Have you ever woken up and remembered your dream in which you were flying through the air like a bird? Or did you suddenly remember in the middle of the day how you were wandering through a deserted town for no apparent reason? Something about this dream won't let you go - but what did it want to tell you? Dream interpretation aims to answer precisely this question!
Dreams are like a window through which we can look into other worlds. They are intangible, often seem nonsensical or confused, but are nevertheless full of meaning. They open up a path into the subconscious, express wishes, address unresolved problems or can even unleash creative powers. Dream interpretation is the art of deciphering nocturnal images and finding out what they are trying to tell you.
Would you like to know why you keep dreaming about snakes or why you keep running through your old school in your dreams? Then you've come to the right place, because in the following article we take a detailed look at the most common dream symbols and address the question: How does dream interpretation actually work?
Content
1. dream interpretation & psychology - is there a connection?
2. the most common dream types & dream symbols
3. the best methods for dream interpretation & dream analysis
4 What you should bear in mind when interpreting dreams
Dream interpretation & psychology - is there a connection?
Science has long struggled with dreams. And yet they were a key to the human psyche for many great thinkers. Sigmund Freud, for example, studied the interpretation of dreams: He saw dreams as the "royal road to the unconscious" - dreams expressed what was suppressed in everyday life: repressed desires, sexual impulses, childish longings.
C. G. Jung went one step further with his more spiritual interpretation of dreams. For him, dreams were not just personal experiences, but also messages from the collective unconscious - a space full of archetypal images that we all carry within us: the mother, the shadow, the child, the self. For Jung, dreams reflect our emotional development and challenge us to become whole.
Even today, research often deals with the subject of dream interpretation(oneirology). Among other things, modern psychology is concerned with how dreams arise and how we can categorize them. They are usually seen primarily as emotional processing. During REM sleep, the brain organizes impressions, experiences and feelings. Dreams therefore help to sort out the daily chaos internally.
But regardless of whether they are based on depth psychology or neurobiology, dreams speak their own language. They show what happens between the lines of our lives - in images, symbols and stories.
The most common dream types & dream symbols
Before delving deeper into different dream symbols, it is important to understand that the type of dream can also say something about its meaning. There are many types of dreams, but the most common are the following:
- Repeat dreams: Many of us have that one dream that keeps coming back - sometimes for several nights in a row, sometimes at longer intervals. These recurring dreams often want to draw attention to an unresolved issue. Perhaps a certain life situation that you are ignoring or an inner conflict that has not yet been resolved.
- Nightmares: We all know the feeling of waking up from a nightmare or even being startled by one. These dreams are often very stressful, but also particularly revealing. They often deal with fears, traumas or strong tensions.
- Lucid dreams: Have you ever had a dream and been aware that it was a dream? Perhaps you were even able to actively influence your actions in the dream? Then you had a so-called lucid dream - a fascinating experience that can also be used for self-awareness and creativity.
15 common dream symbols & their meaning
- Teeth falling out: The dream interpretation for teeth falling out scares many people, as this symbol is often associated with death. However, there is a wide range of possible meanings here - from loss of control, fear of ageing and insecurity to a feeling of helplessness or the desire to hold on to something.
- Flying: Flying in dreams can be interpreted as a longing for freedom and overcoming boundaries, as well as a loss of control or an escape from reality.
- Persecution: If you are being chased in a dream, this is a typical anxiety dream. It could mean that you are fleeing from something that you are avoiding in real life: a conflict or a decision, for example.
- Death: If you dream of death, the interpretation of the dream is not necessarily negative. This symbol often stands for the end of a phase of life, letting go, transformation or a new beginning.
- House: Your own house or apartment is also a dream symbol that often appears. Here, each room can have a different meaning: For example, the attic often stands for old memories, the cellar for the subconscious and the bathroom for cleaning.
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Dog: The dream interpretation for the dog symbol can be both positive and negative. The animal often stands for loyalty, protection and instinct, but aggression and suppressed instincts can also be a possible interpretation.
- Cat: There are also several possibilities for the dream interpretation of this symbol: Intuition, femininity, self-determination - or independence and inner restlessness.
- Snake: The snake is a powerful symbol with many possible meanings. It can stand for positive things such as healing and transformation (shedding), but there are also negative dream interpretations for the snake. These include hidden dangers and temptations. In a spiritual sense, it is also often a sign of energy (for example in Kundalini Yoga).
- Spider: Although it is usually not so popular, the spider can have a positive dream interpretation. Among other things, it stands for creativity and patience - but sometimes also for the feeling of being entangled in something (be it a network of relationships or your own thoughts).
- Water: Water stands for emotions. Calm water symbolizes inner balance and stormy water, emotional turbulence or repressed feelings.
- Elevator: An elevator is a symbol for an ascent or descent in life. It is often (but not always) related to career and can be an indication of whether you are progressing (i.e. "climbing up") or stuck.
- Car: The car as a dream symbol stands for control over your own path in life. Are you a driver or a passenger? Do you drive fast or unsafely? All of this can give clues about your lifestyle.
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Nudity in public: You are standing in front of your old school class to give a presentation, look down - and realize with horror that you are naked. This dream occurs frequently and shows a feeling of exposure, vulnerability or fear of judgment.
- School and exams: If you dream of exam situations, this can indicate self-doubt, pressure to perform and the feeling of not having achieved something yet.
- Baby and birth: If you dream of a birth and/or a baby, this can represent a new beginning or a creative project that is growing up. Sometimes it also indicates a desire for care or fear of responsibility.
The best methods for dream interpretation & dream analysis
Understanding dreams is not rocket science. It's more like translating a foreign language: the more you engage with them, the clearer the picture becomes and the better you understand what they are trying to tell you. Here we present three tried-and-tested methods that you can use to track down the meaning of your dreams.
Associative dream interpretation
This method is about exploring your own connections to the dream symbols. When a certain symbol appears, you should ask yourself: What does it mean to me? What do you associate with the symbol and what memories and feelings come up?
Example: You dream of a dog. For one person, the dog stands for loyalty, for another for fear. Only through your personal association does the interpretation become vivid and accurate.
This method trains your intuition and brings you into contact with your own symbolic language - which is often much clearer than you think.
Dream diary
The simplest, but perhaps most effective method for better interpreting your dreams is to write them down - immediately after waking up, even before you pick up your cell phone or make coffee. Because dreams fade quickly - often within a few minutes. Write down as many details as possible: places, people, feelings, colors, symbols.
Make sure you write down all the dreams you remember in the morning, because even "banal" dreams are valuable. Over time, you will recognize patterns, recurring themes or symbolic references.
Tip: Keep your dream diary in analog or digital form - the main thing is to have it ready to hand. The more often you write, the better you will remember.
Symbol work with inner images
This method originates from imaginative psychotherapy. You consciously return to the inner world of your dream - e.g. through meditation, visualization or writing - and interact with the symbols. For example, you can "ask" the animal in the dream what it wants to tell you or let it guide you through the dream house.
This work often leads to a deep understanding of the message of the dream. It can be very transformative to "work" with inner images instead of just analyzing them.
Tip: Sit on the Shakti meditation cushion or on your Shakti mat while meditating to relax even better.
What you should bear in mind when interpreting dreams
As exciting as the world of dreams is, they should not be over-interpreted. Not every dream has a deeper meaning, and sometimes they simply serve as an emotional release and a way of processing the day.
Dream interpretation is also not an exact science. Rather, it is a dialog with your inner self - what the individual dream symbols mean can vary greatly from person to person. The emotions you are experiencing in the dream are often more important for the interpretation than the action.
Sometimes it takes time to recognize the meaning behind certain dreams. You shouldn't put any pressure on yourself and simply accept some dreams as they are without worrying about them.
Conclusion: Dream interpretation as an insight into the subconscious
Dreams are often more than just nightly entertainment. They are messages from your innermost being, clues from your soul and sometimes also loving kicks in the butt. They challenge you, remind you of things you have forgotten or lead you to new insights.
However, dream interpretation is not a rigid system, but a path to greater awareness. It is not about "cracking" dreams, but about feeling them, questioning them and accompanying them. They are a mirror, teacher and guide at the same time.
If you start to listen to them - perhaps with a dream journal, with mindful symbol work or simply with the willingness to get to know yourself a little better - then every dream becomes a small piece of the puzzle on the path to yourself.
So: What did you dream last night?