Prelude to Dream Analysis
by Ronnee Ruselle
Dream analysis can be a very helpful tool. Being able to create the ideal situation for dreaming and interpreting those dreams can bring fulfilment and help when dealing with situations around you as well as becoming aware of circumstances around you that you otherwise would not be aware of.
This guide will help you get your body and mind primed for getting the most out of your dreams by preparing in a way that will help you to experience and remember your dreams. There are even ways to change the events of your dreams and help them to be positive. This works for some and not for others, but I'll cover all of this in as much detail as I can to help you.
Helping you dream
Some people find it simple to dream while others have a great deal of trouble dreaming. Research seems to suggest that it's not the ability to dream that we have trouble with, but remembering them. There are some steps you can take to help yourself remember your dreams.
Step 1. Preparation
Exhaustion
A quality dream state starts before you close your eyes. If you are overtired when you go to bed, you're more likely to go into a very deep state of sleep that will be deeper than the dream state and therefore this will lower your chances of remembering your dreams. So if you're aiming at working with your dreams, make sure you go to bed at a time that means you are tired enough to sleep, but not exhausted.
Difficulty going to sleep
Believe it or not, exhaustion can also have an affect on how easily you get to sleep. It can have you feeling anxious and uptight and this does not make for an easy transition into the sleep state required for a good night's sleep or dreams.
If you're a person who has trouble going to sleep, but it's not due to exhaustion, then it could be due to other causes such as an overactive mind. It stands to reason that the brain is going to need to start processing the information you take in over the course of the day at some time. Not all of this is done in the dream state. Some of it is done while you are awake and active.
Releasing memory
If you have a very busy day where you don't get at least 5 minutes of quiet thinking time, then your brain will do it at the very first moment it gets and that will be when you finally go to bed for rest. Those people whose minds tick over at this time will agree that it makes getting to sleep not only difficult, but downright irritating. There is a very simple solution that has helped many of my clients over the years and it may help you. That is to keep a journal. I'll explain why by comparing the brain to a desk filled with papers. The brain has several jobs each day - one of the most important being to maintain memory. It won't move onto processing and calculating the information it has gathered until the 'memory information' or the info that has to be retained in the memory has been dealt with. This is to prevent any loss of crucial information. So it needs to clear the memory.
The papers on the desk are piled on top of one another, each one of them has some piece of information that's important and to get to the next one, you need to first deal with the one on the top. Underneath this pile of papers is the calculator. The calculations are done in your sleep state so it stands to reason that the brain is not going to be happy letting you rest until it has removed the papers (or memory information) first.
Journal Writing
By writing down your thoughts, feelings and the day's events in a journal, you're allowing the brain to take a big sigh of relief by letting it all go onto paper, knowing that it now doesn't have to juggle all of that information in its memory. Because it is recorded somewhere, whether that be on paper or a document on your pc, the brain knows that it can now come back to that information when it needs to so it frees the brain from babysitting memory to focussing on calculating information.
Some people have gone one step further and ensured that they keep a small notepad and a pen with them at all times to write down any thoughts that come to mind, ensuring an even faster result and adding the benefit of not forgetting any good ideas or duties that come to mind.
Conversation with someone close to you such as a loving partner each evening can be helpful too and is sometimes enough to get some people by. It won't necessarily help the memory, but it will help the brain to come to a conclusion on some of the information as you talk because you'll also be thinking and processing information from the discussion so this can sort of shortcut the process for you.
With very emotional situations, you may want to go for the ultimate solution which is to use both a journal as well as a discussion with your partner. You can offload any negative thoughts or emotions into the journal, saving the negativity from 'rubbing off' onto your partner and then you can discuss the situation with your partner in a less emotional state, allowing your partner to experience the satisfaction of knowing they've helped, keeping open communication with him/her and coming to a satisfactory conclusion more quickly.
Relaxing
Entering your sleep in a state of relaxation will improve your quality of sleep and encourage more positive, helpful dreams. Having a routine can help with this because the body and mind expect sleep to come and start to wind down in preparation for it. A regular bedtime is probably the most helpful way to do this, but your regular before bed routine can be effective as well for example, a shower, laying out your clothes for the next day, brushing teeth and hair. Even though these seem pretty ordinary, if you do them in the same order leading up to bedtime each evening, the brain recognizes the pattern of events and instantly prepares for sleep.
There are other things you can do to get you into that relaxed state. Meditation is the optimal way and this does not necessarily including chanting or special positions. It means basically doing anything that will encourage you to relax your muscles and allow your mind to roam.
Here are some ways to help get into a suitable state of meditation:
- Have a relaxing bath with lavender or chamomile. Ensure that the bath water is not too hot because this will drain you rather than relax you.
- Having a foot massage.
- Listening to relaxing music with soft lighting.
- Spending a few quiet moments just thinking (the journal is the most effective for this, but if you don't have time, this helps too).
- White noise or another sound helps to lull you into a nice relaxing state. It seems that white noise is very close to the sound that babies hear in the womb and so it has a natural relaxing effect on people. Just beware that using this method of relaxation several times can program your brain to expect it, making it difficult to relax without it. Ideally you want to be free of such dependencies.
- Structured meditation.
Once you're sufficiently able to get your mind and body to relax before sleep, don't worry if you don't dream easily the first night or even the first week. This is just the first step in the process.
Step 2. Program your mind
In order to remember your dreams, your brain has to know what your intentions are. The brain is such a fabulous computer that it is programmed quite easily. The downside of this is that we can learn bad habits quickly. The upside is that we can unlearn them to and learn helpful habits.
The habit you want your brain to learn is to remember your dreams. You want your brain to allow the dreams to happen as much as it needs to. Don't push it and don't have expectations. The brain will know how much it needs to process. Trust it to do its job and you'll have better results. There is no average on how much you should or should not dream. You'll remember some more than others and dream some nights more than others.
Affirmations are your aid to programming the brain. Basically they are repeating a helpful phrase over and over until the brain has received the information and taken it in enough to make it accept the information. This doesn't have to mean saying the same phrase 50 times in one night. You could say it two or three times while you envision what it is that you want. Focus on the fact that you want dreams while you say the chosen phrase and this will create a good impact.
If you are someone who has difficulty recalling dreams, then continue to do this until you begin to see a result - even if it's a slight increase - any change is a sign that it is working.
The affirmations you may wish to start with will be helpful before and after you've been asleep. Firstly, before going to sleep you may wish to choose a phrase such as:
- "I will be open to dreaming many dreams tonight" - you won't necessarily achieve that, but if you aim for the complete result, your chances of getting part of it increase and you'll get more than you would if you aimed for a partial result such as remembering a little bit of your dreams. Just remember not to assume what the results will be. You're simply giving your brain a goal to aim for.
- "I will remember my dreams when I awake" - again, you may not remember them all and it may take a few tries before you start remembering them depending upon how difficult it is for you before you begin.
It's important to note that you will be more likely to remember dreams that have importance for you so if some aren't easily recalled, don't fret. Just focus on the bits that you get. Analysing those will be enough to get a hint of the information that is being revealed to you and in time those small pieces will lead to larger fragments of memory.
Step 3. Recording the information
Keep a pen and paper beside the bed at all times and you may wish to do this for meditations too as they work along the same lines as the sleep-state.
Some people choose to program their mind to allow them to wake immediately after or during a dream so that they can write down details with their pen and paper. Alternatively, you can do it when you awaken naturally the next morning. This is personal choice really. Those who do it say that they become accustomed to it, but disrupted sleep can cause exhaustion and interrupt the body's healing processes so decide carefully how far you'd like to go with this step.
Recording the information is the most crucial part of dream analysis. What you record affects how well you can analyse the dream. You must ensure that you take note of and record as much information as possible. Here are some ideas on what you might record:
- How you feel about the dream - this can be an indication of whether the dream is a warning, an everyday event, about someone you care about or whether it is a message.
- How you feel towards the characters in the dream - the characters may be people you know, but they often are not representing the people that the dream is about. Certain personalities could be used by the brain to refer to a side of your own nature for example or to indicate someone around you that you're not aware of who may have a similarity to the person in the dream. How you feel towards the characters will also tell you more about the dream's purpose.
- What those characters represent? - Like the rest of the dream information, the characters can have a range of meanings. For example, you may have an animal in the dream and whether that animal is wild or tame may indicate a behaviour in yourself. It could also be a guide walking alongside you for example. Think about what the most outstanding aspects are of each character and how could fit into what the dream is telling you. Do not leave out anyone - a fly buzzing around your head could be important pointing to an annoying issue around you for example.
- The location and setting of the dream - this is going to be one of your biggest indicators of what the theme of the dream is. A dream around your home most likely means that the dream is about an issue within yourself, but it could also be literally about your home. How do you feel about that location? What is it's significance to you?
- The colours in the dream - Colour and shading sets a tone for the dream and can be used by the mind to help you recognize important points within the dream. Realizing suddenly that there was a small yellow sign in the background of a dream that was set in a grey, dull town could be a key to cracking the dream's message. Take note of what colours the background is, the characters, yourself - well, everything of course.
- Any signs or symbolic images - these can be used by the brain to point out specific things that make the dream easier to understand and can have a 'look here' type of effect.
- Building types, fashion styles - For starters these things can help you work out whether the dream has a timeframe attached to it. A dream about a time from centuries ago or even about a person from your childhood could indicate an issue related to the past. They also tell you more about the theme of the dream. Women dressed in ugly, grey or black, drab clothing could represent sadness or depression for example.
- What is said - as exact as possible. A major part of analysing the dream to a point where it makes clear sense to you. Sometimes the words can seem strange in the dream, but taken individually or in conjunction with other elements of the dream, they can begin to reveal a picture.
- What you feel was meant - this can sometimes be different to the actual words used in a dream, but it doesn't only refer to words, but also to behaviours, actions, feelings and the dream as a whole.
- What forms of transport were used - This can tell you whether the issue is a fast moving one, whether it is within your reach or happening to someone a distance away, how quickly or slowly you could deal with the issue at hand and more. A bike leaning against a building when you're walking a long distance with people could be the dreams way of telling you that there are options available to you that you are not taking advantage of for example or driving a very fast out of control car could be telling you that you need to slow down and pace yourself as well as ensure that you are safe.
Changing the course of your dreams
You would be amazed just how far you can go with programming your brain to help you in a positive manner. When you have a situation around you that is traumatic or very emotional, your dreams will often reflect this by being negative or what most people would call a bad dream or even a horrific nightmare. The larger the impact of the situation you're dealing with, the worse the dream will be.
I'd like to make it clear that I'm not referring to nightmares that are caused by hormones or illness. Although this information may be helpful to a degree for some, because the main cause of the problem is not one of thought patterns or emotions, but from a medical condition, it makes it more difficult to make a completely successful change by programming the brain alone. For the purposes of simplicity, this information is intended for those who don't have extenuating physical circumstances affecting their dreams.
No need to be at the mercy of your dreams
Many people think that they are at the mercy of their bad dreams, but it need not necessarily be so. By analysing your dream, you can deal with the problem around you. Getting rid of the problem will rid you of the bad dreams, but in the meantime, you may not be able to tell exactly what the problem is and the dreams are still coming.
Changing the course of your dreams will not only affect your sleep and dreamstate, but it will also help to convince your brain that it can solve the issue that is causing the dreams thereby allowing the brain to come up with clear and concise solutions.
You'll be amazed how simple it is. Ready?...Just fight back. Yep, that's all there is to it. You can actually change the course of your own dreams while you're having them! Many of my clients have tried it and been successful although the degree of success varies according to how strongly they believe it will work. All you have to do is to realize that no matter what bad elements enter into your dream, you will suddenly be able to have a super power that will solve the problem or help will arrive immediately. You do this in the same manner as you would use affirmations before bedtime for having dreams. You sit and think about the dreams and you visualise them in your mind. If the dreams change, then make up an image in your mind of something horrific and work out a variety of ways that you can beat the monster or challenging element.
Give it a try and keep going until you have some success with it. Most people will have success. Understand that the element that's causing the problem can be dealt with and it's within your ability to solve it, even if the way you'll do it is not clear just yet. Trust yourself and battle those dreams and life will show you the way clear.
Once you've mastered the preparation for a good dream state, you can move onto the article:
How to Analyse Your Dreams.
Happy Dreaming!