Lar's Dreaming FAQ
2. Dream interpretation and symbols
2.1. Can you interpret this dream for me?
As shown by Dream researcher Jon Tolaas, day-memory is often incorporated
into the dream. Many
times negative, ambivalent or neutral events are incorporated. It
is difficult to answer why
mostly negative events are incorporated, it may be that the negative
events make stronger
impressions on us. Or that not many positive events occur during
the day. It may be that the
brain is working on these negative events so that it may handle
it better next time. The most
qualified person to interpret your dream is yourself, you know all
the details from the dream,
you remember what you did the previous day and you know what your
problems are. But dream
interpretation isn't always that easy. If you fail to interpret
your dream, it is nice to know
that there are many people on the internet that you can turn to.
A good place to start is
posting your dream to alt.dreams. But sit down and think about your
dream before doing so, try
to find the meaning and try to think about what you have done the
last few days. Keep in mind
that the language of dreams are metaphors. Sharing dreams with others
are a great way of paying
attention to your dreams. Writing them down, reading those of others
and discussing them will
increase your dream recall. Be sure to include factors from your
life that might be relevant to
your dream. This may help on the interpretation.
2.2. What does this [symbol] mean?
Symbols are one way of interpreting dreams. Researchers have tried
to find, for each common
dream occurrence, a psychological situation that matches the dream
in some way and link it as a
cause. A well-known example of this approach is Freud's interpretation.
Asking for symbols
allows for (sometimes too easy) interpretation of dreams by given
rules. But this is a
questionably approach. Dream interpretation using a catalog of symbols
doesn't take into
account individual differences between dreamers. You can imagine
this flaw by taking into
account that the cultural background is an important point that
should not be neglected.
Freud's theories, that give high importance to hidden signs of sexual
desires, are based on a
society that has suppressed sexuality. And so on. In a more global
context, asking for special
symbols is of dubious value. Nonetheless, in a certain given context,
these symbols can have a
valuable meaning.
2.3. Is this [dream scene] common?
Probably so, one way of finding that out is posting your dream to
alt.dreams. You might also
stick around and see if other people post similar dreams. Or you
might check the archive at
www.dejanews.com and maybe do a search on a few keywords from your
dream.
2.4. Is there anything special about recurring dreams?
Yes. If you have recurring patterns or themes in your dreams, they
deserve special attention.
They indicate thoughts that occupy the dreamer a lot, consciously
or unconsciously. You should
try to compare the context of your dream with your current life
situation or problems. It is
very likely your subconscious that is trying to tell you something.
You should try to figure
out what the dream means and make some changes to your life.
Go to the next chapter - Sleep
paralysis, walking and talking, night terrors, narcolepsy and nightmares
Copyright L Lars Rune Foleide -1999
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