Dreams & The Analysis of Self.

It seems that the topic of dreams and their meanings has arisen repeatedly of late. I have therefore decided to emphasize the nature of dreams and the connection they have to the dreamer's subconscious mind. It is important to note that there are many aids to understanding dreams on the market these days; though, while dream dictionaries may offer some viable suggestions, they aren't entirely accurate, nor are they reliable. Dreams are highly personalized, so what means one thing to one person may not mean the same thing to another. For instance, a person who is stuck in a dead-end go-nowhere job may dream of pushing a long line of carts, or trolleys, down an endless one-way street. Because of his personal circumstances, this may remind him that he is grudgingly going nowhere in life. On the other paw, a woman who is plagued by constant chaos in her waking life may view the same dream as a comforting symbol of order and direction.

No two minds are alike; no two dreams are alike; no two meanings are alike. Because each individual perceives life uniquely, there cannot be a blanket interpretation of all dream objects, characters, or phenomena. This does not mean that our dreams are pointless and can never be accurately understood. Rather, by asking questions about our dreams we can often enrich our waking lives. In order for you to learn and benefit from your dreams, however, you must be open to change. Exploring the subconscious can be unnerving if you aren't willing to both accept your personal flaws and make changes in yourself or your life.

Below are some questions you may wish to consider privately. Write them down and meditate on each answer. Once you've analyzed one question, move on to the next, and see how your answers all come together. Sometimes dreams that seem to mean something obvious will prove much deeper.

What role did you play in your dream, and what roles were filled by others?

What were you actively doing or not doing?

How did you react to your situation, or did you fail to react?(i.e. Screaming without fear or fearful without screaming.)
If you were to write your dream into a book, what genre of book will it be?(i.e. Romance, action adventure, textbook, how to manual, suspense thriller, murder mystery, etc.)
How did your dream surroundings differ from reality, and did anything in them create, or fail to create, specific or expected emotions?(i.e. A leopard in the living room which drew no surprise or alarm.)
Were there any actions or emotions that seemed inappropriate to the dream's setting?(i.e. A clown at a funeral juggling and doing tricks)
If you could alter something about your dream, what would it be and how would you change it?

Once you've had a chance to think about these questions, you should be able to have a better understanding of your dream. However, it is often easier to come up with something pointless and thus discredit the dream. If this happens and the dream is still disturbing you, purrhaps you are hiding the true meaning from yourself. Wait a while, and prepare to listen to your subconscious before attempting further analysis. True, you may not like what your mind is telling you, but you may find that its messages are the keys to self-enlightenment, confidence, and improvement.

Yours Purringly,
W.C. Humphries II (Mr. Fleez for short.)