me a flame in my dream is “like” heat. Dream dictionaries can be useful, but it can mislead you on the road to discovering your symbols. You have to trust what you feel is right when interpreting your dream symbols. You have to trust what you are getting is right for you. to reiterate, a flame for me represents heat.
Hey, Hey… It’s me again,
Let me start by saying that, I know, I ask a lot of questions…lol. But hey, there’s no question without an answer, and no answer without a question… I believe that… I also realize that I might ask a question of you and find the answers in one of your previous articles or even the same article after I have gone back over it. I have thought to start at the first one and then move forward, yet I will continue as I am, I like it this way.
I went back over your dream interpretation article and the question as to where the dream message is coming from was right there the whole time. I am finding that my questions are not so much to get answers, but confirmations of what I already know and feel inside to be true. I thank you for your time and patience.
I do agree that a dream dictionary is not necessary, yet I had to start somewhere and the inner growth process for me is moving at an accelerated rate, and I love it…
Ok, back on point. Can one dream have several distinct meanings/interpretations for the dreamer? (I sense this to be a rhetorical question…lol)
As well, say that I am new to this; is there a source for information on the esoteric meaning of archetypal dream symbols? (My keeping in mind that dream symbols are indeed personal)
Thank you…
Reginald Martin Reply:
October 8th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Can one dream have several distinct meanings/interpretations for the dreamer? (I sense this to be a rhetorical question…lol)
Ahh, you already know your answer.
Trust it. What you feel is real for you.
I will say this, there are different levels or dimensions in dreaming. In actuality the dreams we remember when we wake up are a translation of the actual dream event. Our consciousness travels through many dimensions. The average person does not remember the actual dream event. However there are those that do have “out of body” experiences and can remember their travels.
Hey Hey,
Question: What is the difference between; (OBE)Out of Body Experience, Lucid Dreaming, and Astral Travel? (As well, keeping in mind that the former embodies
the later two)
P&L
Darius
@Darius,
Hey Darius, You asked:
Question: What is the difference between; (OBE)Out of Body Experience, Lucid Dreaming, and Astral Travel? (As well, keeping in mind that the former embodies
the later two)
An OBE (out of body experience) and Astral Travel are one and the same. the out of body expereince is a conscious recognition that our consciousness is no longer in the physical body. We have an astral body that we can move around the different dimensions of consciousness in. During an OBE we are traveling often times in our Astral body, which is more of an energy body. Our aura around our physical body is actually the outline of our astral body when it is in the physical.
Lucid dreaming is simply being able to recognize when you are dreaming. In other words, you are lucid (awake) within your dream. If you are able to recognize an OBE, you are lucid. One has a very developed level of consciousness to recognize they are lucid and even more developed to recognize an OBE.
So, therefor, I have the power… OBE and Astral Travel is because I choose it to be. And Lucid Dreaming is simply the act of OBE, in which I choose to remember…
P&L
Namaste’
O.K. Let me try this again…
“An OBE (out of body experience) and Astral Travel are one and the same.”
I had an experience, in my past… When I was younger… Without giving up my age…lol I was in high school…
The experience was so profound, that I never told anyone the full extent of my experience…
I will say this… I was not tired, I was not sleepy; Yet, I was pulled from the consciousness of this physical plane.
I mean to say that I was taken into the pure existence of Being.
Maybe one day I will express the fullness of this experience; Yet, now is not the time…
I will say this:
Darkness; Can exist without light, Darkness exists within light, the shadows prove this…
Light; can not exist without Darkness, light is the child of Darkness… For without Darkness, light would never be known…
“Fear not the darkness; For it is the light, that blinds you…”
My hope is that I might meet you one day… And we will eat and drink/sup together…
If not in this lifetime, might it be the next…
I will close out my comments, on your blogs, and move on…
Peace & Love,
Namaste’
Namaste’
It begins where it ends, and ends where it begins…
P&L
Darius
Namaste’
@Darius,
hey Darius,
Yes, an OBE and astral travel are one in the same. We ALL astral travel. But not all of us can remember. I feel it is a gift that some have. just like we all have certain gifts.
My friend I have enjoyed your comments and questions. If you are ever around Texas way, then look me up.
I was trying to find your ebook on dreams but was not able to connect through the link on your site. Any suggestions?
@Cindy,
Hi Cindy, My apologies about the link. I am in the process of revamping that Ebook, It is not currently available. I will remove the link. I will have the book available by the end of the summer.