Dream analysis has been practiced for many centuries. Many scientists have spent their whole careers studying the issue of dreams, and trying to decode their meaning. Poets, writers, and singers, have all spent time dealing with dreams. The word dream is part of many idioms, often signifying excellence or something that is the best.

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There are many kinds of dreams that people have. Some dreams are related to basic life issues, such as the body, health, relationships, making of decisions, strength dreams, and sexual dreams. Some dreams help can help us get past problems in life, to help us reestablish balance, dreams that look back at the past, nonsensical dreams, and dreams that happen many times. Some dreams can help us get more out of life, they might tell us about something new, or make promises. Some dreams could be energizing, or help us be more creative, and some dreams let us spend time practicing.

Of course there are also the nightmare dreams. Some people have nightmares about the phobias of their waking life, others have fears in dreams that seem to be unique to dreaming, such as falling, death, or about paranoia. Some claim to be able to use dreams to travel to other places, to visit dead people, to manifest ESP, past lives, or even to change world events.

How to get started with dream analysis

Get a notebook! Keep this notebook by your bed, and whenever you wake up, try to capture as much as you can about the dream. Later you will be able to look at your description and recall more of your dream. These notes can often help you understand a dream later, when more things are clear.

Relax! You might go many nights without being able to remember a dream. Don't worry! Eventually, you will wake up and remember a dream. Relax, and write down whatever comes to your mind about this dream!

Think about what things are on your mind. This can help you understand what your dreams are about. Often our dreams help us process answers to important events during the day. Sometimes you can even ask yourself questions before going to sleep, and sometimes your dreams will provide the answers that you need. Or maybe your dreams will alert you to hidden problems.

Use the power of suggestion! Tell yourself "I will remember my dreams tonight!" By telling yourself that you can do this, your mind automatically finds a way to make it happen. If it takes a few nights for this to work, try to not think discouraging thoughts.

Get enough sleep!  Some people have found that when they are sleeping for very short amounts of time, the quality of their dreams, and their ability to remember them, both suffer. In many people, sleep loss causes them to view the whole world through mud colored glasses. So try to get enough sleep every night. Even if you don't dream every night, you'll approach every day with much more energy and likely a much better attitude.

After you wake up, relax! Before you are fully awake, do your best to capture whatever you can remember at that moment. The time between sleeping and waking is called the hypnopompic state. Many people say this is their most creative state of mind, so enjoy it.

Possible Meanings for Typical Dream Situations

Falling - This might indicate the loss of something important, often related to something that we feel vulnerable about.

Recurring Dreams - These are dreams that you have many times. Often they signal a very important message from your subconscious.

Other interesting resources:

Relaxing, suggestions, positive suggestions, dream analysis, phobia, ESP, world events