How to Interpret Your Dreams

Painting an Accurate Picture of Your Dreams

Recognizing Images and Events

Interpreting Abstract Dreams

Honing Your Interpretation Abilities

Learn how to remember your dreams

Don't create a plot where there isn't one

Avoid using dream interpretation aids

Look for the obviousDecide whether the dream reflects a real life situation

Decide what the dream means to you

Analyze the emotions you felt in the dream

Look for key images that stand out in your dream

Be honest with yourself.

Practice interpreting your dreams often

Recognize patternsKnow when your dream interpretation is correct

Learn how to remember your dreams

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Remembering your dreams clearly is much easier when you get a good night's sleep

Keep a dream journal next to your bed and write down everything you remember of your dreams on waking.

Write down everything, even if it doesn't make sense. The things that don't make sense or seem out of place may end up being the most valuable insights.

Don't create a plot where there isn't one

It might be tempting to connect separate symbols in your dreams by overlaying them with a plot of sorts, in order to make more sense of it all.

Avoid using dream interpretation aids

Your dreams are reflections of yourself and belong to you.

Dream dictionaries and dream interpretation aids can be of some assistance in a very general way.

Look for the obvious

What do you recognize from waking life?

Do you see things in your dream you've already experienced?

Are there particular events going on in your daily life that have elements of concern, or that lack resolution for you?

Decide whether the dream reflects a real life situation

You may be having a dream that addresses these events in a straightforward way. If so, your interpretation job is simple.

Decide what the dream means to you

Dreams that are straightforward with recognizable objects and events are very useful.

They are a means by which you can solve problems that have been dogging you throughout the day, week, or month, even where your worries are not conscious.

Dreams help you to learn as you process the day's experiences.

You ought to be a little cleverer at whatever it was you learned the day before.

Analyze the emotions you felt in the dream

Dreams often come to us by way of metaphor, like a puzzle awaiting us to piece it together.

All your dreams, abstract or not, are coming from you, and they all have some kind of truth and meaning.

Pay close attention to the emotions the dream elicits - that's the key to figuring out what it means.

How did this dream leave me feeling?

What are the principal emotions arising out this dream?

When have you recently felt that emotion in waking life?

Look for key images that stand out in your dream

Figure out what makes the most sense in terms of your current emotional state.

Be honest with yourself.

Your dreams will hardly ever tell you something that you don't already know on some level – it's just more likely that you have been repressing or pushing something aside.

Practice interpreting your dreams often

Dream interpretation definitely gets better with practice, since with each interpretation you gain a better understanding of your own subconscious.

While dream interpretation is fairly intuitive and self-directed in nature, it can be helpful to have some generalized examples to guide you in ways that people choose to interpret their dreams.

Recognize patterns

Over time, you'll start seeing the same things pop up in your dreams. Take note of them in your dream journal, and pay attention to what emotions surround them.

Know when your dream interpretation is correct

The key thing to remember is that there are no rules to dream interpretation and so there are no rights or wrongs to the interpretation process.

It's all down to your self-honesty, self-knowledge and willingness to apply your dream knowledge to your waking life situations.

A successful dream interpretation really comes down to the following elements:

Your interpretation resonates with you and the path you're following in life.

Interpreting your dreams adds something positive to your personal growth and emotional or spiritual fulfillment.

Acting upon your dreams is not only becoming second nature, but is giving you good, positive results.

If it's not working for you, are you allowing yourself to get over the initial hurdles of confusion or skepticism before finally tossing in the towel on using dream interpretation as a means of self awareness?

Keep in mind, dreams are a subjective thing; murky at best, but always entertaining.

Sweet Dream!