The Special Language of Dreams

Wouldn't it be great if the language of dreams was something our waking minds could grasp!

Dreams are not psychic premonitions. Dreams are indirect, subconscious thought patterns that express emotions and information. Your own unconscious mind programs all dream symbols.

The good news is that we are able to study dreams and understand their symbols.

After a period, you should be able to identify these symbols and triggers easily during the dream state.

Identifying Dream Symbols

Keeping a dream journal can help you to identify common dream symbols. Upon waking, jot down as much as you can recall. Always make notes in the present tense, as a way to re-experience the dream. Highlight any significant or disturbing aspects of the dream.

Take your dream journal and refer to a dream dictionary or this list below. Never read these definitions at face value, since the meanings depend on several factors: the context of the dream, your own personal emotional attachments to the signs and your current life situation.

Use this information as a starting point for your personal spiritual investigation.

Common Dream Symbols and Meanings

• Animals often symbolize part of the psyche connected to nature and life. Predators chasing you indicate you may be holding back suppressed emotions like aggression or fear.
• Babies indicate a desire to have children, a sense of vulnerability or the need to feel loved. They also may signal a new beginning.
• Chased Being chased is the most common dream symbol and appears in all cultures. You might be feeling threatened. It is important to reflect on who is chasing you (literally or figuratively) and why they pose a threat in your waking life.
• Clothes show how we want others to remember us. If you are wearing grungy clothing in your dream, you might feel unattractive or exhausted. Changing your outfit could indicate a change in lifestyle.
• Crosses are highly emotional, depending on your religious beliefs. Many see crosses as a balance or the end of a life phase. Use the specific circumstances of the appearance of a cross to determine its value as a symbol.
• Exams are usually about self-evaluation. The subject of the exam will reveal a part of your personality that needs exploration.
• Death is NOT a paranormal prediction. Death of a loved one, friend or relative represents change, an ending or a new beginning. If a person in your life recently passed away, it may be a clue for you to come to terms with your loss.
• Falling is another popular dream symbol. Falling often suggests a concern over losing control over a situation, a failure after a success or just a sign that you should let go.
• Faulty equipment or the difficulty to perform basic functions like dialing a phone may be a sign of increased tension in your life.
• Food often symbolizes knowledge or nourishment of the mind.
• Demons are immoral entities signifying repressed emotions. A demon in a dream represents the need to change your own behavior.
• Hair relates to sexuality. Abundant hair could be a sign of virility while cutting hair in a dream represents the loss of libido. Hair loss could also mean a fear of becoming unattractive.
• Hands are not always present in dreams, but when they are, often the dreamer is being tied up. This represents a sense of ineffectiveness or impotence. Hand washing may express guilt.
• Houses have multiple meanings in a dream. An entire building symbolizes the spiritual psyche. Rooms, floors or levels represent different memories, emotions and significant events.
• Killing in a dream does NOT make you a potential murderer. Often, it represents a desire to "kill off" a part of your personality. It also suggests your hostility towards a particular person.
• Marriage may be literal (wanting to marry) or a symbolic merging of feminine and masculine parts of your inner self.
• Missing a flight suggests a disappointment over missing opportunities in life. You will see it often when you struggle to make a crucial decision.
• Money can specify self-worth. Dreaming of a currency means that you are expecting a number of changes in your life.
• Mountains are hurdles, so dreaming of climbing a mountain reveals the true sense of achievement. Observing a view from a mountaintop represents a life under examination.
• Nudity in a dream occurs when you want to expose your true self to others. Showing nudity may indicate vulnerability, sexual urges or a longing for recognition.
• People Characters in a dream are reproductions of your ego. They represent specific features of your personality.
• Radios and TVs symbolize communication between the conscious and subconscious mind.
• Roads reveal a direction in life. Seeing a road might mean you need to examine your current "life path."
• Schools are common for children and teenagers, but dreaming of school later in life may reveal a need to know yourself better.
• Sex in a dream has many meanings. It could mean you are longing for intimacy or that you have an unfulfilled desire for sex.
• Teachers are usually authority figures with the ability to inform.
• Teeth in a dream, especially losing teeth, shows a fear of getting old and becoming unattractive.
• Trapped Being trapped psychically reflects an inability to escape or make the right choice.
• Vehicles indicate the control you think you have in life. Note if the car is out of control or driven by someone else.
• Water comes in a wide variety of forms. A quiet pool suggests inner peace. Rough, choppy water suggests unease.