In Step 3 of D3 you take everything you’ve learned by doing Step 1 and Step 2 and find the context that explains how and why the dream creates meaning through the symbolism and story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Personal context<\/span> in dreams<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSome dream symbols only makes sense when viewed within the context of your life. The context is personal, and it provides the information needed to define the symbolism and understand the meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, a woman dreams about folding laundry in her home when a scary, skinless creature comes at her with a knife. They battle and end up outside in the street. A city bus runs over the creature, and she\u2019s detained for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a story about her life. She\u2019s embroiled in a lawsuit with a former employer and recently found out that her former manager is spreading rumors about her, saying she\u2019s a bad person and bad employee, and it\u2019s preventing her from getting another job. With that in mind, look at the dream again. It’s understandable in that context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- It starts off with the dreamer folding laundry. Clothing is associated with outward identity and persona, and the action of folding clothing\u2014especially freshly laundered clothing\u2014can mean putting your life and personal presentation in order. The phrases \u201cstraighten up my life\u201d and “fresh start” come to mind.<\/li>
- The creature is skinless, and skin is associated with outward identity. It gives us a clue to investigate as we connect together the other details and ask if the dream is about something happening in the dreamer’s life related to her outward identity and how she’s viewed publicly.<\/li>
- Skin is protection, and it\u2019s sensitive, so being skinless is a picture of feeling “exposed” and “rubbed raw.” Dream symbols capture the dynamics of a situation and how the dreamer feels. In this case, a picture emerges of damage to outer identity combined with feeling raw about it.<\/li>
- The dreamer battles the creature, and it comes at her with a knife, a weapon for close combat, implying a close and personal conflict.<\/li>
- Then the creature is hit by a city bus and the dreamer is detained for it, symbolizing the beating she\u2019s taking in the battle with her former employer. Her battle is a public matter, symbolized by the city bus, and it continues to impact <\/em>her life. She\u2019s detained at the end because she feels like she\u2019s paying a heavy price for something that\u2019s not her fault. Her life is on hold as the lawsuit presses forward. She can\u2019t get a new job.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The context is the bridge between the dream symbolism<\/a>, the dream’s story, and the dreamer’s life.<\/em> The dreamer’s external life gives us the context we need to understand most of the dream’s details. The context helps us:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n- Understand the story and how the dots (details) interconnect.<\/span><\/li>
- See how the context connects with the dreamer\u2019s outer life: the lawsuit and job situation.<\/span><\/li>
- See how it affects her inner life: feeling raw and wrongly blamed.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Most dreams connect with memories from the past day or two, including memories of when you think ahead to what’s coming up: an event that’s scheduled, a test, a date. You can also look ahead to what you hope will materialize in your life: a change of career, finding love, starting a family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But this dream is a different type than the usual “recent experiences” processing type. I’ll explain in a moment under “Final Thoughts.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the end of the D3 dream interpretation process you reflect on your life, but I suggest you start doing it as you examine the context of the dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Dream](\"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/logo2-800x.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nActions in context<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nActions in dreams tell the story and are a primary way of giving context. Directly or indirectly, dream symbols usually have actions involving them, and through actions the meaning is revealed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Climb a mountain. It\u2019s a popular metaphor used to describe getting to the top of something, such as the \u201ctop of the heap,\u201d feeling \u201con top of the world,\u201d or reaching a major goal that requires diligence and effort. The mountain is a metaphor for something huge, and climbing to the top is your effort to conquer it. However, a mountain range could symbolize an impassable obstacle, and in that context, trying to climb it can symbolize trying to do the impossible. In the context of living on a mountain, it can symbolize desire for isolation or privacy.<\/li>
- Run away. The most important context of running away in a dream can be what you run from and where you run to. Running from a monster has much different context than running from a bunny. Running to the bathroom has a much different context than running to grandma’s house. The answers are found by figuring out the symbolic connections with you and your life. You and your life provide context.<\/li>
- Hide a body. It\u2019s one thing to hide, and another thing to hide a body. That context gives new meaning to \u201chide\u201d and points towards the possibility the action symbolizes something that you don\u2019t like about yourself, that embarrasses you, that you don\u2019t want anyone to know about. For example, you spread a rumor about a person and want to hide yourself as the source of it. A dream translates the idea as hiding a body. Or the body represents a personal habit you hide. Something embarrassing or shameful. A personal defect. The idiom, “know where the bodies are buried” comes to mind, which means “knowledge of something secret, criminal, or scandalous.”<\/li>
- Eat a steak. Eating is a physical representation for taking something into you, making it part of you. Or it can mean \u201ceat your words\u201d or “chew on a thought.” Steak is a specific food and every detail is used for a reason in the dream’s story. Steak is commonly associated with substance, \u201cthe meat of the matter.\u201d However, say that you dream you\u2019re about to eat a juicy steak and notice it\u2019s covered in maggots. In that context, it could symbolize the dark side of what otherwise appears to be an enticing situation. It can mean that something isn\u2019t what it appears to be.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Dream context: final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You have story context and personal context to consider when interpreting a dream. That’s a lot! However, bear in mind that dreams usually address the recent past or near future. You can simply reflect on what’s been happening in your outer and inner life and find the context that you need to understand the dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But… dreaming is a spectrum of experience and this can be the most difficult context to grasp. Extensive experience is required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, the skinless creature dream can be viewed in the context of a learning experience about how to fend off an attacker. You could say it’s a threat rehearsal if you didn’t know it’s a metaphorical story that sums up a situation in the dreamer’s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or, since most dreamer’s reflect a person’s inner life, you might wonder if the dream is a dramatization on an internal battle between the dreamer’s head and heart, or something like that. Or, the dream could be precognitive<\/a>. It’s a preview of a future event shown in symbolic form.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThankfully, we have the next tool of D3 Step 3: connect the dots. The dots are the details of a dream and they all interconnect. The details of the skinless creature dream all interconnect as demonstrated, and that fact tells me it’s a type of dream I call “Week in Review.” It actually summarizes the past several months of the dreamer’s life. This type of dream is often highly metaphorical and deeply impactful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based on my extensive experience I guided the dreamer through her memories to find the context spanning months of time. We examined the feelings expressed in the dream and found parallels with her inner life. We tested many possibilities before coming up with an interpretation that connected all the details under the umbrella of her experience fighting the lawsuit and dealing with the sabotage to her public image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When details don’t interconnect, perhaps it’s a different type of dream experience. Ultimately, the interconnection of details symbolically and as part of the story is the best tool you have. That lesson is next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next lesson<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The context is the bridge between the dream symbolism<\/a>, the dream’s story, and the dreamer’s life.<\/em> The dreamer’s external life gives us the context we need to understand most of the dream’s details. The context helps us:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Most dreams connect with memories from the past day or two, including memories of when you think ahead to what’s coming up: an event that’s scheduled, a test, a date. You can also look ahead to what you hope will materialize in your life: a change of career, finding love, starting a family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But this dream is a different type than the usual “recent experiences” processing type. I’ll explain in a moment under “Final Thoughts.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of the D3 dream interpretation process you reflect on your life, but I suggest you start doing it as you examine the context of the dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Actions in dreams tell the story and are a primary way of giving context. Directly or indirectly, dream symbols usually have actions involving them, and through actions the meaning is revealed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You have story context and personal context to consider when interpreting a dream. That’s a lot! However, bear in mind that dreams usually address the recent past or near future. You can simply reflect on what’s been happening in your outer and inner life and find the context that you need to understand the dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But… dreaming is a spectrum of experience and this can be the most difficult context to grasp. Extensive experience is required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, the skinless creature dream can be viewed in the context of a learning experience about how to fend off an attacker. You could say it’s a threat rehearsal if you didn’t know it’s a metaphorical story that sums up a situation in the dreamer’s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or, since most dreamer’s reflect a person’s inner life, you might wonder if the dream is a dramatization on an internal battle between the dreamer’s head and heart, or something like that. Or, the dream could be precognitive<\/a>. It’s a preview of a future event shown in symbolic form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thankfully, we have the next tool of D3 Step 3: connect the dots. The dots are the details of a dream and they all interconnect. The details of the skinless creature dream all interconnect as demonstrated, and that fact tells me it’s a type of dream I call “Week in Review.” It actually summarizes the past several months of the dreamer’s life. This type of dream is often highly metaphorical and deeply impactful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Based on my extensive experience I guided the dreamer through her memories to find the context spanning months of time. We examined the feelings expressed in the dream and found parallels with her inner life. We tested many possibilities before coming up with an interpretation that connected all the details under the umbrella of her experience fighting the lawsuit and dealing with the sabotage to her public image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When details don’t interconnect, perhaps it’s a different type of dream experience. Ultimately, the interconnection of details symbolically and as part of the story is the best tool you have. That lesson is next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nActions in context<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Dream context: final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Next lesson<\/h2>\n\n\n\n