Seven things we can learn from our dreams by Theresa Cheung

18 June 2019

You can learn just about everything about yourself from your dreams but the following seven things are so potentially life enhancing I hope they will ensure that you never ignore or forget one of your dreams again.

Theresa Cheung

Remember that iconic scene in the movie Inception when everyone stops and stares at the dreamer? That’s exactly what dreams are. You are dreaming about yourself. Everything – every person, every object, every colour, every experience – is a symbolic representation of an aspect of you or your current state of mind. So, if you dream you are having an affair with your neighbour it’s not because you fancy him or her but because they symbolise some aspect of your personality you need to acknowledge. In short, every person in the dream is you – or who you want to be!

Dreams can reveal your future precognitively. Numerous people dreamt of two towers exploding before 9/11 for example but you are most likely to dream (Scrooge - like) of possible futures if you continue on the path you are currently on. If you do glimpse a potential future in your dream remember it is not fixed. You are in charge of what happens in your life. (You can also take charge of your dreams if you learn lucid dreaming techniques which give you the ability to ‘wake up’ in your dream and direct the action.)

If someone dies in a dream this is not a prediction of their actual death. Dreams are not literal but symbolic. The person dying represents an aspect of yourself that is dying or needs to die for you to evolve. It could also signify that your relationship with that person is changing. Try to recall what killed that person and who killed them as this will help you understand what needs to be released from your life.

If you are naked in a dream this is your true self so if you feel relaxed being nude you are in a good place but if you are trying to cover yourself up you fear exposure or being honest with yourself and others. Clothing or lack of it in dreams says everything about your state of mind so pay attention to those details.

Animals in dreams represent your instincts, the part of you that is often unexpressed in waking life. Notice how the animals make you feel in the dream. Are you scared or relaxed or are they chasing you? What condition are the animals in?

Some dreams can help you solve problems or reveal incredible creative insight hidden in your mind proving that the ‘sleep on it’ advice is sound. Numerous inventions or great works of art have appeared in a dream first. Paul McCartney heard the theme for ‘Yesterday’ in a dream and Mary Shelley conjured up Frankenstein in her nightmares

Every dream you have is an attempt by your dreaming mind to educate or inform you in some way. Dreaming about people of the opposite sex represent your desire to explore and integrate that aspect of your own personality. Dreaming about people you don’t know represents parts of yourself you are not acknowledging. If someone is chasing or attacking you in a dream what aspect of yourself are you in conflict with? If you are driving in a dream is your car in the fast or slow line and do you know where you are heading? Remember, all your dreams are you unconsciously searching for understanding of and connection to your true self.

Pay attention, please

As you start interpreting your dreams on a daily basis you start understanding your life better. The more you recall your dreams the more you connect to your inner wisdom or the part of you which knows who you are and what you need to do. Think of your dreams as your inner therapist – far cheaper than a real one! And if you are one of those people who says they never dream you are wrong. You do dream. You just can’t remember them.

The more attention you pay to your dreams the more likely you are to recall them clearly. Put a pen and paper beside your bed every night and before you fall asleep tell yourself you will remember your dreams. Then immediately on awakening record the images in your mind. Don’t get up first because any activity distracts your mind from dream recall. Keep paying attention to your dreams in this way and soon dream recall will flow naturally. Your dreams, like everything in life, love attention paid to them. Now that you know that your dreams are all about you - and can teach you so much about yourself - be sure to give them the loving attention and respect you deserve.