Health & Wellbeing

How To Interpret Dreams

Dream interpretation is a huge subject which generates lots of debate. Many people use dream dictionaries which ascribe specific meanings to dream symbols, but some experts caution against this. In this film we take a look at what psychiatrists say about the meaning of dreams. Enlarge

How To Interpret Dreams

Dream interpretation is a huge subject which generates lots of debate. Many people use dream dictionaries which ascribe specific meanings to dream symbols, but some experts caution against this. In this film we take a look at what psychiatrists say about the meaning of dreams.

Step 1: What is a dream?

Dreams are a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep. This happens during the Rapid Eye Movement phase of sleep, which is the lightest phase of sleep, when a person is most aware and alert.

Step 2: The meaning of dreams

Specific dream meanings often found in dream dictionaries include teeth as a symbol for words, and water as a symbol for emotion. However, psychiatrist Carl Jung cautioned against ascribing meanings to dream symbols without a clear understanding of the dreamer's personal situation. He wrote that symbols in dreams have a highly personal meaning to each person. Also, Sigmund Freud believed that dreams are an expression of our unconscious mind, and that they usually represent unfulfilled wishes. He believed that dream interpretation is an important part of psychotherapy and used it in the treatment of his own patients.

Step 3: The power of dreams

However you interpret your dreams, they can give you a valuable insight into your unconscious mind. Many people believe that dreams are the mind's way of sorting through problems while we sleep to find answers and solutions, and that dreams may even have a healing effect on us.
Sweet dreams!