{"id":57,"date":"2015-09-12T19:46:36","date_gmt":"2015-09-12T19:46:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dreams123.com\/?page_id=57"},"modified":"2020-07-19T18:45:16","modified_gmt":"2020-07-19T18:45:16","slug":"dream-symbolism-interpreting-dream-stories","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.dreams123.com\/dream-symbolism-interpreting-dream-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"Dream Symbolism Part I: Translate Dream Language"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Translate Dream Symbolism:<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Rosetta Stone of Dream Interpretation<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The discovery of the Rosetta Stone more than a century ago provided the means to translate ancient languages such as Egyptian hieroglyphics. The intricate symbols used by ancient Egyptians perplexed researchers. “Ooh, pretty pictures” pretty much sums up what Westerners thought of hieroglyphs. The Rosetta Stone finally unlocked the mystery of what people thousands of years ago were communicating with pictures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communicating with pictures is also the language of dreams, and today we call it symbolism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dream interpretation begins with symbolism. Symbolism is the language of dreams, so the ability to translate symbolism is necessary to interpret dreams. The famous dream psychologist Dr. Carl Jung says if you want to be a dream interpreter, begin by understanding symbolism.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Symbolism is the use of symbols to convey special meaning. A symbol is a shorthand way of expressing an idea. By translating dream symbolism, you can understand the idea(s) behind it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dream symbols are like words; they express ideas and string together to convey more complex ideas<\/span> like words forming sentences. But symbols are pictures that say a thousand words, and when symbols string together they tell entire stories with depth and complexity like high-level artwork. Symbols presented in story form create symbolism<\/span>. The -ism part is important to distinguish because it denotes a language that uses symbols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simplistic translations of symbols are mostly unhelpful and counterproductive. Symbols are PACKED with LAYERS of information. Hieroglyphs work the same way. They aren’t letters or even words, as is commonly assumed. They are sentences, paragraphs, and chapters all summed up in one image. For example, a hieroglyph depicting an Egyptian god wasn’t just the name of the god; the symbol contains cultural associations with the god.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"dream<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The goddess Isis, for example, is a ruling mother \/ wife goddess associated with resurrection, protection and selfless giving. Ancient Egyptians used her glyph as much more than just a name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The glyph, like a dream symbol, appears in conjunction with other glyphs, each packed with layers of information. We call it hieroglyphic writing. Dream symbols used in conjunction with other symbols is symbolism. It’s dream writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dream language<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a rule of thumb, everything in dreams is symbolism. Sometimes dreams speak literally and directly, but in my experience, most of the time they use the shorthand language of symbolism.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Symbolism is a language of pictures (think glyphs) and gestures, sensations, and thoughts. Like other languages it has nouns (<\/span>symbols<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> settings,<\/span><\/a> characters<\/span><\/a>) and verbs. (<\/span>action, <\/span><\/a>reactions<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>resolution<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also has adjectives. An adjective modifies a noun. A dream character, for example, is a noun in a dream, and details related to it such as its appearance are the adjectives: The color of its skin, eyes, and hair; its height and weight; its dress and overall presentation are all details that say something symbolically or add to the story.<\/span> For example, the dream presents your father in a dream as being 20 feet tall, a way of saying he’s a “giant in your eyes,” a “giant among men,” or even “out of reach.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think beyond details related to appearance, such as when a dream character is presented as being on the opposite side of a bridge from you. It can mean there’s a lot of metaphorical distance between you and what the character symbolizes. For example, it’s your old friend on the other side of the bridge and the physical distance represents emotional distance or the passage of time since the last time you saw each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dream language has adverbs, which are details that modify the actions. For example, in a dream you drive a car recklessly. Driving is the verb, and recklessly is the adverb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dreams can substitute one thing to mean another, like a pronoun. This is the definition of a symbol, but think of pronouns of dream language as like surrogates. For example, a friend’s parent in a dream can symbolize the friend.<\/span> The dream uses the parent as a surrogate so for whatever reason it doesn’t have to actually show the friend. You could say that the parent is a pronoun. Objects, too, can act as pronouns. Usually those objects are associated with the person, such as a vehicle or article of clothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interjections of dream language are your feelings and emotions experienced in response to a dream or during it. They include strong expressions of desire, opinion, or need.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like a language, dreams string together words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs, chapters, and stories. Like a story, dreams build around a subject or central idea. All the dream’s details relate back to that subject or idea. The symbolic details are the<\/span> story elements and narrative components<\/span><\/a> and everything that modifies them. The entire dream, assuming it is fully formed, is a complete picture that says everything at once. Everything in a dream interconnects either symbolically or as part of the story and narrative.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dream symbolism: telling interactive stories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dreams introduce an idea or subject then tell a story about it, its condition and circumstances, its history and prospects. The story paints a picture, then you step into the picture and participate in the story as an actor, or you stay out of the story to play the role of observer. You respond to the dream as if everything’s really happening, while<\/span> knowing subconsciously<\/span><\/a> what it all really means. What it really is: symbolism.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a fascinating fact about dreams that we create the stories subconsciously then decide to enter and experience them. The reason for it is found in Carl Jung’s quote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dreams are invariably seeking to express something that the ego does not know and does not understand<\/em>.<\/p>Carl Jung<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

You’re teaching yourself something, basically, by experiencing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dreams are pros at storytelling. As you become fluent in the language of symbolism and the mechanics of dream storytelling, you improve at deciphering the meaning. You see there are morals and points and lessons to learn and understand. The part of you that creates your dreams is always trying to show you something. It teaches, illuminates, explains, and provides information and perspective to expand your horizon, help you adapt to life, and fulfill your potential.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dream symbolism can seem absurd and meaningless, and sometimes it is. Your dreaming mind translates to symbolism any input experienced while asleep: thoughts, feelings, emotions, perceptions, memories, physical sensations and sounds, bodily messages. Sometimes the input isn’t deep and meaningful. It’s simply what you are experiencing at that moment<\/span>. A fantastic example is found in how the dreaming mind responds to sleep apnea<\/a> (blockage of the airway) by producing imagery such as a snake wrapped around the neck or a blocked chimney. It’s symbolic but lack narrative, therefore it isn’t meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you first go to sleep and progress through the sleep cycle, your mind can produce dreamlike imagery that has no story or narrative. It’s just a memory dump. Or think of it as the rehearsal, the warmup, before the performance begins and dreams become meaningful<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because some dream imagery is meaningless doesn’t mean it’s all meaningless<\/em>. When the imagery weaves together into stories that engage you, that’s the performance. Those are the dreams to focus on. They are certainly meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Absurdity of Dream Symbolism | Dream Interpretation<\/a><\/blockquote>