Alison Davies - Dreams: Interpretations, Hidden Meanings, Symbols

Contents

We are near waking when we dream we are dreaming.

NOVALIS

The universe of dreams may at first seem complex, offering up starry landscapes and alternate worlds. Its a place of self-discovery; a magical realm where you are the author of your own destiny. Everything you see and experience is your creation, and while it may be unchartered territory, it is built on your thoughts, feelings and beliefs, so ultimately there is nothing to fear. To step inside you only have to drift into dream. In this slumber state the reins of control are relinquished and your subconscious takes the lead. When we are awake our conscious mind is in charge. This is both practical and present, taking the lead and helping us make the most of each day. The subconscious is a very different master with a much lighter and surreal touch, who does not stamp authority using rules, but instead allows you, through the power of dream, to tap into deep and often forgotten reserves of creativity.

Dreamland is an ethereal vista, a place of imagination and mystery where anything goes. Your mind, which while awake is often full of details and worries, becomes a blank canvas, waiting for you to express yourself in a fusion of colour. Dream time is an opportunity to play, experience and explore, and although anxieties that plagued you in the day may still appear, this is your chance to work through them and make sense of the world.

In the pages of this book learn how to crack your own dream code, decipher the symbols and befriend your subconscious. Discover the deeper meanings behind common dreams and learn that nightmares can turn out to be hidden gems in the war against fear. Theres a comprehensive guide, which includes a variety of dream scenarios and how to interpret them. With stunning imagery and a smattering of stardust, youll enter a sleepy otherworld and emerge brighter, and with a renewed love for the phenomenon that is your dreams.

Step into the nonsensical world of dreams and enter a surreal landscape where upside down and back to front are commonplace. Snippets of stories are interlaced with potent imagery, and the backdrop continually shifts, making for a sometimes disconcerting yet often memorable experience. Its no wonder we become so confused by our dreams. How do you create order from something so random and reveal the deeper meaning? The answer is simple; you can crack your dream code by taking a step-by-step approach, applying a degree of logic and a sprinkling of imagination.

Dreams are a personal thing. Two people might share the same dream but their response and the resulting perspective is unique depending on their background, life experience and situation. The first step to decoding your dreams is to immediately jot down what you can remember and how the dream made you feel. Your initial reflections are guided by intuition, which comes directly from the subconscious mind, the same place your dreams reside.

Crack the Code

Putting the bare bones of the dream on paper provides a starting point as well as hooks from which you can slip back into the dream and relive parts of it. This will help you conjure up the emotions that you experienced. How you felt is extremely important, as this gives a clear indication of the deeper meaning. If you felt angry and frustrated during the dream, then it makes sense that the frustrations have been carried over from your waking world. You need to be honest about the source of your annoyance and youll begin to see how this ties in with your dream.

While many dreams reflect what youre going through in real life in some form, there are also dreams that deal with hopes, fears and deep-seated desires. These often feel more vivid and real, because they are issues that are close to our heart and embedded in the psyche. This explains why nightmares can stay with us for days. Dreams like this may be mistaken as premonitions of the future, when in fact its just the subconscious speaking to us on a primal level.

Understand your Dreams

STEP ONE

How did the dream make you feel? List the emotions that you experienced. There may be more than one, particularly if the dream was constantly shifting.

If you could summarize the dream in a sentence what would you say? Take this a step further and imagine you only had one word to describe the dream, what would it be?

Write everything down and read through your thoughts.

STEP TWO

Make a list of the people, places and things in your dream.

From this list, circle any symbols that stood out.

Consider each symbol and what it means to you. What does it represent, in a few words? Write down your thoughts.

STEP THREE

Read through the list of emotions and symbols. Can you see a pattern? Is there anything to connect the symbols and emotions?

If you can piece together a narrative, consider whether it reflects something that is happening in your life.

Even if you cant come to any definite conclusions, continue to note down your dreams for the next few days, and see if similar emotions and symbols arise.

Follow this process and over time youll better understand the language of your dreams and what specific symbols mean for you. This will give you an insight into your dreams and youll learn to trust your intuition, whether sleeping or awake!

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.

EDGAR ALLAN POE

Dreams are very much an individual thing, but there are common dreams that we all experience from time to time. The human psyche is made in such a way that we have similar hopes, aspirations and fears, despite our unique personalities. These act as triggers within the subconscious, conjuring up dream scenarios that are universal. These narratives bring different emotions to the surface, helping us play out and work through desires and fears while we sleep.

Dreams are a way of making sense of the waking world, so if youre going through a particularly stressful or challenging time, then you might experience one or more of these common dreams. While each one has a consensual meaning, they are still personal reflections of how you think and feel, so always start with your initial response and then consider the general interpretation and how it relates to you and what is happening in your life.

Falling

It is thought that every person will dream of falling at least five times in their life. The source of this narrative stems from insecurity. Just as in the dream, we have no control of the situation and find ourselves plummeting downwards, theres a sense of losing control in the real world. You may feel overwhelmed emotionally, mentally or physically. Events have spiralled, and you feel anxious about the outcome. If you find yourself hanging on in some way, this suggests that youre still trying to maintain your grip on reality. The more you struggle in the dream, the more youre fighting the situation.

Look to your surroundings for more specific clues, for example, if you fall from an office block window and you currently work in an office, this hints at career chaos and disappointment. If you plunge headfirst into water, then this relates to your emotional life, and it could be a personal relationship that is causing you distress. Dreams of falling also indicate a sense of failure. Ask yourself, why do I think I have failed? What could I honestly have done differently? Remember that every experience good or bad, has something positive to teach us.