Fun With Dream Analysis

Being a creative type person, I tend to have very vivid dreams.

A few weeks ago, just prior to the holiday season, I had what was among the most vivid dreams I ever had. I actually woke up slightly disoriented, feeling for a couple of minutes that the dream was quite real.

In the dream, I was wandering through a forest of sorts with one of my three sons. I didn’t have a strong sense of where we were. We may have been lost, but the environment seemed a bit familiar… perhaps because the area seemed a bit like the woods I frequently explored as a child. We eventually came upon a run-down house. It appeared to be standing only by the grace of a few nails and a couple posts that held up the exterior walls. I told my son to stand back as I took a step inside. The interior was mostly empty, save for a trash can, spilling over with garbage, off in one corner, and an old wooden chair near the center of the room. I opted not to step further inside, as I didn’t feel that it would be safe.

A heavyset older man went by, walking a large dog, perhaps a German Shepard. We all exchanged pleasantries. My son and I briefly petted the dog and parted ways with the man.

We walked and noticed another house, just yards away. This one was newer and well-appointed. It also was, apparently, occupied.  The large windows fairly well glowed with warmth and light from within. I could see two small white dogs, tails wagging, looking expectantly out one of the windows.

And then I woke up.

My first moderately coherent thought, as I sat up on the edge of my bed:
“When did my son and I go for a hike?”

Then:

“Where was this?”

It dawned on me just moments later that the forest adventure was a mere dream, albeit a very vivid one. I went about my morning routine that included a fresh pot of coffee and a good stretch, both in place to get mind and body started up for the day.

I started up my computer and went to dreammoods.com. I had discovered the site several years ago, in the aftermath of a series of deeply weird dreams I had been having. You search the site’s amazingly comprehensive database of possible dream imagery and review what it had to say. The interpretations are rooted in psychology, rather than any sort of metaphysics. This means that your dream analysis is not a definitive  attempt to predict your future. The site takes its cues from Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, and others. Your results are fairly subjective, especially when you have multiple symbolic signposts to consider. It’s also important to consider your interpretation through the filter of your own life’s events, particularly recent ones. Take the dream I referenced above. The main symbols were the forest, the two houses, and the dogs. Here are the results from the site:

“To see an abandoned house in your dream implies that you have left behind your past. You are ready to move forward toward the future. To see an old, run-down house in your dream represents your old beliefs, attitudes and how you used to think or feel. A situation in your current life may be bringing about those same old attitudes and feelings. Alternatively, the old house may symbolize your need to update your mode of thinking. If you see messy and/or dilapidated houses in your dream, then it implies that an aspect of your own life is in chaos. You may be suffering from some emotional or psychological clutter. You need to release these feelings in order to regain control.”

“To see a new house in your dream indicates that you are taking on a new identity and developing new strengths. You are becoming more emotionally mature.”

“To dream that you are in or walking through the forest signifies a transitional phase. Follow your instincts. Alternatively, it indicates that you want to escape to a simpler way of life. You are feeling weighed down by the demands of your life.”

“To dream that you are lost in a forest indicates that you are searching through your subconscious for a better understanding of yourself.”

“To see a dog in your dream symbolizes intuition, loyalty, generosity, protection, and fidelity. The dream suggests that your strong values and good intentions will enable you to go forward in the world and bring you success. The dream dog may also represent someone in your life who exhibits these qualities. Alternatively, to see a dog in your dream indicates a skill that you may have ignored or forgotten.”

“To see a German Shepherd in your dream, highlights your protective instincts and attentiveness to a situation. This is no time for you to be nervous and/or lose control.”

I was consciously aware that I was undertaking some significant changes in my lifestyle. I had set a goal to move to a new residence, with a target of sometime in the fall of 2017. The house symbols could certainly be viewed in a literal sense. I think that the houses in the dream could also be viewed symbolically. In order to achieve my moving goal, I have been trying to make some internal changes. The symbolism around the old and new houses in my dream suggests that I am on the right track.

The forest imagery tells me that I am in a transitional phase (also a positive sign). I think there is also something to be said for “feeling weighed down by the demands of life”. I have a lot of competing priorities and I do admit that I feel overwhelmed at times. The dogs were there to remind me that I shouldn’t forget about my values as I draw closer to achieving my goal.

Lastly, just one of my three sons was in that dream… I’m guessing that is because he is the one that is pushing the hardest for me to move and is the most emotionally invested in that goal.

So don’t think of dream analysis as some sort of hokey mumbo-jumbo. It can be a very useful tool and perhaps a path to greater and deeper self-awareness. Feel grateful when you have one those weird, vivid dreams… it could very well be a case of your subconscious trying to send you an important message. Listen and reap the benefits.