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Interpreting Dreams
There are different states of consciousness, such as being awake, asleep, concentrating, alert, excited, bored, and so on. Our conscious mind only takes a very small part of our brain activity. Some experts claim that it is only 10%. Other areas control memory, imagination and things like heartbeat, breathing, etc. And then there is the activity called dreaming. This part is still a mystery in many respects.
On average, we spend about a third of our lives sleeping. During a portion of that time, we are dreaming. When we are asleep, our brain is not really "sleeping." It's in constant activity. Dreams are both a method of relaxation and a vehicle in which the mind communicates ideas.
Dreams are easily influenced by factors in our life. They are emotions, thoughts and ideas. That's why many people believe in interpreting dreams. Although there are different methods of dream interpretation, most of them offer the same basic points of analysis.
The Theme
First, you have to identify the "theme" or "main concept" of the dream. Try to look at the dream from a different perspective. Take away all the details and look at it as a whole. For instance, if you dream that you are driving a plastic car in road full of little bumps, while you're talking to your best friend about chocolate pudding, the main theme of the dream is not the plastic car or the chocolate pudding. It's "driving a car." If you dream that you're on a strange planet, where people walk backwards and furniture is upside-down, and you're hoping to pick up some beautiful little flowers that are being destroyed by a robot, the main theme of the dream could be "something precious being senselessly destroyed."
Once you have identified the "theme," match it to a specific area of your life. About 90% of your dreams are about you. In the second dream, for instance, the theme was "something precious being destroyed." Ask yourself: What element of my life seems very precious to me? Is it being hurt or damaged in any way?"
Emotional State
Pay attention to your "emotional state" in the dream. Were you happy, sad, scared, terrified? Dreams can have different meanings depending on your emotional state. It's not the same to dream that you are flying while you're happy as to dream that you are flying and terrified.
Symbols
All the little details in your dream mean something. They are symbols. For the most part, they are very personal things. We associate meanings differently from one another at times. To a vegetarian, for instance, dreaming about eating a hamburger can have negative connotations. It's dreaming about "the forbidden fruit." To a meat-eater who likes hamburgers, it can be a positive thing. It can be associated with barbeques, meeting friends, etc.
Some symbols, however, are believed to be relatively universal. Many experts have created "dream dictionaries," which include the most common definition or definitions for a particular item. Animals, for instance, symbolize our own traits, good and bad. It's easier to accept an animal doing something negative than yourself. Vehicles and means of transportation usually reflect the direction you are heading in your life. Clothing can represent mood and state of mind. They are the "face" we put on for the world. Death means a dramatic and major change, and other people often are reflections of our own personalities.
Next time you have a dream that seems too extraordinary to have any meaning, stop to think about it. Sometimes we draw conclusions better when we are asleep than when we are awake. Perhaps you're trying to tell yourself something.
Comprehension Activity
- Some experts claim that our conscious mind takes as little as ___ of our brain activity.
a) 10%
b) half
c) 25%
- On average, we spend about a third of our lives ___.
a) conscious
b) dreaming
c) sleeping
- Dreams are easily affected by ___.
a) heartbeat
b) aspects of our lives
c) the "theme"
- In dreams, our own traits are often symbolized by ___.
a) death
b) animals
c) vehicles
- If you dream about death, it can refer to a ___.
a) reflection of your own personality
b) dream dictionary
c) drastic and major change in your life
Next Printout: Activity: Simple Past