Dreams serve as a portal to our subconscious mind. This portal opens every night to send us codified messages in the form of people, places, objects, elements, animals, and more. It depends on us to acknowledge this information and see what these symbols are trying to communicate. In this article, I will share how I learned to read my dreams and capture the hidden messages behind every element I see. This is a beginners guide to learn how to interpret your dreams.
Dreams act as a channel through which a profound part of ourselves communicates with us. It is an expression of your subconscious and serves as a bridge to self understanding. When we talk about dreams and their interpretation, it is fascinating to think that every scenario, bizarre idea, and atypical event has a meaning connected with something in the real world. We are presented with two choices upon waking: to dismiss our dreams and proceed with our day as if nothing occurred, or to actively recall and record them to decipher their messages for personal growth.
A few years ago, I began studying my dreams. I like how every single thing has a meaning: the one I give it to them. Some people say that dreams are just meaningless ideas, and at the moment of remembering them we start building bridges between thoughts in order to create a common sense, which we can’t trust because it was all invented by our conscious mind. But here I’m going to tell you the truth, and the truth is that none of this matters; the only accurate and more important meaning is the one you give to your own dreams.
Now, shall we start from the beginning? In order to analyze our dreams we have to remember them. The techniques are simple:
- Believe that you can remember your dreams. It doesn’t help you thinking that you would never remember your dreams, or even worse, thinking that you are a person who never dreams. Instead, go to bed excited wondering, “What am I going to dream about tonight?”
- Write down your dreams as soon as you wake up. It takes 5 to 10 minutes to unload your mind. If you have time, you can begin interpreting your dreams, which is the best part. If you do not have time to do that, you can do it later, when you have time for it.
- Do not bother yourself if you don’t remember what you dreamed. It is normal and happens to everyone.
Everything is a reflection of you
There are several things you have to keep in mind to interpret your dreams, the most important rule is that each element has a different meaning for every person. In other words, one element or object that we are dreaming about can have a general meaning for a bunch of people, but for you it may signify something totally different. For example, if I dream that I’m walking through a hanging bridge, for a bunch of people this could evoke feelings of danger, fear of heights, adrenaline, adventure, among other things. But for me, in addition to all that, it reminds me of a painting I have in the living room of my house, which is about a hanging bridge that leads to a mysterious place, full of mist. Therefore, for me it could symbolize feelings of home and uncertainty.
Another important thing to know is that each person that you dream about is a reflection of yourself, but the part of you that you see in that person. For example, if I dream about my friend Tania, I will describe her as self-confident, female, and spontaneous. Therefore, what I am really connecting with is the self-confident, feminine, and spontaneous traits within myself. So the meaning of this concept would depend on what happened with my friend Tania, what she told me in my dream, or how she looked.
Some other clues
There are some other meanings that we can attribute to particular concepts. As mentioned earlier, there are some of them with general interpretations, such as the four elements, animals and death.
The element Fire is related to our spark, passions and the things that light us up. Did you dream that your house was on fire? Did you see a candle that was lit or extinguished? Or maybe there were ashes all around.
The element Air represents the mind, mental process, thoughts and ideas. What if in your dreams you are able to fly or you feel strong winds that pushes you back?
The element Water symbolizes emotions. Perhaps you dreamed that you were drowning, or that you were thirsty in a desert, or maybe you found an oasis in the middle of nowhere. What does that mean to you?
The element Earth is associated with the ground, our roots and the things that sustain us. Did you dream of the floor turning into quicksand? Was there an earthquake or perhaps you jumped from a precipice… This could be related to air as well. Consider what does that mean, who was there with you and how did you feel? Those are questions that you should ask yourself.
Animals are our primal instincts, primitive desires, and reflect what we truly need or want. Wildlife has a lot to teach and each species has its own particular characteristics. There are several books on animal teachings and if this topic interests you, I encourage you to research further, as it is both awesome and inspiring.
Most people have dreamed of something related to death at least once in their life. It is commonly associated with a negative connotation, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Death is also associated with life and revival. So it is a good sign dreaming of this concept, as it means that a part of you is changing, or perhaps it has been reborn.
I invite you to challenge yourself and discover the messages that hide behind your dreams. Decoding the symbols of your subconscious is a journey that is both fun and fascinating. It can help you to know yourself a little bit better and gain insights into your inner self.