How to Interpret Your Dreams. Surefire Tips & Tricks

What is Dream Interpretation in Simpler Terms
Dream Interpretation Theories
What Can Your Dreams Reveal About Your Mental Health
How Do I Interpret Symbols in My Dreams
What Are the Most Common Dreams and Their Possible Meanings
What Is the Meaning Behind Nightmares
What Do You Do to Analyze Your Dreams
Other Common Dreams and What They Mean
Surefire Tips for Easy Dream Interpreting

The world around us is full of mysteries - everyone knows that. But not everyone ever considers the mysteries of the world within us. And that is a shame. While the mysteries hidden within us, within our mind and our subconscious, are minuscule compared to those found in the outside world, they still fascinate just as much.

Case in point - our dreams. Have scientists come closer to understanding their essence? Have we found out how to comprehend them? And more importantly - have we learned to interpret them?

While the two first questions are slightly out of our field of expertise, we are certainly in the know when it comes to the last question. We invite you today on a thrilling journey as we travel into the depth of your subconsciousness and well-hidden divinity to learn how to interpret your dreams. Off we go!

What is Dream Interpretation in Simpler Terms?

Before we start digging for the truth about interpreting vivid dreams, we first need to understand the basics. What exactly do we mean when we say dream interpretation?

In simple terms, dream interpretation is a process that involves attempts at understanding the meaning behind the vision, the symbols, and recurring themes that come to us in our dreams. The desire to fathom the meaning behind dreams is as old as humankind itself. Ancient civilizations - Greeks and Egyptians - believed dreams to be messages from Gods or spirits. Since no message from a God should go unnoticed, priests, shamans, and other spiritual leaders served as dream interpreters.

The practice of interpreting dreams was the cornerstone of many psychology schools of thought. For instance, Sigmund Freud famously claimed dreams to be expressions of various suppressed desires. His colleague and adversary, Carl Jung, considered dreams to be a way our subconscious was trying to communicate with us. He believed that through interpreting images in dreams one could find a road to personal evolution.

Modern psychotherapists do not discount the importance of one’s dreams and usually treat them as a way to see into their client’s psychological condition, unresolved conflicts, and repressed traumas.

So since the dawn of time, people have always asked themselves “How to interpret what your dreams mean?”, many interpretation methods were formed:

Symbolic analysis. This method involves examining dream symbols and trying to find the meaning behind them.
Emotional interpretation. This method encourages truth-seekers to understand the feelings they experienced during a particular dream.
Personal context analysis. This method suggests that one finds a connection of the dream to their current life events.
Archetypal interpretation. This method calls for identifying universal symbolic patterns that go beyond individual experience.

Dream Interpretation Theories

To learn how to understand and interpret your dreams, you first need to find out the many different approaches to this tricky craft. Since dreams are a thing barely explored, there have been numerous attempts at rationalizing them. These gave birth to several theories of dream interpretation that we are going to cover now. And no, there aren’t just 2 or 3 ways to interpret dreams. There are at least 9 approaches. Let’s examine them:

Freudian Psychoanalytic Theory. One of the most famous dream interpretation theories saw dreams as wish fulfillment mechanisms. According to Freud, dreams represent our unconscious desires and repressed wishes, especially those of sexual and aggressive nature. Freud’s theory is arguably one of the most famous approaches to dream interpretation.
Jungian Analytical Psychology. Freud’s once close friend, Carl Jung, also considered dreams to be important, but he chose to focus on their symbolic meaning. In his mind, dreams were closely connected to the unruly unconsciousness that was feeding the conscious ideas of personal growth. Dreams were also viewed as something compensatory that helped to balance the conscious mind.
Modern Cognitive Theory. Today’s psychologists have a vastly different view of dreams, as they believe them to be a byproduct of mental processing and memory consolidation. Dreams serve as a mechanism for emotional regulation along with problem-solving. Modern interpretation theory completely discards the importance of hidden meanings within dreams and believes that dreams merely reflect ongoing cognitive processes.
J. Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley’s Activation-Synthesis Theory. If you asked those two scientists a question like “Can you interpret my dream?”, they would laugh you out of their laboratory. According to their theory, during dreams, our brain simply tries to create a coherent narrative from random neural signals that the brain emits during REM sleep. In short, this concept views dreams as a strictly physiological process.
Evolutionary Theory. Some scientists propose that dreams have an evolutionary function. They are viewed as a survival mechanism that provides a safe place to rehearse potential responses to threats. Dreams help us develop problem-solving skills through simulation scenarios that play out without the actual physical risk.
Neuroscientific Approach. Modern neuroscientists believe that dreams reflect neurological processes of memory and emotions. Dreams help process emotional experiences and consolidate memories. They are just a product of complex interactions between different brain regions.

In case you need more than strictly scientific approaches, let’s also look at the spiritual aspect of dreams.

Christianity. Many people wonder how to interpret dreams biblically. If you search the Holy Book for the answers, you’ll undoubtedly come across Joseph’s and Daniel’s prophetic visions. In short, dreams are a way of divine communication aimed at providing guidance, warning, or revelation. To interpret your dreams from the Biblical standpoint, you need a comprehensive understanding of the Scripture since the context is of utter importance.
Spiritual Interpretations. In many cultures and spiritual traditions dreams are considered to be spiritual and divine communications. Besides, some traditions believe that dreams can predict the future, allow for actual physical healing, and offer guidance.
Ta'bir. If you want to know how to interpret your dreams in Islam, then finding a knowledgeable scholar is in order. Islam tradition also views dreams as messages from Allah, but not all dreams are significant. Besides, dreams require careful and thoughtful interpretation, better performed with a sage.

What Can Your Dreams Reveal About Your Mental Health?

After some people google “How to interpret your own dreams?” and get down to business, they inevitably face a much more sinister question - “Is it OK that I dream what I dream?” Well, is it?

Even though the connection between your dreams and your mental well-being is yet to be found, some researchers suggest that there is indeed a link. After all, dreams are a window into your overall emotional and physical state. If some kind of a dream persists, there is a reason to suggest that you might have an unresolved trauma. Darker and negatively-themed dreams might be markers of an impending depression. Dreams about being chased might tell you something about your current stress level.

There is one thing that you have to keep in mind when it comes to dreams and mental health. If you are plagued by certain dreams and think that they are somehow contributing to your unstable mental health, the last thing you should do is jump onto some sort of Wikihow site to see how to interpret your dreams. Serious dreams and sleep issues should be discussed with a therapist.

How Do I Interpret Symbols in My Dreams?

Since dreams offer something more than just a sequence of surreal imagery, it’s natural for some people to try to get to the very core of their visions. Most of the time, at this very core of a dream lie persisting and omnipresent symbols.

We know that symbols rule the world. Let’s find out how to get the very gist of the signs and images that swarm your dreams. Here’s our little guide to interpreting your dreams based on their symbolism.

Write down all the symbols in your dream journal. This way you’ll be able to see a recurring theme with them. Make sure to write down what you see as soon as you wake up, lest you forget important details of your vision.
Identify the symbols that persist in your dreams. Avoid attributing literal meanings to them.
See how you react to the symbol in question. What do they remind you of? Do you have any personal associations with these symbols? Have you come across them at some point in your life?
Research the symbol from your dream from a cultural perspective. You should start by interpreting the symbol through the eye of your cultural tradition. Next, move on to the universally recognized meaning attributed to the symbol in question.
Seek guidance. Even if you are doing just fine with your symbol interpretation, a fresh perspective is always welcome. Consider turning to a therapist or even a psychic - after all, the latter might try to interpret your dream with tarot cards.

What Are the Most Common Dreams and Their Possible Meanings?

When people ask “How to interpret your dreams?”, they usually don’t mean the literal process. What they are more curious to know is what meaning they can attribute to the surreal vision they had just witnessed.

Let’s now have a courageous look at the most common dreams we see and how they can be interpreted:

Teeth falling out. This dream might be linked to your self-confidence issues, your concerns regarding professional performance, or difficulty with social interactions. In other words, you feel vulnerable and fear the loss of control.
Falling. This horrible experience in a dream signifies that you fear you have lost control of your life. You feel insecure and are overwhelmed by anxiety. By the way, are you curious to know how Carl Jung interpreted falling in dreams? Reportedly, he believed that falling in a dream meant that the person in question already knew that they had made a serious mistake and they were expecting repercussions.
Being chased. This kind of dream means that you have unresolved issues that you are too afraid to deal with. You avoid facing your problems, but they still can get to you when you sleep.
Flying. There are a handful of interpretations of this dream, depending on how exactly you fly. If you do it effortlessly, then you are feeling uncertain about your potential. If you are flying freely, then the meaning behind this dream is that you are gaining a sense of personal freedom. You are getting rid of the limitations that are holding you down.
Taking a test when unprepared. This dream suggests that you have self-evaluation concerns. You apprehend others’ judgment of you. Perhaps, you feel that your current self-esteem is inadequate.
Being naked in public. This dream hints that you might suffer from imposter syndrome. You feel too vulnerable and fearful to show the real you to the world.
Drowning. This unpleasant sensation in a dream wants you to assess the real levels of your stress. You are dangerously close to being burned out. Besides, there could be emotional experiences you have yet to fully process.

What Is the Meaning Behind Nightmares?

It’s often that people ask “How do you interpret a dream?” But have you met many people asking the same about nightmares? Intense and frightening dreams are usually forgotten or suppressed instead of being examined. And that’s a shame.

You see, nightmares aren’t just tiny night-time tortures. They are a very sophisticated way your subconscious chooses to deal with your emotions and stress. Despite being truly unsettling, nightmares are a completely natural part of our psyche.

Nightmares usually plague us during dire times, major life changes, and overwhelming emotional experiences. Besides, they usually occur whenever we have unresolved traumas, are sleep-deprived, or are chronically stressed. These factors combined cause such a psychologically and emotionally unhealthy landscape, that our brain sees nightmares as its only option to cleanse itself.

So next time you see a dream that nearly has you screaming in the night, take a small inventory of your life. Perhaps, it’s time to change your outlook on life as well as your lifestyle.

What Do You Do to Analyze Your Dreams?

Now, let’s have a more practical look at the whole “interpret my dreams” issue. If you want to comprehend the visions that come to you in your sleep, this is how you get down to doing it.

Get yourself a sleep journal and make it a habit to write down your dreams every day. Jot down whatever you remember every morning right upon waking. Don’t worry if you only remember fragments of your dream - even the smallest chunks of visions are valuable.
Make sure to recall not only the visions themselves but your emotions as well. Visions are virtually useless without the emotions that might have been evoked. The emotions you experience offer you valuable insight into the meaning behind your dream.
Keep track of recurring symbols. Scroll through your notes to see if there are omnipresent symbols. Highlight them and make sure to research all the possible meanings of these symbols. These meanings should cover not just common interpretations but your ones as well.
Share your dreams with your dear and near. You might just flat out invite your friends and family members by saying “Help me with interpreting my dreams” - you won’t believe how beneficial it could be.

For starters, they might offer a view from a different angle that might prompt some insight. Besides, the way you describe your dreams might also be telling - you might get a clearer understanding of the emotions you have experienced in your dream.

What’s more, sharing your dreams with your therapist is also a good idea - after all, they have a deeper understanding of archetypal symbols that your dreams might be the key they have been looking to unlock your vault of suppressed issues.

Other Common Dreams and What They Mean

When covering common dreams and their meaning, we have barely scraped the surface. Let’s now tackle other intense images people usually want to understand:

Death. People are sometimes afraid to have their dreams about death - especially the death of a loved one - interpreted. They shouldn’t. Death in a dream usually means transformation, not literal death. This transformation might involve a career change, relationship evolution, or letting go of some burden.
Facing dangerous animals. If in your dream you are about to be attacked by some apex predator, then you might have issues with making your primal aggression seen. If you wish to interpret dreams about snakes, then here’s a hint - look for a traitor in your midst.
Being pregnant. This dream rarely means the actual pregnancy and most likely indicates that you're about to start a passion project of yours.
Missing a deadline. Perhaps, you are worried about some opportunities that slipped through your fingers. Besides, you could be overwhelmed by your immediate responsibilities.
Infidelity, whether yours or your partner’s. This dream hints that you are feeling insecure in your relationship which might stem from a prior breach of trust. Perhaps, it’s time to have a heart-to-heart talk with your SO.

Surefire Tips for Easy Dream Interpreting

Keep a dream journal at arm’s length to write down your dreams immediately
Upon waking, stay still and replay your dream in your mind. You’ll find it easier to focus on it
Make sure to write down as many details as you can recall
When you journal, write continuously without rationalizing
Create a personal symbol dictionary
Avoid literal symbol interpretation
Recognize how symbols change over time
Focus on the emotions you experienced during this dream
Explore the reason behind them
Find a connection between these emotions and your current life circumstances
Consider what recent major events have happened
Never analyze your dreams in a hurry
Note unusual components of your dreams (colors, locations, antagonists)
Be patient. Do not force meanings onto trivial details
Journal your dreams consistently
Explore Jungian or Freudian dream interpretations
Join dream interpretation workshops

And there you have it. This has been our guide to how you can interpret your dreams. We hope that we convinced you to pay close attention to them, as dreams both provide an insight into your emotional well-being, as well as serve as a channel that can feed you amazing revelations.