Dream interpretation: Why you need to start dream journaling

We’ve all had raw and stark dreams that have left us inundated with questions after we wake up, “why did I feel like I was falling down a deep hole”? Am I Alice in Wonderland? Dreaming about running for your life, is one of the most common dreams we humans channel, but why do we have them?

“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” ― Edgar Allan Poe

Dreams help solve your problems and bring to your attention things you’ve been ignoring or been too busy to notice.(Freepik)

We’ve all had raw and stark dreams that have left us inundated with questions after we wake up, “why did I feel like I was falling down a deep hole”? Am I Alice in Wonderland? Dreaming about being naked in public, running for your life, failing an exam you’re unprepared for, these are some of the most common dreams we humans channel from the etheric field of archetypes, but why do we have them? What are the underlying processes of the unconscious that trigger these dreams? Let’s run down this rabbit hole and explore the deep tunnels of our unconscious and travel to unknown worlds within. Exciting stuff!

People love talking about their dreams and we want to know about the mysteries of the dreaming state, but dream analysis and interpretation need awareness and a determined mindset to work on discovering the latent symbols and this can potentially change our lives. Transformation takes time, diligence and persistence. Are you ready?

Dreams break us out of the constraints and limitations put on us by our physical body and the unconscious mind functions beyond these physical limits, contemplating abstractions like numbers, space, time and momentum. Once we start dreaming, all physical constraints are removed and the unconscious dissolves the separation between our individual soul and the universal soul. What is real and what is not real becomes subjective!

The Native Americans, aborigines, tantric and shamanic traditions use dreams as a tool for accessing the hidden and mystical unconscious which reveals myriad unique and unknown worlds. The metaphoric and allegorical language of dreams takes us to fantastic and mythical places, leaving us confounded as dreams are not linear. Things are not how they appear in the normal waking world when everything is motivated by ego and power-play.

Dreams break us free from social conditioning and each dream is unique to the dreamer and so is the interpretation. Dreams of an individual dreamer will “speak” to them in a language understood only by them, which is why dream interpretation is not a sure shot science. It is an interpretive artform. You can try to gauge and decode the meaning of a dream by reading up an analysis, but its best to use your intuition. A red cup may have a certain meaning attached in your brain which no one else can decode. But the first step is of course to remember those illusive dreams that fade away as quickly as a rainbow after a rainfall.

Dreams help solve your problems and bring to your attention things you’ve been ignoring or been too busy to notice. It helps with emotional balance and provides catharsis. Dreams are a way for us to get in touch with out spiritual selves, as well as our ancestors.

You won’t believe this if I tell you, but dreams are often known to alert you to disease and health complications. I have read in studies that doctors are trying to decode the dreams of terminally ill patients to help with their treatment. Somehow, the answers appear in their dreams. Terminally ill people are connected to the unconscious in ways healthy people are not. They can see other worlds and dimensions that we cannot! The key point to note is that dreams provide us with resolution and atonement when needed.

That failing in the exam dream signifies that things are uncertain in your life and you don’t feel totally confident to deal with it. If you see a dog, it could mean aggression, especially if the dog bites in the dream. However, biting can mean that you’re being criticized. Are you being judgmental about yourself? Or are the people near you behaving thus? Dogs could symbolize faithfulness or the lack of faith, depending upon the scenario in the dream and bites can also mean someone is being disloyal. Each sound, color, smell has a meaning that only your unconscious can interpret. The key is to tune into your intuitive self and apply the meaning of these symbols to the events and situations transpiring in your life and you might just have the lightbulb moment.

Studies have shown that we dream of random people we encounter in our daily lives, it’s not necessary for us to know them. So, our dreams are littered with random strangers who are actually symbolic of our own self. These characters guide us to the epiphany, for example, the incessant ringing of your phone may be a need to communicate with someone. Maybe you need to ask for help? If you find yourself drowning, maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed and unprotected.

Water represents our emotions and the most interesting thing about water is that it has memory! When you see yourself swimming or even drowning, it refers to life being an emotional roller coaster.

That dream you had about going running? Are you sure you’re not running away from something or someone and if so, then the dream is asking you to face it. Confront the dark and the depressing to find meaning. Falling down symbolizes fear of completion and embarrassment. The inability to breathe in a dream could also reflect overwhelm and sorrow, whereas breathing underwater may mean you’re revisiting the womb stage. The prenatal stage when you were protected and cared for. Going for a deep dive may mean that you’re looking deep within, trying to contact your higher self.

Crying is a common motif in dreams and it connotes a purging of stress, anxiety and sadness. Maybe you’re repressing emotions, which is an unhealthy coping mechanism and it’s time to confront the shadow self. Choking on something refers to your inability to communicate with your loved ones. Maybe you’re not able to come up with the right words?

Then let’s get started by keeping a dream journal to remember our dreams and then set an intention that you want to assign specific meanings to your dreams; who knows what pearls of wisdom you might come out with from this deep dive?

The article has been authored by Tina Mukerji, a soul guide working with Astrology, Tarot, Psychism, Yoga, Tantra, Breathwork and Mantras. She works to discover the inherent archetypes, by studying astrological charts.