Waking to the Significance of Your Dreams

I am a dreamer. I love the bizarre nature of dreams, the symbolism, heightened and revealing emotion, and sudden realizations that can all come from drifting off to sleep. I can recall at the age of 4 waking in a panic from a dream where I was caught in the wind from holding an umbrella. I flew this way and that, swishing through the air high above trees and buildings. I frantically clutched the cold handle on my yellow ducky umbrella wondering how I was ever going to get down. In all its vividness, I was utterly confused when I woke up safe and sound in bed. It’s the first dream I remember and, even in its panic, it started me on wonderful journey!

Recently I’ve again found myself caught in a dream marathon, where each night I have vivid and active dreams that stick with me for days and weeks. In one such dream there was a fire and while everyone else was running out of the burning building, I ran to the basement where the source of the fire was. There I found the priest from my childhood, someone I’ve never taken issue with in real life, who came furiously screaming at me to get out. While I knew he was in danger if he stayed, I realized he had started the fire and there was no convincing him to leave. As I walked back out and joined the crowd of smiling people casually milling about the green lawn under the crisp blue sky, I realized they were my loved ones. While I still held worry from the fire behind me, I made the decision to enjoy my time as they were.

In a nutshell, after weeks of the dream sifting through my mind, I realized it was about the choice between anger or happiness. I can either live from buried anger (basement fire) caused by old beliefs that I used to find solace in (priest) or I can leave them behind, letting them burn to ash so I can find the joy that is already all around me (smiling family in fresh air and sun).

My dreams help me understand myself and guide me to push through obstacles that bind me, even when I’m not consciously aware of them. If my teeth are falling out again I know there’s something I’m not communicating or being truthful about. If I’m pregnant or have a newborn I know I’m going through a transitional phase in life and I need to be kind to myself and trust the process. And of course, if I’m in the all too familiar naked-in-public dream, I know I’m feeling vulnerable and exposed in some way.

There is so much you can gain from paying attention to your dreams. The best practice is to record them and start learning about the symbolic interpretation of key items (like I did above). I’ve learned so much from dream books that offer dictionary-style references for common symbols and events. And if you don’t often remember your dreams, the techniques that are available to enhance your recall are golden.

For more information on how you can work more actively with your dreams, check out our many dream books. My favorite is Dream Sight, since it offers more thorough explanations of common symbols. Pick one for a specific purpose or grab a bunch to gain a broad foundation for practice! And for fun, don’t miss the  Top 10 Amazing Fact About Dreams!

What is your experience as a dreamer? Do you find them to be significant or wasted time? How have your dreams influenced you?