Dream Interpretation 101

If you have dreams, chances are you've been very confused by their randomness at times, wondering what they could possibly mean. More often than not, however, dreams can have very significant messages to relay to you, if you just give them a chance. So what are these messages and what is their purpose? Some will say that they are simply reflections of your current reality. Others will say that there may be spiritual significance, while others believe they are direct messages from God to raise your awareness. I believe we are each capable of all three types. So you might be asking, "how do I know and where do I start?" As someone who has been dream journaling and interpreting dreams for over a decade, rest assured, I will show you how.

Step 1: Write down your dream
First write down a paragraph or two illustrating in detail what happened in the dream. First, this helps you recall all the events and helps commit the dream to memory. As you're writing, you will find yourself remembering more detail than what you would by simply trying to remember the events as they occurred. Take note of how each event or object in the dream made you feel. For example, if you're dreaming and see a horse running toward you, did this event make you feel joyful or disturbed or simply neutral?

Step 2: Write down all the symbols and research their meaning
A horse can mean freedom, power or strength in a specific situation, or even fun and play. Take note of the color of the horse. In this case, we will say the horse is white. Perhaps it is running toward you quickly with a storm coming up in the sky behind it. If you feel an uneasy feeling watching the horse run at you from a distance, it may mean there is something or someone in your life that may be bringing negativity. The storm would indicate strong emotions such as anger or fear that you've kept bottled inside. 

Take special note of numbers and colors to give further insight into a specific symbol. Numbers, as in the case of the story of Joseph, can indicate a timeline as well as a number of challenges or other pertinent information to you. In Joseph's case, he saw 7 fat and thin cows indicating 7 years of abundance followed by 7 years of famine in Egypt. He saw 11 sheaves of wheat bowing down to his sheaf of wheat. This represented his brothers bowing down to him when he would become powerful in Egypt.

Regarding color, it will often imbue the symbolism of the item with the qualities of the color. For instance an elephant by itself could mean power and knowledge. If the elephant is red, this could denote passion, love, and intense emotion in regards to that power and knowledge. Depending on your emotion in the dream, this could mean feeling overwhelmed in a new job or feeling big feelings of love coming from someone. The mood of the dream is often very telling.

In regards to symbols, go with the interpretation of each symbol that feels most in tune with the dream. Lastly, don't be afraid to go off the cuff a bit if you cannot find a specific interpretation for a symbol that feels right. In this case, you may have to look within yourself to capture the perfect meaning for a symbol.

Step 3: Rewrite the dream symbol meanings as an interpretation
In regards to the horse dream, from an interpretational point of view, it could indicate a need to be aware of your emotions toward a specific person (storm), because those emotions may come back on you through someone forming resentments (horse running at you), thus chasing away your peace (white horse). If you were the dreamer, I would ask if there is anyone that you might be having a feud with and indicate it may be a time to show compassion and kindness to that person.

So how do you know if a dream is from God or yourself?
Truthfully, it can be hard to tell until you interpret the dream and convey its message, but great indicators are seeing Jesus, God, or angels in the dream. If the dream lifts you up and gives you revelation, it could very well be insight that God intended for you, however, if the dream reveals insecurity, fear, and frustration, it might be time to look within and determine the root cause of the issues being brought to the surface. Whether it is from God or yourself, it's always important to address potential causes of negativity in your life that the dream is presenting.

Dream Journaling
If you haven't started, dream journaling is a great practice. It helps keep the dream in perspective even years after having the dream. Case in point, just last night I started pondering a dream I had over 4 months ago. Because I had written it down, I was able to check on some details that proved very helpful in expanding the interpretation and providing further detail to the interpretation I wrote down at that time. Sometimes insight reveals itself over the course of months or even years!

I hope you have a great day, friends. Please let me know in the comments if this information was helpful for you.

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