Dream Building Blocks

There are several building blocks in the construction of a dream. Most dreams have an environment – the location and surroundings where they take place. The items observed in the dreams can be highly symbolic, such as a house or room in which you find yourself or automobile that you are observing or driving. Remember that the subconscious operates through associations and the objects you encounter should be considered in that light. If you find yourself in a kitchen, the obvious association is food and the preparation of meals. And since dreams primarily deal with our daily activities and problems, you should examine your diet and the state of your physical health as it relates to what you eat on a daily basis. If you find yourself looking at a car in a dream, the details of what you see are likely to be important. What type of car is it and what is the condition of the car? The car often represents the physical body, and the type and condition of the car will say a lot about your physical condition.

The house and automobile are common symbols that occur frequently in people’s dreams. I have had frequent dreams involving both houses and cars. The house serves as a look at my overall daily life, with focus on a specific room calling attention to that aspect of my life. The kitchen as already mentioned often relates to one’s diet, the living room to daily life, the family room to the state of the family, a basement to the subconscious etc. The condition of the entire house or room is a comment on your entire life or an aspect of my life. The condition of the car gives me a quick look at the state of my physical health.

Dreams also have themes. In her book Dreams Your Magic Mirror, Elsie Sechrist refers to a study by Japanese scientists involving dreams of students in both Japan and the United States. Among other things, over thirty recurrent themes were found. These themes can be failing a test, being late for a class, showing up for a class or event unprepared, running away from something, taking a wrong turn off a highway, a sexual encounter, or the positive side of these same themes such as scoring a high grade on a test or taking a right turn.

The mood in a dream can be extremely important. In the dream, are you happy, sad, scared, angry, or in some other state of mind? These feelings add color to the dream and provide additional clues as to its meaning.

Every detail is in the dream for a reason. Your subconscious chose one symbol over the unlimited number of other possibilities for a reason. If you find yourself looking at an object in a dream, there is a reason that the object is what you see rather than something else. If you put on a blue outfit, there is a reason the color is blue rather than red, brown, or some other color. If you receive or spend money such as seven dollars, that amount is significant. Putting on blue clothes can symbolize the acceptance of spiritual values and receiving seven dollars can symbolize the receipt of a spiritual gift or something of spiritual value. Each color or number in a dream can have a unique meaning. More on this can be found in The Man Who Sees Tomorrow in His Dreams or Dreams Your Magic Mirror.

Dreams can contain many aspects. There may be what is found to be a rather obvious practical aspect, but the dream may also contain other aspects such as your spiritual health where this aspect of your life is also reflected in the dream. Sometimes you will interpret part of a dream, only to return to it much later when you realize there was more to it than you first thought.