Dream Thearpy

The term "dream therapy" pops up, one more than likely thinks it is the practice of having your dreams interpreted for you. This is hardly the case. Rather than having your dreams interpreted by someone else, which is just short of fortune telling, dream therapy is the process by which you learn to decipher your own dreams which may, in turn, help you to overcome your fears or emotional dilemmas. Before we look in depth at what dream therapy is, let's take a brief look at what it is not. As mentioned above, it is not having your dreams interpreted for you, whether by a therapist or well meaning friend. On the market today you can find any number of "dream" dictionaries that apply specific meanings to almost any symbol we remember from our dreams, such as snow for true love or a mountain lion for adventure (I made both of those up by the way). When deciphering your dreams, dictionaries should be used for general reference only. Reading what the symbols could possibly represent might trigger something that hits home to you. Dream therapy is as individual as you are. What one symbol means to your subconscious is probably totally different for someone else, as we know that no two minds are exactly alike. Dream therapy is also work. It is a progress that takes time and commitment on the individual's part. In dream therapy the theory is held that the reason we dream is to make us aware of feelings or information in our minds that we have either suppressed or not even thought of yet. It is at this point that the standard reference dictionary should only be regarded as an idea book, beause all of the odd symbols and freaky happenings in our dreams are extremely personal and individual. Only the person who dreams them can truly come to understand or interpret them. So how does one go about doing this? As mentioned before, it takes work. The first and most important thing to do is remember your dreams. This is not easy for everyone to do, as for some, the minute they wake up it is forgotten. All they remember is having an odd dream. There is one way to get around this, however, and with a little practice a few nights in a row you should be able to do it with no problem. Before you fall asleep, take a few minutes and tell yourself a few times in a row that you will remember your dreams. How can this possibly make a difference? Have you ever had to wake up at a certain time but didn't have an alarm clock available? Instead, you went to sleep worrying over and over about waking up at 5 am. And what happened? Your body woke itself up at 5 am. This is the same principle used for remembering your dreams. Telling yourself repeatedly, before falling asleep, that you will remember your dreams can work. The next step is to record the dream as soon as you wake up. This can be done with a tape recorder or notebook. Whatever you choose, it should be kept near your bed so it can be done immediately upon awaking. The next step is to take the time to sit down and look at your dreams. You should also have a pen and paper handy when doing this as it will help you to remember ideas during this "brainstorming" session. Does looking at these symbols whle you are awake remind you of anything in particular? Do these dreams make you afraid? Happy? Are they similar to anything going on in your life? Those who practice and/or teach dream therapy say to keep brainstorming until you hit on an interpretation that rings a bell for you. Look at all aspects of the dream. Not just the obvious but the kooky symbolism and events as well. One dream therapy practitioner says the best advice she ever read was to draw out a picture of her dream and ask someone else to look at it and tell her what they saw. This could work for you also. Dream therapy isn't used only as a means of figuring out your subconcious dilemmas, it also is a means of finding out how to handle a current situation. Before falling asleep you ask your mind to give you a dream that shows a clear solution to your problem. This sheds a whole new light on the phrase "Let me sleep on it". So you see, dream therapy is more than dream interpretation. It is a means of confronting our subconscious, or even our conscious dilemmas, and finding a way to lead a healthier and more creative life.