How to Analyze Your Dream

By Dr. Nikki

There are three types of dreams: Precognitive dreams, telling dreams, and “junk” dreams.  Precognitive dreams take the form of a dream that tells you something specific about a future event.  A telling dream reveals areas of your life that need attention or are out of balance.  The junk dream is normally a dream that makes no sense rather it is often a flash of nonsensical images reviewing to the day’s activities.

The first step in analyzing your dream is to get it recorded.  Here are a couple of hints to help improve dream recall. The first is to awaken to your dream.  Before opening your eyes in the morning, try to reconnect with the dream as much as possible.  Hold any images and feelings firmly in your mind as you open your eyes.  

Another way is to drink a glass of water before going to bed at night.  When your bladder awakens you in the middle of the night take the time to hold as much of the dream as possible in memory before opening your eyes and getting out of bed.  Write down anything you remember.  By cataloging your dream experience, you are making a big step to understanding the messages your dreams send to you.

The analysis begins with doing as honest a review of your dream as possible.  How many elements in the dream are literal representations of the previous few days of your life?   Note any of the similarities in your dream diary with the immediate past of your waking life. This will help you to discern between a junk dream and a telling dream.

Here are some other things to consider when analyzing your dream:

1. What sticks out at you about the dream?  What felt like a message!

2. What is the significant action in the dream?

3. What is the environment of the dream?  Where does the “action” of the dream take place?

4. What were your emotions in the dream?

5. Who was in the dream with you?  

6. Do you travel in the dream?  If so, what is the manner of travel?

7. What are the objects in the dream?  Are there any objects that stand out?

8. Why are you doing what you are doing in the dream?

9. What in the dream is repetitive to your recent waking life experience?

Dreams carry messages in both literal representations and in symbolic form. By reviewing your dreams, you will soon be able to discern what is junk and what in the dream is a message and what is the residuals from a late night of beer and spicy chicken wings.  Once you have reviewed your dreams, it is time to consult a dream dictionary. The next two blogs in my Dream series will focus on some common dreams and their meanings.  

Dream dictionaries are easily available and can be instrumental in helping you get the most of your dreams. Jotting down some of the keywords and phrases with the dream in your journal will help to bring clarity to understanding the message in your dreams.