Dream Interpretations

Guide to Dream Interpretation I

How to Remember Your Dreams

Dreams are tales woven by our subconscious, often to send across a message that our conscious is unwilling to comprehend. But the language of dreams is coded with metaphors and symbols, so to understand our dreams we therefore need to understand the unique visual language of our subconscious.

The first and most important step in dream interpretation is recalling your dreams accurately; however, it is at this first step itself that most of us falter. Generally we remember our dreams vividly the moment we wake up, but within seconds our conscious mind takes over. And as the minutes and hours of the day pass, the dream fades away from our mind.

There are, however, some simple exercises that can help you remember your dreams so you can interpret the subtle messages of your subconscious. A few of them follow.

Maintain a dream journal

Keep a dream journal by your bedside. You will be able to recall you dream most vividly as soon as you get up, and if you write it down there is no chance of forgetting what you dreamt about.

Another advantage of maintaining a dream journal is that it will help you spot repetitive patterns in your dreams. This will give you a greater understanding of your subconscious. If you feel too lazy to write, keep a mini tape recorder by your bedside and simply talk into it about your dream. However, whether you write or talk, remember to stick to facts and not your interpretation of them.

Pre-sleeping affirmations

Before you drift off into dream land, try the following affirmation for five minutes: "I will remember my dream in when I wake up." Repeatedly practicing this affirmation will help improve your dream recall capabilities eventually.

Meditation

A stressed-out brain is memory's worst enemy, so if you want to be able to remember your dreams clearly, make sure you relax your body and mind before drifting off to sleep. Your dreams will also be clearer and more vivid if your mind is not overburdened with stress and anxiety. The following is a simple pre-sleep meditation exercise that will help you recall your dreams better.

• Lie down in a comfortable position.
• Close your eyes.
• Take a few deep breaths.
• Focus on your breathing.
• Pay attention to every in-breath and out-breath.
• Imagine a beam of white light is entering your body from the top of your head.
• Feel this light seeping in through every pore of your scalp.
• Let the light find its way to every part of your body.
• Focus on every body part as you imagine the white light soothing it.
• Feel it cleansing your body of all stored pain and anxiety.
• Let the light travel to the soles of your feet and imagine it leaving your body taking away all your negative feelings with it.

Don't worry if you doze off before reaching the last step, its normal!

Our dreams are like windows to our subconscious, so interpreting them correctly will help you understand your psyche better. Since our subconscious is connected to the universe, sometimes dreams also give us a glimpse or warning about future events. Being able to interpret your dreams will therefore help you not only be more prepared to face life's challenges, but you will also be able to gain a better understanding of yourself as a person.

Until next time, embrace your inner wisdom.

Namaste,
Karen