Steps to Begin Interpreting Your Dreams: Keeping a Dream Journal
When starting the process of interpreting your dreams, many people find it helpful to keep a notebook or dream journal beside their bed. As soon as you wake up, physically able to write, begin documenting your dream.
Writing Down Your Dream
Write down your dream as soon as you remember it. Capture every detail, even if certain parts don’t make sense. Often, the parts that seem out of place are the most valuable in understanding your dream. Every element – characters, animals, objects, places, emotions, colors, and numbers – should be considered when analyzing your dreams.
Connecting Dream Symbols to Real Life
Ask yourself, “What does this remind me of?” Write down the first thing that comes to mind, as it will likely represent the real-life situation symbolized in your dream. How did that situation make you feel? If the emotions in your dream align with those feelings, you're on the right track. When multiple storylines are present in your dream, this often means your subconscious is trying to communicate multiple messages.
Recording Multiple Dreams
We dream between four to seven times per night. If you wake up from a dream, write it down immediately. Don’t roll over and go back to sleep, as you'll likely forget the details by morning. Even jotting down the basic premise will allow you to fill in the emotional and detailed aspects later.
Using Self-Suggestion to Remember Dreams
Each night before falling asleep, suggest to yourself, “I will remember my dreams.” Repeating this phrase signals your subconscious to act on the suggestion. Self-suggestion also helps you become more observant in your dreams. If you’re facing a particular problem, you can pray or ask for guidance through your dreams before sleep.
Trusting Your Instincts
Trust your instincts! If something in your dream feels important, it probably is. Avoid letting your logical side interfere with the intuitive insights from your dreams.
Next Steps: Dream Interpretation
Once you've written down your dreams, the next step is interpretation. Through analysis, you’ll begin to uncover the hidden messages and guidance within your dreams.
See Also: dream journal, dream symbols, subconscious.
[1]