Have you ever wondered why you dream? Is it entertainment? Is it residual electrical impulses from the brain? Is it nervous energy from the day's problems? What I am presenting here is one method of dream interpretation. There are other systems and I am sure they are true, also. In studying this system I insisted it meet two criteria: it must be consistent from one day or dream to the next, and it must explain something. For me, this system of dream interpretation is both consistent and explanatory.

Dreams are communications from the Subconscious Mind. Our Subconscious wants to tell us something about us, our evolution toward more perfected beings, where we are currently or need to be going, or just give us information of a generalized nature. There are three types of dreams. The informative dream gives information on who we are, where we are, some qualities we have, or some things we might need to do. The solution dream gives us a solution to a problem we are working on, either in symbols or in literal pictures. Thomas Edison would work on a problem until he could go no further. When he was exhausted, he would lay down for a brief nap and often dream a solution to his problem. Precognitive dreams tell us about something that will happen to us.

For most people, the Subconscious thinks in concepts and images rather than words. These concepts and images are most easily conveyed in dreams by the use of pictures. These pictures are symbols which stand for something else. There are certain dream symbols which are universal in our Western culture. These are listed and explained later. We often dream about events in our daily lives. This is because our Subconscious Mind chooses symbols which are close to the Conscious Mind which can convey the information which the Subconscious Mind wishes to impart. See how cumbersome words are? I wish I could paint you a picture which you could understand at a glance! Probably everything in our dreams means something, but if we tried to find out what every little thing in our dream meant, we would spend all day interpreting our dreams. It is sufficient at first to only interpret those symbols which stand out in our dreams.

There are three rules of dream interpretation. Rule one: Every dream is about the dreamer. Rule two: Everyone in the dream is the dreamer. Rule three: Only the dreamer can interpret his or her dreams. Someone else can give you the meaning of the symbols in your dreams, but the dream is about you, and only you can decide what your dream is telling you about yourself.

Everybody dreams, even if they don't remember their dreams. Scientists who conduct sleep and dream research have shown that we alternate between 30-90 minutes of deep sleep and 30-90 minutes of light sleep. It is during this stage of light sleep that we dream. This is often referred to as REM sleep, or Rapid Eye Movement sleep. Our eyes move and follow the scenes in our dreams. When we are awakened during REM sleep, we remember the dream we were having. Each dream, which may cover a time period of days or weeks, in reality only lasts 30-90 seconds. Volunteers who have spent several nights in a sleep research laboratory were awakened whenever they entered REM sleep, thereby preventing them from dreaming. After several nights of this, they began to hallucinate and act in a psychotic manner. When they were allowed once again to engage in REM sleep, they returned to normal.

Since dreams are about our inner being, it follows that the quality of our dreams reflects our emotional state. Fearful people have fearful dreams; happy people have happy dreams; logical people, logical dreams; artists have creative dreams; and so forth. Recurrent dreams should be scrutinized carefully because the Subconscious Mind has been trying to tell us something for a long time and it must be important. Bad dreams or nightmares can come about for either of two reasons. It is a reflection of our inner fear or turmoil, or we didn't listen to our Subconscious' messages when it spoke politely. Nightmares do have a way of getting our attention and we do remember those dreams!

We said earlier that every dream is about the dreamer, and this is true. We may dream about our neighbor, our lover, or our boss, but the dream is still about us. Even in a precognitive dream, we can still use the symbols to gather information about ourselves. Even when using another system of dream interpretation, we can use these symbols to glean information about ourselves. Also, everyone in the dream is the dreamer. Everyone in the dream represents an aspect or quality of ourselves. A same-sexed person represents a quality of our Conscious Mind; an opposite-sexed person, a Subconscious quality. A parent, grandparent, policeman, or any person in authority represents our Superconscious Mind. A child is a quality which has not yet matured. An unknown person would be a quality of which we are, as yet, unaware.

Take each person in the dream and associate them with some quality you think they have. Usually take the first quality that comes to mind. This is the quality in you which your Subconscious Mind wants to tell you about. For example, a certain woman who appears in my dreams would represent love to me. I knew this woman many years ago. Although we both loved each other, we didn't know how to show it to each other. It was an unexpressed or repressed kind of love. At first in interpreting my dreams, I felt she represented repressed love. But later when I had more experience in interpreting dreams, I realized that the context of the dream was modifying the symbol. So in some dreams in which she appeared, the context of the dream meant that I was expressing love. Similarly, if someone who is hostile appears in your dreams, the context of the dream may mean that you are no longer expressing hostility, that you have overcome your hostility, or even that you have a calming affect on people. Each person in your dream represents a quality which you have on a continuum--from this is you all the way or this is you not at all, this quality is latent in you or that you are expressing that quality, or need to. Understanding this will not come instantly. Work with your dreams for a while, though, and I think that it will get easier for you.

Another important dream symbol besides people is houses. Houses represent our Mind (Superconscious, Subconscious, Conscious and Unconscious.) This represents the totality of our Spirit. Our Mind is who we are. We are not the bodies, but rather we are the Mind. A dream about a big house, poor house, new house, etc., all tells us something about ourselves. A dream in which we are in a house but seem confined to the first floor even though there are other levels, might mean that we spend too much time in our Conscious Mind to the exclusion of other parts of our Mind. A house that is empty of furniture might mean that we are not using the tools of Mind which we have, talents not being expressed. Examples of tools of Mind are concentration, listening, remembering, reasoning, intuition, making decisions, etc..

To begin to interpret your dreams, you need to record them; write them down every day in a journal or notebook. Do this every day upon awakening, for dreams are like an echo and fade away quickly. You can't wait until later to write them down because the Conscious Mind, which likes things to be logical and to make sense, will change the memory of the dream to fit your outer reality, thereby distorting the meaning of the dream. Write down whatever you remember about the dream, whether it makes sense or not. Then read the dream and pick out the obvious symbols. Write the meaning of the symbol above the word. Re-read the dream with the symbolic meaning and see if the dream makes sense. For example; I walked into my Mind (house) with honesty (John) and gathered up some knowledge (food). If you cannot see the meaning the dream holds for you, rewrite the dream scenario in a more flowing style. I went into Mind with honesty and openness searching for knowledge and truth. If the meaning is not yet clear, meditate upon it. If the meaning is still not clear, forget about it and await tomorrow's dream!

Pay attention to how you feel in the dream and after you awaken. Sometimes the added meaning of the emotion in the dream can add a much needed clarity and depth of the meaning to the dream.

Keep a pencil and notebook next to your bed so they will be handy each morning, or in the middle of the night if you awaken then with a dream. If you cannot remember your dreams, set your alarm for several minutes earlier than usual or, better still, have someone gently awaken you before the alarm goes off. If this does not work, affirm each night before you go to bed that you WILL remember your dreams. If all else fails and you really, really want to remember your dreams, you might try setting the alarm to awaken you in the middle of the night. Know one thing: Everybody dreams. If you truly want to remember your dreams, you will.

SYMBOLS

House -Mind; individual rooms take on the quality of that room, such as:
Bathroom -place for cleansing and releasing
Bedroom -place in Mind for resting
Kitchen -place for working with and taking in knowledge
Living room -place for socializing
Closet -place for storing or hiding whatever quality is in the closet
Basement -Unconscious part of Conscious Mind
First floor -Conscious Mind
Second floor -Subconscious Mind
Attic -Superconscious Mind (High Self, the I AM)
Garage -Universal Mind
Stairway -the way you climb to different levels of consciousness
Furniture -tools of Mind

Other buildings and stores take on the quality of that particular building, such as:
Bank -place for storing energy
Grocery -place for buying knowledge
Clothing -place for getting self expression
Hospital -place in Mind for healing
Restaurant -place in Mind for taking in knowledge
School -a place in Mind where you learn
Office -a place where you earn or deserve energy

People are aspects or qualities of Mind which you have or need
Same sex -Conscious Mind quality
Opposite sex -Subconscious Mind quality (knowledge from a past life)
Sex or marriage -harmony between Conscious and Subconscious Minds
Children -new ideas
Adults -mature ideas
Parents, grandparents, police or anyone in authority is the Superconscious Mind
Race other than your own -indecision

Money or jewelry -values that you have within yourself
Money -can also mean energy

Food -knowledge

Fuel of any kind -life energy in the body

Key -key to a problem you have been working on

Movie, radio or TV -use of imagination

Flying -astral projection

Sports or games -either avoidance or aggression depending on the context of the dream and the nature of the game or sport

Ball -a thought, or need for release

Left -past

Right -present

Music or dance -harmony in your life

The Body:
Hand -your purpose in life
Arm -activity
Elbow -flexibility in actions
Feet -your spiritual foundation
Leg -direction you are taking in your life
Knees -flexibility in your direction in life
Face -your identity
Hair -Conscious thoughts
Ear -receptivity
Eye -perception
Neck or throat -use of will (making decisions)
Forehead -third eye center or intuition
Sex organs -creativity
Blood -truth
Clothing:
Outer garments -outer expression, how you present yourself to others
Inner garments -inner expression, how you perceive yourself
Shoes -spiritual foundation covered up
Being naked -becoming open and honest

Animals and insects represent habits, instincts or behavior without Conscious thought, except:
Bird or Angel -Subconscious thought
Horse -Will
White horse shows use of Will
Dark horse shows lack of use of Will
Snake -Kundalini energy or wisdom
Fish -Spiritual awareness

Traveling:
Ladder -soul progression
Road -a path of life
Car -your physical body
Flat tires -health problems
Bus, Train, Airplane or multi-passenger vehicle -an organization
Bicycle, Motorcycle or Skates -balance within your life

Nature:
Sky -Spiritual journey or desire for Spiritual perfection
Planets -places in mind
Sun -communication from first level of Mind
Moon -communication from second level of Mind
-emotion
-subconscious Mind
Storm -confusion
Trees -stability
Bushes or dirt -conscious existence
Grass -conscious thoughts
Water -subconscious existence or emotion
Mountains or fences -obstacles to be overcome or released
Fire -expansion or purification

Death -transformation or change

Gun or knife -tools for making change

Sword -Will

Numbers:
One -initiation or beginning
Two -balance
Three -Expression or creativity
Four -stability
Five -change
Six -leadership and taking control
Seven -Spirituality
Eight -power, success and money
Nine -completion
Zero -adds power to other number

Colors:
Blue -Spirituality
Red -passion and emotion
Dark red -anger
Pink -human love
Purple -Royalty (in a personal sense) or psychic and intuitive perceptions
Yellow -mental
Orange -vitality and life force
White -purity
Black -denial or negativity
Green -healing
Gray -confusion
Brown -groundedness or earthiness; basic life forces
Gold -Spiritual perfection (at least on the level on which you are working)
Silver -attainment of a goal

THESE DREAM SYMBOLS ALSO APPLY TO THE WAKING STATE