FAQs
I don’t dream, so what is there in dream interpretation for me?
While most of us normally experience 3-5 dreams every night, we usually only remember the one we have right before waking up. Most of us don't remember our dreams every night. It is normal to only recall a dream or two each week. It is very normal to have periods of remembering multiple dreams and periods of remembering almost no dreams at all. Also, some people may not dream as much or as vividly as others. Additionally, here are a few factors that might keep you from dreaming- certain medications, sleep disorders, substances like alcohol, sustained injuries to certain parts of the brain, -just to name a few.
The good news is that you can interpret any dream, from any point in your life. Dreams don't have to be recent in order for them to be useful to you. Any dream you remember can be interpreted using the tools, tricks and skills you learn here.
Can dreams predict the future?
Yep. It happens more than you think. Tracking your dreams in a journal can help you identify the many ways your dreams are giving you glimpses of the future.
Are my nightmares a sign of deeper, psychological issues?
The frequency and intensity of nightmares will help you know when to seek psychological help or when to speak with a doctor or professional about them. The scientific community defines Nightmare Disorder (also known as Parasomnia) as having more than 2-3 vivid or terrifying nightmares each week. It is often associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (if you have PTSD, working with dreams and dream interpretation should be avoided).
Can the meaning of dreams change over time?
Sure it can- the same way that your childhood memories can take on new meaning as you grow up and reflect back on them with new insight. So too can dreams take on new levels of meaning and give us new perspectives when we revisit them or when the recur later in life.
Why do we dream?
The exact purpose of dreaming is still not fully understood by scientists, but some theories suggest that it may help with memory consolidation, problem-solving, and emotional regulation.
However, more recent research that includes extensive reviews of neuroimaging from the field of cognitive neuroscience (Domhoff, G. William), suggests that dreaming may be simply a by-product of our conscious evolution. Music is also considered a by-product of the same adaptation. It seems likely that as we evolved to have a formal imagination process, music and dreaming became a by-product of that ability. And like music, dreams help us be reflective and introspective about the meaning of our lives.
What is lucid dreaming and what does it mean?
Lucid dreaming is used to describe dreaming while being conscious/aware that you're dreaming. To become lucid while dreaming means that you're in two states of consciousness simultaneously (awake: able to choose how to interact with the dream scenario; and asleep: still subject to operating inside the dream scenario). For interpretation purposes, everything except for you- the conscious dreamer- is still able to be interpreted for it's meaning. However, you the dreamer are no longer acting out the dream symbolically and so dream you would not be considered during the interpretation process.
Can I learn to lucid dream?
Lucid dreaming comes very easy to some people, while others have to work very hard to try and wake up in the dream state. To practice lucid dreaming, you can start doing what are called "reality checks" during your waking life. Pick a small repeatable behavior and begin doing it periodically throughout your day. When you do the behavior, ask yourself- am I dreaming? Eventually, the behavior will become a habit and you'll begin to do the habit in your dreams. When you ask yourself in the dream state, "am I dreaming?" - you will notice then that you are and have a lucid dream.
My dreams are too intense/vivid/I have too many! Can I turn them off?
First, you can try practicing better sleep hygiene (consistent 7-9 hrs of sleep; going to bed and waking up at generally the same time each night/day; sleeping in a cooler room with little to no light; limiting food/drink 1hr before bed). There are some sleep disorders that can actually produce too much dream recall or dreams that are consistently intense and vivid. If you feel that dreams are getting in the way of the quality of rest you're getting, it's best to speak to your doctor or a sleep specialist who can help you rule out physical causes.
I don’t dream anymore, but I used to. What can I do to start dreaming again?
Dream recall is easily resumed. There are many different techniques you can try but sometimes merely becoming more interested in dreaming will help you remember more of your dreams. You can also follow these suggestions: put pen and paper by your bed; write something every morning upon waking; change your room up to inspire relaxation and renewed enthusiasm for sleeping; (for more, get the 6 Nights to Better Dream Recall free e-series, here)
What is the significance of recurring dreams?
A recurring dream is a dream that you have more than once. Sometimes a recurring dream will repeat only on occasion over several years; other times a recurring dream might show up several times in just a few nights, weeks or months.
When you have a recurring dream, it usually means you're experiencing a repeat of a particular set of emotions in waking life. You can use the dream itself to try and track down what in waking life is triggering the dream experience again. The first step is to reflect on the first instance you can remember of the dream and what was going on in your life at that time; then, compare what you were going through then to what you are/were going through when the dream occurred most recently.
Do dreams have universal or personal meanings?
Really, the answer is yes, both. Dreams are coming to us by way of the unconscious mind. According to Carl Jung, we possess a personal unconscious (containing everything about us, personally, that we are not consciously aware of) and a collective unconscious (containing our connection to the entire consciousness and psyche of human history and each other). In this way, our symbols in dreams have both a personal meaning and a universal one.
If I am being haunted in a dream, is it real?
This is a difficult question to answer because ultimately, you are the interpreter of the meaning of your dreams. So if it is real to you then it is real. For me personally, being haunted or even possessed in a dream is a metaphor for the ways I am being controlled by something other then my own Ego identity in waking life. There are ways you can work with your imagination to change this, and any other dream experiences. It starts with setting intentional boundaries for my unconscious mind. I will make sure when doing this that I am very clear and set boundaries so as to re-establish my Ego's role in the control center.