Who doesn’t think about what their dreams mean? Yet, dream interpretation and meaning is often viewed as a pseudo-science.
Actually, dream interpretation can be helpful in many different ways. Many studies have shown that there is a scientifically-verifiable pattern of meaning in people’s dreams.
Research has shown that most people dream about people, places and memories that are significant for them.
What does importance or significance mean for dream science? It means events, images and memories that have had an emotional impact on the dreamer. This finding alone illustrates how dreams have meaning, and are not just random bits of fluff dispersing into the breezeway of our minds.
Dream Interpretation at a deeper level is more complex. Such as, well, what does this image mean for me?
Many run to dream dictionaries for dream interpretation, but these guides are effective only for the cultural level of meaning.
Besides cultural levels, dream images also can have personal significance for the dreamer, which may even be contrary to the cultural level! The bottom line is that dream interpretation is not an easy calculation or a quick-fix solution. To reach these deeper levels, people have to begin a slow investigation of their own beliefs.
Some good ways to explore dream interpretation are to keep a dream journal and focus on not only the images but the emotions in the dream.
Also, deepen your association with an image through your own research into the stories and myths you were told as a child. The dream dictionaries can be of some help, but this is only a starting point for interpreting your dreams.