Dream Interpretations

Seven41

Member
On this forum there are many people asking for dream interpretations from people they don't know and who have absolutely no knowledge of the dreamer or what is happening in their lives at the time of the dream. Dreams are personal. They are for the dreamer and about the dreamer. I choose not to ask for an interpretaion of any of my dreams unless I am looking for a different perspective than the one I have already figured out.

Whenever I choose to comment on a dream, I try to be sure that the dreamer knows that I am only telling him/her what the symbols in the dream represent. I will frequently point out to the dreamer that I don't know them or what is happening in their life, so I can't really tell the person what they are seeking. Because of this I recommend that the person who really wants to know the meaning of his/her dream find a book on dream interpretation. There are many such books on the market and some will even give you a procedure for remembering and interpreting dreams.
 

JungianDreamer

New member
I agree that dreams are personal and for the dreamer, and that seeking an interpretation from someone who doesn't know the dreamer or their life circumstances has the potential to be problematic. However, I also believe that analysis, when done carefully and thoughtfully, can be helpful to the dreamer in gaining new insights and perspectives.

That being said, it's important to be aware of the problem of projection in dream analysis. Projection occurs when the dream interpreter imposes their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences onto the dreamer's dream, rather than trying to understand the dream from the dreamer's perspective. This can lead to misinterpretation and misunderstandings, and can ultimately be unhelpful to the dreamer.

I have developed a set of questions that I ask myself after every analysis in an attempt to mitigate subconscious projections.

  • Am I imposing my own beliefs or values onto the dream symbols or the dreamer?
  • Am I ignoring certain elements of the dream that do not fit with my interpretation?
  • Am I making assumptions about the dreamer or their situation that may not be accurate?
  • Am I allowing my own biases or prejudices to influence my interpretation?
  • Am I using the dream to fulfill my own emotional needs or desires, rather than focusing on the dreamer's needs?
  • Am I being open-minded and considering alternative interpretations or perspectives?
  • Have I asked the dreamer questions to gain a better understanding of their personal associations with the dream symbols?
  • Have I acknowledged that my interpretation is just one possible interpretation and that the dreamer may have their own unique interpretation?

When interpreting a dream, it's important to approach it with an open mind and without any preconceived notions or biases. Ideally, we would ask questions and listen carefully to the dreamer's responses while analyzing body language and exploring associations. Obviously, this is not the ideal setting but at the very least the analyst should avoid simply imposing his own interpretation onto the dream. By doing so, the dream interpreter can help the dreamer gain new insights and perspectives while avoiding the problem of projection.

This is all just my opinion but I'm curious about your thoughts.
 

Seven41

Member
I have no problem with telling a person about what I believe the symbols mean in a dream. They are the symbols that have worked for me for more than thirty years. However, I cannot tell anyone how those symbols apply to what is happening in their life without significantly more information and suggest that they find a dream interpretation method or procedure that works for them. Probably the best suggestion I could make is to tell them to Google dream interpretation procedures and see if someone can suggest a method or procedure that works for them.

I can tell them what my interpretation is, but I fear that might lead them astray from information they need.

And of course this is just my opinion and may not have any value at all.
 
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