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.
I find the notion of providing an ending to unfinished dreams particularly intriguing. It could be a way to understand unresolved issues or emotions that linger in the subconscious.
Illustrating dreams through art or writing poetry sounds like a fascinating approach. It can provide a new layer of understanding and might help in deciphering the complex emotions involved.
The idea of starting a dream diary is compelling. I think documenting both dreams and waking life events could reveal intriguing patterns and connections that we might otherwise overlook.
The suggestion to act out dreams with a group is quite innovative. Getting feedback from others can indeed offer new perspectives that one might not consider when analyzing dreams alone.
Maintaining a parallel journal for dreams and waking life events is a novel idea. This could certainly help in identifying patterns and gaining deeper insights into one’s subconscious mind.
I agree, Inge. The method of comparing dreams with daily events could potentially uncover underlying thoughts and feelings that are not immediately apparent.
Absolutely, Gordo. It seems like a comprehensive way to link subconscious experiences with conscious ones, providing a fuller picture of our mental landscape.