Dream Interpretation: Your Dreams Are Talking to You, Are You Paying Attention?
Have you ever wondered what your crazy dreams mean? Perhaps every morning you’re googling symbols and frantically making notes to try and figure out the messages? Maybe your dreams are so vivid, even lucid, you know there must be something deeper to them. Well, there is!
How to Interpret Your Dreams (Based on Jungian Theory)
Your dreams are sending you profound messages from your subconscious mind every night and if you’re paying attention to them they can massively help you move throughout your life. I often talk about your life being a treasure hunt, well your dreams are giving you big clues about what you need to uncover and work on next. Paying attention to your dreams is paramount on your self-discovery journey, helping you bring the unconscious into your conscious awareness and becoming your True Self.
Things to know when it comes to interpreting your dreams and uncovering their meaning:
Journal on the main points and things you remember, don’t worry about remembering the whole storyline! The things that stick out to you are what you need to focus on so don’t worry if you don’t remember everything in detail. Sometimes you may even get flashbacks to your dreams as you sit in meditation or go about your day. You can always ask your mind to clarify a point in your dreams if you’re not totally sure, just give it space to come into your awareness either in a quiet moment or the following night before you go to sleep.
The people in your dreams don’t necessarily represent that person in your life, it’s more likely an archetype or symbol of what that person might mean to you
Ie. If you dream about your father, he would represent the father archetype which resembles the Universal spirit.
Dreaming about someone you don’t really like or who triggers you, would represent a part of yourself (your shadow) you need to address and integrate
Some common archetypes that show up form the collective unconscious are the Hero, Anima/Animus, Shadow & the Self
Focus on the feelings of your dreamscape
The most important part to note with dreams, as this is where the work comes in, is to notice how you felt in the dreams. What were the emotions triggered in you? If you felt angry in your dream then recognise that and this is an opportunity for you to address this anger in your waking life to understand & heal it.
Many times I have woken up and felt so strongly about something that happened in my dream that I have felt it well into the following day. Perhaps if I dreamed a boyfriend would do something hurtful then I have been upset with my boyfriend & not understood why, ‘it’s only a dream after all.’ In this situation your boyfriend represents your animus, which is the masculine part of your psyche and would mean that I need to integrate and work with this element of my energy. Perhaps I felt abandoned & hurt, I can show myself more unconditional love.
The language of your dreams is symbolism & metaphor - it’s never literal.
Symbols in dreams often have personal and archetypal meanings (from the personal and collective unconscious). The interpretation of symbols depends on the context of your life and experiences.
Say you dreamed of having your nails painted, this would represent something related to your persona (the mask you show to the world) and think about what you're having your nails painted would represent to you? It doesn’t mean that you need to go and get your nails done (but could be a good hint to how you’re feeling about your appearance and self-worth)
If you dream about a cat, look up the symbolism of a cat (god-like energy, empowered feminine, independent) but also consider what they represent to you? One person may love cats, another may be afraid of them, symbols mean something different to everyone, it's important to understand your own meanings.
Dream Example:
Say you find yourself walking along a winding and narrow road that leads up a steep mountain. The road is covered in thick, thorny vines, making the journey difficult and painful. As you climb higher, you notice a bright, radiant sun at the peak of the mountain, partially obscured by dark storm clouds.
Dream Interpretation: In this dream, the winding and narrow road covered in thorny vines can be seen as a metaphor for the challenges and obstacles that you are currently facing in your life. The difficult and painful path suggests that you are going through a challenging period, perhaps facing personal or professional difficulties.
The bright, radiant sun at the peak of the mountain represents a positive and desirable goal or outcome that you are striving for. It may symbolize your aspirations, personal growth, or a sense of enlightenment. However, the sun being partially obscured by dark storm clouds suggests that there are external or internal factors (represented by the storm clouds) that are impeding the progress toward your goals. These factors could be emotional, psychological, or situational challenges.
Overall, this dream can be interpreted as a metaphorical representation of your journey through a difficult phase in life, where you are striving for a brighter and more positive future, but you are currently facing obstacles and uncertainties along the way. The dream encourages them to navigate these challenges and work toward their goals, ultimately finding clarity and light amid the darkness.
Now it’s down to you to take action in your waking life. This is where most people trip up is they uncover the meaning and don’t take action! By taking action you are actively learning the lessons and won’t have to repeat them.
Ways you can take action are:
Meditation & active imagination, asking questions & having dialogue with dream symbols to help clarify certain points, your next steps will become clear
If you encounter your shadow self in your dream then how can you integrate that aspect of your shadow into your personality?
Are there emotions you need to sit with, fully feel & accept?
Fun dream tip: Ask your mind a question & uncover the answer while you sleep. Oftentimes your mind will try to resolve a challenge through your dreams (your mind is creating your reality remember!) and if it cannot then you may see it unfold in your ‘waking’ life.
It's important to note that dream interpretation is highly individualized and context-dependent. Dreams are seen as unique expressions of your psyche, and no universal, one-size-fits-all interpretation exists.
Dream analysis in Jungian psychology often involves a dialogue between the dreamer and a trained coach or analyst to explore the personal and archetypal meanings within the dream and their relevance to the dreamer's life journey.
You can find dreamwork journal prompts in my free 2 week training series ‘discover your True Self’ which you can sign up for here. If you know you’d like to explore your dreams further to help you discover who you truly are then you can also book in a complimentary call with me to discuss private spiritual coaching options.
Always ask yourself, what is the deeper meaning? It’s never what you initially think as dreams are messages from your unconscious mind. Keep digging for the gold!
