Dream Interpretation

These pages were offered as a class hand-out on October 20.

(Written by Barbara, as taught to me by Aaron.)

Introduction

There are two different kinds of dreams. Aaron delineates them as Symbolic dreams and Teaching dreams. Symbolic dreams are the more common, the dreams of most nights. Teaching dreams may employ some symbols, but within the core of them is the experience of sitting and learning with a wise teacher. In teaching dreams we are usually literally out of body, have traveled to the astral plane, and what we are experiencing in the dream is quite real. We are hearing a wise teacher. Our ability to benefit from that teaching, to retain it, relates to how well we have learned to remember dreams. If we've never practiced remembering and interpreting symbolic dreams, we'll often not remember the teaching dream's content, just a vague memory of having been somewhere and hearing something important.

When I first met Aaron, after a few weeks I was experiencing many teaching dreams. I could hear more accurately in the dream state at that point. But remembering was hard. I awoke one night after a vivid dream of sitting before a great teacher and hearing profound truths to hear Aaron say 'You must assimilate this transmission of the Dharma.' With that statement, all the content evaporated! What transmission of the Dharma? My mind was a blank, only knowing there had been something important. That was the night I became inspired to start regularly recording dreams.

When you've learned to remember dreams, the teaching dreams need absolutely no explanation. We'll talk here about symbolic dreams. I'm going to list the most common dream symbols on a separate page. Below are some basics.

Dream Interpretation

To begin, symbolic dreams exist on many levels. On one level they deal with the current situations in our lives. For example, there are many ways to symbolize helplessness. If you just injured your leg and are on crutches, those crutches may enter the dream. Why that symbol? Because it's 'on top of' the mind, so to speak. Accessible. Given a dream in which you are a child and on crutches, feeling deep anger that others can run and play and you can't, let's look at the levels.

On one level the dream is about the current anger at the injury. But there are many current things to dream about. Why this one? On another level, the child represents a new or emerging aspect of the self; the crutches indicate helplessness. The dream is also about the fear you may be experiencing as a newer, more loving and trusting self emerges and lets go of some of the need to control that the old self maintained, but feels frightened and helpless.

Perhaps in the dream, an older person, teacher or respected figure comes to help the child. On one level it may be a wish for immediate help with the pain and inconvenience of the injury. On another level, that older person is a wise aspect of the self; the dream states a level of trust in the presence of that wise aspect to guide the emerging, more loving new aspect. Do you see how it works?

In dream interpretation there are two basic rules. At this deeper level, every person in the dream is an aspect of yourself. There are specifics listed on the symbols page. Every dream is about the dreamer.

When you work with the symbol page and your dreams, I would suggest the following method:

1) List the components of the dream-people, objects, buildings, places, and the suggested symbolic meaning. Remember that these are suggested symbols and not absolute. If it doesn't fit, discard it. Trust your intuition.

2) After the list is complete, just sit and meditate. Let go of concept of what you intellectually think the dream means. Be with the feeling of the dream. Allow space for understanding to arise; it can't if you're trying to be logical. Dreams are NOT logical!

3) Write down a short summary of the dream and your final explanation. Keep a dream book. Start your own list of personal symbols, especially where they seem to vary from the more universal ones. We are each unique and dream in our own ways. These symbols are meant only to get you started.

Dream Symbols

People

All people in dreams are aspects of yourself. Below are the usual presentations.

• a being of the same sex is an aspect of conscious mind.
• a being of the opposite sex is an aspect of subconscious mind.
• a teacher, older and respected parent or other adult, or loving authority figure is an aspect of superconscious mind (higher self).
• a child is an emerging, new aspect of self.
• an adolescent is an emerged but not fully grounded aspect of self.
• specific people; what are the first characteristics you think of when you see that person-generous, greedy, kind, needy, angry, gentle? They may represent that aspect of yourself, the desire to become that, or the dislike of that in yourself. You'll have to decide by the rest of the content of the dream.

Vehicles

• small, personal vehicle (car, small boat, plane) = the physical body.
• large vehicle (bus, plane, train) = an organization, such as church, club.
• bike, cycle, skates equate with balance.

Buildings and furnishings

• bank = storage for valuables, storehouse of the sub or superconscious mind.
• furniture = tools of the mind; broken furniture = mind not grasping something; might equate with feeling inadequate to do or understand.
• garage = universal mind.
• house = the dreamer's mind. Different rooms = different parts of mind.

- basement = unconscious or subconscious mind.

- main floors = conscious mind.

- upper floor, attic = superconscious mind.

• hospital = place for healing.
• school = place for learning.
• stairways lead to higher (or lower) levels of consciousness.
• window, looking into another level of consciousness.

Food

• food is knowledge. A restaurant is a place to find knowledge. Water = consciousness.

Body

• feet = spiritual foundation.
• face = identity. If no face, identity is confused. Appearance as another race than what you are in this body may also be confused identity.
• clothing = outward presentation, how you present yourself.
• naked in dream = either becoming more open and honest or helplessness. You'll have to decide by context.
• hands relate to purpose.

Miscellaneous

• storm = confusion.
• blood = life energy.
• killing someone in a dream; may be rage at first level. At symbolic level, anger at SELF! Wanting to change aspects of self.
• snake may be wisdom or kundalini energy.
• animals may represent habits.
• birds = thoughts. Dead birds are unused thoughts. Can't fly!
• trees, vegetation equate with subconscious mind.
• keys = key to resolution of issue or conflict within the self.
• telephone relates to communication.
• the sound of a helicopter in a dream often relates to moving back into the body from the astral plane. Any loud, whirring sound indicates body reentry.