Gustavus Hindman Miller - The Dictionary of Dreams: Every Meaning Interpreted

Every Meaning Interpreted

Includes selections by Henri Bergson Sigmund Freud Gustavus Hindman Miller

Foreword by Linda Shields

By Linda Shields

People often contact me asking me what a specific dream meant. But I have found in my years of experience and study that the interpretation of someone elses dream isnt so black and white, as dreams are very personal and have a lot to do with what is going on in ones life, past and present. Most important, dreams are a meeting place of the subconscious and the spirit world, leading to levels of personal interpretation and even problem solving.

When our dreams are trying to work out issues we are facing in our daily lives, such as career, family, romance, financial struggles, etc., I believe that this is our subconscious trying to make sense of these things or attempting to figure out the puzzle pieces placed in front of us.

For example, stress and fear usually induce strange dreams related to the subconscious. We dont let go of stress easily; we hold on to it, struggle with it, and often dont share it. The dreams that result from stress are an excellent example of the brain attempting to make sense of the everyday issues confronting us. Fear-driven dream scenarios, such as drowning, falling, running, being chased, and being unprepared for a test, are, more often than not, also connected to the every day. By examining these types of dreams more closely, we may find the answers we need to deal with our stress and face our fears.

I also believe that dreams are a place where we can connect with a more spiritual side of ourselves. I have found that certain symbols have meanings beyond the realm of psychology and thus enter the realm of the spiritual.

Water is always a very potent dream symbol, and is often associated with emotion and the unconscious. There are a number of ways in which we view water in dreams. For example, if the water is clear, this suggests a positive outlook; if the water is murky, this suggests a problem or confusion. Transportation is also a powerful symbol. Whether it be a car, boat, plane, train, or rickshaw, it usually represents escape or change, both on a spiritual and psychological level.

Our belief in animals as spirit symbols dates to the dawn of civilization, with different animals having different meanings. For example, a cardinal represents someone who has passed on and is watching over us.

I also believe that dreams are a place where we can connect spiritually with those who have left us. Dreaming of those who have passed on is always a very powerful moment, no matter the relationship we had with them in life. Are we feeling nostalgic, or longing for them, or are the departed trying to tell us something? Are they merely trying to tell us they are still with us? Are they trying to comfort us? Warn us? This is the next stage of understanding our dreamsconnecting.

Death and birth are subjects people often bring up to me. In the spiritual world, to dream of death is to know that there will be the birth of something new, a transformation, or a rebirth. To dream of a birth is to know that death or the end of something is coming. Determining the spiritual side of such a dream versus the confronting of current fears or worries is up to the dreamer.

The one thing I tell everyone who talks to me about dreams is this: keep a journal or notebook and a pen by your bed, and write your dreams down as soon as possible, while they are still fresh in your head. Doing so is an invaluable tool, both on a psychological and spiritual level.

The other thing I often tell people is to recall entire dreams. Dont just look up the one symbol that made an impression on you; instead, try to remember your dream as thoroughly as possible. Write down every element of it. Look up the meaning of each symbol that is part of the dream and piece it all together. Try to make a story of itthis way you can have a better understanding of what your subconscious, or the spirit world, might be telling you.

This book is an invaluable resource. It is the first book to combine some of the most important writings on dreams from both the world of psychology and the spirit world. Included are classic selections from dream experts Sigmund Freud and Henri Bergson, a wonderful section on dream journaling, and concluding with an expanded and updated version of Gustavus Hindman Millers classic text, 10,000 Dreams Interpreted, updated to include fifteen thousand different dream interpretations.

Learning to pay more attention to your dreams will put you in touch with your hopes, fears, desires, and worries, as well as connect you more to your spiritual self

Enjoy discovering this huge and important world awaiting inside!

Since the beginning of time, people have debated whether the dream world we inhabit while sleeping is an alternate reality or just our brains way of dealing with the everyday problems and struggles of life, and, sometimes, its more pleasant attributes. A number of symbols have even spanned centuries, taking on spiritual as well as practical meanings in our current lives. In this ambitious dream book, some of the most important dream texts, along with new and updated material for the modern era, have been assembled into one volume. Now, readers can accurately decode the meanings behind their nightly musings with more than fifteen thousand dream symbols interpreted, making this one of the most definitive books on the subject.

Our dream journey begins in , with the ten most common dreams people experience. In this essay, Prudence J. M. Theriaulta certified hypnotherapist and popular advice columnist in the Hudson Valley, New York, areaconsulted numerous recently published psychology and symbolism texts to distill the current wisdom about the meanings of the most common dreams people experience. Walking naked in front of people? Not being prepared for the big test? Falling? These are all common dreams. The section then moves on to selections from the revolutionary essay Dreams by the French philosopher and thinker Henri Bergson. Bergsons ideas were incredibly influential in the first half of the twentieth century, impacting an entire generation of psychologists and dream-interpretation specialists, and he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1927. He was the first major thinker to lecture on the subject of dreams, long before Sigmund Freud. Bergson attempted to understand this netherworld and make sense of it in modern times. After Bergson, the section concludes with Sigmund Freud, who needs little introduction. An Austrian neurologist, Freud was the founder of psychoanalysis. He became a doctor of medicine in 1881, at the University of Vienna. One of Freuds first pioneering books, The Interpretation of Dreams, was published in 1900. In addition to being widely regarded as one of Freuds most significant works, it has influenced generations of psychology texts and continues to be relevant today. Included here are brief, yet significant, selections from this landmark text that have been edited to be practical and useful to modern readers.