Getting More Out of Your Dreams

Dreams can be a rich resource for creativity, decision making, problem solving, and self-understanding.

We actually do much of our information processing at night. Dreaming helps us integrate emotional and intellectual material from the day – without the defensiveness that characterizes our waking thoughts. Because we’re more honest with ourselves when we are asleep, we’re often more insightful as well.

RECALLING DREAMS

You may not remember you dreams, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t have any. Everyone dreams at least four time a night. You can learn to recall your dreams by trying to “catch” them first thing in the morning.

Keep a pencil and pad by your bed. Jot down the date each night before you go to sleep. Immediately after waking up in the morning, write down a few lines about whatever is on your mind – even if all you write is, There is nothing on my mind. Within a week or two, you’ll find that you’re remembering plenty of your dreams.

USING DREAMS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS

Everyone has had the experience of “sleeping on a problem” – and waking up with the solution. We can make this process more deliberate by practicing what I call dream incubation. Here’s how you can do it:

Before you go to bed, write down a one-line phrase that clearly states an issue you want to understand better, a problem you’d like to resolve or the kind of idea you need.

Don’t worry about or try to solve the problem at this time. Turn out the light and repeat the phrase over and over – as calmly as though you were counting sheep – until you fall asleep.

As usual, when you wake up, write down what’s on your mind. Sometimes the answer will be straightforward – in the form of a simple idea rather than a dream.

People have used dream incubation to find ways of resolving conflicts with a friend or colleague…streamlining office paperwork…turning around a marketing campaign…coming up with ideas for a presentation.

Other answers may require more interpretation. You might have a dream that helps you understand the situation better, even if you don’t have the information to solve it completely. Or your dream may reframe the question. In rare cases, the dream incubation may not work – if another pressing problem comes up at the same time.

With my clients, I have found that dream incubation leads to helpful insights as much as 95% of the time. It sounds hard to believe, but it’s true.

INTERPRETING YOUR DREAMS

Many people think of dream interpretation as a system of rigid Freudian symbols. Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung were on the right track in taking dreams seriously, but they drew on their cultural prejudices and attached specific meanings to various dream images.

Actually, each individual’s dream metaphors are very private and personal. I encourage people to dismiss their preconceptions about dream symbols and discover for themselves what they think about the images in their dreams. It’s not necessary to understand it. Record the main ideas and themes.

Then set up a dream interview with a friend, a therapist – or even yourself as interviewer – to clarify the dream’s meaning. The dream interview has three major steps:

  • Description. Describe each of the major elements – people, animals, objects, setting, action, and feelings – in the dream as if you were describing them to someone who comes from another planet and has never heard of them. If you are doing a self-interview, you might find it helpful to write down the descriptions the first few times.
  • Bridge. For each element, ask yourself, Is there something in my life – or anything about myself – that’s like this figure or action in my dream, which I describe?”
  • Summary. Tie together what you’ve learned by reviewing each description and its bridge. Think about how the dream as a whole could be a parable about your life.
  • Action. Reread your dream several times, and keep it in mind during the day. Your dream may give you the insight and courage to make important changes.

Though each person’s dream symbolism is highly individual, certain themes often have connotations that are common to many people. Examples:

The examination. In the dream, you’re about to take an important test and you haven’t studied all semester – or you can’t find the examination room. In waking life, you may be facing a challenge for which you don’t feel prepared.

If you are prepared, the dream may reflect simple anxiety. But it could also be a warning that you need to take steps to meet the challenge. Another possibility is that you’re living under such pressure that you never feel quite ready for anything. You may need to reevaluate whether you want to keep functioning that way.

Falling. Dreams in which you are falling have to do with the loss of control. Are there areas in which you’re out of control? Does this present a danger to your career or a personal relationship?

~by Dr. Gayle Delaney

 Getting Centered                                                  How To Change Your Negative Beliefs 

Latest posts by Nudge Domain Admin (see all)

327 thoughts on “Getting More Out of Your Dreams

  1. Pingback: buy vilitra 10mg
  2. Pingback: tadalista 5mg
  3. Pingback: androgel generic
  4. Pingback: fildena double 200
  5. Pingback: vilitra 10
  6. Pingback: naltrexone hcl
  7. Pingback: kamagra 100 mg
  8. Pingback: buy augmentin 875
  9. Pingback: cialis levitra
  10. Pingback: priligy review?
  11. Pingback: vitaliy-abdulov.ru
  12. Pingback: video.vipspark.ru
  13. Pingback: studio-tatuage.ru
  14. Pingback: yug-grib.ru
  15. Pingback: ipsychologos
  16. Pingback: batmanapollo
  17. Pingback: kinokrad
  18. Pingback: xxx
  19. Pingback: 123movies
  20. Pingback: xnxx
  21. Pingback: 9xflix
  22. Pingback: x
  23. Pingback: mangalib
  24. Pingback: tqmFEB3B
  25. Pingback: klondayk2022
  26. Pingback: irannews.ru
  27. Pingback: uluro-ado
  28. Pingback: rusnewsweek
  29. Pingback: 24hours-news
  30. Pingback: icf
  31. Pingback: www
  32. Pingback: bep5w0Df
  33. Pingback: bit.ly/3GQNK0J
  34. Pingback: bit.ly/3ig2UT5
  35. Pingback: bit.ly/3ARFdXA
  36. Pingback: bit.ly/3gGFqGq
  37. Pingback: bit.ly/3OEzOZR
  38. Pingback: matchonline2022.ru
  39. Pingback: serialhd2023.ru
  40. Pingback: hdserial2023.ru
  41. Pingback: 1703
  42. Pingback: cttdu.ru
  43. Pingback: 1c789.ru
  44. Pingback: sitestats01
  45. Pingback: site 2023
  46. Pingback: brutv
  47. Pingback: edu-design.ru
  48. Pingback: newsukraine.ru
  49. Pingback: mb588.ru
  50. Pingback: 3o9cpydyue4s8.ru
  51. Pingback: kin0shki.ru
  52. Pingback: dolpsy.ru
  53. Pingback: rftrip.ru
  54. Pingback: 3DGofO7
  55. Pingback: 3SoTS32
  56. Pingback: 000-1
  57. Pingback: psy-news.ru
  58. Pingback: sezons.store
  59. Pingback: video-2
  60. Pingback: 3qAIwwN
  61. Pingback: film onlinee
  62. Pingback: lalochesia
  63. Pingback: psy 3CtwvjS
  64. Pingback: TwnE4zl6
  65. Pingback: Dim Drakona 2022
  66. Pingback: psikholog moskva
  67. Pingback: ìûøëåíèå
  68. Pingback: aOuSjapt
  69. Pingback: JGXldbkj
  70. Pingback: Dom drakona
  71. Pingback: sY5am
  72. Pingback: stat.netstate.ru
  73. Pingback: rodnoe-kino-ru
  74. Pingback: filmgoda.ru
  75. Pingback: Anonymous
  76. Pingback: film.8filmov.ru
  77. Pingback: web
  78. Pingback: gidonline
  79. Pingback: movies
  80. Pingback: Ukraine-war
  81. Pingback: stats
  82. Pingback: War in Ukraine
  83. Pingback: bucha killings
  84. Pingback: cleantalkorg2.ru
  85. Pingback: bit.ly
  86. Pingback: netstate.ru
  87. Pingback: Psikholog
  88. Pingback: hdorg2.ru
  89. Pingback: hd-tor-2022
  90. Pingback: film-tor-2022
  91. Pingback: tor-lyubov-i-grom
  92. Pingback: 01211
  93. Pingback: 3NOZC44
  94. Pingback: 3Hk12Bl
  95. Pingback: SHKALA TONOV
  96. Pingback: D6tuzANh
  97. Pingback: qQ8KZZE6
  98. Pingback: DPTPtNqS
  99. Pingback: uels ukrain
  100. Pingback: psy online
  101. Pingback: irida-design.ru
  102. Pingback: vkl-design.ru
  103. Pingback: designmsu.ru
  104. Pingback: design-human.ru
  105. Pingback: YA-krasneyu
  106. Pingback: designchita.ru
  107. Pingback: FILM
  108. Pingback: Netflix
  109. Pingback: ivanesva
  110. Pingback: XVIDEOSCOM Videos
  111. Pingback: Xvideos
  112. Pingback: TopGun2022
  113. Pingback: 9-05-2022
  114. Pingback: gRh9UPV
  115. Pingback: filmfilmfilmes
  116. Pingback: yutub
  117. Pingback: z.globus-kino.ru
  118. Pingback: my-vse-mertvy-2022
  119. Pingback: 3L1poB8
  120. Pingback: 3rrZhf7
  121. Pingback: 3GrvxDp
  122. Pingback: 3J6w3bD
  123. Pingback: 34tfA26
  124. Pingback: uliocx
  125. Pingback: 3rpUI4X
  126. Pingback: lilly baricitinib
  127. Pingback: latisse buy
  128. Pingback: best clomid
  129. Pingback: molnupiravir pill
  130. Pingback: nolvadex buy uk
  131. Pingback: aralen drug class
  132. Pingback: buy clomid cheap
  133. Pingback: Dead-Inside
  134. Pingback: arrogant
  135. Pingback: ne-smotrite-naverx
  136. Pingback: aabbx.store
  137. Pingback: psiholog
  138. Pingback: Suicide Squad 2
  139. Pingback: psychophysics.ru
  140. Pingback: kremlin-team.ru
  141. Pingback: medunitsa.ru
  142. Pingback: KremlinTeam
  143. Pingback: link
  144. Pingback: A3ixW7AS
  145. Pingback: ukraine
  146. Pingback: vechernyy urgant
  147. Pingback: Porno
  148. Pingback: 66181
  149. Pingback: chernaya vodova
  150. Pingback: blogery_i_dorogi
  151. Pingback: bender na4alo 2021
  152. Pingback: podolsk-region.ru
  153. Pingback: chelovek-iz-90-h
  154. Pingback: top
  155. Pingback: site
  156. Pingback: Ukrainskie-serialy
  157. Pingback: video
  158. Pingback: topvideos
  159. Pingback: kinoteatrzarya.ru
  160. Pingback: sildenafil retina
  161. Pingback: projectio-freid
  162. Pingback: psy2022
  163. Pingback: psy
  164. Pingback: buy canadian
  165. Pingback: news news news
  166. Pingback: 4569987
  167. Pingback: Zakhar Berkut
  168. Pingback: paxil generic name
  169. Pingback: neurontin meds
  170. Pingback: priligy and viagra
  171. Pingback: buy viagra
  172. Pingback: rtajwqfe
  173. Pingback: buy cialis toronto
  174. Pingback: cheap tolterodine
  175. Pingback: donepezil price
  176. Pingback: pyridium purchase
  177. Pingback: cymbalta 20mg cost
  178. Pingback: assignment helper
  179. Pingback: doubleu casino
  180. Pingback: Biaxin 500mg pills
  181. Pingback: Cialis 20mg price
  182. Pingback: Cialis 40mg prices
  183. Pingback: Viagra 100mg otc
  184. Pingback: http://droga5.net/
  185. Pingback: pfizer viagra 50mg
  186. Pingback: cialis buy
  187. Pingback: buy viagra
  188. Pingback: generic ventolin

Comments are closed.