FAQ: Answering your Questions

Q: I hear you have a knack for interpreting dreams. Do you have any tips?

A: Though not paranormal in nature, I do get asked frequently to help others in understanding their dreams. Many interpretation web sites simply give you a dictionary to run keywords through. Although very helpful, there are a few steps left out that can give you a more accurate understanding of your nightscape.

Dreams seem to have the power to throw us off our game or even strengthen us through our day depending on it's imagery. Many experts will tell you to keep some paper and a pen next to your bed side so that when you wake up, you may write down as much detail when it is freshest in your mind. Don't worry if you cannot recall the smallest details. **Dreams are about impressions. It is our subconscious writing our experiences down to hardcopy. So why interpret them if it's just a replay of our day? It's all about how the subconscious views it. If you can better understand how the subconscious mind processes your experiences, you can better understand your conscious mind's actions and reactions. It's simply a tool to better understand yourself.**

Now back to writing. When you write down your dream, write it all down, not just the hard data. Remember, we're dealing with the subconscious, it processes in color, emotion and whimsy. You may not pay much attention to these things in your waking life, but if you remember flashes of color, strong emotion or some odd supernatural event happening that you may disregard as coincidence in your waking life, take note.

Next, recount your dream on paper by only writing down keywords. Whatever holds prominence, write it down in one (or two) words making a list of important highlights. Remember, these details might seem insignificant in our usual lives, but if it stands out to you in your dream - no matter how small - you should include it.

Now for the interpreting: online dream dictionaries can be a great resource. The one I have found to be the most accurate (and exhaustive) is Dream Moods. If you would rather a hardcopy, I like and trust The Complete Idiot's Guide: Dream Dictionary which I found at my local library. Whichever you use, take your keyword list and look up each. From these you should be able to put together a picture. It's a bit like a puzzle, but no one can understand dreams better than the one experiencing them. Don't forget, your dreams directly relate to something you're currently experiencing. It all intertwines; if you're having a hard time decoding your dream look at the dictionary results and see if it possibly mirrors a situation in your waking life.

One more thing to keep in mind: latent memories. These are much more subtle often triggered by something giving that "oh, that reminds me... of my dream" moment. Keep this in mind as both the memory and the trigger can give additional details that weren't recalled before. Why remember what triggered the latent memory? **It's possible the subconscious is connecting the current experience with the experience that originally caused the dream to occur.** Some experience these latent flashbacks days or even weeks later, however, if it was a powerful dream you may feel it important to follow.

**These are opinions expressed by me through many years of experience and personal research, however I am not an expert, nor do I claim any title. I do, however, claim copyright.