Some people would surely jump at any conclusion upon waking up with the ideas formed through what they have dreamed of. However, there are some dream symbols that seem to be irrational or incomplete due to the possibility of these being forgotten when one has already awakened. To avoid these concerns, people should be able to follow some very easy techniques in order to analyze their dreams even as beginners in the field of dream psychology. In the studies of Freud and Jung, the dream meanings have been found to come from the unconscious mind telling the person of certain warnings and fulfillment of goals. These can be done through these simple steps upon waking up, either in the morning or in the middle of the night.

1. Before going to sleep, keep a notepad and pen ready at the bedside. This will keep the person ready to write down thoughts as soon as possible at any time. It would also be helpful to put a date on top of the sheet to ensure that all details are available, in case there is a chronological or repetitive dream.

2. Upon awaking, recall or replay the events in the dream. Jot down the dream symbols and events that hold most of one’s interest or those that created emotions. Determining these feelings may also be relayed by matching the emotion with the event or dream symbol.

3. During a quiet time, it would be good to go through the notes that were made on the dream notebook to recall the events and feelings. Add some thoughts and additional information that might have been forgotten.

4. Clear the mind of any concerns and worries by doing some stretching, relaxation, and breathing exercises.

5. With this collection, the person can now try to relate these thoughts to the events encountered in reality. Most of these would surely relate to daily responsibilities such as family concerns, work, or school. There are also instances when the strongest feelings and concerns that a person experiences, especially those that are repressed or kept in much secrecy, arises in relation to the dream.

6. If there is a feeling of uncertainty, it would be best to revisit the dream collection later on after a few days. The time for this will allow a person to reflect more on the experience and clarify one’s mind.

In having an understanding of one’s dream, a person is able to have a clear picture of how the mind works. It is also a way that the mind and body relay the information and its beliefs to the person which is through dream symbols. There is no harm in finding out about one’s dreams because it is usually something that would aid the decision making responsibilities of a person like that of what Jungian dream psychology has been explaining for several years now.

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Dream meanings have been continuously interpreted through the years. Many have developed false beliefs and distorted the truth behind our dream interpretations. You might even think dream meanings are complete hoax, but dream psychology proposes the most accurately way to explain how and why dreams occur.

Since dream symbols are difficult to dissect because of the hidden dream meanings, some people might think that there would be no way we can finally interpret our dreams. In contrary to this, dream psychology reveals ways to discover the true meanings of dream symbols. Carl Jung’s study of dream psychology reveals that the unconscious messages hidden in our dreams are protective of our well-being.

A simpler method of dream interpretations is by putting it into our own words. Sigmund Freud used a similar method of free association in dream interpretations of his patients. Jotting down specific entities in a dream will help a person discover the dream meanings and signals. There are dreams that might show repetitiveness, consistency, and sometimes, continuity. All of these pieces work together in defining our life choices and experiences.

Let us try to look into common dream symbols and possible dream interpretations that can possibly apply to it.

• People: As Carl Jung explained the Anima or Animus, our unconscious portrays people who we characterize ourselves with. We project our character using other people to represent our weaknesses or strengths. People in our dreams may mean specific traits that we have or want to have that other people have attained.

• Animals: In reality, we describe animal to have instinctive nature. Similar to this, animals used as dream symbols uncover our instinctual emotions and actions. The characteristics of animals represented in dreams are interpreted as repressed emotions we encounter in reality.

• Falling: Dream psychology has observed that falling had been a usual theme of nightmares. Falling is often described as a dream symbol that poses warnings that people or events may deceive us.

• Blood: Other common symbols seen in dreams are blood and accidents. These represent pain, whether emotional, physical, or psychological.

• Train: Vehicles, such as trains and buses are defined by Sigmund Freud as a phallic symbol, implying a sexual desire. Missing a ride may also mean an opportunity a person has overlooked or neglected.

• Work or School: Since a person has to spend most of his or her waking hours at work or in school, the unconscious mind continues to remind us of the responsibilities we have at work.

Some people may wish to keep track of the dream symbols they experience and be intrigued with the themes that recur or continue. Dream interpretations differ from person to person. Each dream allocates to specific life experiences that a person can apply to his or her life experiences. Being aware of our dream meanings will help develop a person’s maturity and decision-making skills.

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The Freudian dream psychology searched the unconscious of a person where fears and desires dwell. These emotions were camouflaged in the form of dream symbols. Dream meanings communicate to our conscious mind the desires that it tries to suppress.

Freud developed several themes on dream psychology. He proposed the structure of the Human Psyche – the id, ego, and superego. Id characterizes our reflexes, urges, and primal functions, while Ego is the rational part of the psyche. Finally, the Superego represses the Id by enforcing one’s moral responsibilities. When one is asleep, the superego and ego takes a break, allowing the Id to present itself in dream symbols. Upon waking up, we sometimes forget what we dreamt about because the Superego resumes work to suppress the evaluation of the dream meanings that represent desires of the unconscious mind.

Dream meanings could also be discovered in the Five Psychosexual Stages of Development of Freud. These personality foundations also take part in dream interpretations:
1. Oral Stage takes place during birth to infancy where in the fixations focus on the mouth. Recurring dream symbols of being incomplete refer to themes based on this stage.
2. Anal Stage refers to the potty training stage wherein a person learns about controlling one’s body functions. Being unable to meet the challenges on this stage would be seen in people with obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Dream symbols that show one’s inability to put things in order are dream meanings with difficulty in this stage.
3. Phallic Stage is during the preschool years where Oedipus and Electra complexes may arise. Boy’s anger and jealousy towards the father are dream interpretations of the battle for the mother’s love. This also happens in girls, which is represented in her love for her father.
4. The Latency Period is the time when the child begins to learn about his/her sexuality. Dream psychology proposes that sexual tendencies begin to arise during this phase, because the child begins to learn about gender roles.
5. Genital stage starts from 12 years of age. This is where the sexual and erotic interests appear. The dream meanings of erotic dreams imply difficulty in this stage of development.

The studies of Freud on Dream Psychology also focused on wish-fulfillment, where dream symbols present thoughts of one’s dreams and aspirations. Thoughts on issues that a person lacks like love, encouragement, and other means of satisfaction can be seen hidden in the dream meanings seen during sleep. The dream interpretations would show the repressed thoughts and feeling resurface as dreams are discussed and identified.

In closing, Freud’s theories of dream psychology main focus and revolve around the unconscious mind of a person. The unconscious satisfies the desires of the person while one enjoys the time of hi or her deep sleep.

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Interpreters see dreams of being cold as the subconscious’ signal that one is too isolated from everybody else.  It is a signal that contact is needed from the constant isolation.  It can also mean that you are isolating yourself too much from your peers.

Dream interpreters will usually caution the dreamer to stay away from the cold object during the dream.  They see this object as omens to the person and bad luck will befall the dreamer if the object is not avoided.

To dream of the world as a cold place means that the dreamer is becoming more detached during his decision making.  Generally speaking cold dreams mean that there is some sort of break-away at some area in the dreamer’s life.

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In western (Judeo-Christian-Islamic) traditions, snake is generally a symbol of evil or Satan – an enemy of mankind. This also holds for dreaming of a snake, though dream interpretations vary according to the actual dreaming sequence or the dreamer’s role in relation to the snake. Watching a snake chasing you would mean an enemy machinating against you, in real life, possibly for inflicting bodily harm. Many snakes together, in a group or pit, indicate bad luck in professional and/or personal life. Similarly, if a dreamer sees him/herself killing a threatening snake, it points to victory or dominance over the enemy or adversary in real life.

Dream meanings change, often extending to personal characteristics, in eastern cultures. In Chinese traditions, those born in the year of the snake are considered wise, usually owning hidden wisdom, and having a snake in dream may be symbolic of wisdom. A snake bite in a dream, accordingly, means injection of wisdom – a good sign for the dreamer. At the same time, this newly acquired wisdom is also considered as a means of potential transformation. Since snakes are known for shedding their skin (slough) and assuming a new appearance, snake bite in a dream translates into transformation of one’s self out of the old, worn out, or dysfunctional aspects of one’s personality.

Eastern thought and traditions, mainly the Indian and Chinese, have been preoccupied with cosmic energy that flows through the universe manifesting in humans as psychic energy. A significant part of this psychic energy is subconscious and needs to be called into action to unlock one’s true potential. This is just what snakes stand for in dream interpretations in eastern traditions. Seeing a snake is a call for stirring your hidden psychic energies to control your destiny. If, in a dream, a snake is seen sloughing, the dream is a clear call for shaking your inactive/paralyzed energies out of dormancy.

The symbolic worth of snake also applies to one’s sexual life. As snake trying to get into physical proximity in a non-threatening manner in dream is usually interpreted as the sexual interest of the dreamer. If one feels repulsion by such a scene in the dream, the dream is taken as indicative of sexual dissatisfaction. A snake biting the dreamer and then withering or dying may signify male orgasm.

The element of fear and anxiety is also widely associated with snakes. Like in real life, snakes in dreams symbolize a threat, worry, or problem that is haunting one’s peace. The appearance of snake in dreams, especially if it happens repetitively, therefore always carries an important message – that you have an important issue to take care of in your life.

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A baby means a positive growth in your life.  Most people like dreaming about babies and usually good feelings come after waking up.  A pregnancy means a growing creativity.  As the baby grows inside this means that you are getting more creative and that you are growing with you creativity.  This creates symbolizes a new opportunity or even a new adventure that you are about to embark on.

A pregnancy can also symbolize a rebirth.  If you are the one who is pregnant in the dream then there is a possibility that the rebirth is for you.   A false labor can signify that you are unready for the change about to happen.

A positive feeling when waking up is a good sign since this means that you are anticipating or is ready for the change about to happen.  This means that you are looking forward to the life-changing event or events that are happening or about to happen.

If you are dreaming about a baby and in real life you really want a baby then this is definitely a sign that you are ready and wanting one.  If you dream about a baby but do not want one, then the baby in your dream is most likely just a metaphor for the changes in your life.

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Like most other animals in dreams, how an animal is thought of is generally a representation of the people that are in our lives. For example, do you have a friend who acts like a rat?  Are they persistent, annoying and destructives like the rats in the real world?  Then this may be our subconscious telling us to be wary of this friend.

Some dream interpreters also see rats as a sign of poverty, strife, danger and illness.  Dreaming about rats may be an omen that these hardships may be forthcoming in your life.  Rats are also lab animals which are used for testing so dream interpreters will usually ask if the dreamer feels as though he is under a microscope.  These animals are repulsed so maybe the dreamer is also experiencing people who shun him away or maybe even he himself is repulsed by something he did

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The answer is that people dream in black and white and in color.  The problem is that when we wake up, the dream is sometimes forgotten; therefore when we start to recall the dream it is in black and white because some of the essential elements tend to be missing.

Picture this.  You dream about being visited by The President of the United States and some aliens.  You will probably worry whether they came in a UFO or if you have something good to serve them rather than wonder what color tie the president is wearing or why the president has come to call on you with some aliens in tow in the first place!

When dreaming there are some elements that are amiss, this is why people automatically say that they dream in black and white.  However dreams that focus on color find that dreamers can recall that color vividly.  This is because this was the central theme of the dream.

Studies have also shown that people like artists who are more exposed to color can recall more accurately the colors in their dreams compared to people who are not.

As an exercise before you go to sleep, try to focus on a single color and remember it.  Try to see if you can recall seeing that color when you dream.

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Flying over a landscape or above something means that you have overcome some sort of trial and are now enjoying the feeling of flying free.  Most interpreters see flying dreams as conquering dreams or gaining new perspectives.   Generally flying dreams mean you are on top of everything.

However, flying while being impeded by power lines and other object means that you are having a hard time staying aloft.  The same is true for flying dreams wherein the dreamer has little or no control over where he is flying to.  These barriers represent obstacles that you must go through in order to achieve your goals.

In reality, man cannot fly, so flying dreams are representations of man’s imagination soaring into the heavens, or the desire to be more than what we can be.  Undoubtedly, most flying dreams give the dreamer a sense of happiness and freedom.

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Huge fireworks displays can also mean that a momentous change is about to happen.  Other interpreters feel that a person who dreams about fireworks or firecrackers is a happy and enthusiastic person.  However, be wary of firecrackers hitting you or being thrown at you, this can denote backstabbing friends who are going to hurt you in a bad way.

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