Who can interpret dreams

Can You Analyze Your Own Dreams? Yes, and Here's How

Dream interpretation can offer new perspectives into the nature of your mind, but it isn’t backed by research and might be best practiced with the help of a psychotherapist.

Dreams may reveal information about your emotions and thoughts, although in ways open to interpretation.

A good starting place for dream analysis is identifying common symbols and understanding what they might mean for you specifically.

Interpreting your dreams is likely to result in better results when you work with a psychotherapist specializing in dream analysis.

To interpret your dreams is to identify specific elements and try to understand if they hold any significance to you.

Dream interpretation has been used as a therapeutic tool. It may serve as a self-awareness resource when digging deeper into your subconscious and emotional state, and when you’re working on finding peace of mind.

Both Jungian theory and Gestalt therapy, for example, have included elements of dream analysis in their therapeutic approaches.

Jungian dream analysis considers individual symbols of each dream to be of great importance. These symbols may relate to your childhood experiences, spiritual perspectives, or culture.

For example, dreaming of a red hat lying on the floor of your high school could represent a present concern about your appearance or a need for social appreciation, something that you may have also felt when you were a teen.

A large aspect of dream interpretation considers your associations and what each symbol means to you personally. In that sense, interpreting your own dreams can be very effective.

In Gestalt therapy, dreams may be considered messages from your subconscious mind. In this approach, dreams may be viewed as expressions of your personality that could require unification or attention.

Contrary to the Jungian analysis, Gestalt dream interpretation may not be about working with specific symbols but rather identifying the aspects of your personality that may need attention and bringing awareness to them.

Research on symbols or interpretations of dreams is limited and inconclusive, however.

The relationship between your mental health and what you dream about hasn’t been established yet, but some evidence suggests there is indeed a connection.

A 2018 study indicated that someone’s waking mental well-being might influence the content of dreams.

For example, researchers found that experiencing peace of mind before falling asleep was linked to a higher chance of pleasant dream experiences. On the other hand, anxiety typically led to negative dream affect.

Study authors suggested that based on these preliminary findings, dreams have the potential of being mental health markers, giving you insights into your mental well-being.

And since dreams do often involve emotional responses, it’s also been hypothesized that they may help you process and manage emotions. They would serve as a way to emotionally reset and could prepare you for any emotional challenges you may face the following day.

Some experts believe there’s a connection between the sleep cycle and your emotional state.

Lack of sleep may lead to mental health symptoms while achieving the REM cycle — a stage where you tend to experience vivid dreams — could be linked to mental health benefits.

In any case, more research on this topic may be needed.

You can explore dream interpretation by becoming familiar with common symbols. These symbols may mean many things, so keeping context and personal significance in mind is recommended.

Consider asking these questions when identifying symbols in your dreams:

What was the symbol or object doing in your dream?
What did it look like?
Where was it?
How did you feel about it while you were dreaming?
How do you feel now when you think of it?
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of this symbol in your dream?

Here are some of the most common symbols in dreams and what they could mean:

House or room

Houses and rooms can represent unexplored aspects of yourself.

For example, if the house or room was frightening, it could represent an aspect of yourself that you may feel fearful about exploring.

Looking into other symbols in the same dream scene may help you develop possible personal meanings.

Dog

As a source of affection for many people in the waking state, dogs can represent a need for love or affection.

If you’re fearful of dogs or dream of an aggressive one, it may mean you’re sensing danger about a specific situation or person, or you may feel hurt by someone and haven’t yet become aware of it.

Teeth

Teeth can be symbols of aggression, assertiveness, or your “bite.”

Dreaming of falling teeth may indicate you’re experiencing intense stress or anxiety. It could also mean you’re fearful or concerned about a lack of control and power in your life.

Guns

Weapons such as guns typically involve themes surrounding personal power or control.

Dreaming of using weapons may be linked to the desire to hurt someone or have them disappear from your life. If you’re being hurt in the dream, it could mean you feel vulnerable in a situation or with a person.

Friends and family

People who appear in your dreams may reflect parts of your own personality. Analyzing these dreams may help to think about what the person was doing in the dream and what part of yourself you think may be shown to you through the other person.

Water

Water may be a symbol of your emotions. If the water appears still and murky, it could represent a disconnect from your emotional state or the need to explore your own emotions.

Driving

Driving can be thought of as a type of forward momentum. If the car doesn’t start, you may feel stagnant or stuck. If the car is running smoothly, maybe you feel you’re making good progress on your life path.

Falls

If you dream about falling, you may be dealing with control challenges in your life.

If you felt relieved about falling, or it was a pleasant sensation in the dream, you may be letting go of some emotional weight and may now feel relieved.

If you felt scared while falling in your dream, you could be having a hard time not being able to control everything around you. It could also mean that you feel you’re letting someone down.

Interpreting your dreams takes patience, practice, and an open mind. It may be a good idea to remember that you give meaning to your own dreams by identifying symbols and thinking about what they mean to you personally.

The same dream can mean different things to different people in this sense. The same dream could also mean different things to you, depending on when you dream it.

Here are some tips to start analyzing your dreams:

1. Try to recall your dreams every day

The best time to recall your dreams is as soon as you wake up, while the dream is still fresh.

If you tend to wake up during the night, it might help to have a notebook next to the bed to record your dream before you fall asleep again. Recording a voice memo on your phone may also help.

It’s natural to only remember fragments of your dreams at first. They may seem vague or meaningless. The more you practice recalling them, the more details you’ll remember from your dreams.

2. Consider keeping a dream diary

In addition to writing or recording aspects of your dreams as soon as you wake up, keeping a more in-depth diary may help you with dream interpretation.

Based on your notes when you wake up, try to write down as much detail as you can remember. As you write every aspect of the dream, include how you feel or felt about those symbols or scenes.

If any ideas or memories come to you while you write about your dream, make a special note. These ideas, memories, or emotions give you more clues about what the dream may mean to you.

3. Telling someone about your dreams can help

Sometimes, it’s about how you describe a dream more than the dream itself.

As you tell someone else about your dream, try to become aware of how you describe specific symbols that may not be as clear at first.

Talking about your dreams with a psychotherapist may be particularly beneficial when trying to analyze them. They may be able to give you feedback about specific words you used or facial expressions you made, which could also add to the dream interpretation.

4. Try to identify symbols and associations

Once you write details about your dreams, try to read your notes again to identify hidden symbols that you may have missed at first.

Maybe you dreamed about cooking with your grandmother, which you wrote in your notes.

On a closer look, you may remember it wasn’t your grandmother’s kitchen or that all the windows were open and the wind was blowing inside the kitchen.

These aspects of your dream may also hint at the possible meaning of the dream.

Dream analysis can become an interesting tool for exploring your mental and emotional health.

You can interpret your dreams by learning more about common symbols, keeping a dream diary, and trying to identify personal associations.

Dream analysis may be better achieved by working with a psychotherapist. They might be able to link different aspects of your dreams and ask you specific questions that could lead to more profound insight.

Can You Analyze Your Own Dreams? Yes, and Here's How

Dream interpretation can offer new perspectives into the nature of your mind, but it isn’t backed by research and might be best practiced with the help of a psychotherapist.

Dreams may reveal information about your emotions and thoughts, although in ways open to interpretation.

A good starting place for dream analysis is identifying common symbols and understanding what they might mean for you specifically.

Interpreting your dreams is likely to result in better results when you work with a psychotherapist specializing in dream analysis.

To interpret your dreams is to identify specific elements and try to understand if they hold any significance to you.

Both Jungian theory and Gestalt therapy, for example, have included elements of dream analysis in their therapeutic approaches.

Jungian dream analysis considers individual symbols of each dream to be of great importance. These symbols may relate to your childhood experiences, spiritual perspectives, or culture.

A large aspect of dream interpretation considers your associations and what each symbol means to you personally. In that sense, interpreting your own dreams can be very effective.

Research on symbols or interpretations of dreams is limited and inconclusive, however.

The relationship between your mental health and what you dream about hasn’t been established yet, but some evidence suggests there is indeed a connection.

A 2018 study indicated that someone’s waking mental well-being might influence the content of dreams.

Study authors suggested that based on these preliminary findings, dreams have the potential of being mental health markers, giving you insights into your mental well-being.

Some experts believe there’s a connection between the sleep cycle and your emotional state.

Lack of sleep may lead to mental health symptoms while achieving the REM cycle — a stage where you tend to experience vivid dreams — could be linked to mental health benefits.

In any case, more research on this topic may be needed.

You can explore dream interpretation by becoming familiar with common symbols. These symbols may mean many things, so keeping context and personal significance in mind is recommended.

Consider asking these questions when identifying symbols in your dreams:

What was the symbol or object doing in your dream?
What did it look like?
Where was it?
How did you feel about it while you were dreaming?
How do you feel now when you think of it?
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of this symbol in your dream?

Here are some of the most common symbols in dreams and what they could mean:

House or room

Houses and rooms can represent unexplored aspects of yourself.

For example, if the house or room was frightening, it could represent an aspect of yourself that you may feel fearful about exploring.

Looking into other symbols in the same dream scene may help you develop possible personal meanings.

Dog

As a source of affection for many people in the waking state, dogs can represent a need for love or affection.

Teeth

Teeth can be symbols of aggression, assertiveness, or your “bite.”

Dreaming of falling teeth may indicate you’re experiencing intense stress or anxiety. It could also mean you’re fearful or concerned about a lack of control and power in your life.

Guns

Weapons such as guns typically involve themes surrounding personal power or control.

Friends and family

Water

Water may be a symbol of your emotions. If the water appears still and murky, it could represent a disconnect from your emotional state or the need to explore your own emotions.

Driving

Falls

If you dream about falling, you may be dealing with control challenges in your life.

If you felt relieved about falling, or it was a pleasant sensation in the dream, you may be letting go of some emotional weight and may now feel relieved.

If you felt scared while falling in your dream, you could be having a hard time not being able to control everything around you. It could also mean that you feel you’re letting someone down.

The same dream can mean different things to different people in this sense. The same dream could also mean different things to you, depending on when you dream it.

Here are some tips to start analyzing your dreams:

1. Try to recall your dreams every day

The best time to recall your dreams is as soon as you wake up, while the dream is still fresh.

If you tend to wake up during the night, it might help to have a notebook next to the bed to record your dream before you fall asleep again. Recording a voice memo on your phone may also help.

It’s natural to only remember fragments of your dreams at first. They may seem vague or meaningless. The more you practice recalling them, the more details you’ll remember from your dreams.

2. Consider keeping a dream diary

In addition to writing or recording aspects of your dreams as soon as you wake up, keeping a more in-depth diary may help you with dream interpretation.

Based on your notes when you wake up, try to write down as much detail as you can remember. As you write every aspect of the dream, include how you feel or felt about those symbols or scenes.

If any ideas or memories come to you while you write about your dream, make a special note. These ideas, memories, or emotions give you more clues about what the dream may mean to you.

3. Telling someone about your dreams can help

Sometimes, it’s about how you describe a dream more than the dream itself.

As you tell someone else about your dream, try to become aware of how you describe specific symbols that may not be as clear at first.

4. Try to identify symbols and associations

Once you write details about your dreams, try to read your notes again to identify hidden symbols that you may have missed at first.

Maybe you dreamed about cooking with your grandmother, which you wrote in your notes.

On a closer look, you may remember it wasn’t your grandmother’s kitchen or that all the windows were open and the wind was blowing inside the kitchen.

These aspects of your dream may also hint at the possible meaning of the dream.

Dream analysis can become an interesting tool for exploring your mental and emotional health.

You can interpret your dreams by learning more about common symbols, keeping a dream diary, and trying to identify personal associations.

Sleep in hand: what you need to know about the interpretation of dreams according to Freud

Psychology

122 years ago, the first major monographic work by Sigmund Freud, "The Interpretation of Dreams", was published. How did the legendary psychoanalyst decipher dreams?

Even those who are far from psychoanalysis and attempts to understand the abysses of their own personality nod at the name Freud with the air of an expert. Well, really, who doesn't know old Freud? Well, this is a dude who determined that "sex is the end in itself of all things," and professional ethics did not prevent him from having an affair with a patient, about which the movie "A Dangerous Method" was shot in Hollywood with Keira Knightley in the role of that same Sabina. nine0003

That's right. There are no errors in this microbiography, except perhaps for the paucity of information. The Austrian neuropathologist, psychiatrist and psychologist, the great innovator and founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) managed a lot in his 83-year life, and most importantly, not only popularized, but also advanced psychology into a serious science, which it was not considered before. And yes, I was a little obsessed with the idea of the traumatic influence of fathers / mothers and persistently tried to explain literally everything with repressed sexuality and hidden desires. nine0003

But Freud's merit is not only that he penetrated deeper than others into the essence of the human personality. No one in modern history has done more to understand dreams than a gifted Austrian.

Features of the interpretation of dreams according to Freud

"The Interpretation of Dreams" is the first significant work of Sigmund Freud, published in 1900, in which the scientist explained the psychological role of dreams in this way: "From we are a form of wish fulfillment. " That's what he meant by this wording. nine0003

1. Dreams are a message from the unconscious

The bizarre symbols that appear in dreams reveal a part of the personality that we hide from ourselves - the most personal, strong, hidden desires and fears that live in the depths of the subconscious and about which we may we don't remember because we don't want to recognize them. Freud, by the way, considered himself the discoverer of the term "unconscious" - a controversial topic, but this is not the point.

The interpretation of dreams and dreams according to Freud can be reduced to a definition: dreams are a communication of the unconscious, a projection of repressed, repressed, unfulfilled, unconscious desires, which we are ashamed or afraid of, but which we can satisfy in a dream, thanks to the efforts of the imagination - and thereby gain peace of mind. The scientist dubbed this whole difficult process “hallucinatory fulfillment of desires.” nine0003

2. Dreams are the secret code to hidden desires

Among other things, studying dreams, Freud came to the following conclusion: the more significant the experience, the more fantastic/absurd/bizarre character it will acquire in a dream. This is how the trick of the subconscious works, seeking to deceive the inner censor - the mind and give vent to the passions that you keep under a ban. Thus, the symbols of dreams are the code of a person's hidden desires.

To learn how to interpret dreams according to Freud, you need to learn the basic rules. First of all, the types of dream content, which he divided into explicit and hidden. Explicit content means "literal", here's a simple Freudian example: your father smokes a large cigar (sometimes a cigar is just a cigar). Latent content is what is hidden behind the explicit content (now use your imagination). nine0003

3. Dreams are a code for solving psychological problems

Freud was convinced that the only way to reveal the secret meaning of dreams is through psychoanalysis. His favorite technique for deciphering dreams was to lay the patient down on a couch and ask him/her to recall what he/she saw, freely associating the dream images with whatever came to mind. So, according to the scientist, the chances of finding out the details that are key to understanding what is hidden in the unconscious increase. The problems reflected in dreams, according to Freud, lie in details that look insignificant offhand. nine0003

Freud viewed dream analysis as a powerful technique for identifying and treating psychological ailments. The peculiarity of the interpretation of dreams according to Freud is also manifested in the fact that the father of psychoanalysis used the approach of the notorious dream books, considering the symbols seen in a dream to be universal, that is, having an unchanged meaning, regardless of in whose dream and under what circumstances these symbols appear.

Freud's follower, the Swiss Carl Gustav Jung, did not share the point of view of his colleague and interpreted dreams in his own way (even more interesting), and his approach is worthy of a separate text. By the way, he also did not avoid contact with Sabina Spielrein, solely for the sake of science - the film "A Dangerous Method" reveals this fact. Jung is played by the amazing Viggo Mortensen, but Michael Fassbender as Sigmund Freud! Mmmm, this can be trusted with any dreams. nine0003

Better Sleep Gadgets:

Aroma diffuser Zdk Home 10 light wood

Brown

Advertising. www.lamoda.ru

Orthopedic pillow Gezatone anatomical

White

Advertising. www.lamoda.ru

Pillowcase Ayris Silk

Beige, 50x70 cm

Advertising. www.lamoda.ru

Eye patches Lave fabric, with Botox effect

100 pcs

Advertising. www.lamoda.ru

Duvet 2-bed Sonno ALCHIMIA

Grey, 170x205 cm

Advertising. www.lamoda.ru

Scented candle Rarog ESSENCE OF THE SCENTS

Lavender

Advertising. www.lamoda. ru

Tulle and curtains Pasionaria Blackout nine0019

270x170 cm

Advertising. www.lamoda.ru

Smirnova NATASHA

since ancient times seemed to be something mystical, hiding many secrets and mysteries. It was believed that they could show the future or the past, give a hint in a difficult situation, help to sort out feelings and thoughts. We tell how people interpreted dreams in different historical periods. nine0019

Dreams in primitive cultures

Little is known about the interpretation of dreams during this period. The reasons are quite understandable: there are not many artifacts that would help to understand the ancient people's ideas about dreams. Nevertheless, some elements of primitive cultures survived long enough to be described.

Some researchers believe that ancient people considered sleep to be something like a small death. According to their ideas, during sleep the soul separated from the body and could visit other worlds. The British ethnographer Edward Burnett Tylor in his work "Primitive Culture" (1871) noted that some primitive tribes believed that during sleep the soul is literally next to the object or person that it dreams of. In addition, they thought that the "separated" soul could find its patron (totem), talk to the spirits, or receive a sign. nine0003

Tylor writes: “It is said that an entire Australian tribe was resettled because one of the natives saw in a dream an owl of a certain breed, and their wise men explained that this dream foreshadowed the attack of another tribe. The Zulus ... [if] they see in a dream that the sick person has died, that his things are scattered, that he is buried with weeping and lamentations, they say: "We saw his death in a dream, therefore, he will not die. " If they see wedding dances in a dream, then this is a sign of a funeral. Maori also think that to see a relative dying in a dream is to recovery, and to see him healthy is to death. nine0003

Thus, attempts to interpret dreams appeared with the first primitive cultures and were of no small importance to the survival of the tribe. Such sacralization of dreams was also characteristic of more developed societies.

Ancient Egypt. Ancient Greece

Ancient Egyptian civilization existed in the Nile Valley from the 4th millennium BC. e. according to the 4th c. n. e. The ideas of the ancient Egyptians about dreams were very similar to those of primitive people. They considered dreams to be something like a bridge between the world of the living and the world of the dead, a source of mystical experience that is important to correctly interpret. This could be done independently - with the help of dream books - or by contacting the priests. nine0003

In general, dreams were divided into "good" and "bad". As noted in his work "Scribes of Ancient Egypt" M.A. Korostovtsev, “good” dreams, according to the Egyptians, were sent by the sun god Horus, and “bad” dreams were sent by the god of death, war and chaos Seth.

Several ancient Egyptian dream books have survived to this day. Apparently, it was customary to interpret the dreams of women and men differently. In addition, in order for dreams to be more “informative”, a person should fall asleep where it is easier for spirits to establish contact with him, that is, in a temple. Dreams in which a person saw gods were considered the most important: they could shed light on the events of the present or future, and also promised the fulfillment of desires. At the same time, nightmares could lead to the most terrible consequences, as they spoke of the wrath of the gods or spirits of the underworld. nine0003

In ancient Greece, ideas about dreams were generally similar to ancient Egyptian ones. Dreams seen in temples were considered so important that even some laws were based on them. Deities and spirits can share information about the future, past and present. Nevertheless, some philosophers, such as Plato, have the idea that not all dreams are significant and have a divine origin. Aristotle considered sleep to be a special state of consciousness and was skeptical about the concept of prophetic dreams. nine0003

Middle Ages and Modern Times

In the Middle Ages, the attitude towards the interpretation of dreams changed dramatically. The church believed that this was a kind of witchcraft, and therefore did not welcome such a practice. The few attempts to investigate dreams were based more on ancient approaches.

In modern times, the situation began to change - scientists paid attention to dreams. They focused primarily on how dreams affect the human body and consciousness. There are first attempts to connect dreams with repressed desires, including those of an erotic nature. This was noted, for example, by the founder of modern sexology, Richard von Kraft-Ebing, in his book Sexual Psychopathy. Of one patient he writes: "His sex life was spent in dreams..."

The 20th century and the present

It can be said that since the 20th century, the interpretation of dreams has been divided into two directions. The first was connected with psychoanalysis and psychiatry in principle, the second with the revival of mystical ideas about dreams. True, the "revival" concerned rather educated people: in other strata of society, the interpretation of dreams all this time was and remained part of the superstitious, mystical picture of the world.

The most famous scientific work on the interpretation of dreams was the book of Sigmund Freud. In The Interpretation of Dreams, he notes that a dream in itself is a manifestation of repressed desires, which means that it can be used to understand violations of a person’s mental health (if any). In addition, a dream allows a person to rest during sleep, showing repressed desires not directly, but through a system of images and symbols.

Learn more