A dream book is not always the best way to interpret your dreams. Often, dreams want to tell us something completely different. It is like an encrypted message from our subconscious. In numerous cultures and religions, dream interpretation plays an important role. Just think of Joseph, who interpreted the dreams of the Pharaoh and thus prevented a famine. In today’s world, only a few people pay attention to their dreams. Many cannot even remember their nightly dreams. This is a shame, as our subconscious communicates with us through the language of dreams. Only if we know how to interpret the content of our dreams correctly can we benefit from them. What the individual dream symbols mean is not always relevant; you have to look at the dream as a whole to understand the message behind it. You can simply look up the dream symbols in a dream interpretation book or online on the page dream bibel or on Dream Dictonary. But for me, it’s not so much about the interpretation of the dream symbols as about what different types of dreams there are and why we dream at all.
Why do we dream at all?
We dream in order to process the sensory impressions and feelings of the day. In dreams, we process our everyday experiences and reflect our innermost desires and longings. The dreams themselves are usually completely unrealistic, sometimes even absurd. In dreams, anything seems possible: we can fly, get rich overnight or even go for a walk on Mars. When we dream, our thoughts solidify, and all impressions and lessons are stored by our brain and processed in this way. At least that’s the scientific interpretation. The spiritual view is somewhat different: we dream so that we can learn to listen to our intuition, we dream to feel happier and we have nightmares in phases when our subconscious is signaling us that we need to change something. Our nerves are on edge, so to speak, and that’s why we have nightmares more often. Have you ever noticed that you dream beautiful things when you feel good? You dream of the love of your life, your dream house or a beautiful fantasy landscape. Your soul is doing well and usually we also dream inconsequential things. So our dreams are also to be understood as a kind of warning when something in our lives goes off the rails.
- Dreams show us the future or warn us of a future situation
- Dreams give us a glimpse of the future. We process the events of the day in our dreams.
- Dreams give us a good feeling and give us hope
- Dreams reflect fears or current relationship problems
The different types of dreams
Our favorite dream, the erotic dream with intimate kisses full of passion. Or the dream of a magnificent residence, suddenly we are millionaires. But then comes the rude awakening in the truest sense of the word. Where have all the beautiful things gone, we ask ourselves as we slowly wake up and express the alarm clock. But a dream from which we are only too happy to wake up. We are in a house and feel that we want to get out, we feel uncomfortable and see ghosts all around us. The witch laughs loudly or we are being followed by someone; these are the well-known witch and ghost dreams or fear dreams. They belong to the category of nightmares. Even dreams about death can quickly become nightmares. Relatively rare, however, are true dreams. My mother used to dream that my aunt had another son at 40. Everyone laughed about it, but she saw the child in front of her and could even dream the name. Violence can also be categorized as a nightmare. When we experience violence in a dream or use violence ourselves, it is usually about pent-up emotions and feelings. In almost all cases, the trigger is stress and nervous tension.
A special kind of dream – lucid dreams
Lucid dreaming, also known as clear dreaming, is a special form of dreaming in which the dreamer is aware that he is dreaming. He can practically intervene in the dream events. Usually, however, it happens by chance for many people; they realize that they are dreaming and give the dream a positive turn. Lucid dreaming offers unimagined possibilities to explore the dream world, to fly or to visit faraway places. You retain control over the dream and determine how it should proceed. Such dreams are, of course, not without danger. In particular, achieving this state in order to induce lucid dreams is not easy. Lucid dreams have been researched by numerous scientists in recent years, but many questions remain unanswered to this day. At least it was found that the people who took part in the experiment were in a kind of half-sleep. Therefore, they were also aware that they were dreaming. The normal dream usually occurs during different sleep cycles, but mainly during deep sleep. Lucid dreams usually occur shortly before falling asleep or upon waking up, i.e. when we regain consciousness. There are various techniques for inducing a lucid dream, which I will discuss in a separate article.
Why it makes sense to keep a dream diary
It makes sense to look into your dreams when major changes are coming up in your life. But even otherwise, a dream can provide insight into how you should proceed next. Especially when we often don’t perceive intuition during the day. All you need to do is talk to others about your dream or look up the most important symbols. It’s best to write down your dreams and keep a dream diary. You can organize it as follows: the dream event, the interpretation of the individual dream symbols, your guess as to what the dream might mean, and the actual interpretation of the dream. If you pay attention to your dreams, it will also be easier for you to induce lucid dreams. Since remembering is the hardest part for many, you should always have a pen and notepad handy at dessert time.
Your dream diary could be structured like this
Here is a template for a dream diary that can help you record your dreams and interpret their meaning:
Title for your dream journal
Date: [Date of dream]
Dream title: [Give your dream a short title]
Feelings in the dream: [Describe the predominant emotions you experienced in the dream]
Description of the dream: [Write a detailed description of the dream. Try to include as much detail as possible, such as places, people, actions, and special events.
Symbols in the dream: [Identify symbols or recurring elements in your dream. Write them down and try to understand their meaning.]
Personal interpretation: [Reflect on the dream and try to understand its possible meaning in the context of your own life. Think about your current circumstances, emotions, or challenges that may be related to the dream.]
General dream interpretation: [If you want, you can also look up general dream interpretations or symbols to get a broader perspective.]
Conclusion: [Draw a conclusion from your dream interpretation and note down what insights or actions you might be able to derive from it.]
Further notes: [If you have any further observations or thoughts about the dream, you can write them down here.]
The dream diary helps you to systematically record and analyze your dreams. By regularly writing down your dreams and exploring their meaning, you may be able to recognize patterns and connections that give you insights into your subconscious.
A practical example of dream interpretation
That night, I dreamt of Europa Park. I was there with old school friends and we boarded a train that was supposed to reach speeds of up to 500 km/h. It was so fast that I didn’t even have time to feel fear, but I still wanted to get off at the next stop. A mistake, as it turned out later. I secretly retreated to a kitchen and from there I reached a dark hallway. The devil or your shadow laughed and pushed me into a deep well. I was scared and thought that was it for good. But then I started scratching and scraping at the wall and discovered a secret passage that led to a noble estate. But it was dangerous to get through there without suffocating.
The man was a shareholder and he said he could teach me how to be successful with it.
Possible interpretations in bullet points:
- Journey into the unknown
- Fear of moving too fast
- The desire to be alone
- Diving into the subconscious
- The support of the higher self
- A secret path to riches
- Longing for pleasure
Interpretation of the individual dream symbols in brief:
Well: According to the general dream interpretation, falling into a well in a dream brings the dreamer surprising luck in real life. At the same time, this dream situation can also be a sign of hidden desires, but these could harm the dreamer.
In dreams, a person’s shadow usually symbolizes character traits that one does not particularly appreciate or even hates. If it is the shadow of Lucifer that one can recognize in a dream, then this symbolism is intensified. One is really afraid of these traits, which are desperately suppressed.
If someone dreams of an amusement park, they probably enjoy the relaxed atmosphere in the dream. They may feel the typical tingling sensation of riding a roller coaster. In the interpretation of dreams, the emotions of the dreamer are relevant to the dream symbol.
The dream situation in which a particularly old train appears, for example a steam locomotive, refers the dreaming person to events in the past that they may fondly remember. It is possible that they have not yet fully come to terms with these things, so that their subconscious mind keeps reminding them of them in their dreams. However, the dreamer should bear in mind that it is not the past but the future that is crucial for their personal development.
It is important to consider the dream as a whole and also to interpret individually irrelevant symbols. Usually, the first guess as to what the dream might mean is correct. Most of our dreams help us to better process what has happened during the day or reflect our fears and desires. However, there are also isolated dreams with a clear message or a suggestion for action.
Another practical example from the book ‘Dreams – the mirror of the soul’.
Death in a dream rarely means the actual demise of a person; rather, it marks the end of a phase in life. When a well-known Swiss tennis player had to give up his dream, he dreamt of his own grave.
I am walking across a tennis court; it looks like a cemetery. Graves and crosses are everywhere. I stop, racket in hand. Tears come to my eyes. Then my gaze falls on a gravestone. The words leap out at me: “Here lies in peace…” I wake up bathed in sweat.
He had been thinking about this dream for days. Then he realized that he had been buried in this cemetery for the last 30 years; old desires and longings were practically buried.
10 questions to help you decipher the dream and its message
- What experiences and events of the last few days am I processing in my dream?
- What is the main feeling the dream reflects when I wake up?
- What relationship issues come up in the dream?
- With which persons do I associate the dream?
- How do I experience the dream?
- What attitude towards life characterizes the dream?
- What unconscious goals do I pursue in the dream?
- What behavior patterns come up in the dream?
- What spiritual challenges does the dream show me?
- What decisions does the dream suggest to me?
The most common dream images and their meanings
Here are some common dream images and their possible interpretations:
- Flying: The dream image of flying often symbolizes freedom, control and overcoming obstacles. It could indicate that you feel powerful and able to achieve your goals.
- Falling: The feeling of falling in a dream can indicate insecurity, fears or a lack of control in your life. It could also mean that you are in a difficult situation from which you want to escape.
- Being followed: Dreams in which you are being followed could indicate fears or unresolved conflicts. These dreams may reflect that you are trying to escape a particular situation or responsibility.
- Losing teeth: Losing teeth in dreams could indicate concerns about aging, fear of losing power or communication problems.
- Water: Water in dreams often represents emotions and the subconscious. Clear, calm water often symbolizes calmness and clarity, while stormy water could indicate emotional turmoil.
- House: A house in a dream often represents the self or the psyche. A tidy, inviting house could indicate stability, while a confused or destroyed house could indicate emotional challenges.
- Death: Death in dreams rarely represents actual physical death. Instead, it can stand for change, transformation or the end of a phase.
- Vehicles: A vehicle in a dream, be it a car, a train or an airplane, often symbolizes the journey of life or a journey. Problems with the vehicle could indicate obstacles, while a smooth ride could indicate a harmonious journey through life.
- Nudity: Dreams of nudity could indicate vulnerability or the need to show oneself authentically. It could also indicate shame or fear of exposure.
- Unforeseen meeting: The sudden appearance of a person in a dream could indicate unresolved conflicts, unfulfilled desires, or a desire for reconnection.
Conclusion – How to interpret your dreams correctly
To summarize, dreams are an encrypted message from our subconscious and have played an important role in different cultures. While nowadays only a few people pay attention to their dreams and often can’t even remember them, it’s a shame because our dreams serve as communication with our subconscious. A dream book alone may not be enough to understand the true meaning of our dreams. It is important to look at our dreams more closely and decode their hidden message. By familiarizing ourselves with the language of dreams, we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and use our dreams as a valuable source of self-knowledge.
