Interpreter of dreams "C"

Cab, (Taxi)
Pleasant occupations and average income is denoted by a dream of riding in a cab alone; with others, scandal or gossip will plague your footsteps. Driving one may show you are in a dead end job, doing manual labor with no chance of advancement. It is warning you to find another occupation.

Cabbage
A garden with cabbages growing in it is an omen of purchasing property that will give you more trouble then it is worth. To eat cabbage in a dream foretells many quarrels with family members. Cooking cabbages may warn of trouble with your teeth and the odor of cabbage warns of an upcoming illness.

Cabin (ship)

To dream of being in a ships cabin on the open seas in a storm means much sorrow and financial loss, especially in a law suit. To dream of a bright, pretty cabin while sailing on a calm, beautiful sea shows that law suits and other legal matters will be changing in your favor in the very near future.

Cable

To dream of a large cable supporting a heavy weight denotes that you have a very hazardous job and is a warning to be extremely careful. If the cable should be frayed, danger is imminent. But, if it is broken, or you see it break, then the danger you sense will be for another.

Cackle

Cackling hens show there has been a disaster involving someone in your sphere of influence, possibly a death. A sound of cackling also presages illness and loss.

Cactus
Dreaming of a cactus is usually the indication that you are feeling crowded, or that someone is invading your space, and since the cactus has the prickly spines for defense this represents to the dreamer a wish to establish a boundary and protect your privacy. A cactus also represents winning out over adversity as it is found in the desert and has adapted itself to hot, dry, growing conditions, thus the dream could be telling the dreamer to adapt to the existing circumstances if he/she cannot change them.
Calculator

To see someone you know well using a calculator indicates that circumstances may soon bring out a colder, more calculating, side of this person. If you are totaling up a bill, or a debt, that someone owes you, it is an omen that you will have to dun someone to receive your money or your property back. If you are calculating your monthly bills, or debts, it is an omen that you will soon have harassing business worries.

Cage
If you are putting a wild animal in a cage and you are successful then your dream is telling you that you will win out in the face of much adversity and opposition. To see rabbits in a cage shows you will have many children. To see birds in a cage will sometimes presage loss.
Cake

To dream of cakes of almost any kind shows you will have good fortune in your undertaking. For a woman to see her wedding cake in a dream is an omen of ill, showing much unhappiness if she should go through with the marriage.
Calendar
Seeing a calendar on the wall indicates that you are well organized and prepared. If you see yourself making marks on a calendar then this denotes that you are marking time until a certain event comes to pass. If someone gives you a calendar you will have much disappointment in the week ahead.
Called
To dream that you hear the voice of someone you know could foreshadow a long illness or even death for that person. To hear the voice of your loved one calling you may mean a separation due to misunderstandings. If the voice you hear is the voice of someone already dead then this denotes that you are about to commit a bad error in judgment about your business.

Calm

In general a dream of being calm is a good omen telling you that you will live a long and rewarding life full of goodness. To see calm waters indicate that your business dealing is sound. If someone in your dream is trying to make you calm down then this denotes that you will soon have losses if you do not let your higher self keep your temper cooled down.

Calomel (an herbal product)

To dream of calomel is not a good sign at all as to see it means much unhappiness dealt to you by anothers hand. If you are drinking calomel tea you will allow yourself to be deceived to save a marriage or relationship. This is a warning that you are being used and should exit this relationship as soon as possible.

Calves
If you dream of the calves of legs and they are pleasing to the eye this denotes that you will soon meet someone who is very attractive but may be too self centered for love. To dream of baby calves show that you will see your fortunes improving, your life will be filled with joy if the calves are happy and playing.

Camel
If you purchase, or otherwise own a camel it shows that mining investments will turn out well. Camels are also an omen of warning to be more conservative, much as the camel that crosses the desert with only his hump. or humps, full of water. They also signifies help when all else is at a low ebb.

Cannibalism

Dreaming of a cannibal or cannibalism shows that you are being tempted into doing something that you should not do leaving you with the feeling of regret 'eating you up', inside. It is a warning to stay out of those kind of situations if you have not already been tempted into it.

Car
If you dream of a railroad car, or a cable car your dreams of being rich will always be dreams, but your income should be adequate for your lifestyle. See automobile.
Carnival

If you are in the midst of a carnival and you see unusual, and freakish, sights you will experience much discord at home, and if you also have a feeling of sorrow in the midst of all the laughter this portends a divorce. To join in a carnival and enjoy yourself shows that you will be treated to some unusual entertainment in the near future.
Carriage
If you are having a dream involving one of the old fashioned vehicles, splendidly arrayed, then you must be extremely careful to act in such a manner as not to open yourself or your lifestyle to vicious rumor and gossip. If you are riding in the carriage you will be asked many embarrassing questions concerning a former companion of yours. If the carriage is old and worn out, the rumors can be overcome with a minimal loss of prestige, by outlasting, 'wearing them out', until they finally die away.

Castle

If you dream that you live in a magnificent castle and everyone obeys your every command, and grants your every wish, this foretells that you will have a happy, comfortable home with a loving and generous spouse. On the other hand, if the castle is old, and the brick work is crumbling, you will do well to curb any actions you are taking that may jeopardize your marriage, whether it be cheating, or temper fits.

Cat

Dreaming of a cat is a generally unfortunate omen and it shows treachery as well as a run of bad luck. If you chase the cat away you will overcome your adversaries or turn your bad luck into good. For the cat lovers who dream of cats you have a whole new meaning....if the cat is beautiful you will meet an attractive person who will become your mate. If the cat scratches you then will you meet with treachery and deceit.
Cattle

If your dream is of cattle with long horns and black, or black and white, it is an omen to keep a close watch on your business to prevent losses. A herd of cattle feeding in a pasture denotes that your life and your income will be easy. But if you are forcing the cattle to go somewhere they do not wish to be, you will find you must work harder and harder to maintain your present level of income.

Celebrities

To dream of celebrities shows that you are letting too much pomp and circumstance convince you to act certain ways that are against your better nature, this could be to your downfall in the area of the heart. To dream that you are a celebrity denotes that you desire to fly higher then your social life and means allow. To dream a loved one becomes a celebrity shows that you have a secret fear of losing this person to the world.

Cemetery

If you dream of a well kept cemetery it is a sign of happiness to come but an unkempt one shows that you will meet with opposition and adversity. This is the kind of dream that must be correlated with the other symbols of the dream, such as: open graves, flowers, funeral services, etc., as all of these things would change the benign aspect of a stroll through a well kept cemetery.
Chariots

If you dream of riding in a beautiful chariot you will have many opportunities to make good and your finances will take a decided rise. If you fall, or if you see someone else fall, from a chariot then you will suffer lack and failure, or a fall from a high position in your life.

Charleston (dance)

This is an all around favorable dream. If it shows children dancing, much joy is yours, and if you see dating couples dance the Charleston you will have great success in your endeavors. If you are one of the dancers you have an omen that tells you that your business enterprise will grow and expand.
Chase

If you see a chase in progress or if you participate in a chase you will look forward to a comfortable retirement and good health in your latter years. If fear is involved in this experience then you must test all the signs and employ meditation to seek the answer.

Chocolate pudding

Any dream that features chocolate in it is a simple omen that presages, not luxury, or impeccable taste, as one might expect, but, rather, Good health and contentment, coupled with a pampered lifestyle.
Church

dreaming of a church is a good luck omen and especially so if you dream of the outside of the building, which shows luck in love and marriage. The inside of a church shows that you will have a few small problems that could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Of course, you must study the dream as a whole, for other activities may change the interpretation so that the church itself has no meaning other then that of location.

Cigarettes
Smoking a cigarette in your dream is a lucky omen, as well as, giving, or offering them to another. This dream denotes much prosperity and self-satisfaction for the dreamer. If, during your waking hours, you are against cigarettes and believe them to very bad for your lungs, then you must investigate your own habits to find out what you may be doing to jeopardize your health. Have a medical examination as soon as possible.

Circle

A perfectly drawn circle in your dream is a prediction of many good things to come, and prosperity beyond measure. If the circle is wobbly, or appears to be a child's drawing, you will still reach your goals but you will have troubles on the way to it. If the circle is broken, it denotes failed marriages.
Circus
A runaway animal at a circus denotes the need for extra control of either your passions, or your temper, as both could be harmful to you. If the circus is in full array, with a boisterous, and joyful atmosphere, you will find happiness in your present surroundings. To dream of simply being at a circus denotes that you must be careful that you do not give the wrong impression about yourself to others.

Cloaks (garment)

To dream of a cloak, not a cape, pulled closely around you to keep out the weather, denotes that you will have protecting influences surrounding you for the next few days. If you dream you have torn the garment this shows a rift in a relationship with a person who is important to you. If you lose the cloak, then you will have a falling out with the one who loves and protects you.
Coconuts

There is basically only one omen for a coconut, no matter what your dream is concerning one, eating it, smelling it, etc., it is a sign of an unexpected gift, most times the gift is money.

Color

if you dream in Technicolor, the one outstanding thing that this presages is that you will have increasing security and prosperity in your business affairs, if the rest of the symbols point to a bad time for you and your affairs, the dream in color shows that you will have help behind the scenes that will enable you to master your problems. Dreams that involve people who are of a different color then you are, (natural colors), usually points to good luck in money or business. For specific colors, see the index under the color you wish to check out.
Coffins (Caskets)

Should you dream of a well appointed coffin and it is empty then does this show that you will soon lose a close friend, (not necessarily through death, but rather, death of a friendship). If you see a body in the coffin you will soon have sadness, but if the person in the coffin is the dreamer then is this a contrary dream and the dreamer can expect some very good luck.

Computer
The computer dream is one of personal understanding and as such should be viewed in conjunction with all the other signs in your dream. The computer can also represent discipline and coordination to the dreamer, if the dreamers job involves the use of a computer then dreaming of it would be telling you that you are too wound up in your work and need to back off on the heavy work schedule.

Contract
To dream of signing a contract is an omen that you will soon be experiencing a rise in your profession, but, if you refuse to sign the contract, your promotion could be more then you had hoped for. If you dream you have gotten into a bad contract, or someone has duped you into signing a contract that will only bring you problems, then this is a warning to examine your relationships with the opposite sex; marriage may not be the best idea at this time.
Costumed

If you are wearing a costume this could indicate that you are trying to hide your true self, or you inner feelings behind a facade of duplicity; you may not be wholly honest with a loved one and have a fear of being found out. If you are wearing a ridiculous costume, such as a chicken suit, this could indicate that you are being foolish about certain matters in your life and must look to the other symbols to find out just what it is.
Court

There are two kinds of court to consider, one is the court of law, and the other is courtship. If you dream of being hauled up in court on charges this indicates that the dreamer may have circumstances in his/her life that may cause a certain amount of worry about the law, and it is telling the dreamer to change these things; like an early warning system. It is also a prediction of financial reverses that can be staved off if you do not waste time, and keep your nose to the grindstone. Dreaming of courting, or being courted, is very bad luck, especially for a woman, as the lover she has her heart set on will never propose. See also, divorce court.
Coyote

A coyote, not being a very brave animal, will attack those living beings that are injured, dead, or just weaker then themselves, and they also run in packs like dogs, (kind of like street gangs). If you dream of being attacked by a pack of coyote, or see them wearing a threatening demeanor, you should be extremely careful for the next few days as this is a warning of danger to yourself. A friendly coyote is an omen of deception.
Crash

To dream of a crash, such as in the stock market, you can expect to see your investments take hold and grow. If you hear a loud crash, such as the percussion sound of a drum or cymbals, that is a warning to calm your environment down in order to control your nerves. For cars crashing, see wreck.

Crawling
You have not taken proper advantage of your opportunities if you are dreaming of crawling over rough, or broken ground. If you are crawling over stones and other damaging material and hurt yourself you may shortly experience some humiliating events that are forced on you by others. If you are crawling in muck and mire with someone, then you will shortly fall into a depression over a business failure.
Crickets

To have a cricket invade your home foretells that you will soon be experiencing poverty, if you kill the cricket, your poverty will be short lived. To hear a cricket foretells some very sad news concerning the death of a distant friend.

Crocodile

Just to see a crocodile in your dream doing nothing much but lazing around is a warning that someone is trying to adversely influence you about a matter closely related to your happiness or your income. If the Crocodile chases you it means success magnified in your affairs. If he catches and bites you then you are slated for disappointments in love and business but if you see the crocodile dead then your success' will be many, and beyond your wildest hopes.

Crush (love interest)
If you dream that you have a crush on someone then you will come to realize that you are not truly in love, but in like. If the person you have a crush on is younger or older then you, then this is a sign that you suffer guilt for misleading the innocent party, after you have plumbed the shallow depths of your emotions.
Crush (pulverize)

If you are in the act of crushing something in your dream this will show that you are under a lot of pressure and need to make a decision right away to end it. The pressure may have arisen because of a decision you are being forced into making so be sure you have all the facts together before you do.

The Interpretation of Dreams is a book by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. The first edition (in German, and bearing the title Die Traumdeutung) was published in November 1899 (post-dated as 1900 by the publisher). The book inaugurated the theory of Freudian dream analysis, which activity Freud famously described as "the royal road to the understanding of unconscious mental processes."

At the beginning of Chapter One, Freud describes his work thus:

In the following pages, I shall demonstrate that there is a psychological technique which makes it possible to interpret dreams, and that on the application of this technique, every dream will reveal itself as a psychological structure, full of significance, and one which may be assigned to a specific place in the psychic activities of the waking state. Further, I shall endeavour to elucidate the processes which underlie the strangeness and obscurity of dreams, and to deduce from these processes the nature of the psychic forces whose conflict or co-operation is responsible for our dreams.

The book introduces Freud's theory of the unconscious with respect to dream interpretation. Dreams, in Freud's view, were all forms of "wish-fulfillment" — attempts by the unconscious to resolve a conflict of some sort, whether something recent or something from the recesses of the past (later in Beyond the Pleasure Principle, Freud would discuss dreams which did not appear to be wish-fulfillment). However, because the information in the unconscious is in an unruly and often disturbing form, a "censor" in the preconscious will not allow it to pass unaltered into the conscious. During dreams, the preconscious is more lax in this duty than in waking hours, but is still attentive: as such, the unconscious must distort and warp the meaning of its information to make it through the censorship. As such, images in dreams are often not what they appear to be, according to Freud, and need deeper interpretation if they are to inform on the structures of the unconscious.

Freud makes his argument by first reviewing previous scientific work on dream analysis, which he finds interesting but inadequate. He then describes a number of dreams which illustrate his theory. Many of his most important dreams are his own — his method is inaugurated with an analysis of his dream "Irma's injection" — but many also come from patient case studies. Much of Freud's sources for analysis are in literature, and the book is itself as much a self-conscious attempt at literary analysis as it is a psychological study. Freud here also first discusses what would later become the theory of the Oedipus complex.

The initial print run of the book was very low — it took many years to sell out the first 600 copies. Freud revised the book at least eight times, and in the third edition added an extensive section which treated dream symbolism very literally, following the influence of Wilhelm Stekel. Later psychoanalysts have expressed frustration with this section, as it encouraged the notion that dream interpretation was a straightforward hunt for symbols of sex, penises, etc. (Example: "Steep inclines, ladders and stairs, and going up or down them, are symbolic representations of the sexual act.") These approaches have been largely abandoned in favor of more comprehensive methods.

These are interpreter of dreams - words starting with "B"

Baby

Crying babies in a dream may foretell of ill health or minor disappointments in your personal life while a bright, clean baby speaks of a wonderful love affair or even the making of many new friends. A nursing baby can mean contentment or even deception when taken in relation to other symbols in your dream. Dreaming of a baby can also denote the state of your soul life, again in relation to the other signs.

Bachelor

A woman dreaming of a bachelor denotes a loss of innocence and purity. A man who dreams of being a bachelor is a warning of an insincere female who will shortly be entering your life. It is also the sign of loss of honor and dignity.

Back

If you slap someone on the back in your dream it is an omen of loss of money. To see a naked back in your dream is a warning not to lend money to anyone and if it is of the opposite sex the warning is doubled. To see a person turn their back on you means you will be deeply hurt by jealousy or envy.

Back-biting

To dream of back-biting, (creating malicious gossip), about someone means you will soon fall into serious error if you do not halt whatever you may be doing that may harm someone. To have someone back-bite you means you will have problems with family and/or children.
Backgammon

Playing backgammon and losing shows you will be unlucky in the pursuit of the opposite sex, To win denotes that you will have many friends and loved ones. To see a backgammon game shows you will be, or will have, an unwelcome guest in the near future.

Bacon

To dream of handling bacon with dirty hands is an ill omen and must be taken with the dream as a whole. Bacon that has gone rancid denotes a failed affair, either love or business. Curing bacon properly is a good sign that you are doing something right.
Badger

A badger is a fierce little animal and to see this fellow in a dream will show that you have put up quite a fight and won out over your opponents. An injured Badger tells you to fight another day.

Bagpipe

A musical instrument such as a bagpipe seen in your dream is a sign of good fortune if the music is pleasing to the ear. If the player resembles a tramp and the sound is ugly and grating then will misfortune head your way.

Bail

To dream of making bail or needing to make bail is a dream where your subconscious is telling you that you need to accept help from professionals in your area of business, i.e.: bail you out. To go bail for another could denote accidents and misadventure for the dreamer.

Bailiff

To dream of being a bailiff denotes that you are working hard to better your standard of living and your position at work. If the bailiff comes to arrest you then you are in some error in your business dealing and need to improve your ethics.

Bake-house

If you dream of an old fashion bake house then you are in danger of running into pitfalls which will be revealed to you. For a woman to dream this she will have her good name besmirched and false friends will drag her down.

Bakery

Dreaming of a modern day bakery with all the good smells and smiling people denotes much richness and success for you. To dream you are making the bread shows you will be making more money in your endeavors.

Ball

If you are playing some sort of ball game as a sport you will soon be hearing some good news. If the ball you dream of is a gala event complete with music then the interpretation is somewhat different. It is a very good omen if you are having fun and enjoying the music and dancing but if it should be a masquerade ball you should watch out for an enemy posing as a good friend. Watching a ball game, or a dance from the sidelines, show that you must overcome shyness to join in the fun.

Balloon

To dream of seeing balloons in your dream indicates a dashing of hope on any and all fronts, business or love, as well as a general falling off of all kinds of businesses you may be involved in. If you are ascending in a balloon this is an omen of especially frustrating conditions in your life.

Banjo

If you dream that you are playing the banjo you will have an enjoyable time with friends. if you see someone else playing the banjo then you will meet an exciting new love. If you are listening to banjo music from afar you will soon have some visitors from out of town. To hear banjo music on a radio show, you will have success in love.

Baseball

If you attend a baseball game in your dream you will find contentment and peace or mind. If you dream you are playing the game of baseball you will find contentment, but no real gains, in life unless you quit 'playing', and buckle down to achieving your goals.

Bats

The dreamer is particularly unfortunate if he/she dream about these awful little ugly creatures as death almost always follows the dream of the bat, often it is the death of a child, or a youth. Seeing bats in your dream shows that many sorrows and grief is yours due to the evil that people direct against you. death of a family member is denoted by a dream of a white bat., while a black bat brings personal disaster.

Beach

To see yourself working on a beach shows that you will soon be involved with a job, or project, that will be demanding of you in both time and effort. If you are just relaxing on a beach this shows that you value the calm feelings that family get togethers lend to you, and if you see yourself sitting on a beach and letting the sand run through your fingers that shows that you are running out of time on something important due to idling your time away.

Bear

If a bear is pursuing you in your dream this is a sign that you will experience some financial losses in business. A bear also represents a rival you may have for your loved one, if the bear is seen to be climbing, then the outcome will be in your favor.

Beaver

To see a beaver industriously building a dam shows that much hard work is to be expected before you eventually realize your goals. If the beaver is in distress, or has trouble with his building, this is indicative of a need to change your career as the goal you have set may be unrealistic.

Bed

If you dream that you are sleeping on a bed in the outdoors this foretells much success in your endeavors. If you dream of going to bed with a stranger of the opposite sex, this is indicative of making friends too fast, and speaks for caution in affairs. A bed that is not your own shows that you can expect a small increase in good luck in your business affairs, and your own bed offers you security that you may be lacking in your life. If you are making up the bed you will have callers.

Beehive

Seeing a busy beehive is indicative of many opportunities for you to get ahead and increase your earning power. If the hive is empty this forecasts sorrow over love affairs and a loss in income. If you, or someone else in your dream, should be seen destroying the hive then you will have many losses and suffer poverty for a time.

Bees

Seeing bees in your dream is much the same as the beehive with a small variation: Bees are a lucky dream and augers much good to the dreamer in all his endeavors, unless, the bees sting the dreamer in which case bad luck may dog your steps for a while.

Begin

To begin something in your dream is your subconscious telling you that you need to get on with what you have only been planning. It is a warning of wasting valuable time through procrastination.

Betrayal

All dreams of betrayal should be studied closely in connection with the entire dream to find out just who or what to expect betrayal from. Betrayal as an omen is not much to go on and the dreamer must take this as a literal warning of an insincere friend or lover and study the dream with this in mind. Sometimes things can 'betray' you by not giving you value and satisfaction for cost.

Bird

Birds are usually considered a very good omen for the dreamer to receive and this is doubly true if the birds are brightly colored, singing, and flying about. Dead ,or dying, birds foretell a period of coming disappointments and worries, while dreaming of the beak of a bird means you will soon change your place of residence. Birds eggs in a nest signifies money, but to see them broken then you will experience a loss of money. If you see birds hatching, then your success will be delayed; an empty nest warns against becoming involved in other peoples arguments.

Birdseed

To dream of feeding birds with much birdseed promises a very large income in the near future, and if you are spreading it around on the ground, your business will 'take root' and grow. This is a good dream and it also is an encouragement to the dreamer to forge ahead with his/her plans and not be deterred by misplaced loyalty, in other words, don't let someone rain on your parade.

Birth

If the dreamer is pregnant the dream will be an acting out of hidden wishes, fears or desires, but, soon after you dream of giving birth to a child, or someone else giving birth, you will hear some good news. If the birth is in relation to animals this shows that any enemies working against your best interests will be defeated, and if the birth is multiple then you will gain a larger monetary reward for your labors.

Birthday cake

To dream of a birthday, complete with the cake, shows that you will have much good luck come your way through the well wishes of good friends. If the cake looks ugly in the dream, then you will have some minor bad luck that will not be long lasting, or devastating to the dreamer.

Bites

This is a dream of very ill omen and it shows that you are in danger of suffering ill from the hands of someone who has wished you harm for a long time. It also a wish to undo something that you may have done that is past being repairable, as well as a warning of physical harm and monetary losses. If you dream of being bitten by a vampire this shows there is someone in your life that is draining you, or your resources, and you need to eliminate this person from your life.

Biting

To dream of biting someone could be a warning that you are overdoing the pressure you are applying to certain people and causing them pain. In other instances it tells of low business practices and a lack of ethics in all your dealings. If you are biting someone as a vampire then you feel like you must make your own way and not be dependent on others, which makes you feel like a 'bloodsucker'. See Vampire.

Black crow (blackbird)

If you dream of seeing a blackbird in your dream, then the next few months will be tedious as you move along in a rut. If your dream is of a blackbird flying, and singing, then you will meet with good fortune. To dream that you are eating this blackbird is an indication that there is someone you need to apologize to, 'eat crow'.

Blood

To dream of seeing blood stains you will have much trouble from an enemy if you start a business or other enterprise. If you are doing the bleeding try to stay out of confrontations with family and friends, the blood may not be literal but rather, signify a state of 'bleeding' emotions. If the blood is seen as a transfusion your troubles will not be long-lasting.

Boat

The boat is a dream symbol for your life and/or business, and the dreamer must pull together all the aspects of this dream to approximate the meaning, such as: the water, whether it is clear, murky, inland lakes, or oceans, was the boat moving, etc., so look up all the dream symbols you can remember and you should be able to glean the sense of your dream. Don't forget to consider idioms; don't rock the boat, we are all in the same boat, and so on.

Book

If books were the main theme of your dream the situation in your life is stable and you will make slow, steady progress to the top of your chosen profession. look to the other symbols in your dream to tell you in what context you should place the book, or books, in relation to your own life situation, bear in mind that the action associated with books is progress.

Boys

Any dream that you have that features boys in any activity is a good omen and bodes well for the dreamer in whatever he/she is undertaking at the present time. Of course, if the boys are injured, or otherwise beset, then you must take the dream to mean an ill omen. Brakes: Brakes are a warning dream, and more so if you dream that you braked a vehicle and the brakes failed. Failing brakes are a warning not to accept a new offer that you have just been presented with, as there are well hidden snags that can harm more that help. The action of braking itself is an idiom telling you to 'put the brakes on', whether it is business or love, or even some impetuous act that could cause you legal trouble. You should also check your brakes on your personal vehicle.

boyfriends

If you dream of a specific person such as a boyfriend, you will need to concentrate more on the other symbols of your present dream as the boyfriend can represent several different aspects or people in your life. A boyfriend can be friend, enemy, lover, companion, or the symbol of any of these things in the emotions. If bodily harm is threatened from this person it would be best to take this as a literal, true, dream and act accordingly.

Bridge

Crossing a brightly lit bridge, and the bridge itself in good repair, with no difficulty, signifies a change in circumstances with a lot of prosperity heading your way. You should make no changes in your life, or your lifestyle, for the time being if the bridge had any kind of defects.

Buffalo

If you dream of a single buffalo you will see an inordinate amount of income in the next few weeks but if you killed, or injured, the beast then you must, under no circumstances, accept any new venture offered to you. To dream of seeing a herd of buffalo presages peace and plenty. If a buffalo lets you pet it, you will have a tranquil married life.

Building

If the buildings you dream of are stately and majestic you could have to much ceremony in your life and not enough everyday good people attitudes. If the buildings are beautiful with lots of green lawn around them then are you destined for a life of plenty. Should the buildings be dilapidated and in ruins then this will show that you will have business or love problems with the likelihood of loss very high.

Bullets

A bullet in a dream is a very bad omen. If you are hit with one this is to warn you to have a medical checkup immediately, and if you see a bullet, or several, do not do or say anything that can be misconstrued as you could lay yourself open to some very bad scandal.

Bumble bees

A bumble bee is not a very good omen in a dream as most people associate the bumble bee with pain more then they do any other bee. This is a dream of warning and should be correlated with the other aspects of your dream to get the knowledge meant for you to have. Watch out for enemies in friends clothing, and don't get 'stung'.

Bus

Being in a bus accident shows the dreamer will have a period of frustration due to financial embarrassment. To wait for a bus in you dream shows you will have a temporary set back in attaining your hearts desire, but, if you are riding on a bus, you will soon win through to capture your love.

Butterfly

A dream of a butterfly could be telling you to settle down and not to flit from person to person or it could have to do with social situations.. The bigger and more beautiful the butterfly, the more of an impression you will make on society, or at a special function that you must attend. Use the other symbols in your dream to get you on the right track.

These are dream interpreter with words starting with "A"

Abandon

If you abandon something bad in your dream you could quite possibly receive some favorable financial news. But if someone abandons you, close to you in your dreams it may mean trouble, don't worry you can over come it by acknowledging the warning sign. If you dreamed you saw some sort of abandonment, it indicates you will hear some news or information that you will feel is very important to you. To dream that you yourself have been abandoned is a dream of contradiction and means you will have a reconciliation or a quick turn around from the trouble or problem.

Abbey

Looking upon this type of structure clearly and in broad daylight, generally you can consider this a good omen. Being a very good sign you can expect peace of mind and substantial freedom from anxiety. If you see in Abbey in gloom or fog at night it indicates sadness, but it should only the temporary in nature.

Abdomen

Another contradictory dream if dreaming of pain in this area will indicate success due to strong health and vigor. Dreaming your Abdomen is being exposed, is a bad sign however, and is a warning of unfaithfulness or treachery and may come from someone you trust and hold dear. Be extremely cautious.

Abduction

A dream about being abducted strongly indicates success for you against most opposition whether business or social. If you witness someone being abducted in your dreams then you can expect to get some unexpected news.

Abhorrence

When you find something extremely distasteful in your dreams, it is a warning of danger or difficult times. These are usually of an unforeseen nature; but, if the feeling was not very strong and you were simply, slightly annoyed by this feeling present in your dream, then you will overcome your difficulties.

Abject

To experience dreams of being abject indicates coming financial changes, usually to the opposite. If the abjectnesss altered at some point within the dream then these affects will only be temporary. However if during your dream you respond friendly to in abject approach, it possibly means a substantial financial benefit is forthcoming.

Abnormal

To dream of things that are not normal, and I mean really "Not normal" like a bird with tentacles or a car that is half horse, then this means that very soon you will have a sound solution to your current problems that are weighing on your mind.
Abortion

To a man a dream containing abortion indicates failure in his kind endeavor. For a woman it is very clearly a health dream and may indicate her health is in some sort of danger.

Abroad

To go abroad by ship indicates that you may make a very powerful and influential new friend very shortly. Dreams of being abroad in foreign lands is clear indications that you may be experiencing unsettled conditions and look for a possible change of location.

Abscond

To the man this could indicate possible deceit from his co-workers. To a woman it means she should be very careful where she gives her affection.

Abstinence

Another contradictory dream which may seem the exact opposite. To dream that you practice abstinence from drinking or any other sort of sensual temptation can be and should be considered a warning against being over confidant. But to dream that you have to show abstinence out of necessity indicates that great rewards are on their way.
Abundance

To dream of having a great abundance of a certain thing is a clear warning to conserve your resources and energies. And dreaming of having a great abundance of a wide variety of things is a very good omen.

Abuse

If you dream you are abusing someone you are about to suffer repercussions from friends toward whom you have acted less then honorable. If you feel that you are abused, or if you are being verbally or physically abused, you will soon fall into the hands of an enemy. Being forewarned is being forearmed, and your dreams are advising you that you will be the sufferer unless you pay close attention to your dealings in the immediate future.
Abyss

An abyss can always be considered an obstacle. If you can manage to keep from falling into one in your dreams, though it may look like you will, you will overcome your current problem. However, falling into the abyss, is a stern warning that you should be very careful, as there may be danger present in your business dealings.

Academy

A dream that involves an Academy can indicate new friendships, and it warns that they may lead you to costly mis-speculation.


Accelerator

An accelerator or gas pedal or throttle on a boat and possibly even an airplane, can be an indication that you will achieve your objectives with little outside help other then your own efforts. However if the accelerator is jammed or broken and you lost control of it, it is a warning not to develop a habit which could turn into a most unwanted vice.

Accident

An accident dream would normally fall under the category of a warning from your subconscious mind telling you to steer clear of whatever was involved in the dream accident, no matter what it is. Many lives have been saved by heeding such a dream. If the dream involves a car then you should endeavor to walk as much as possible, but use extra caution when you are approached by a vehicle. Take a different flight at least two days later if an airplane, watch out for WHATEVER is involved. If the dream is about a sea accident and you do not plan to travel by ship or boat, then this is an omen having to do with love affairs. If the accident involves an archaic, outdated, mode of travel then it will pertain to business reversals.

Acupuncture

To dream of being acupunctured can considered healing, since that is it's primary purpose. However this varies from traditional medicine, so the healing process it is referring to is questionable or experimental depending on how the dreamer feels.

Adoption

Signifies acceptance (if you are getting adopted), rejection if you are putting someone up for adoption. Also it could mean adopting new ideas, or a need to do so.

Adultery

To dream of helplessly watching a mate have sex or making out with someone else is your inner expression of feelings of sexual inadequacy or insecurity with the romanitic involvement with your mate. Dreaming of having sex with someone else is indicitive of a desire for change in either a romantic or sexual sense.


Aids

To dream you have ANY dread incurable illness is a fear that something is permenantly wrong with you. This could be as broad ranging as feeling your carreer choice was bad, to as simple as a fear you will never get over the cold you have. To dream of others with aids is indicative of feelings of helplessness or sympathy depending on the context of the dream.

Airplane

The true definition is found in identifing the type of plane and your personal feeling of aircraft. If you fear air travel, dreaming of being on a passenger jet in flight is likely to be an expression of fear involved with some sort of travel. However if you LIKE to fly then this could also mean happeness. And it can also indicate a desire to rise above it all, an escape.

Airplane Crash

To dream of being in this event is a feeling of not only a dramatic negative change in your life, but also to everyone around you as well as your envorment. A very negative symbol and should be meditated upon. To dream of witnessing this event is symbolic of feelings of helplessness in the face of a great tragedy. In prohetic dreams this heralds a great change in the distant future (planes are associated with great distance). This change may not be negative.

Airport

In a dream the sight of a busy airport represents the desire for freedom and/or travel as this is the jumping off point for all those who travel the world and it brings out your hidden desires to do the same. If the airport is empty and deserted your own travel plans will be changed or delayed.

Alcohol

To dream of drinking to intoxication is an inner need to escape reality or your life situation. Same is true to dream of doing drugs. This also indicates a feeling of alienation and quite possibly guilt. Watching someone else get drunk is ussually a negative expression of your inner feeling toward the person or personality trait exibited by the person who is drunk. To be sober in a crowd of drunks indicates feelings of being left out, or being superior.

Alien(s)

If you dream that you are an alien from outer space this will denote that your ideas are starting to get out of hand in regard to occult matters. It is your minds way to 'put the brakes on'. If you dream you have been abducted by aliens this shows your fear of changing your surroundings or your deep seated fear of losing your home and family. To see aliens of any kind is bringing out your fears and must be correlated with the rest of the dream.

Alligator

Alligators most always symbolize a problem! To kill or conquer one means you have overcome a problem. To be surrounded by one means you have to choose one bad thing to get out of a lot of bad things. (any way you run you will encounter at least one). To be eaten or killed by an alligator means the problem that is haunting you is likely to do you harm if not cured. To have a pet alligator symbolizes great control over one's problems.

Almonds

To dream of eating fresh almonds with gusto and enjoyment foretells the coming of financial gain but if the almonds tend to be a little bitter then your gain will be accompanied by a short time of sorrow. To see a healthy almond tree foretells much happiness and wedded bliss while a blighted tree means just the opposite.

Ambulance

A dream of an ambulance is an omen that could be taken as a warning against carelessness and indiscretion leading to some major catastrophe in your life. In all cases it is concerning itself with your health, or the inner fear you may have of having contracted some kind of disease, and warrants a trip to the doctor to set your mind at ease.

Amethyst

In a dream the amethyst is a gem that signals good luck. In business it shows that you will have a modest income that you will be satisfied with, and in marriage, you will have a calm and happy married life. If you lose a piece of amethyst jewelry then you will see the reverse of these conditions.

Amusement park

To have a pleasant dream with an amusement park in it, maybe a hint that you may want to start having a little bit more fun in life, getting a little bit more amusement out of things. If the dream finds the amusement park to be dark and empty, devoid of sound, it may be a clue that your lack of amusement may be reaching critical levels. To have a bad dream with an amusement park in it, indicates that you have a problem overcoming your fear of physical risk (the rides).

Angels

To dream of Angels have many diverse meanings and must be thoroughly studied in light of the dreamers lifestyle, beliefs, interaction with others, etc.. One of the meanings is that if the dreamer has been particularly wicked or worked ill to another it could be a call to repeat through prayer. Another is, if you are a person who is basically good you will find peace and joy in the dream, or consolation for some sorrow. In any event, it usually works a change in the dreamers life that will move and grow both immediately and throughout life.

Anger

Anger in a dream at someone you know is usually an expression of pent-up hostility toward that person. In waking you may not be able to express your anger, because you do not wish to hurt their feelings or they may be your employer. In sleep anger comes out because you have to vent it in some fashion. If you dream that someone is angry at you, then this means that you either suspect that the person in real life is angry at you, or you have that particular paranoia.

Animals

Animals most often represent that aspect of ourselves, or parts of our personality, that are present in our ordinary life. It is generally given that the more primitive the animal then the more primitive or deeper the layer of consciousness that represents. To dream of being bitten by an animal may be a manifestation of a fear of animals. What the animal is doing in the dream is also very important, if say, a pig is dancing, then maybe that means that the side of you that likes to over indulge is very happy with that. But if the pig were crying then that might indicate an inner urge to curb and over indulge in habit.
Ants

Because of the nature of ants and the widespread occurrence of fire ants, it is only natural that this little creature find its way into our subconscious as the symbol of pettiness and annoyance. But on a positive note, they can symbolize diligence foresight and teamwork. The little ant is also indicative of organization, and business discipline. In dreams where the ant is related to work issues the ant symbolizes the work ethic or lack of. To be bitten by an ant in a dream can indicate a small annoyance in your life, or if bitten by many, lots of small annoyances in life.

Apartment

A dream of an apartment is usually a simple dream and shows the dreamer the state of finances or other situation he or she may be involved in. A beautiful, lavish apartment indicates you will see a large increase in your income or your family life will improve. If the apartment is shabby and dark then you will experience misfortune and possible loss of a husband, lover, or money. Try to recall the other symbols that caught your eye in your dream apartment and you will come close to approximating it's meaning.

Apostle

An apostle dream is much like that of an angel dream but more men then women seem to have these. Usually when an apostle speaks to you in a dream it is a spiritual message for you and deserves the utmost attention you can give it. See Angel.

Apple

Depending on the context of the dream, an Apple can signify love (if the apple is fresh and given to someone), guilt (only if one associates eating an apple with the biblical reference to the garden of Eden). In prophetic dreams the apple is considered to be a very good omen, but the interpretation depends primarily on what the details are. If the apples are ripe there is a promise of financial rewards but if the apples were green, bitter, or tainted in some way then you are in danger of losing something through mistake or foolishness that you would have otherwise gained.

Aquarium

To see fish in an aquarium, is indicative of small pleasures that last of short duration either in your life or to come. The condition and size of the fish tank or aquarium, is also an indicator as to the quality and/or quantity of the pleasure.

Argument

To argue with someone that you know within a dream, maybe a subconscious expression of a will to argue with a person that you would not readily argue with in real life. In prophetic dreams an argument can also be considered a warning against impulsive decisions and a very clear warning to think before you act.

Arm

If you dream your arm or arms have been injured and unusable then this is brought on by a feeling of loss connected with the ability to care for yourself, (if you are an older person), or a feeling of helplessness in reaching out to others, ( in a sense that your arm is bound ), and a restriction of your activities. Your right arm is associated with your outgoing nature, and the left arm represents your supportive, or nurturing nature.
Armageddon

To dream of armageddon, or the end of the world, was very common in the year 1999 when many people thought the end of the world was going to occur at the year 2000. However, to dream about armageddon now is usually a deep-rooted fear that your world is about to change dramatically. By "your world" I am referring to everything around you, your job, your family etc. in prophetic dreams armageddon predicts a dramatic change in one's life, possibly the death of someone close or in some cases, of the dreamer himself (but this is extremely rare).

Assassin

If you are the one to be struck down by an assassin then you will not experience the realization of your goals. To see someone else who has been killed, with the assassin still there, and blood spattered, shows some very bad luck to the dreamer, as he/she will be brought low by the underhandedness of an enemy.
Attacked

First of all, anytime you dream of being attacked always exercise extreme caution for the next several weeks as this is first and foremost a warning dream. If the attacker in your dream is an animal, watch out for that type of an animal, but also notice how some people act like animals. If you dream that you have attacked someone, that is also a warning that your ill mood or temper fits may cause you to harm another and bring chaos down on your head. If you are attacked by someone you know you may have to withstand an attack on your character and defend your honor, so to speak. If you are attacked by an animal be very careful of walking the dark streets or putting your self in the places where you could possibly be attacked by a mugger, etc.. If you dream that you repel your attacker then you will meet with success in your current endeavor, and if you kill an attacking animal then will your life be saved by a stranger.

Attic

The attic, being an upper room, shows you have lofty aspirations that you will have much difficulty with, but will win out to your goals after an extended period of time. If the attic is well appointed, and brightly lit, then you will have luck with either love or matrimony. The attic can also represent the mind, and if the attic is chaotic this will be a sign telling you to organize your thoughts for better living.

Aurora Borealis

If you dream of seeing the northern lights and experience a feeling of love and warmth you are probably having a spiritual experience and you should examine all the other symbols found in the dream, no matter how small they are. Usually this feeling of peace and love is an indication that your spiritual state is doing well, but if you are frightened or sad it may be an indication for you to come back into the light of God's love and care.

Automobiles

Vehicles that you ride in usually reflect two things; the direction you are heading in life, and your body. (the thing you travel or "ride" through life in) This might vary if you are a mechanic or designer of vehicles. Unusually over exposure to a specific vehicle type may easily change the meaning. The condition of the vehicle might give you an idea of your health. Driving an old beat up car down a muddy road on a stormy night would be considered a pretty bad dream! However flying a Lear jet through blue skies with a song in your heart and the wind at your tail would be a rather good dream. :)

Autopsy

Strangely enough to view an autopsy with no other point of reference (like your own definition, or dream context) is actually a good omen and usually points to new and interesting experiences that are down the road for you, most commonly in a sexual sense.

Avalanche

To watch in avalanche in a dream is to see obstacles coming and have no way to avoid those obstacles. An avalanche is usually a warning, and can be avoided in real life if one is careful and changes a plan or a detail or two. Since an avalanche is very dramatic, it is likely that the dreamer will know exactly what the symbol represents, and other symbols within the dream will likely point to the best course of action. In a prophetic dream if you are buried under an avalanche oddly enough is considered a good sign and you will likely receive a spectacular stroke of good luck! If you dream of others being buried under this avalanche then a change of surrounding is likely to occur.

Axe

If you are chopping wood in your dream with a sharp axe you will meet a new companion but if the axe is dull, you will not be able to depend on this person. It is also a sign to go slow in any business dealings you may be involved in as you could get a nasty cut from an adverse turn of events.

A new approach..

It must be made clear from the start that anyone who is interested in remembering their dreams, and understanding them, is free to do so. You are not required to possess any psychic abilities, or prestigious degrees! Interpreting dreams can be done by anyone willing to simply learn how. It is not very hard to do and does not require much of your time, nor is there any really intense study to do. The method I am about to outline for you is perhaps one of the easiest and effective ways to remember and analyze your own dreams. As you follow this outline you will grow more effective in time, as practice increases your success rate rather dramatically. There is nothing spooky or ritualistic to do, in fact I believe you will find it quite logical!

Just like learning to drive a car, or tying your shoes hangs with you, this too will be something that in time you will be able to do quite naturally. Dreams are a vehicle in which your mind communicates ideas, warnings and health issues. Sometimes they even communicate the future! By using this technique and following a few simple rules, even the most stubborn "I never dream (grumble grumble)" types can do it. Just bear in mind that your own perceptions take precedence over any definitions in dream dictionaries. The dream dictionary that I have wrote and is now on line, contains only the most common generic definitions. Your own perceptions are always better.

Dreams are not a way avoid facing your difficulties, in fact you hit them head on. You can choose how you want to use this new tool anyway you wish. You can use your dreams as a passing sort of entertainment, or you can elect to use them regularly as an aid to you in your journey through life.

The First Step, The Tools You Need...

If you are seasoned at dream interpretation I know you heard this before... Get a notebook! (groan) Lots of you do not like the idea of writing down everything you dream about, but unfortunately it is necessary. No this is not unique, but I have never found a system of remembering or analysing dreams that did not include this step. There IS an alternative, and it is what I use. A mini cassette recorder Get a small mini cassette recorder know as a dictaphone. This you keep by your bed like the notebook, only you speak into it instead of writing them down. This takes some getting used to, and may disorient users of notebooks, but it is superior in this regard.

* You can speak faster then you can write.
* More detail, less work scrawling in the dark, so you can say more.
* You can analysis your own tone of voice.
* Speaking requires less concentration so your recall is better.

Thought you were going to get out of writing anything down, didn't you? :) Not a chance! You still need the notebook because later on you need to transfer the stuff from the tape to the book so you can analysis it and make notes. But this way is much easier and effective then sticking with the notebook only.

Keeping a notebook beside your bed, or the handy recorder, is not enough. You must give yourself the suggestion that you will remember your dreams when you wake up. I would not be too terribly concerned about recording unimportant dreams when you occasionally wake up in the middle of the night. Dreams are like plays. They go through several rehearsals then in the end give you a finished product. When a dream is important enough to write down from a middle of the night awakening, you will feel it in your bones and you will know to record it. Now, with notebook by the bed, (or recorder) you are ready for the next step. A really comfortable bed is required

The Proper Way To Sleep...

As with everything else in life, there is a right way and wrong way to go about sleeping in a manner that is productive in dream recall. Relaxation is a must. And following good, steady sleeping habits is also a must. There is a thing called "sleep debt" that occurs when you regularly do not get enough sleep. When you build up your sleep debt, you sleep so deep it is almost impossible to remember your dreams, so follow regular habits. Before you leap into bed, hell bent on remembering your dreams, take a moment and review these preliminary steps:

* Relax yourself completely. This can be done with nothing more then peace and quiet. If you choose, use your favorite relaxation tapes, or just some peaceful music. (pre-set to turn off)
* Pay attention to the main issues on your mind. As you start to go to sleep, pay attention to the main theme, or train of thought running through your mind. This will give you a clue as to what your dream may end up being based on. Also, by keeping your mind on what you want to dream about is a good way to dream about one particular issue. Don't over concentrate though, or it will keep you awake.
* Give yourself a suggestion to remember your dream. You must want to remember your dreams in order to do so. Giving yourself a suggestion is simple. Just keep in mind, and randomly bring to surface a little thought like "I will remember my dream". Don't just think the words like a child reciting "I will not write on the wall", but mean it, and feel the conviction.
* Plan on waking up slowly and peacefully. Being rocketed out of bed by a big dog landing in the middle of your chest and licking your face is NOT the stuff that dreams are made of! (I speak from experience) :) Try to wake up naturally. Regardless what anyone may have told you, it is a fact that adult human beings NEED a minimum of eight hours sleep in order to be fully rested. Some, in fact most really need more. Not getting enough sleep is the number one reason for not remembering your dreams! Don't overdo it either, or the reverse will be true. A good rule of thumb is you should wake up naturally without an alarm clock, and without someone (or something) waking you.
* Your health is very important! Take your vitamins, and chelated minerals every day! Eat a well balanced diet. Poor nutrition is also an extremely common cause for failure to recall dreams.

Keeping those steps above in mind (and following them) will kick start you to remembering your dreams. These steps are the key to remembering your dreams, if you practice ALL the above, you WILL sooner or later start to remember them. (I am betting "sooner")

Analyzing the dream: Basic Dream Themes...

Identify the main "theme" or "concept" of the dream. Perhaps the most important thing about dream analysis, identifying the basic theme sets the tone for the interpretation. It is done like so: First, write down the dream (or record it). Look at the dream from a different perspective. Take away the details and look at it as a whole. Here is an example:

You have a dream of a beautiful hall with shinny marble floors and incredible works of art on the walls. The pictures are framed in solid gold. There are flowers in the corner, and they are breathtaking. The ceiling is cathedral style, with graceful arches with ornate carvings. You get the distinct impression that you are alone, and in charge of it's upkeep. You here a faint scratching sound from the other end of the hall. You hurry down there and zero in on the sound. To your horror a mouse is chewing on the corner of a magnificent painting. You realize if you do nothing at all, the work will be rendered worthless and ugly. But you know if you catch the mouse you can save the painting since little to no damage has been done. You are uncertain you can get the mouse in time. You wake up feeling disappointed and remorse, as you do not want to see something so important to you destroyed.

So here is the theme when you take away the details.
Someone sees something precious being senselessly destroyed. There is a chance to put an end to it, if acted upon quickly.

If you had this dream wouldn't it be much clearer with a theme? Creating a theme is very easy and usually only requires common sense.
Lets do one more.

The Bible is rich with dream interpretation examples The Dream:
(From the Book of Genesis 40:09-11)In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes: And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.

The theme: Something good comes to fruition. This something is refined, and given away.

As anyone who cares to look up this passage can see, the meaning was that the King would restore the Chief Butler to his former position in three days. A theme is NOT the whole interpretation, as you can see. But it does point you into the right direction. For instance, "something good comes to fruition "IE he gets his job back. This "something is refined, and given away" does not seem to fit, however we don't really know from the passage whether or not changes to his job were required, or if held his job long afterward. Add the symbolism that Joseph used, and you get 3 "day--3 vines" "pressing grapes into Pharaoh's cup--preparing to serve Pharaoh" "Giving the cup to Pharaoh--returning to the service of Pharaoh as he had in former years.". The symbolism Joseph used was very logical! Add to it a theme, and it fits perfectly! This was a tough example as this dream was a prophetic dream and they are rare. I only used this to show you two very important things;

1. Themes help you find the big picture.
2. Themes alone are too vague to be useful as a whole interpretation!

TIP: The secret behind themes, are take away all the details, names, things places etc. and leave ONLY the action. As you can tell, that does give a great clue, but not the whole. So do not stop on your journey of dream discovery after you master dream "theme interping", as it will not be complete.

Analyzing The Dream: Theme-to-life...

Match the Theme or Concept to a specific area of your life.

First off, MOST dreams are NOT prophetic. To instantly assume this, will lead to many mis-interpretations! Your dreams are usually selfish, meaning that they are about you specifically, a good 90 percent of the time. With that in mind, you should be able to tie in the theme to some particular area of your life. Here is a good tip: When you ask yourself, "What specific area of my life is this dream about? "as opposed to asking "What's this dream mean?" you will arrive at a conclusion faster. Always assume, at least to start off with, that the dream is about you, and a message to you. Since you made the theme, you should be able to place it into some aspect or condition present in your life. A real good sign that you thought up the right area of your life it is addressing, is when you get that "Ah HaH, THAT'S IT!" feeling. Sometimes, if it is a bad dream, the feeling is more like "oh no, that's it!". Either way, when the connection is made, you feel it and you know.
If you were indeed correct on finding the theme, then finding the area of your life it fits into should come quite easily. How exactly though, do you go about matching the theme to an area of your life? If you had the first dream (the one about the hall above) and you decided that the theme was:
Someone sees something precious being senselessly destroyed. There is a chance to put an end to it, if acted upon quickly.

Ask yourself the following questions:

* What element in my life seems very precious to me? (search for the ah-hah feeling)
* Is there a possibility that it could be damaged or hurt in any way?

Note that if you had that dream, found the element in your life that was precious to you, and you know it could be in danger, yet you do not see a solution, your mind does! Re-examine the situation and the solution might just reach out and grab you! If it were hopeless, the dream would have been different. Sometimes your sleeping mind can arrive at conclusions far better then our normal thinking processes. As you can tell, theming-to-life is best done through emotion. Only by examining your own emotions as you try to fit the theme into a given situation can you know you hit the mark. Our lives are sometimes so complicated that we many have so many things going on that could fit the theme, our emotions are our best clue to pin pointing the exact application. Emotions are a very good clue to the dream itself. Pay strict attention to "your emotional state" while in the dream. For example if you were happy through-out the "hall" dream, it would have a far different meaning then if you were sad!

Analyzing the dream: Universal Symbols...

You've developed good sleeping habits. Then you got on a regular schedule of taking your vitamins and chelated minerals. You learned how to relax, and you are dedicated to writing things down or recording them. Giving yourself the suggestion to remember your dreams, you are now doing so quite frequently. Themes come easily and you can fit them into your life accordingly. Are you done? Somehow you don't think so, as you seem to be missing a large part of the picture. The details. This is where symbols come in. Symbols in a dream, are actually the elements that make up the details. Even specific actions are sometimes symbols (such as falling). In the dream above about the hall, the pictures, ceiling, arches, paintings and even the mouse, are all dream symbols. All the little details mean something. Symbols, for the most part, are a very personal thing. Meaning that a "dream dictionary" may not necessarily have the correct definition to the symbol in your particular dream. Why? Because we associate meanings differently from one another at times. For example, I might associate a candle with pain, hardship and poverty if I spent enough time with no money living in the dark and lighting my home with a candle. But, I might associate a candle with God, if the only time I ever see one is in church! Two dramatically different definitions of the same thing. When you read a dream dictionary, it is usually not bogus, it merely gives the most "common" definition for that particular item. If you were unaffected at all by an item in your life, then the dream dictionary definition would most likely be valid. However, there are a certain amount of symbols that seem to always mean the same thing for people all the time. These you would do well to write down, memorize or at the very least, bear in mind while interpreting your own dreams. Why exactly these symbols are universal is a mystery to a certain extent, though I am sure there is a good reason.

Animals

Dreaming of a pig is ussually an indication you are an over-eater and feel bad about it

They symbolize our own traits, good and bad. When you see an animal doing something in your dreams it usually represents a bad trait. As it is far easier for us to accept and watch an animal doing something negative then to take the credit for it ourselves. Here is a good example: A woman on a diet and really wants to loose weight but is prone to binge eating. She has tried and failed many times, but this time has resolve. That night in a moment of weakness, she eats a big slice of cake, and a bowl of ice cream. That night she dreams of being on a farm on a cloudy day, and watching in disgust as a big manure covered sow eats and sucks non-stop at her sloop. She is astonished and ashamed when she noticed what the sow was eating! (cake and ice cream). It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out what that dream means, or what the animal symbolized! Her dream was telling her she would feel about as good about herself as she felt about the sow if she did not control her eating.

Automobiles or vehicles

A car is the most common dream vehicle

Vehicles that you ride in usually reflect two things; the direction you are heading in life, and your body. (the thing you travel or "ride" through life in) This might vary if you are a mechanic or designer of vehicles. Unusually over exposure to a specific vehicle type may easily change the meaning. The condition of the vehicle might give you an idea of your health. Driving an old beat up car down a muddy road on a stormy night would be considered a pretty bad dream! However flying a Lear jet through blue skies with a song in your heart and the wind at your tail would be a rather good dream. :)

Children

Children playing in dreams are ussually positive

A child represents to most of us, something new, different and joyous. Using this logic, it is easy to see why a child represents a new phase in your life or a new project as well. How well the child gets along and fares in the dream is an indication as to how well what it represents is doing. Also, a child symbolizes innocent parts of yourself sometimes, and at other times, immaturity and childishness. It all depends on the theme and emotions used in the dream.

Clothing

Worry if you dream of dressing like a bum!

When you get into different moods you tend to choose different clothing, so clothing, for this reason best symbolizes your mood or state of mind. They also signify attitude. We wear clothing for all sorts of different reasons including, work, dating, play and social occasions. Attitudes and moods are similar to clothing in this regard, they are the camouflage we hide behind, our face we put on for the world in various situations so we can better cope. Take a look at what you, or other people in your dream are wearing to get even more clues to the dream's meaning. Also, a commonly overlooked clue is sometimes you see clothes on a clothes line, or lying around. It would be a good idea to take note as to what style and condition the clothes you see are.

Death

The most feared dream symbol

Nearly any dream you have that refers to death, dying or attending a funeral, or the like, pertain to change. Most all the time this change is very dramatic and major. It can be change in your life attitude or emotional balance. These types of dreams can also symbolize confronting fear, usually fear of death or change. Since most of use will agree that death is the ultimate change, and many people fear it. Death dreams are generally big changes and should never be ignored. Sometimes they really do signify death! Another possible symbol of a death dream is threat. Whichever suits the dream depends on how well the theme was arrived at. Most death dreams are about major change and not about literal death though, so don't panic if you have one. Just patiently go through the analysis process, and make sense of it.

Buildings

Your childhood home has deep personal meaning

The building in a dream usually points directly to a specific area of your life. Dreaming of being in an office complex, or factory can pertain to your working environment. It does not need to specifically pertain to your exact line of work. In other words, an office worker dreaming of a loading dock still can relate the dock to work, because that's the association made in his mind. A bathroom, may pertain to your general health and hygiene habits, and a kitchen might be about your eating and nutrition. What you associate different locations to mean in general, usually points to what the dream was getting at specifically. To dream of your childhood house, tends to be a reflection of your life today though. A dream of mass chaos in your childhood home can indicate great disturbances in your life either now, or coming shortly. These kinds of dreams are often prophetic. You should always write down and deeply analyze dreams of your childhood dwelling. Dreams of great buildings like cathedrals and large churches usually indicate the dream has a great meaning, and should be taken seriously, as well as any applied association.
People
Angry people are indications you are mad at yourself

People most often portrayed in dreams are actually reflections of your own personality traits, provided the dream is not prophetic.These traits are ones that you need to enhance or develop, or if negative, work on eliminating or reducing. You should immediately ask of yourself, what traits do I like, and what traits do I dislike in the characters I dream about? Then look for those traits in yourself. You may be very surprised to find a match up! People in dreams work most commonly to reflect, or mirror important aspects of your personality. You do well to always make this association.

IMPORTANT NOTE Dreams are very efficient. Meaning, they can address multiple issues on multiple topics all in one story line! A dream can warn you of health dangers, predict the future, point out personality flaws (or credits) and solve a current problem all in one dream! Some dreams are worthy of repeated analysis, and just because you can come up with two or three interpretations, does not mean that only one can be right, in fact they could all easily be right.
Analyzing the Dream: Personal Symbols...

All symbols in a dream create some sort of reaction in you. Look for the symbols that get the most reaction, they are usually keys. Since all symbols are not universal, in fact most aren't, before you pull out your dream dictionary, you need to decide if the symbol has a personal meaning or not. Here is an example: A knife might symbolize happiness to a woman who dropped the knife on her wedding day, and if was a big joke because it stuck handle up in the floor. This is associated with joy because it was humorous at the time and was a fond memory she shared with her husband. However, the next woman might cringe in fear over dreaming of a knife because she was attacked by a knife wielding thug in her teens. There are countless examples that could be given, but I think you get the picture. But how does one know what something means in a dream? How do we readily decode the symbols? There are several methods, lets explore:
Association

A traditional psychological method of looking at something and taking note of the first thing it reminds you of. After you think of something it reminds you of, do it again with the next association. Example I say "Cat", you associate "dog". Then I say "dog", and you associate "fire hydrant". I say "fire hydrant", you say "Fire". You see how this works? You have been lead in this example from cat, all the way to fire, two unrelated subjects! You can play this game with yourself with your dream symbols until something "clicks" and you get the ah-hah feeling.
Amplification

Instead of associating, you list what each symbol means to you. Different from the association method, amplification can sometimes work were association falls short. For instance, I dream of a candle, intstead of associating I make a list of what a candle means to me personally. Example: candle means happiness, love, romance, mysticism and light. Though it seems similar to association, it varies because you are approaching it from a different point of view.

Symbol defining is very easy, and you know when you hit the mark by the ah-hah feeling. There is one factor you should also keep in mind, and that is the laziness factor. You must devote some time and thought to the analysis of your dream to get a clear picture. If you go about it in a half hearted way, you will get bad results and feel disappointed. If you relay solely on dream dictionaries to do your symbol defining you will have lost quite a bit of the meaning your dreams were trying to share. I am putting a dream dictionary online in the future, but it is only to be used when no personal symbolisms can be found. It is my hope that you will try to define as many of your own symbols as possible.

Conclusion?...

I hope this phase of Dream Central has provided you with some useful information. Keep visiting, we will be adding more chapters later!

Out in the middle of the Nevada desert, America's secrets -- from UFOs tomilitary war games and cover-ups -- and our perennial longing for mystery and redemption all come together.

They call it the loneliest road in America, and I'd been driving it most of the morning down through the undulating desert blue of Nevada's Great Basin, Dust cactus flowers, and the stillness of the mountains put me in a contemplative mood. They are brutal, those rocks, but you can see ancient oceans moving in them, carved in waves of stone.

I'm on my way to the town of Rachel, a forlorn hive of dusty trailers parked at the side of the Extra-terrestrial Highway--which may be the second loneliest road in America--to investigate our country's obsession du jour, UFOs.

Rachel borders the government's infamous military base, Area 51--also known as Groom Lake or Dreamland--a sprawling compound of lakes and buildings that don't officially exist. It's the site of the blackest of "deep black" weapons secrets, a place rumored to house aliens in underground tunnels (where a nutritive pate made of humans is supposedly spread on their skin in exchange for advice on intergalactic travel), to be a dumping ground for nuclear waste and a facility for plutonium research, as well as the home of stealth aircraft that may fly at Mach 5--five times the speed of sound. The sonic boom from these planes has been known to lift cars off the ground and shatter glass. No wonder flying saucers have been sighted so frequency in these skies, and Rachel has become a kind of desert Lourdes for ET seekers from around the world.

It is dreamland out here, in the immeasurable desert--and it's an uncanny crossroads of our culture, from aliens to government conspiracies, the noisy money of Vegas (half Hades, half Disney), itinerants living in trailers yet wired to the Web, real estate moguls who buy university chairs and then get in bed with scientists and weapons researchers and the CIA, supposedly in order to study life after death and...aliens? And all along the way you find the fossils of our past--mining ghost towns, salt flats, and Indian artifacts--somehow mixed in with the promise of our future, the unearthly beauty of those stealth bombers and the technology that made them.

And below and above it, emptiness. I've come to the dead center of nowhere, to see why we've filled it with aliens.

ALIEN AMERICA, CIRCA 1997

You probably don't need reminding, but the last few years could have been nicknamed Invasion of the ETs. We've had Heaven's Gate and Hale-Bopp, the 50th anniversary of the Roswell crash--where, in early July, about 100,000 Americans gathered after the release of the third, revised official Air Force explanation of what really happened back in 1947--Independence Day, Contact, Men in Black, and the ever-hardy X-Files. There's also been international speculation about life on Mars, the recent Pathfinder mission to the red planet, and the ongoing research of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) with its small band of scientists tuning their 8-million channel radio wave detectors to the skies.

Aliens have landed, even if they haven't. A 1996 Newsweek poll confirmed that nearly half of Americans believe UFOs are real and that the government has covered up the evidence, and 29 percent of the population is convinced we've already made contact with ETs. Is this a cultural spasm in response to the approaching millennium? Or is our relentless fascination with UFOs more deeply rooted?

I thought the scientists who'd been studying the phenomenon might know, and some of them were convening in Las Vegas at the annual conference of the Society for Scientific Exploration, a haven for researchers with respectable credentials and wild ideas. My plan: Spend a few days at the conference, then visit Dreamland.

The day before I left New York, I had two interviews that almost prepared me for the utter weirdness I was about to encounter. The first was with an eminence grise of the field, who refused to be interviewed on the record. I said I wanted to get the "real" story and he burst into laughter. "If you can do that, darling, you'll have accomplished something not one of us has been able to do in the last 40 years. Back in the late '50s it was relatively clear that ETs in nuts-and-bolts ships that defied the laws of gravity were scanning nuclear development plants and that they [had] crashed. But the field has since turned into one big snarl. Nobody knows anything for sure, and if they do, the minute they say it about 10 others say it's bullshit." His favorite UFO pastime these days, he commented, was to take a long hot bath while reading a hilarious 'zine called Saucer Smear.

Dreams are so compelling, and they often seem so weird and strange -- surely they must have a "purpose"; that is, an "adaptive role" in the maintenance of our bodily or psychological health. Furthermore, all the famous theorists who talk about dreams claim that dreams do have one or another purpose (although the famous theorists disagree on just what those functions are), but the best current evidence suggests otherwise. Dreams probably have no purpose!

So let's review the arguments and the evidence. We'll start with the claims made by psychoanalysts and clinical psychologists in the first 50 years of the century based on their work with patients, then turn to more recent claims, some of which are based on work in sleep and dream laboratories that flourished in the 1950's and 1960's. The views presented here are those of research psychologists who have studied dreams inside and outside the laboratory, especially David Foulkes and Calvin Hall. References to Foulkes' work are provided at the end of this document.

The first and most famous dream theorist of the modern era, Sigmund Freud, said that the function of dreams was to preserve sleep, but that theory from the year 1900 is contradicted by the fact that dreams happen very regularly at least five or six times per night in an active stage of sleep called REM sleep (after the rapid eye movements that are part of it, along with many other neurological and physiological changes). In other words, dreams don't just happen as we are about to wake up due to hunger pangs, sexual urges, or the need to go to the bathroom, as Freud thought way back when, before REM sleep was discovered in 1953.

The other famous dream theorist of the modern era, Carl Jung, an early follower of Freud who broke away to develop a very different theory, claimed that the function of dreams is to compensate for those parts of the psyche (total personality) that are underdeveloped in waking life, but Calvin Hall's studies of two-week dream series from students and longer dream journals from adults of all ages strongly suggest that dream content is continuous with waking thought and behavior. That is, if we are outgoing and active in our waking life, and not very introspective and reflective, then so too in our dream life, which contradicts Jung's view.

Still other dream theorists say that dreams have a problem-solving function. Dreams supposedly deal with problems we can't solve in waking life and offer solutions. But a variety of systematic studies find precious little support for this view. However, this is one of those places where we have developed "uses" for our dreams as part of our cultural lore. Looking at them in the light of waking day, and believing that they may be full of insight, we may sometimes come up with new ideas or insights while studying them. That is, we have invented a "use" for dreams, but that doesn't mean that problem solving is a psychological function of dreams built into us over evolutionary time.

So much for the claims by clinical theorists. Now we look at claims that have emerged in recent years, but are tied to no particular theory or famous theorist. They are the new "common sense" of our day, based on a reverence for physiological findings and the awesome capabilities of computers.

When REM sleep was first discovered, it was thought that dreams only occurred during that stage of sleep. This led to many functional theories about dreaming that were based on alleged functions for REM sleep. But we now have reason to believe that plenty of dreams happen in non-REM (NREM) sleep, especially late in the sleep period.

Furthermore, awakenings of children under age 5 in the sleep laboratory reveal that they only report dreams from REM sleep awakenings 20-25% of the time, so REM sleep does not automatically equate to dreaming. In addition, REM sleep can be found in all mammals, and it is unlikely that they are dreaming, i.e., imagining a world or story in which they are taking part and interacting with others. Dreams, as the pre-eminent American psychologist on dreams, David Foulkes, likes to say, are a "cognitive achievement." We only gradually develop the ability to dream. What all this adds up to is that REM sleep and dreaming are not the same thing, so whatever functions REM sleep may have cannot be taken as functions for dreaming and dreams.

The fact that we remember so few of our dreams -- a few percent at best -- also argues against any function for dreams. If they are so important, why don't we remember more of them? Furthermore, the people who remember a great many dreams don't seem to be any different from those who remember few or none, at least on the standard personality tests that have been used in many studies to date. If dreams are important, why aren't the recallers of them better off in some way?

With the advent of computers, it became fashionable to say that dreams are "clearing out the software" from a busy day, or that they are a form of "off-line" processing to save the good stuff and get rid of the useless. Aside from the fact that such theories show how susceptible our supposedly highest thinking is to the dominant technology of any given era, the problem with this theory of dream function is that very, very little in dreams deals with the events of the day. Often there is some little leftover from the day, first noticed by Freud and named "day residue," but the rest of the dream is a story that does not deal with actual events. The story is usually plausible and even mundane, and it often contains the most important people and concerns of our lives, but it is nonetheless a story.

We are thinking creatures because thinking is a valuable adaptation, but that doesn't mean that all forms of thinking have a function. Dreams at this moment in the collective findings of dream researchers seem to be a "throw-away" production, an off-hand story to while the night away. That judgment could be changed tomorrow by new and original studies by a new generation of young dream researchers, but right now the preponderance of the evidence weights against any physiological or psychological function for dreaming and dreams.
But Dreams Have Meaning

This doesn't mean that dreams have no "meaning," that they make no sense. To the contrary, dreams correlate with age, gender, culture, and personal preoccupations, as evidence on this site and in many research studies suggests.

"Meaning" has to do with coherence and with systematic relations to other variables, and in that regard dreams do have meaning. Furthermore, they are very "revealing" of what is on our minds. We have shown that 75 to 100 dreams from a person give us a very good psychological portrait of that individual. Give us 1000 dreams over a couple of decades and we can give you a profile of the person's mind that is almost as individualized and accurate as her or his fingerprints.

And, Yes, Dreams Have Their "Uses"

Even if dreams have no physiological or psychological functions, human beings gradually invented uses for them. In more technical terms, dreams have an "emergent" function that develops through culture. For example:

* In a great many societies, dreams are used by shamans to diagnose illness (often thought to be caused by evil or angry spirits) and to enter the spiritual world. In that sense, shamans were the first psychoanalysts, and Freud and Jung are modern-day shamans.

* In some societies, dreams are used to find game, predict the weather, or prophesy about the future. In our society, at least since about 1900, they have been used in psychotherapy, although not as much in recent years when the emphasis is on short-term therapy and on thinking sensible thoughts. Dreams can be an "occasion" for a reticent patient to talk more personally, especially when we note that people do not take as much personal responsibility for their dreams as they do most of their other thoughts, making dreams easier to talk about.

* In our society, dreams are also an excuse to say something intimate to someone, maybe a tentative way to see if a deeper relationship is possible, as in "I had this nice dream about you last night."

* Finally, the phrase "I had this dream last night..." is a platform to say whatever nonsense, lie, or fantasy someone might have on his or her mind, because there's no way to determine if the claim is true or not. Now, we have every reason to believe that people are honest when they are reporting their dreams for academic studies, as we explain in our section on representative samples and the quality of our data. But, when the popular dream hustlers tell you of their amazing dreams and promise that you can have similarly amazing dreams if you buy their book or attend their workshops, then hold on to your hat -- and your wallet.

Don't Like Your Dreams? Forget Them!
Most dream researchers think it is worthwhile to remember your dreams, and they have tips for improving your recall. But the evidence we have presented here suggests something else: they are not important, so perhaps not worth remembering. So, unless you find your dreams fun, intellectually interesting, or artistically inpiring, then feel free to forget your dreams. If they just upset you or leave you puzzled, then why bother with them?

But how does one forget his or her dreams? Well, since we've found that thinking of dreams as useful or important is the best predictor of high dream recall, then maybe telling yourself that they are not useful or important will lower your recall. It also helps to turn your attention to the external world and events of the forthcoming day when you wake up -- don't lie there and daydream and let your mind drift because that might lead to dream recall. And if you do happen to remember a fragment of a dream, don't try to recall the rest, just ignore it.

Of course, if you enjoy your dreams and they don't bother you, dream away, and have fun!