Dreams don’t always make sense at first glance. They tend to reflect what’s going on in our subconscious mind, and most of us aren’t very in tune with what that is. But there are some things you can do to make sense of the weird things you may be seeing in your sleep.

Start a Dream Diary

The first step to understanding your dreams is just writing them down. It helps to make a record of dreams because they are quickly forgotten after we wake up. Take note of when your dreams come to you as well as the time setting of the dream itself. You may start to pick up on patterns, like when you have certain dreams or common themes within them.

For even more detail, write down what’s happening in your waking life around the time of each dream. It may look like having a parallel journal with your daily life events on one side and your dreams that night on the other. These events are connected even if you can’t see how just yet.

Once you understand a message your dreams are sending to you, don’t stop looking. Your subconscious mind is a complex mind. It’s very possible that a single dream carries multiple significant meanings.

Illustrate your Dreams

Do you have a bit of artistic talent? Try drawing or painting the scenes you’ve seen in your dreams. It doesn’t have to look like a Van Gogh painting. You’re really looking at how you draw the scene. Do you use light, whimsical strokes? Or heavy, thick ones? These kind of things speak to your mindset and give more insight to what the dreams are telling you. What emotions do you feeling looking at your artwork? What colors did you use? Colors are also significant.

Maybe you’re not the drawing type. If you fancy yourself a creative writer, you can go a step beyond the dream journal. Try writing poetry instead. You may be surprised at the insight you get from analyzing your word choice and rhyme scheme.

If you happen to know a group of people who are interested in interpreting dreams, try describing and then acting out your dreams with a group. This has the added benefit of giving you outside viewpoints about the events in your dream. Your friends may see something you don’t. You could also try this exercise alone using props to represent other characters in your story. Don’t be surprised if you relive some of the feelings you had in your dream.

Other Dream Analysis Strategies

Sometimes you wake up before the dream story actually ends. As you record these types of dreams, try to give them an ending and see how that resonates with you. There may be a reason you’re only remembering part of a dream or not seeing it all the way through. Don’t force it if it doesn’t feel right, but if it does, you may draw some helpful conclusions.

Are you having a hard time remembering your dreams? Or maybe when you do dream… do you often wake up wondering what your dream meant? You’re not alone as yes. everyone dreams but some people have better dream recall than others.

I can help you remember and understand your dreams. Let’s get started!

Dream Journalism

One way to help improve your dream recall is to keep a dream journal. Buy a journal and keep it on your bedside table with a pen or pencil. Or if you’re more tech savvy, record your voice recalling your dream. After a night of dreaming, try to recall what you remember in your dream journal upon waking.  The more you do this, the easier it will be to recall your dreams. Just give this process three weeks and you will start to remember more of what is in your dreams.

Record Every Detail

No matter how you choose to keep track of your dreams, make sure you record every detail you can recall. Even the most minor details have meaning. Be sure to consider your senses and think about the following questions: What did you see, hear, feel, taste and smell? Where were you? Were you nearing water, in a forest, in a house or in the desert? Who was there? Did you recognize anyone? How did their presence make you feel? Have you had this dream before?

A Deeper Meaning

Each detail leads to a deeper meaning. Sometimes dreams answer questions or offer solutions. Sometimes they help us deal with stressful situations. Some dreams even tell us what’s about to happen. So, when you record your dreams, think about what’s going on in your life (at home or at work) and see if there is a connection. You may be surprised to know that there is usually a connection.

The Astrology Connection

Be sure to include the date of your dream. Often, there is an astrological or neurological connection. Astrology and numerology are fun ways to take your dream interpretation to the next level. As a numerologist, I can add that deeper level of analysis to your reading.

Dream Dictionaries

You may have seen a dream dictionary in the bookstore. A dream dictionary often includes common dream elements and explains them. If you lose teeth in a dream, the dictionary explains what that means. If you fly in your dream or if you are near a river or ocean in your dream, the dream dictionary can tell you what all those symbols mean. However, what’s true for one person may not be true for you.

I love dream analysis! It’s one of my most-favorite requests from my callers. It’s really rewarding for me when I make a connection between a caller’s dream and something they’ve been struggling with. Then I give them next steps, if appropriate. I also really love tying numerology into a dream analysis reading, because dates and numbers play an important role too! If you’re stumped by a dream, call me! Let’s figure it out together.

Indigenous cultures like Native Americans taught us that animals who roams the earth have a great deal wisdom to teach us. One example are The Lakota Indians who refer to the animals of their region as their “relations”. To them, animal relationship is familial, sacred and spiritually important. The Hawaiians on the hand refer to their animal allies as “aumakua” and their power is protective.

They believe the animal possesses the spirit of a deceased family member and may visit in a dream and become a guiding force in the person’s life. Australian aborigines consider animals “kin”, and some families take as a surname the name of the animal that lives in their region. As with the ancient Egyptians, animals for these cultures are imbued with god-like qualities and supernatural powers. They influence every aspect of life and guide the individual who accepts the animals as their totems.

For the shamans of these indigenous cultures, the animals are spirit helpers guiding their journeys while in trance states. An animal may first appear to the shaman in a dream calling him to his spiritual power and purpose as a healer. The animal gives the shaman otherworldly visions and healing power.

Just about everyone has had an animal power dream. From a shamanistic perspective, when animals emerge from within a dream the dreamer is initiated and meant to accept the attributes and spiritual power of the animal. If not fought off or chased away, the animal will lend its wisdom as “medicine” for the soul, supernatural power for healing, and instinctive characteristics to strengthen the dreamer’s personality. Whether it is the healing energy of a snake or the pride and confidence of a lion, each possesses an extraordinary power that connects the dreamer to hidden potentials held within.

Some dream analysts interpret animals in dreams symbolically and even ascribe negative characteristics to them. They consider animals to reflect lower drives, which humans should rise above by virtue of the intellect. This view separates man from the mysteries of nature and denies the power and potentials available when accepting a more shamanistic view in which animals represent spirit helpers.

The following twelve animal totems, as archetypes, are the most common emerging in dreams. If you have been visited by one of these animals in a dream, they are likely one of your animal totems.

Bear

For Native Americans, bear is the totem of a healer. Bear brings the power to heal yourself as well as others who may need your special gifts as a healer. Bear’s mothering qualities nurtures growth, comforts, and attends to the special needs of others. Running away from a bear in your dream, may remark that you are avoiding your spiritual power and straying from your path as a healer. It may also mention that you are afraid of being mothered.

Crow

Crows sometimes form flocks in the millions but are usually seen in pairs or in small groups. Those with crow as their totem are led by their intuition, a sense of purpose and a commitment to guide others. Like crow, you are a guide. Crow’s inquisitive nature reminds you to look for signs, decipher their meaning and share what you have learned with those who look to you for wisdom and advice. In a dream, a crow may caw loudly to awaken you to new opportunities ahead.

Dolphin

In the wild, dolphins exhibit a playful spirit and are known to summon swimmers to join in the fun. They are all about synergy and sharing good energy with those around you. They possess a super intelligence and communicate telepathically at great distances, demonstrating that we also have a higher intelligence with potentials that are usually untapped.

As medicine, dolphin punctuates the need for joyous attitude. In dreams, the appearance of dolphins usually points to childlike exuberance and the need to play and have fun. It may also remark on connecting and synergizing with others through a bond of commonality.

Eagle

For Native Americans, eagle is Great Spirit’s messenger. Eagle feathers are used to invoke spiritual power in ceremony and to bless the tribe. If your totem, eagle calls you to embrace a spiritual life and to use your spiritual power to bring light to those around you. In dreams, eagle may lift you out of the mundane and into otherworldly dimensions were you can touch a higher frequency of energy. The appearance of eagle may also suggest that you need to gain perspective by soaring above your problems to acquire greater insight.

Hawk

Hawk soars on streams of air, the element associated with thoughts and communication. If hawk is your totem, you are communicative, mentally sharp and a bringer of hope and good news. As medicine, hawk gives you foresight. Hawk’s appearance in a dream may bring you a message from above or could mention that someone is trying to contact you from afar.

Expect a message. Hawks are also known for their acute vision, spotting prey at a distance. It may arrive in a dream to remind you to look for opportunities that seem beyond your reach, signaling you that there are more rewarding experiences ahead.

Horse

In the wild, horses roam free and move swiftly in a herd. They are equipped with an intelligence we refer to as “horse sense”. As a totem, horse mentions that you are a free spirit at heart, willful, sure-footed on your path and that you possess a great deal of stamina for the journey ahead. Your intelligence guides you and you have a great deal of common sense. As medicine, horse brings you added energy, “horsepower”, to get things moving in your life. In a dream, horse may arrive alone or with a rider to nudge you forward to achieve your goals.

Lion

African lions live in a family system known as a “pride”, offering a clue to their power as totems. If lion rules you, you are trustworthy, honored, honorable, and gifted with a sense of pride. As medicine, lion teaches you about loving yourself above all others and will appear in a dream to emphatically insist that you do. Lion in a dream can also suggest you need to call up some courage if you are fearful in confronting some challenge. It asks you to become the king or queen that you are.

Raccoon

If raccoon is your totem, you are resourceful, always busy, conscientious and family oriented. You know what it takes to make ends meet and how to prosper. Raccoon will do just about anything to feed and find shelter for its family. They are the masked-bandit of the animal tribe, willing to steal if they need to. In dreams, a raccoon may point to your mischievous nature or to the need to find solutions to very real economic pressures.

Snake

As totems, not all snakes are the same. Each variety holds special medicine and power. For example, rattlesnakes warn, cobras are associated with alchemy and magic and pythons bring creative potentials into your life. In general, if snake is your totem, it teaches you about the kundalini (sexual) energy that rises activating your chakras and spiritual centers. This power is healing. In a dream, snake slithers past you to awaken you to the beauty of your sexuality. It may also point you towards using your creative talents as an artist or learning how to move energy through dance.

Tiger

Whether a Siberian or a Bengal, each tiger has its unique markings. If tiger is your totem, you have the mark of a strong leader and teacher. You are regal, proud, strong-willed, and confident. As a medicine, tiger insists you stand up and speak up for yourself and others, take center stage even when you would rather be in the back row in the audience, and use your authority to influence those around you. In a dream, tiger may arrive when you need the strength and fortitude to contribute something important to others.

Whale

Whales, such as the Humpbacks navigate with sound, calling out to each other from the depths of the ocean. They make beautiful music. As your totem, whale reminds you of your own musical talents, asking you to bring your musicality out into the world. As medicine, whale points you to the healing power of sound, attunes your heart and balances your chakras.

Whales are considered the ancient record keepers of a legacy from the stars. Therefore, whale can point you to astrology to map out your destiny. In a dream, a pod of whales may summon you to swim with them and dive into the depths of your subconscious to discover what hidden treasures or gifts you possess that lie beneath the surface.

Do you have a dream that you harbor and keep tucked in a private corner of your heart? Everyone has a wish, a desire, a dream for their life, but what everyone doesn’t know is that you have the power to make your dreams come true.

The Law of Attraction is the belief that positive and negative events in your life are a result of the energy that you put out into the universe. If you often feel that you have a dark cloud shadowing you, it’s time to examine your personal power to see how you are keeping yourself from a brighter future. The good news is that you are in control, and you can make changes so that your most personal dreams may come true in your life.

Tips to Manifest Your Dreams

• Believe in Yourself

Forget the negative chatter around you and start to believe in yourself. You must believe in yourself and believe that you are worthy of love, happiness and good things in life. If you don’t believe that you deserve to have your dreams, come true, you are giving up the power to make your dreams come true.

• Claim Your Dreams

You can’t get what you want if you never ask for it. Claim your dreams and ask the universe for help. You can state it out loud or write it down. It doesn’t matter how you ask—just that you do. Don’t be shy about it and take pride in the fact that you know how to ask for what you want.

• Express Gratitude

One of the fundamental tenants of the Law of Attraction and manifesting your dreams if that like attracts like. If you want blessings to flow into your life, you must express gratitude for the blessings that already surround you. No matter how difficult it may be, search out the tender mercies, acts of generosity and kindness in your daily life and express your gratitude for these moments.

• Have Faith

You must have faith that your dreams will come true. This confidence can be incredibly difficult, but in your moments of doubt know that you deserve to have your dreams to come true. Let this faith carry you through. Remember, if you experience doubt and lose faith that negative energy will be let loose in the world and may prevent your dreams from coming true.

• Be Open to Surprises

Don’t be married to the way you want things to happen and open yourself up to surprises. If you ask for true love or a new job, you must let the universe see to the details. Don’t put too many demands and let miracles happen in your life. The gifts that you ask for may come about from the most surprising sources, and you don’t want to miss out on your big opportunity because you were too busy looking the other way.

Don’t ever let fear stop you from pursuing your dreams. Instead, ask for what you want, believe in what you want and focus on the beauty and blessings that are already in your life. By doing so, you will open your heart to a world where your dreams do come true.

Think back on your most unforgettable dreams… Were you flying high and looking down, were the cities and countryside blurred beneath you? Were you set adrift in a boat on a stormy sea, or did you spend a wonderful afternoon in a meadow colored with a rainbow of wildflowers?

Whether you were in the middle of a nightmare or a fun adventure, the landscape of your dreams holds a deep significance to the meaning of your dreams.

The setting of your dreams are not only a backdrop to action of your dream, but it can also often be examined as a road map to your inner mind. Does your dream take place at a calm and peaceful beach where the tide quickly rises as a storm approaches or do you see yourself and a friend walking hand in hand through a neighborhood that you may recognize from your childhood?

When examining your dreams, it’s important to remember that places can be just as important as people, actions or objects within the dream. By working with a knowledgeable dream interpreter, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of what the many landscapes and settings of your dreams may signify.

Common Dream Landscapes

• Water Elements

The presence of water in your dream is a vital clue to uncovering your internal state of wellness. Tranquil pools of water suggest that you are at peace with yourself and your situation, while rough and turbulent water indicates that there is much emotion bubbling under your public persona.

In addition to the presence of water, other types of water elements give you important clues to your subconscious mind. Oceans can symbolize your search for internal truths, while a river represents your emotional journey and whether you are going with the flow or having trouble navigating your life’s journey.

• Major Landforms

If you are scaling a mountain or have a mountain range figure prominently in your dream, it indicates an obstacle in your life. When you wake, think back to your dream to analyze what you did to overcome the mountain. Did you take a direct path, or did you have to get creative with finding an alternative path to the top? By taking time to recall your dream and examine how you dealt with the path set in front of you, you’ll be able to better understand what is required of you in your waking life.

• Cityscapes

While we often think landscapes are meadows filled with wildflowers, shaded forests teaming with animals or a windswept desert where the sands reflect the orange glow of the setting sun, urban landscapes are just as revealing as the natural world. Cities and towns most commonly represent your interaction with others.

If you find yourself wandering in a large and unfamiliar city, it may show that you desire closer relationships to people around you. However, in whatever landscape you travel through, examine the roads that lead to your destination. Whether it’s a dirt path through a forest or a paved road riddled with potholes, the quality and condition of the road gives clues to the quality of your journey.

Dreams are messages from your subconscious that reflect your inner desires, fears and hopes for the future. By taking the time to recall your dreams and analyze their meaning, you’ll be in a better position to take effective action in your waking life.

Are you tired from being wide awake due to nightmare after nightmare? Do you ever wander through days in a fog because of a night of restless dreams? Do you want to save your sleep and take control of your dreams?

Don’t worry; you don’t always have to give in to the exhaustion that follows night after night of restless sleep and bad dreams. Using certain techniques, you can take control of your dreams and save yourself from the fear and anxiety that haunts them.

Preparation

You set the stage for the night’s rest hours before you even go to bed. If you’ve been suffering from nightmares or restless sleep, try eliminating caffeine in the afternoon and switch off the TV an hour before bed. Stop reading that new thriller. Instead, listen to calming music, do a short yoga sequence or meditate on your day. All of these serve as a way to tell your mind that you are going to give it a chance to wind down and relax to set the stage for restful sleep.

Write Your Dreams

Before you sit up in bed, reach for your nightstand and grab your dream journal. Record what you remember from the night’s mental musings. By making a practice of writing your dreams, you are telling your subconscious that what you dream is important. It will also help you gain a better understanding of what types of dreams you have and if you are having recurring dreams. A dream journal is an important tool for you to understand your dreams and take control of the reins.

Set Your Intention

After you’ve let your mind unwind and relax, you can set your intention for your dreams. As you lie in bed, think about what you want your dream to be. Tell yourself what you want to dream about and add as many details as you can until you drift off to sleep. You can even record this in your dream journal each night before you go to bed so that you could track if you met your intention for the evening.

Practice Being Awake

Much of your work at controlling your dreams will happen during your waking hours. In addition to keeping a dream journal, preparing for sleeping and setting a dream intention, you should ask yourself at various point throughout the day if you are awake or if you are dreaming. This will allow you to observe the difference between the reality of being awake and the reality of your dreams.

Take Control

Many times, people want to learn how to control their dreams as a defense mechanism against nightmares and anxiety dreams. The key to this is to recognize your nightmare, which are often recurring, and tell yourself that you know what’s happening. Reassure your sleeping self that you are in a dream and can’t get hurt.

With practice, you’ll be able to recognize the dream, reassure yourself and eventually get yourself out of the nightmare and into a more pleasant dream.

Once you’ve mastered the art of turning a nightmare around, you can really start to have some fun. Try new activities in your dreams that aren’t possible in your waking life and experiment with the laws of physics. Once you can control your dreams, nothing is impossible.

Ever wonder why you dream of something in particular? Aren’t you feeling good but still denying it? Each and every night we carry our thoughts, emotions and experiences from the waking world into the dream world of our subconscious. This baggage from your waking reality can be the catalyst for disturbing dreams, especially if you are doing your best to bury feelings of stress, fear and anxiety.

When you deal with a stressful situation in your life, the hormones released by the stress can cause you to suffer from insomnia, or disruptive sleep marked by nightmares. In turn, this lack of sleep can cause a cycle of stress that becomes seemingly impossible to break.

In order to achieve peak health and well being, you must get a good night’s sleep. If you find that your daily stresses are making it difficult to escape into a night of restful slumber, it may be time for you to analyze your dreams to gain crucial insights into your fears and anxieties.

Common Dream Signs of Anxiety

• Nudity

Almost everyone has had a dream that features being exposed as naked in public. A dream about nudity or unintentional exposure may often indicate that you feel as if your private life has become public, even through no choice of your own. If you have dreams of being naked in public, it may be time for you to explore the areas of your life that make you feel vulnerable or exposed and ask yourself it there is anything you can do to protect yourself.

• Being Chased

Do you always find yourself on the run in your dreams? If you’re tired of running, it’s time to stop and face your fears. If it’s too much to face while awake, take control of your dream and stop running. Try to confront what’s chasing you and it may give you important clues to help you face what you’re avoiding in your waking life.

• Falling

Falling from a great height is often a sign that you feel as if you are spiraling out of control and are quickly heading towards an abyss of failure. These dreams are hard to direct in your dream life, so you are going to have to work on these emotions in your waking life. This can be a sign that you have work to do to stop the free fall, so grab a parachute and find your soft landing.

• Runaway Vehicle

The nightmare of an out-of-control car, train or other type of vehicle is a classic dream indicating that you feel out of control of your destiny. It’s time to explore if you feel stuck in a job or relationship that isn’t headed in the right direction for you. What do you need to do to take control of your life?

Have you ever thought of someone and dreamt of them at the same night? Have you been scared of a certain dream that you don’t want to come true? Is your dream odd? Night after night you fall asleep, and your mind takes you on an incredible journey that may or may not make sense once you wake up and start your day. It’s not unusual to turn to your dreams to make sense of what’s going on in your life.

You may find yourself asking if that nightmare was prophetic, or what it meant that you were flying over your hometown. Many times, dream analysis is focused on the stresses and anxieties that you encounter in your daily life, but it can also reveal important facts about the health of your relationship.

Whether you fall asleep with the same partner night after night or go to bed hoping to meet Mr. or Mrs. Right, your dreams serve as a powerful tool for exposing what is going on in your relationship.

What The Dream Means for Your Relationship

Read below to find out what your dreams mean for your relationship. Does it mean you will be breaking up or that you are in the early stages of your relationship? Find out now!

• Breaking Up

Contrary to popular belief, a dream about breaking up with your partner doesn’t portend doom for your relationship. Much like the death card in a tarot reading it signifies that the relationship is changing and going to the next level and that something will be left behind.

• Construction

A construction dream, especially in the early stages of a relationship, can signify that you are building a foundation for your relationship. Look at how the building process goes and how can that relate to your new relationship. Do you need to pay better attention to workmanship or are you constructing a strong structure that can withstand the storms of life?

• Dating

Dreams about dates are really about your relationship with yourself and getting to know yourself. A double date reveals the differences between your public and private self, while a blind date shows that you are in the process of getting to know hidden aspects of your personality. Pay attention to the person that is with you and ask yourself if any of their characteristics apply to you or what you can learn from them.

• Ex-Boyfriend or Ex-Girlfriend

It can be hard enough running into an ex while you’re out in public, but it can be even worse when it’s in your dreams. A dream about an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend may serve as a warning that your new relationship is repeating negative patterns of former relationships. Be cautious and examine yourself and your new partner for warning signs from the past.

• Infidelity

Just because you dream of cheating on your partner or that your partner is cheating on you doesn’t mean it’s happening. If you are the one engaging in adultery, it’s a sign that your relationship is not meeting all your needs. If you are the victim of infidelity, it signals that there is an underlying mistrust of your partner or that you are feeling unappreciated.

It’s always important to remember that your dreams don’t always work in the most obvious ways. It can take an effort to figure out what your dreams are telling you and don’t be afraid to look at the health of your relationship through your dreams. You may be surprised at what your heart reveals as you sleep.

Think back to the last time you woke up feeling confused because of your dreams. Were the dreams filled with distorted shapes, or with inanimate objects suddenly come alive? Did you dream of a former lover? Did you dream you could taste sounds, or smell colors?

Bizarre and surreal dreams are very common. Mankind has been searching to uncover the hidden meanings, emotions and symbols of dreams since recorded history began. In some ancient cultures, people believed that they received secret coded messages from their deities and needed priests or mystics to intervene in an effort to uncover their meaning.

Dream Interpretation

As time has gone on, peoples’ desire to have their dreams professionally analyzed has only increased.  People believe that they can discover natural talents and subliminal desires through the interpretation of the symbolic meanings of their dreams. They believe that these discoveries can steer them on a clear course towards a more satisfying and rewarding future.

The Prophecy of Dreams

People throughout history who trusted in their dreams are responsible for many creations and discoveries, as dreams can be uniquely prophetic. Mary Shelley’s classic Gothic novel “Frankenstein” has its roots in her dreams. Paul McCartney dreamed the melody to the iconic Beatles song “Yesterday.”

Dr. Otto Loewi won the Nobel Prize after he dreamed of the experiment that would prove that nerve impulses were chemical. And Elias Howe invented the sewing machine after a dream gave him unique new ideas about how to design the needle.

Dreams can help people define life’s purpose and give insight into life stages and changes. They can give insight into relationships and help plot the course to true happiness.

Common Symbols in Dreams

There are many themes that are universally common in dreams. For example, certain feelings and emotions can be interpreted from actions in dreams. Insecurity, chaos or loss of control may be represented in dreams of being chased. Liberation and control may be represented in dreams of flying or soaring in the sky with wings. While the themes are universal, the meanings of the themes can be unique to the individual dreamer.

Dream Analysis

A “dream dictionary” sure would make it simple to interpret dreams! But discovering the true meaning of dreams requires much more insight and skill than simply searching through a book. A person’s dreams are as personally distinct as fingerprints or DNA. The symbols and languages of someone’s dreams are unique to that person.

People who discover the true meaning of their dreams are often helped with:

• Accomplishing balance between mind and body
• Overcoming reoccurring nightmares
• Conquering fears
• Experiencing lucid dreams or vivid, realistic dreams
• Restoring relationships with past loves or deceased loved ones
• Discovering past lives
• Achieving professional success
• Finding love

These are only possible through intuitive dream work and accurate dream analysis, which includes a true understanding of the symbols and metaphors in relation to the dreamer.

Dream Journaling

Get in the habit of writing down all of the details of your dreams as soon as you wake up. Keeping a tape recorder or notebook right next to your bed will help you record every detail. Be sure to include as much information as you can, no matter how subtle or insignificant it may seem to you at the time. With this information in hand, you’ll be well on your way to assembling the puzzle that is your dreams!