Intrepreting a dream is relatively simple, as long as you keep it simple.

Interpreting dreams is like interpreting another language.  It is complicated only because you don’t understand the language.  You must approach the technique logically and follow the same pattern every time to achieve the best results.

1. Set aside your ego.  The dream means what the dream means.
2. Write the dream down. Be as specific as possible. Write it down as soon after awakening as possible.
3. Write each symbol down separately then write the meaning of the symbol next to it.
4. To interpret, string the meanings of each symbol together to interpret the overall message of the dream, just as you would a sentence in another language.  It might be simple or it might be complicated.  Sometimes it will take several efforts before the message makes sense. Sometimes the message will only be one sentence and sometimes it will be a large paragraph.
5. Apply the message to your life-thinking, behavior, work, relationships, etc.
6. Use the message in the dream to adjust what you are doing or to affirm it.  Dreams are meant to be a tool to help us in our personal development and our development towards God. Take advantage of this special gift to help yourself.

To better Understand the process, I have broken each step down and explained in more depth:

Set aside your ego:  The dream means whatever the dream means.  You might want it to mean something wonderful and significant (as in you are about to win the actual lottery or you are destined to be rich and famous) but usually dreams are about the everyday struggles we experience in our attitudes, behaviors, likes and dislikes, etc.

For example:  A wife is about to cook dinner and suddenly thinks to herself, “Should I be nicer to my husband by cooking him food he likes instead of just what I want to eat?”  The wife in question will directly affect the most important relationship she has in her life by being more considerate and kind, or by being more concerned with what she wants for herself. Every moment of every day, we have to make decisions that effect ourselves and others. We then might have a dream which will comment on what that decision meant for ourselves and/or our relationships.  The dream can occur that night, the day before, or days later.  If you chose the decision that pleases your spouse (even if they don’t act like they noticed), the dream might tell you that they feel closer to you and more open by showing them facing you and smiling at you.  If you chose the decision that pleases you and not them, then the dream might show them as being cold and distant, keeping their back to you, being in another room where you can’t talk to them, etc.

This isn’t to say that every night you will dream about every decision you make during the day.  Generally, you will dream about past, current or future issues that you spend time thinking about.  You might spend a lot of time thinking on the issue, or a question might have formed in your mind for no particular reason.  For example, back to the husband and wife.  The wife might be in the habit of always cooking what she wants for dinner and never even considering what her husband wants.  But one evening, it suddenly occurs to her that her husband might like it if she cooked one of his favorite dishes.  Because she was open to the new idea of thinking about what he wanted, and did it, then she might have a dream showing her the consequences of her thoughtfulness.  In the dream, he smiles at her and kisses her.  This dream shows she has created a feeling of greater intimacy with her husband because she did an act of kindness specifically for him.

Write the dream down:  It is much easier to interpret dreams when you write them down.  The sooner the better, preferably as soon after awakening as is possible. The longer you wait, the less and less you will remember. If you make this a practice, you will remember your dreams more frequently and in more detail.  The greater the detail, the more clues as to what the dream means.  The more you remember your dreams, the more your Soul can consciously work with you to improve your life.

I tend to write every detail I can think of.  For most people, this is too tedious.  Write down the general details and anything that sticks out in particular.  For example, a particular item was a bright color, or an event seemed to be happening at an odd time of day such as night instead of day.

Write down what the major symbols appear to be and their meanings:  Write down each symbol that appears in the dream.  For example, you have the following dream: “I am driving in my truck and drove over a bump in the road.  But I felt nothing.  This pleased me that my truck rode so well.”

First,  write “Driving”.  Next, “truck”.  Then the next symbol, “There was a bump in the road.”  You would then write bump and then write road.  Next, “I drove into the bump, but felt nothing.”  Write that you felt nothing over the bump.  Next, “I was pleased that my truck handled the bump so well.”  Write, “felt pleased”.

Then go back and find the meanings for each symbol and write it next to its symbol. You will most definitely need a dream symbol book.  I have recommended several that I believe are accurate at the bottom of this page.   Open your trusty dream book(s) and with your list, find the meaning of each symbol.  You will find that dream symbols will have several different meanings, just as words do.  You will need to decide which meaning fits what is happening in your dream.  Sometimes, nothing makes sense.  You will just have to try one meaning and then another until the meaning fits with the meaning of the other symbols.

Sometimes, none of the meanings written in your dream book will apply.  This is because every individual has symbols that are entirely unique in meaning to them.  For example, you had a pet snake when you were growing up.  A snake normally symbolizes a harmful or threatening condition or temptation or power.  But for you it could literally represent the pet you had or what the pet meant to you- a friend or trusting relationship. You will have to determine if the symbolic meaning applies or the unique personal meaning you have.

Interpret Dream Symbols: Once you have all the symbols and their meanings written out, you can then string those meanings together to understand what is being said.  Try to do this logically, just as you would if you were interpreting a sentence in another language.  You may have to try several meanings for a symbol before settling on the correct one.  Sometimes you must remember to look at the action in the dream to determine which meaning is appropriate. Sometimes the feelings in the dream will give a clue as to which meaning is more appropriate.  Sometimes, understanding one part of a dream clearly helps to understand the other parts which aren’t so clear.  Be patient and don’t rush the process. The dream has meaning and is yours to know if you just try.

In our “I am driving my truck” dream, you wrote down the symbols and their meanings and came to the conclusion that the overall meaning of the dream is,  “You are moving along in your work.  Even when you hit an obstacle it does not disturb you and this pleases you.”

Applying the Meaning:  Once you have interpreted the meaning of the dream, then you must figure out where it applies. You need to think about what is going on in your life. Back to the “I am driving my truck” dream. Perhaps this can be applied specifically to your job.  You are doing everything that is required of you, perhaps even more, and everything is working out well.  Or perhaps you have activities outside of work that you are devoted to as if they were a job.   These activities require several hours a week of dedicated work on your part and are in spirit of more value to you than your actual job.  Generally, just think about what has been on your mind and in your focus overall within the past few days, weeks, and months.  Usually, if you remove your ego and just think of the matter logically, you will be able to figure out where the meaning applies.

The dream may not mean what you would like, though. For example, perhaps you were hoping the “I am driving in my truck” dream applied to a romantic relationship.  You were hoping it meant the relationship is working well and sailing over any obstacles.  But the symbols themselves say the dream is about an endeavor you are working on and not a relationship.  You think about your job (which you don’t like and could care less about) and realize that everything has been going well for the past few months. Even when there have been problems you have easily overcome them.  You have accepted your work responsibilities with a willing heart and are easily facing every issue that arises.  This isn’t the message you were hoping for because the job isn’t important to you, but it is still a very good message letting you know you are doing well in your work because you have a good work ethic and attitude.

The dream could also apply to more than one situation.  This is actually quite common, where you have a dream that is specific to one situation but can also be applied to a second.  Back to the “I am driving my truck” dream.  Yes, it applies specifically to your work.  But you do have a hobby that you devote many hours a week to.  This hobby is going quite well and any obstacles you encounter are easily passed over. The overall meaning of the dream applies to your work and your hobby.

Affirming/Adjusting Your Efforts in Life: You interpreted the dream, and decided that it applies to a specific area/effort/endeavor/relationship in your life.  Now what do you do with it?  In the example of the “I am driving my truck” dream, your hard efforts at work have been affirmed.  You are basically being told that you are handling your job well and you feel good about it.  Perhaps the job isn’t important to you, but the fact that you are handling it well shows a maturity in thinking and behavior that pleases you and makes your life better. You should pause now and ask yourself, “How can I continue in this direction and have the same benefits again and again? Do I need to apply that kind of thinking and behavior in other areas of my life?”  Using the message in the dream, you can be mindful of what you have accomplished and use that knowledge to continue to improve your life.

Our dreams are meant to provide guidance and help in our development and growth as individuals and on our path to God.  They are specifically for our benefit.  The sooner you begin to work with your dreams, the sooner you will gain from the knowledge and guidance that will be provided to you by your Soul and God. Take advantage of this special gift to help yourself.

 Dream Book References:

“Dreams, Images, and Symbols (A Dictionary)” by Kevin J. Todeschi, ARE Press

“Symbols-Guiding Lights Along the Journey of Life” by Kathleen R. Prata, ARE Press

“Dreams:  Tonight’s Answers for Tomorrow’s Questions” by Mark Thurston, PH.D., St. Martin’s Paperbacks

“The Ultimate Guide to Understanding the Dreams You Dream” by Ira Milligan, Destiny Image Press Publications