Dream Dictionary

I had a disruptive sleep last night - caused mostly by a dream I had that is entirely based upon some anxieties it appears I have. I won't go into details because, well - I prefer to remain in the abstract.

But I would like to talk about the subconscious and the dialogue between you and your subconscious and how to develop a universal language so that you might better understand each other and communicate more efficiently.

When I was young my father encouraged me to take note of my dreams. I had fun notebooks where I tried (and did pretty badly) to remember my dreams. It wasn't easy at first. I might remember one aspect - a tidal wave, or perhaps a cliff, or if it was something traumatic like my mother died, then I might remember a little more... But it was slow-going at first. Dream recall is actually a skill that takes time to hone in, it's not as immediate as you would think - and it's not at all like riding a bike. If you don't do it for a while you lose it.

Dream recall is mostly about discipline - literally forcing yourself to write down as much as you can as fast as you can as soon as you wake from your dream. Don't feel compelled to write in full sentences or even in a straight line - most of my 2am entries look more like

Pumpkins

Llama

Flying over trees with Sarah

Looking for medicine

Excited

And trust me, it looks just as foreign to me in the light of 8am as it does to you right now - but it doesn't matter - because I got what counts. I got the people (or things) around me, the elements (animals, food, landscape, etc.), actions (flying, running, skating, etc.) and most importantly, my feeling toward this activity (anxious, excited, sad, etc.)

That's really all you need to figure out what the dream is "telling you". For instance, let's look at this (fake) dream:

Pumpkins I associate with the fall, which in turn I associate with change.

Llamas I associate with things that are funny, silly or ridiculous.

Flying over trees means that I'm feeling free - my friend Sarah represents to me a sort of childlike joyful nature - so I'm feeling carefree and full of childlike joy.

Medicine would be the answer or solution to the problem at hand.

Excitement means I'm excited about the solutions that are out there and that I am looking for them - and it's telling me that I'm embracing change (pumpkins) with a joyful, carefree, childlike enthusiasm.

There. I did it. I dissected a fake dream for myself.

But the real point of all of this is to say that you should (in my humble opinion) DITCH THE DICTIONARY you bought that says that "Llamas represent feelings of security - a shaved llama represents nakedness")... Okay MAYBE that's what a llama means to you, but maybe not - and let's face it, when you're trying to establish communication with your subconscious it's just better if you stop trying to make "green" mean "orange".

If a llama represents something to you uniquely, then THAT is what a llama means in your dream. For me, llamas are silly, ridiculous - and that's what they represent in my subconscious.

When I was encouraging my roommate a couple years ago to take note of her dreams and to start working with them - it was hard for her at first to understand some of the symbolism - but the more she paid attention, the more familiar she became with her inner landscape. She was always on some form of public transportation - always on the move. It was no coincidence that she had recently uprooted and moved to the other side of the country. It was no coincidence that her subconscious felt "in transit".

I had a great dream the night before last (which makes up for last night's little blip). Skip over if you're short on time.

I am running a store of some kind - and I want to take out this doormat for the front door - it's been hiding in the corner of the shop under a trunk. So I take this doormat out, and it has a Christmas theme on it. I'm a big fan of this doormat. Along with the mat, I take out a plant that has been indoors, gathering dust on its leaves.

But as soon as the plant reaches the outdoors, weird animals start to emerge from it - a ferret first, who has been curled up inside the knobby trunk - then a turtle emerges, then the leaves bend and twist around looking for the sun - practically breathing in the fresh air.

Clearly I've taken some aspect of myself out of the dusty storeroom and into the fresh air - and all the little aspects of myself that have been in hibernation are starting to wake from their sleepy states. A great omen indeed!

Just thought I'd share. Your turn! Any good dreams lately?