Dreams use wordplay, pun, alternate definitions of words and other tricks of language and narration as storytelling devices. Study dreams for as long as I have and you’ll see just about every storytelling device used in them at some point. Wordplay is among the most frequently used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alternate definitions of words are used as symbolism<\/a> and usually shown in the actions of a dream<\/a>. Such as when \u201cadopt\u201d means \u201ctake in or take responsibility for\u201d and acted out as adopting a pet or child. \u201cDitch\u201d means abandon and is acted out in a dream as leaving something in a ditch. If “bug” means bother, the dream will show it as a bug bothering you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A man dreams that he sees a hole in the son and responds strongly in his feelings. His father had recently died, leaving a hole in the son’s life. It’s a visual metaphor<\/a> and a brief but important scene in the dream, and knowing what the hole in the sun means helps the man to decode other scenes in the dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is family business? It\u2019s any business conducted for the family, and dreams can compare business and family to tell a story about your family life or what it feels like where you work or go to school — your “other family.” A terrific example dream is given in the Resolution chapter under the subheading “Working for the Family Business.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n