How Dream Interpretation Gives You Insight into Your Feelings

What is dream interpretation?

Dream interpretation is a process where you look at different things in your dreams that have meaning. It’s been used throughout history, especially in Greece and in Egyptian culture.

Currently, people use dream interpretation in therapy, and there are even schools of psychology that specialize in dream interpretation. There are psychological clues in dreams that teach us about ourselves and how we feel. We can find out more about what we see when we’re sleeping by paying attention.

Dream interpretation can give you insight into how you’re feeling as well as your sincere hopes and dreams in life. Here are ways that dream interpretation can help you in your waking life.

Sigmund Freud and dreams

Freud wrote the book “The Interpretation of Dreams,” which was released in 1899. In the book, he talked about how dreams manifest based on what you’re feeling in your unconscious.

You may have a dream that you’re arguing with your mother, and in it, you tell her about how she hurt your feelings. You might not be able to do that in your waking life, but it’s what you wish to do unconsciously.

That’s how we can learn from our dreams; things show up that are symbolic of something that’s going on in our waking life or that give us insight into how we’re feeling. Freud talked about different operations that happen during dreams. One is condensation; something in your dream stands for various associations in your waking life.

There’s also displacement, where the object in your dream has significance to you, and you have an emotional connection to that thing, but it doesn’t match how you feel in real life. Freud has a theory that nightmares were representative of things that you were repressing; what you want but can’t express, or that which you can’t face and were suppressing.

We might experience what we hope for, what we fear, or something else in a dream, which is why looking into what a dream could be signifying can assist you in your waking life.

Dream Symbolism

The psychology of dreams is fascinating, and when you go to see a therapist and discuss your dreams, it can help you tremendously. Your dreams are symbolic of your worries and wishes, and it’s challenging to understand what they mean on your own.

A trained dream analyst will look at your dreams, and especially if there are themes, they’ll dissect them so that you can understand more about why you’re dreaming and what it means. 

Part of dream analysis is writing your dreams down. It’s essential to keep a notebook by your bed, so you remember what you dreamt as soon as you wake up.

You’ll be keeping a dream journal and writing about what you’re dreaming and will be seeking out common symbols. You might not be able to analyze the dream yourself without being objective, which is why a therapist can help.

Associations and dreams

Think of the images in your dreams. It’s essential to consider what you associate with those images. Maybe, for example, you see your child home, which you have a safe of positive association with. Think about what is happening in the dream. Remember the emotions that you’re experiencing.

These feelings are essential to analyze. Examine the feelings in the dream. Take note of the relationships you have with the people in your dream.

How are you feeling toward them? Who are they in your waking life if you know them? You can learn so much from these visualizations. 

Dream therapy

Dream therapy is an excellent place to explore what your dreams mean. If you’re interested in learning more about your dreams, you can seek the help of a therapist or someone who practices dream analysis.

You can search for “therapists near me” or look for an online counselor who specializes in dream analysis. Whether you work with an online therapist or someone in your local area, analyzing your dreams can help you understand yourself better and work toward your goals.

You can work through roadblocks and start to see yourself in a positive light. Dream interpretation is fascinating, and it can help you learn more about you.