How to Use a Dream Dictionary Properly

As more people begin examining the contents of their dream experiences as a pathway to finding greater meaning and deeper purpose in their lives, dream dictionaries become more popular. Novice dreamworkers (as well as experienced ones, for that matter) should exercise caution when turning to dream dictionaries for definitions of symbols and images that appear in their dreams. Why? Dream symbols can and do mean different things to different people. In many cases, beliefs and attributes attached to certain symbology are influenced by cultural phenomena. Placing too much stock in what attributes and meanings an author (or anyone aside from the dreamer themself) assigns to certain images and symbols can rob you, the dreamer, of the opportunity to discover what those images and symbols mean for you, thereby squandering the tremendous potential energy contained in your dreams.

Use Them Well, But Keep In Mind That You're The Expert On Your Dreams

This isn't to say that you should eschew the use of dream dictionaries all together. Quite the contrary. Dream dictionaries can be useful if utilized in a way that honors your initial emotional reactions and intuitive sense about the images and symbols that present themselves to you in dreams. That is, if you are going to consult a dream dictionary in the course of working with your dreams, it is best to learn how to temper information compiled by other people with your own sense of what a dream symbol means to you personally. This is key in learning to honor your dreams well, harnessing the energy they contain and brining it forth into your daily life.

How does one go about this? For starters, a dream dictionary should by no means be the first place you look for insight into what a particular dream element means to you. If you're new to the practice of dream journaling and dreamwork, heading straight for a dream dictionary once you've finished recording your final dream report can end up stunting your growth in your new practice. Therefore, your first line of information should come from within yourself in the form of your initial emotional associations and reactions to elements in the dream. These associations and reactions will generally prove to be the most revealing in terms of uncovering the meaning and the message behind the symbol or dream element.

Next, you might consider additional associations you have with dream symbols, associations of a more concrete nature. Associations that stem from personal memories and waking life experiences can be tremendously helpful in fleshing out details and uncovering connections to other elements in the dream, or even connections to other dreams! Approaching the process of working with dreams by yourself in this way is one of the first steps you can take towards consciously building a bridge between your nighttime dream experiences and your daily waking endeavors.

Conclusions

These first two elements of dream working on your own are just the beginning of learning to work with and benefit your dream experiences. The more you work with and honor your dreams in these ways, the more you will find you are gradually compiling and developing your own personal dictionary of dream symbols, weather or not you choose to actually comb your dream journals later on to extract, compile, and define recurring dream symbols in a separate place. As you develop a more solid sense of the meanings contained in images and symbols from your dreams, you will find your intuition growing stronger and more reliable. You will also learn to recognize when your dreams are calling your attention to issues of body, mind, spirit and soul that need your attention. You'll notice when your dreams seem to be warning you of potential incidents of an undesirable nature, or incidents of a fortuitous circumstance, in which case you'll be afforded the opportunity to take evasive actions (to avoid undesirable occurrences) or employ actions which promote the manifestation of positive things. You'll begin to get glimpses of issues that have previously gone unnoticed or which have been incompletely resolved. Dreams of such a nature often provide valuable and creative insights that can employed in dealing with those matters, affording the opportunity to effectively resolve what needs to be addressed.

Cultivating attention to and learning to adequately document dream experiences is a delicate art that takes time, persistence, and patience in order to develop any level of proficiency. Don't get too hung up in the starting gate by berating yourself or indulging in self-pity or disappointment if you encounter difficulty in establishing a regular practice of dream journaling and dreamwork. These will only make things more difficult. Be gentle with yourself when you decide to take up the practice of dreamwork.

Most people today are quite busy and thus it is crucial to find creative ways to incorporate dreamwork into a hectic schedule. In light of this, learn to accept what comes when it comes and pay attention as much as possible. Write, draw, paint, sculpt or employ whatever other expressive technique(s) work(s) best and flow(s) most naturally for you in recording your dream experiences. Cultivating an approach based on relaxed attention will encourage your dreams to begin speaking more clearly and consistently to you.

Dream well!