While dream analysis won’t solve all of your challenges, just paying closer attention to your dreams can push you in the right direction for resolving at least some of them. Your dreams can give you hints about what’s going on in your subconscious.

The most important thing to remember is that dreams are SYMBOLIC. Your subconscious mind works in images and feelings, not words. The dreams that you experience (which are generated by the subconscious and “projected” into the conscious mind and memory) are visual representations of thoughts, feelings and experiences. Remember this when interpreting your dreams.

man asleep with blue bear - Dreams help you to understand your thoughts and feelings.

Dreams help you to understand your thoughts and feelings.

Sleeping gives your mind much needed rest and allows your brain time to sort things out. Your conscious mind turns off and your subconscious turns on. What’s really on your mind may end up in your dreams as a way of processing your thoughts. Get into the habit of paying attention to what your dreams are telling you. They may seem wild and crazy at first, but if you break them down, you may find an important message hidden within.

If you have trouble remembering your dreams, keep a pen and paper next to your bed. You may be able to remember your dream immediately upon waking. If so, you can quickly jot down your thoughts before they’re lost. This technique also enables you to more fully capture the details of your dreams.

Common Dreams

Although the varieties of dreams are endless, many of us experience similar dream situations. They also have a common theme running through them that can help you in your dream analysis. Here are some common dreams:

1. Running away from a monster.
In your dream, you run away from some kind of monster. It’s scary, but that monster could be representing a problem or hurdle that you need to overcome. Perhaps your mind is telling you that you should stop running away and face your fears instead.

2. Falling.
If you dream that you’re falling, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common dreams. It could mean that you feel like you’re free falling in life. You might feel alone and like you have no one to support you or catch you when you fall.

3. Drowning.
Drowning isn’t quite as common, but still a dream that can occur frequently. Drowning could signify being overwhelmed. You could be overwhelmed with a certain situation or just in general. You may still be fighting or you may be ready to give up the fight.

4. Feeling lost or stuck.
If you’re lost in your dreams, it could be a physical manifestation of how you truly feel. It could signify your extreme confusion about something going on in your life.

5. Naked in public.
This dream is one that’s often mocked, but it’s not so funny when you are the one having it! You might find yourself in a position where you’re partially or fully naked in front of other people. This could mean that you’re afraid of revealing too much about yourself to someone or the public. You may also feel that you’ve already revealed too much.

Resolving Your Issue

Once you’ve figured out what your issue is, you’ve done the hard part. You can now concentrate on taking action to resolve it. For example, if you’re having bad dreams because you’ve been having trouble relaxing, you can make the effort to incorporate more relaxation in your day.

When you resolve the specific situation that’s causing you stress, you’ll find that your negative dreams disappear. You can then concentrate on analyzing your good dreams!

Photo Credit: TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³.

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