{"id":227,"date":"2017-10-19T18:12:47","date_gmt":"2017-10-19T18:12:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dreams123.com\/?page_id=227"},"modified":"2020-07-30T18:12:28","modified_gmt":"2020-07-30T18:12:28","slug":"dream-interpretation-simplify","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/dream-symbolism-interpretation\/dream-interpretation-simplify\/","title":{"rendered":"Simplify"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color: #003300;\">Simplify: a tool for interpreting<\/span><em><span style=\"color: #003300;\"> <\/span><\/em><span style=\"color: #003300;\">dreams<\/span><span style=\"color: #003300;\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"227\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/dream-interpretation-feature-image.jpg\" alt=\"Simplify a dream to understand it\" class=\"wp-image-879\"\/><figcaption>A lot is happening in the above scene, but it can be simplified as a word such as &#8220;fear.&#8221;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Oftentimes the meaning of a dream is staring you in the face if you know how to see it. But like the picture above, there&#8217;s too much going on at once, too much competing for your attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A solution is to simplify your dream. Explain it in simplest terms. Summarize the entire dream or a scene or just a detail in a sentence, phrase, word, or picture. Identify a theme, subject, or idea. In the above picture I chose &#8220;fear&#8221; as the idea. Otherwise, the powerful drama and imagery can prevent you from seeing the simple, obvious meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, you dream that a dragon hunts you with the intent of eating you, and you run for your life. In simplest terms, you run from something. Now be more specific. You run from something scary, a dragon. It&#8217;s something you won&#8217;t face. It&#8217;s too big to handle. Now we have ideas to work with, all derived by simplifying, and you can start asking questions such as &#8220;What scares me?&#8221; &#8220;What&#8217;s too big to face or handle?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Look at the story from the perspective of the dragon. Perhaps it simply represents a problem you ignore and it only gets worse the longer you wait. From the perspective of a dragon, a person is a small problem, right? In fact, afterward, when you use your imagination to look for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/step-1-story-elements-and-narrative-components\/dream-resolutions-narrative-components\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Resolution (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"rank-math-link\">Resolution<\/a> and ask Mr. Dragon what\u2019s its beef with you, it replies that it eats anyone that ignores it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now you know whatever the dragon represents is probably something you ignore. Plus, let&#8217;s say that just thinking about dream pegs the top of your anxiety meter, and that tells you it must represent something serious. It\u2019s strong symbolism. A dragon isn\u2019t a fly buzzing around your head, a minor annoyance. It\u2019s a dragon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube aligncenter wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<p class=\"responsive-video-wrap clr\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Simplify - a Dream School Interpretation Lesson\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ltqqg-uhb5Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div><figcaption>A quick video lesson to teach you how to simplify a dream<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You dream about losing control while driving and skid straight off a cliff. In simplest terms, what does that say? Out of control&#8230; in danger. A car out of control is a <em>physical representation of a personal situation<\/em> such as losing control of yourself, your life, or an area of it: health, finances, relationships, emotions, your job or career. Control is the simple idea, and the dream defines the idea as <em>out of control<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[I use the example of control of a car in my lesson on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/dream-symbolism-interpreting-dream-stories\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"dream symbolism (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"rank-math-link\">dream symbolism<\/a>.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dream interpretation begins with identifying a theme, subject, or idea and looking for details that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/connect-dreams-life\/make-connections-connect-the-dots\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"connect (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"rank-math-link\">connect<\/a> symbolically. It gives you a place to begin. In the above examples we theorize that the dragon represents a big problem, or the car plunging off a cliff symbolizes loss of control, then test it by asking if other details in the dream&#8217;s story agree with that idea or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like a detective, you only need one solid clue to piece together the details and solve the mystery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep it simple, or at least <em>start simple<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"275\" height=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/fallingdreams.jpg\" alt=\"simplify a dream to see what it really means\" class=\"wp-image-880\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/fallingdreams.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/fallingdreams-196x300.jpg 196w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px\" \/><figcaption>Falling in a dream has various interpretations, but here&#8217;s a simple one for you:  you are between two places.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color: #003300;\">Notice the obvious<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Because you are in the thick of the action, noticing the obvious can be difficult, even later when you reflect on the dream, but the meaning is right there if you explain it in simplest terms. For example, you have a detailed dream about trying to get to a destination. You seek out directions, face obstacles, run across people you know. What&#8217;s the simple idea? &#8220;Going somewhere.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Begin with that idea and see if it connects other dots (details) or sparks something in your feelings or parallels a theme in your waking life. You have a destination you want to reach; you are &#8220;going somewhere&#8221; in your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or you dream about flying like an eagle, and the word that comes to mind is \u201csoar.\u201d It sums up your life presently and especially how you feel. Notice that the simple idea of soaring is also a possible <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/dream-symbolism-interpretation\/dream-interpretation-associate\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"association (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"rank-math-link\">association<\/a> with the experience of flying like an eagle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just be sure to test your theories against the evidence provided by the rest of the dream. If you fly like an eagle because you are looking for a high point to escape danger, that detail doesn&#8217;t necessarily support the idea of &#8220;soaring.&#8221; Instead, &#8220;escape&#8221; might be the simple idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We call this process connecting the dots. A dream paints small pictures (details and scenes) within a big picture (the entirety of the dream). Seeing how certain details closely interrelate leads to seeing the big picture, and simplifying can give you the clue you need, like finding the piece of a puzzle that connects others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Obvious meaning example<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a dream with a meaning that\u2019s obvious to everyone except the dreamer. He\u2019s 16 years old and for the past six weeks he&#8217;s been dating a girl. They are boyfriend \/ girlfriend. Things are fantastic, couldn\u2019t be better, except for one thing, and it shows in a dream he has about his girlfriend locking him out of his bedroom. When he asks her to let him in, she refuses, saying from the other side of the door, \u201cIt\u2019s not safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Connect the dots: girlfriend, bedroom, locked door, something isn\u2019t safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The only piece of information lacking is the fact that she won\u2019t have sex with him. With that personal context as a clue, the meaning is obvious and simple to see. Locked out of a bedroom (a room associated with sex) by a girlfriend who is putting off sex, and her reason is it\u2019s not safe. As in, she fears she will get pregnant, or catch a disease, or her parents will find out, or she isn&#8217;t ready for sex or whatever. It\u2019s obvious, but first the dream must be simplified as a one-sentence question the dreamer can ask himself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>What is my girlfriend denying me?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the dream she denies him entry to his bedroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To him though, the meaning of the dream isn\u2019t obvious, and it\u2019s not a defect or anything, it\u2019s just a blind spot. Plus, he\u2019s young. As we experience life and accumulate associations, the dreaming mind has more to work with, and dream themes progress from general to highly personal. At 16 years old, his dreams tell the story as his girlfriend locking him out of his bedroom. At 60 years old, his dreams might tell the story of his girlfriend hiding his Viagra!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dreamschool.teachable.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo_600x.png\" alt=\"dream school by jm debord\" class=\"wp-image-997\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo_600x.png 600w, https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo_600x-300x165.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>When the student is ready, the teacher appears. I&#8217;ll teach you dream interpretation.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:33px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color: #003300;\">More to consider when interpreting dreams<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>What if the girlfriend in the dream symbolizes something other than the girlfriend? Talk about a new wrinkle! Or what if the young man is the one who has the hangup about sex and he denies himself the opportunity to get physical with his girlfriend, but it\u2019s hard for him to admit to himself so the dream projects the <a href=\"http:\/\/dreams123.com\/step-1-story-elements-and-narrative-components\/dream-actions-narrative-components\/\" class=\"rank-math-link\">action<\/a> onto the girlfriend-character?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What if his girlfriend symbolizes a subject that is \u201cclosed off\u201d to him and he won\u2019t \u201cgo there\u201d because it \u201cisn\u2019t safe?\u201d The simple idea of &#8220;denied&#8221; takes on a new meaning. The dream could use the same basic scenario of being denied access to his bedroom to mean something other than being denied sex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I find this sort of symbolism in the dreams of people who limit themselves and their experiences. They have strong boundaries and won\u2019t deviate. For example, it\u2019s \u201cnot safe\u201d to \u201copen the door\u201d to pursuing a certain subject because his girlfriend wouldn\u2019t like it. I know from experience that every time my mouth opens and the letters &#8220;U&#8221; and &#8220;F&#8221; come out, my wife stops me before I can add &#8220;O.&#8221; It&#8217;s just not her thing. It&#8217;s a closed-off subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those are possibilities for how the dream could be interpreted, but we know better because the young man is eager to get physical with his girlfriend and she&#8217;s not. The personal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/connect-dreams-life\/make-connections-context\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"context (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"rank-math-link\">context<\/a> connects the dots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every dream presents multiple possibilities for meaning. Just because something seems obvious in a dream doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s correct. Make a hypothesis about the meaning and test it against the evidence. See if it fits the picture. If it feels right, you can be reasonably confident it is right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color: #003300;\">There\u2019s obvious, then there&#8217;s <em>really<\/em> obvious<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dreams123.net\/first-rule-dream-interpretation\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Noticing the obvious (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"rank-math-link\">Noticing the obvious<\/a> extends to dreams with simple, obvious messages. The meaning and message are right in front of your eyes. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>You dream that your car&#8217;s brakes fail while driving on a familiar road. It might mean you can\u2019t slow down your life. Or, you felt some softness in your brakes and subconsciously can sense they\u2019re about to fail. Maybe you are ignoring the obvious.<\/li><li>You dream your tooth is infected. It could mean you&#8217;re allowing a situation to fester, or you have an infection developing in a tooth. Either way, the dream is a warning and you are wise to investigate both possibilities.<\/li><li>You dream that you lose your wallet, and the next day you find yourself in the exact situation as when you lost it, except now you\u2019re awake. Do you secure your wallet?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Always consider the obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can often tell the difference by how a dream with an obvious message mirrors reality. The car with bad brakes in your dream is your car, and the road you drive on when they fail is one you drive on regularly. It\u2019s not an imaginary car on an imaginary road. Dreams that closely mirror reality are more likely to have direct messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To know more about this type of dream, read my lesson on <a href=\"https:\/\/dreams123.net\/precognition-just-dream-difference-precognitive-ordinary-dreams\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"precognitive (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"rank-math-link\">precognitive<\/a> dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color: #003300;\">More examples: simplifying dreams<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In simplest terms, what is a baby? It\u2019s new life. Now translate it to questions such as: What&#8217;s new in your life? What&#8217;s new about you? The baby could mean something else, but the simplified idea gives you a place to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>What does it mean to endlessly pack luggage? You get ready but never go anywhere. You make plans but they don&#8217;t materialize.<\/li><li>What is a pack of hyenas? Trouble.<\/li><li>What is a bridge? A route over an obstacle. What obstacle are you facing in your life?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Using this technique can also help you understand at least one part of a dream, then use what you know to interpret the rest. You know that the bridge in your dream represents a route over an obstacle, for example, and it explains why the river beneath it is filled with credit card bills and you are shirtless: because the obstacle is too much debt, the route over it is your plan to pay off the debt, and your fear is you will end up financially ruined (shirtless) if you don\u2019t get a handle on the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Simplifying helps you see the obvious. It helps you see through the clutter and discover what connects a dream&#8217;s details together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Next lesson<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-d-3-3-steps-to-decode-your-dreams\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"oceanwp-oembed-wrap clr\"><blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"KRRL8A9QZ2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/dream-symbolism-interpretation\/dream-interpretation-amplify\/\">Amplify<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Amplify&#8221; &#8212; D3: 3 Steps to Decode Your Dreams\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/dream-symbolism-interpretation\/dream-interpretation-amplify\/embed\/#?secret=KRRL8A9QZ2\" data-secret=\"KRRL8A9QZ2\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Explore further:<\/strong> A dream interpreted by <a href=\"https:\/\/dreams123.net\/dream-swimming-river-styx\/\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"dream interpreted by simplifying (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"rank-math-link\">simplifying<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Simplify: a tool for interpreting dreams Oftentimes the meaning of a dream is staring you in the face if you know how to see it. But like the picture above, there&#8217;s too much going on at once, too much competing for your attention. A solution is to simplify your dream. Explain it in simplest terms. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":939,"parent":123,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo1280-600x400.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo1280-600x600.jpg","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo1280-e1595695498308.jpg",1080,614,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo1280-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo1280-300x171.jpg",300,171,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo1280-768x437.jpg",768,437,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo1280-1024x582.jpg",1024,582,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo1280-e1595695498308.jpg",1080,614,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo1280-e1595695498308.jpg",1080,614,false],"ocean-thumb-m":["https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo1280-e1595695498308.jpg",600,341,false],"ocean-thumb-ml":["https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo1280-e1595695498308.jpg",792,450,false],"ocean-thumb-l":["https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo1280-e1595695498308.jpg",1080,614,false],"ab-block-post-grid-landscape":["https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo1280-600x400.jpg",600,400,true],"ab-block-post-grid-square":["https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo1280-600x600.jpg",600,600,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/author\/radowl\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Simplify: a tool for interpreting dreams Oftentimes the meaning of a dream is staring you in the face if you know how to see it. But like the picture above, there&#8217;s too much going on at once, too much competing for your attention. A solution is to simplify your dream. Explain it in simplest terms.&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/227"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/227\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/123"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/939"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}