Understanding Dreams; how to influence, record and interpret dreams

Since being interested in dreams I have bought no end of dream interpretation books and if your anything like me you will notice that they are all a bit different but sometimes you look through them and just cannot find what you are looking for? I was like that until I found a different kind of dream interpretation book and one I wanted to share with you. I will be giving you an idea of the what the book has to offer but more letting you know what my thoughts are and also a little interpretation for you.

Understanding Dreams - Paul Roland

This book isn't your ordinary A-Z of interpreting dreams, it starts with the first section "The science of sleep and dreams" which explains why we sleep, what makes us sleep, what the scientist say and so much more. He goes on to explain the 5 stages of sleep, sleep deprivation and hallucination which is great if you want to figure out what it all means

The second section of the book: The Dream-Worker" explains everything on recalling your dreams, keeping a journal, dream meditation, visualisations and how to lucid dream. This is a wonderful in depth section to help you develop more with your dreams and try out different ways to ensure you capture every moment.

The next section of the book is my favourite and instead of A-Z like normal dream books this book is sectioned into different topics so no more A - Apple, if you dream of an apple it indicates......etc etc. instead it has for example "committing a crime", "Broken Objects" or "losing something". To me this is a much easier way to interpret dreams because if you do dream of "losing something" how can you interpret that in a normal dream book as dreams are very strange and you may not be aware of what you have lost so this is a great way to interpret dreams that you don't have all the symbols or facts, it lets you interpret a scenario instead of a "thing" or "object". If you have more than one dream book then this is even better because you can use them all to really get a good interpretation.

I have put together a little taster of some scenario interpretations for you:

Committing a crime - Its quite common to dream of committing a crime and this can cause anxiety, the worry is that such a dream might indicate that we will inadvertently commit a crime in the future, or that it is indicating repressed impulses. Such a dream can also relate to fear of being falsely accused of something or of being persecuted for an inadvertent error. However the most likely meaning is that the dream represents a comparatively insignificant action in the distant past which we have regretted for so long that it has been magnified by the subconscious to the point where it now demands to be dealt with.

Undressing - Undressing in public indicates that the dreamer feels restricted and subconsciously harbours a desire to throw off inhibitions and discard conventions and conditioning, in search for a new identity. If the attendant emotion is one of unease, it could indicate a fear of being ridiculed or exposed for imagined failings.

Hunger and thirst - It is likely the appetites are symbols of hunger and thirst for something the dreamer does not possess at present, such as a house similar to the one in which the meal takes place, the money necessary to pay for similar luxuries, the ability to be at ease socially without being self-conscious, or even the undivided attention of the person they are doing it with.

Odd and even numbers - Odd numbers are generally representative of the mysterious, intuitive, unknown an unpredictable elements in life, whereas even numbers represent the familiar and practical everyday elements. However, in ancient Greece even numbers were considered to symbolize feminine, passive qualities and odd numbers the active and masculine qualities.

Youthfulness - If the contexts of the dream indicates that the youth is not the male aspect of the self. embodying enthusiasm for life, then it is likely to be telling you to look for something of relevance from this period. Instead of presenting ourselves in this guise in the dream the unconscious may even use a youthful image of someone that we know well to make the same point. Perhaps the dreamer is struggling with feelings or a situation to one at an earlier age? If so, the unconscious could be hinting that the solution lies within the lessons of that previous experience.

Broken objects - These are often connected with the suspicion that life is not all that it could be, that we have been let down, ill-used or fobbed off with shoddy goods or an unsatisfactory explanation. It could also imply that we do not believe that we have what we need to fulfil our present needs or future ambitions. If the damaged object is a container in which we need to carry something crucial, such as water to put out a fire or sand to help build a house, it indicates the feeling that time is running out for something we are desperate to complete and possibly the fear that our efforts are being undermined by less conscientious people.

Seasons - In dreams the backdrop can be as significant as the detail. The traditional interpretation of the seasons as representing the phases of life, with spring corresponding to childhood, summer to youth, autumn to maturity and winter to old age, are still relevant and revealing. The weather can have great symbolic significance, reflecting the way it dictates our choice of activities and affects our mood.

So as you can see its so much more in depth than just an A-Z dictionary with a lot more meaning than just symbols and objects in dreams. The book is such a wonderful in depth book which really makes you look differently at your dreams but also gives you the understanding of different kinds of dreams and above all why we dream. I highly recommend you try to keep a journal of your dreams because even if you don't understand them or cannot figure out how to interpret them at least you will have some weirdly amazing material for your writing.