Dream analysis for insight. What does everyone think?

[Milkhell]

I've been going through hell with depression and anxiety for the last 2.5 years since having DCs.

I'm not on meds (so it's not those causing them). I've been having really, really vivid dreams on and off - when I'm feeling really bad in particular.

It's weird but when I look up the meaning of these dreams they match with my life circumstances/emotions exactly.

I really believe there is something in analysing your dreams to help give you insight.

What does everyone else think?

I'm afraid I think it is nonsense. Your dreams are your brain taking time off, and they mean absolutely nothing. They may feature real life things but that is just how your brain works.

if you read all 12 horoscopes, you will find one that matches regardless of when you were born. It is the same concept.

wishing you better health soon, and perhaps some efficient medication.

I disagree, I think dreams are a post it note from deep within your psyche. Just don't expect it to be rational, or helpful. It's just mind vomit.

Okay so...the dreams involve nothing of my real life and when they happen use symbols that I don't come across.

Last night it was that I was watching myself drown after veering off course in a ship I'd been driving.

Thanks special x

My dreams have been an amazing source of insight in my life, I journal them and I do have many precognitive dreams and that's been very interesting. Do you journal yours?

I was told once that the only person who can analyse your dreams is yourself as the symbolism that dreams use is unique to you. The problem with dreams is sorting out the dross or 'mind vomit' from the more interesting stuff. So journaling is a good idea so have a means of recording your dreams when you wake up and then you can see if there is a pattern emerging and there are symbols or themes emerging.

The caveat on this is in interpreting this remember that your brain is just processing stuff so if you in your heart of hearts want to do something or fear something then your brain will be reflecting this in your dreams. It isn't a source of deep wisdom but just yourself in a different form which can help in self awareness but not much more. So for example I have recurrent stress dreams which have changed their forms over the years but if I have one it is an indicator that I'm under more stress than I thought I was so I can take action. I doesn't mean that I really did forget to revise for finals or can't find the car or didn't prepare for a sermon but it does mean I'm out of balance and kidding myself I can cope at this level of activity for much longer.

I was told once that the only person who can analyse your dreams is yourself as the symbolism that dreams use is unique to you.

I think this is true to an extent as only you know what's really going on in your life, but there also seems to be common elements in some dreams. I'm thinking of flying dreams, teeth falling out, being chased. I have a recurring dream and when I finally looked it up I found hundreds of people with exactly the same dream. It could suggest that some of the imagery used in dreams is common to all of us.

A lot of work has been done on this subject in depth psychology. [[www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZSoym4OqKw&feature=youtube_gdata_player This video series is a bit of an introduction/ layperson's guide. As she says at some point in the video, dream interpretation is a professional skill whih takes years of study to understand, but there are some general principles that the general public can access, and yes the symbolism is very personal sometimes to the dreamer so in one sense no one can interpret a dream as well as the dreamer, but in another sense, the whole point is that a dream is the unconscious mind speaking to the conscious mind, and this means that it's very hard to notice the thing you're unconscious of, or as she says 'to see your own back'. The conscious mind is much more likely to interpret a dream in a way which reinforces pre existing ideas or beliefs. Anyway... One of the most interesting subjects there is IMO.

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I absolutely agree with the mind vomit vs real significance.

Sometimes my dreams are just a disjointed mess of random shite - celebs frying bacon etc.

However I really honestly think there's a distinction to be made between mind vomit (which undoubtedly happens) and these really vivid dreams with imagery that when you look it up is common to humans, suggesting Jung was right about achetypes.

Indigo - I have started to over the last few months.

I know it's boring listening to other people's dreams but this one I woke up and had to write it straight down. It was so, so relevant.

An old school friend also texted me to ask if I was pregnant before we'd told anyone as she'd dreamt it the night before. I'd also had a dream about her the night before. We're not in regular contact. So IndigoBarbie I'd love to know about yours!

That's a bit confusing - the friend texting wasn't a dream, it really happened.

I didn't expand on my own dream as it would be too boring x

some dreams do help you make sense of stuff - agree it's all personal and journaling can help you recall, remember them before they disappear. Some of mine are vivid, breathtaking, Ive had a black horse fighting a black bull in a bright emerald green circular field against a purple stormy sky... amazing things, they help me with my writing.
I dream a lot of water, water flumes, being in pools lakes, the sea, water dreams are emotions and I am interested by how much this theme takes different routes through my dreams

if you have been going through ''hell'' as you put it, don't you think you deserve the chance to properly consider some medication? just talking to your doctor surely could help, nobody should have to go through hell when there is help out there; many people in my life are on anti-depressants, they'd be lost and struggling without them, please don't go through hell by choice - you deserve better X

YY to water dreams! My God? Since suffering with depression and anxiety I have them all of the time. Weird. The one the other night I watched myself drown to death .

Choc - also yes to very vivid imagery. I had one not so long ago about riding a donkey. Apparently a donkey means something specific (can't remember what). The weird thing is donkeys don't feature in my life whatsoever - so mind vomit it wasn't...

donkey - stubborn! hardworking, unappreciated, Christmassy

I have water dreams in the jungle.. with crocodiles..

I've never watched myself in a dream; I am always myself, living the dream as it were.

drowning - struggling with emotion? get yourself help woman!!

I know! And I actually drown to death!

The 'watcher' me was thinking "hang on tight, you can make it," and then the captain of the ship I'd accidentally steered off course threw me a buoy. I grabbed the buoy and then plummeted to my death.

People say you don't actually die in dreams well I did!

I think there is something in it. I had a recurring plane crash one during a period of chronic stress, it was always similar as the plane would crash, i would run across to it whilst calling the emergency services). In the end, in my dream, I would start to think, it is the plane crash dream, i will ignore it, it is not real. It got to a point where the plane did not crash.

Drowning, had those, but I always am drowning and feel very panicked that I have to wake myself up, or I really will drown, and it is always very hard to do that.

Water, water coming through the ceiling, that is a recurring one, not at the moment, I think it is also a stress dream for me.

Lots of ones related to pregnancy and miscarriage, and my unborn children.

I don't journal my dreams as I don't have time, but I do reflect on them if they are vivid.