Exploring dream interpretations, common themes and unique patterns; a beginners guide to the language of our dreams.
Some people claim they never dream, some remember them vividly, and the rest of us are somewhere in between with sporadic memories and occasionally no recollection at all. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to dream interpretations, however there are some clear patterns which, through extensive research we have come to be able to determine a loose meaning or connection with.
The fact that many people experience dreams of a similar nature points clearly to the fact that there must be an underlying connotation; a link, something which connects the dots as to why there would be a theme.
When we do have a memorable dream, we naturally wonder what the meaning behind it is. A lot of people experience recurring dreams, which they need to work out the significance of, in order to make sense of them. Of course there is no one particular defining answer to this, but the studies show that we can delve into our subconscious to find a broad, general answer.
Dream interpretations are no simple feat but there are some guidelines which we can all refer to when it comes to commonly themed memories of them. Some neuroscientists believe that during REM sleep our brains are hard at work, and on occasion this may cause us to install a memory, but this means nothing, it is just a consequence of our mental activity occurring during sleep; nothing to concern our waking hours with. However, some cultures and beliefs, give great meaning to the idea that our subconscious is actively working during sleep and that these dreams are extremely meaningful, even spiritual. Most theories conclude that our dreams are a consolidation of our memory and that they reflect our waking life experiences.
So, if you believe your dreams hold some meaning then you could look up the idea, or theme of it, decode it if you like, and see how it resonates with your personal life. Rather than pick apart every piece of the dream, you need to look at the emotional side of you and see how it has made you feel. What emotions are exposed during the dream? Then you can figure out why. Who knows, this may help to expand awareness of our consciousness during waking hours!
Commonly-themed dreams can help us to put this idea into a few brackets, but if there are no explanations out there then try the emotional route and see what your psyche may be digging up.
DREAM INTERPRETATIONS
PREGNANT
Obviously this is a more common theme for women than men, however when it comes to men it could be a partner, a friend, a mistake, etc. and for most the explanation falls under the idea of change. If there is a potential big alteration coming up in your life, or has just occurred, or is on your mind, this could be the reasoning for such a dream. Pregnancy is a development, a process, something which you go through and it is a big shift in many dynamics of your life; this could relate to so many things that have absolutely nothing to do with pregnancy. Of course it could also mean that you are, or want to be!
MUTE
One of my own most common dreams, all featuring different scenarios, is trying to speak out, or perhaps even scream, and finding that sounds are failing me. The frustration and anxiety that comes with this incapability to be heard is considered the true theme of such a dream. Perhaps, if you look at recent, or ongoing, experiences and find that a relationship you are in causes you to feel unseen or unheard; your family or partner don’t listen to you, for example, and you may be screaming on the inside but your thoughts, feelings or words are not being absorbed by others. A fear of being ignored, perhaps?
TEETH
Experienced by all ages, whereby your teeth fall out during your dreams. It is a fairly traumatic experience during the dream; especially when a grown-up is losing their adult teeth. There are many theories about this, as it is so widespread, but the strongest one is that it relates to our self-consciousness. Those of us who hold our appearance dear to us, may well have this dream at some point – if we would feel mutated and unattractive due to a lack of teeth, let’s say. This could also relate to shame, or any personal negative distresses that relate to your own life.
RUNNING
The feeling of being chased in a dream scenario is another extremely common one. This could simply mean that there is something occurring within your life that you need to get away from. This doesn’t necessarily mean it is following you, but perhaps you haven’t faced it. Look at your life and try to analyse whether you have a particular issue, or issues, that make you feel a similar way to how you do in this type of dream state.
FALLING
When you find yourself tumbling in your dreams you rarely feel the pain of bumping into trees and bushes or hitting anything from a height, you generally just feel the fear and expectation of what is about to hit you. This occurs mainly when there is stress in our daily life, or perhaps a large pressure that you are enduring and need to face. Or something that feels so big that you have no idea how to approach it. It can be when things are spiralling out of control and you feel removed from being able to manage them. Again, consider things in your personal life that make you feel the way you do when you are falling in your dream.
SNAKES
Snakes are by far one of the most common animals to appear in dreams. Probably down to the fear they instil in most people, but in some cultures they also represent healing as well as transformation. So this really depends on your take on snakes to begin with, and then how they are being represented in the dream itself. Are you in fear of it slithering into your bed at night and wake up scared of the idea? Or perhaps the snake is shedding its skin, or chasing you or someone else. All of the particulars in the dream, and how it made you feel, are the explanations of what this means to you. How did you feel? When do you ever feel like this in waking life? Relate the two together and you may find your answer.
Obviously this is a drop in the ocean of dream concepts and dream interpretations as our minds are a minefield of information and then add in the idea of imagination and there are endless possibilities. Dreams are extremely personal and can be interpreted in various ways. The best way to interpret your own dreams is to to consider how you felt during the dream (the feelings are often more simple to remember than the storyline) and relate this back to your life. It could be something present, past or future that rears its head in a completely new form and so we need to understand the emotions, rather than the visuals, in order to make sense of it all.
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