But there¹s something you¹re confused about. How was your subconscious mind so savvy at the same time that your conscious mind was so baffled? It¹s embarrassing to acknowledge that, at times, the most astute part of our brain is the part which we don¹t control. And that sometimes the answers we long for are found by sleeping on the problem, then deciphering the message of our dreams.
Sometimes a dream is easily understood. Other times, dreams are so jumbled, so seemingly incoherent, that you are more confused than ever. Why did you dream about a person whom you haven¹t seen in decades? How come you wanted to run away from a guy with a gun but found your feet were stuck in cement? And what about that flirtatious sexy dream, where you were hot-to-trot for someone whom you never thought of in that way?
Like me, are you fascinated by dreams? Would you love to be able to know what your dreams are trying to tell you? If so, here are a few ways to begin your
journey:
n Most importantly, pack up your logical mind and send it on vacation. Dream interpretation has nothing to do with logic. Instead, bring with you your curiosity, creativity and nonjudgmental mind.
n Learn the language of metaphor. Metaphor is when you make an implicit comparison by using the description of one matter to apply to another. Here¹s an example: Let¹s say you dream of a plant that is dying because it lacks sufficient sunshine. You feel terrible that it is withering away. Though you know it needs more sunlight, you never do move it to a location where it will get what it needs. Now, let¹s assume that you are not a gardener that is truly worried about a plant you own. Might this dream be telling you something about a marriage that is failing because it lacks the warmth and sustenance it needs? Yet, as bad as you feel about it, you do not take any action to make a change. Potent interpretation, don¹t you think?
n Identify with all the characters in your dream not just with the one that is Œyou². Here¹s an example: Let¹s say you dream of an encounter with a big, scary guy who is staring you down in a threatening manner. You want to run away, but you can¹t; you¹re paralyzed. You don¹t scream; you don¹t cry; you do nothing. You¹re just standing there, petrified. Now, to discover more about the meaning of your dream, don¹t just identify with your paralyzed self. Also identify with the big scary guy. Pretend you are him. Why are you here? What¹s your mission? What¹s your threatening look about? Don¹t just answer, ³I don¹t know². Come up with an answer. Remember it doesn¹t have to be logical or even make sense. Start a conversation between you and the big scary guy. Continue the dialogue until you have at least a hint as to who is scaring you or how and why you are scaring yourself.
n Take it a step further by changing the dream. You don¹t need to stay with the dream you woke up with. Imagine how you can empower yourself in the above dream. Can you call for help? Can you suddenly grow 5 feet taller than the bad guy and give him a talking to? Can you ask him what he is doing in your life? And demand to know how long he plans to stay?
Do you see how creative your dreams really are, how much you can learn from them? Dreams are great friends; get to know them better. They never lie, they help you heal, they introduce you to hidden parts of yourself and they offer you insights you may never get anywhere else.
If you are in love with the creativity of dreams, join me on Thursday, November 2nd from 10:30 12:30 at an ³Unlocking the Secrets of Your Dream² workshop at Hewlett-Woodmere Continuing Education. To register, call 516 374-8163.
Hope to see you there!
Copyright 2006
Linda Sapadin, Ph.D. is a psychologist in private practice who specializes in helping people build competence, enrich relationships and overcome self-defeating patterns of behavior. You can contact her at DrSapadin@aol.com or visit her website at www.psychwisdom.com
