Dreams have been studied throughout history, and dream interpretation is an old art form indeed, dating back at least as far as 3000-4000 B.C. Even today, dream interpreters are highly sought out for their help untangling the sometimes puzzling world of dreams.

You may think you know everything there is to know about dreams and dream interpretation, but did you know that:

 A third of our lives is spent in sleep, and a good amount of that time is spent in dreams.
 The average person dreams from between four to seven times every night. That means that by the time you reach the age of 80, you will have had between 116,800 and 204,400 dreams.
 That number may be even larger, since there is evidence that dreaming begins even before birth. No one deigns to know what unborn babies dream about, but there is evidence that they do dream.
 In the average lifetime, a person will have spent approximately six years in dream sleep, equivalent to more than 2,100 days of dreaming.
 There are records of dream interpretation, written on clay tablets, dating back more than 4,000 years.
 Those who could interpret dreams were held in high regard in Roman and Greek societies, and their counsel was sought before making significant political and military decisions.
 Everyone dreams every night, even though only a tiny fraction of those dreams are remembered upon waking.
 Many animals dream as well, although no one has been able to ask them what they dream about.
 People have to dream, though no one really knows why. What we do know is that preventing people from dreaming can cause irritability, mood changes and even hallucinations.
 The average person spends about one quarter of his or her sleep time in dream sleep, and dreams an average of four to seven times during that time.
 The average episode of dream sleep lasts about 10 to 15 minutes.
 Dreams slip away very quickly upon waking. It is estimated that as much as half the dream’s content is forgotten within five minutes, and after only ten minutes up to 90% of the dream can be gone forever.
 Men dream more about other men than about women, but women tend to dream about men and women equally.
 The brain is actually more active, not less during dream sleep than during wakefulness.
 People who are awakened during dream sleep are able to recall their dreams vividly and in great detail, while those who wake normally generally are not.
 Both men and women experience sexual arousal during most dreams, regardless of whether the nature of the dream was sexual or not.
 Smokers who are quitting often experience more intense dreams than either non smokers or current smokers.
 Babies and toddlers dream just as adults do, but studies have revealed they do not dream about themselves. Toddlers generally do not appear in their own dreams until they are at least three or four years old.
 It is not possible to dream and snore simultaneously.
 Nightmares are a common trauma of childhood, with the first nightmares usually occurring by the age of three, and typically lasting at least until the child is seven or eight years old.
 Many people report having experienced Déjà vu in their dreams, but dreams involving Déjà vu are more common in women than in men.

Before any dreamer can set about analyzing and interpreting his or her dreams, however, those dreams must first be remembered and recorded. Remembering your dreams is an often overlooked part of dream analysis, but it is the basis upon which all dream analysis stands or falls.

It is important to record dreams quickly, since dreams are one of the hardest things to capture. Half of a dream’s content can be lost in as little as five minutes, and up to 90% of the dream can slip away within less than ten minutes.

Therefore, it is vital that anyone seeking to interpret or analyze his or her dreams keep a dream journal as close to the bed as possible. Keeping a notepad on the night stand or under the clock radio is ideal.

It is important to get into the habit of playing your dream back in your mind before you even open your eyes. That is because the clock is ticking as soon as you wake up. Running the dream back through your mind will serve to strengthen and reinforce some of those little details that will soon be forgotten.

Write down as many of those details as you possibly can, even if it just means jotting down a quick word of phrase. You can always fill in the gaps later, the goal is to get as much recorded about your dream in as short a period of time as possible.

After you have written down as many details as possible of your dream, it is a good idea to read what you have written, fill in as many gaps and details as you can, and try to make sense of it. If there are meaningful symbols in your dream, or things you recognize from real life, you may want to circle them or otherwise point them out.

It is best to keep a dream journal over a period of a few nights, in order to look for patterns and similar elements. There are often recurring themes in dreams, and those recurring themes can provide valuable clues to the root causes of the dream elements.

When interesting and analyzing your dreams, it is best to keep it a fun and exciting exercise. While dream interpretation can be used by experts such as psychologists and therapists to treat and diagnose issues, that part of dream analysis is best left to the experts.

It is of course possible to use your dreams as healing tools, or as ways to examine underlying issues in your life. For instance, dreams about being naked are often metaphors for being exposed in a lie, or having a secret revealed. If you see such a pattern in your dreams, it may be worth examining what parts of yourself you have kept hidden, and for what reasons.

Likewise, dreams of falling are often indications of feeling out of control. If you see a pattern of falling dreams emerging, you may want to examine your life and try to take better control of your waking hours.

The sleep cycle consists of four individual stages, and every person goes through all four stages each and every night.  The length of each cycle varies from person to person, but every human being experiences all four stages of sleep every night.

In general, the dreams that are most likely to be remembered are those that take place the closest to waking.  Dreams that take place earlier in the night are almost never remembered.  The one exception to this rule is those dreams that are disturbing enough to wake the dreamer.  If a dreamer awakens in the middle of dream sleep, as with a particularly vivid nightmare or a dream about falling, he or she will most likely remember vividly every detail of the dream.

Let us take a look at the four individual stages of sleep, starting, logically, at stage one.

Stage 1:

The initial stage of sleep is a very light sleep, and the slightest disturbance can wake the dreamer at this stage.  The first stage of sleep usually lasts for only a few minutes, and most sleepers move on quickly to stage two.

Stage 2:

The second stage of sleep is much deeper, and it is much harder to wake the sleeper up at this point.  While the dream state begins in stage two, there are usually no clearly formed images at this point.  Instead dreams in stage two consist mainly of vague ideas and images floating around the mind.  After stage two is completed, the dreamer moves quickly on to stage three.

Stage 3:

The third stage of sleep is even deeper than the second stage.  At this stage, the muscles in the sleepers body have relaxed, and the heart rate and respiration rate have both slowed down.  The sleeper’s blood pressure also drops off at this point, and breathing is typically even and steady.  A sleeper in stage three sleep is very difficult to awaken, and typically waking can only be accomplished by a very loud startling noise or by shouting the sleeper’s name repeatedly.

Stage 4:

Stage four is the deepest stage of sleep, and the one in which most dreaming takes place.  During this stage of sleep, it is almost impossible to wake the sleeper.  During stage four of sleep, the sleeper moves in and out of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep several times.  It is during REM sleep that dreaming is occurring.  The eyes move back and forth rapidly under their lids, the heart beat and respiration spike, and brain wave activities increase.  As a matter of fact, studies have shown that brain wave activity is higher during dream sleep than it is during normal consciousness.

Most sessions of dream sleep last for about 10 minutes, after which the sleeper returns to the normal deep sleep of stage four.  The dreamer will cycle back and forth between stage four sleep and dream sleep several times each night, usually repeating the process from four to seven times on an average night.

One of the most intriguing dreams about eyes is the one in which the dreamer sees his or her own eyes in the dream.  Seeing your own eyes in a dream, in a mirror for instance, or even symbolically, is often a representation of knowledge, enlightenment, intellectual awareness, understanding or sudden comprehension.

Dreaming about one’s own eyes can often mean that unconscious or repressed thoughts and images are breaking through to the surface.  The eyes are often seen as the window to the soul, so dreams about eyes can often be seen as meaning that hidden desires of the soul are coming through to the surface.

Dreaming of only one eye, or seeing only one eye in a dream, is very significant.  The left eye is often seen as a symbol of the moon, while the right eye is seen instead as a symbol of the sun.

Some people have reported dreams in which their eyes turned around in their heads.  This kind of dream can symbolize insight and spiritual awareness.  Dreaming about inwardly turned eyes can indicate a desire on  the part of the dreamer to examine themselves and their psyche.

These kinds of dreams often accompany psychological turning points in the life of the dreamer.  This type of dream about eyes can also mean that your subconscious is trying to warn you to be aware of something, or that you need to look within yourself for answers.  This kind of dream can be a warning to the dreamer to trust his or her instincts and intuitions.

On the other hand, dreaming that you have something in your eye can mean that there are obstacles in your path.  Dreams in which the dreamer has something in his or her eye can be the subconscious way of telling the dreamer that they need to overcome the barriers in their path.  These kinds of dreams can also be representations of the dreamer’s tendency to take a critical view of the actions of others.

Dreams in which the dreamer has only one eye can  symbolize the dreamer’s refusal to accept or see other points of view.  It can mean that the dreamer suffers from a jaded and stubborn way of thinking.

Dreaming that you have a third eye can mean that you should pay attention to your insight and inner vision.  Dreams about a third eye are often warnings for the dreamer to look within themselves.

Dreams of injured or closed eyes can symbolize a refusal to confront the truth about something you have been hiding from.  This kind of dream is often about avoiding intimacy, or avoiding looking at something you should.  Dreams about closed or injured eyes can also be expressions of pain or hurt feelings.

Dreaming about crossed eyes can mean that you are not seeing things properly.  Dreams about crossed eyes can indicate that you may be getting mixed up.

Backs can be symbols for many things, including your strengths, burdens, attitude and standing in the world.  Dreaming of a back that hurts, or a back that feels as though it is breaking, can mean the dreamer feels overwhelmed or overburdened by the events in his or her life.  Thus the dream is a manifestation of feelings of being asked to do too much with too little support.

Dreaming about a back can also indicate that the dreamer is feeling undue stress or pressure, especially from an outside source.  Those who are feeling overworked or pushed to hard on their jobs often dream that their back is hurting.  Stress is real life can cause back problems, and psychological stress can often manifest in dreams of an aching back.

If someone in your dream world turns their back on you, it can indicate that you harbor feelings of hurt, envy or jealousy toward that person.  The identify of the person who turns their back to you can be quite significant and it should be heeded.  Repressed feelings of anger or resentment often manifest themselves in dreams, and the turning of a dream character’s back toward you is one of the clearest manifestations of repressed feelings of this nature.

Seeing a back in your dream, or being afraid to turn your back on a person in your dream, may also indicate that you fear a betrayal, either of a personal or professional nature.  Dreaming about being afraid to turn your back to a coworker may indicate that you feel someone at work (not necessarily the person in the dream) is plotting against you.

If the character you refuse to turn your back on is a friend, you may feel the betrayal of a friend.  Again, the friend you fear will betray you may not be the one who appeared in the dream.  Dreams are symbolic, and one friend can be a dream stand-in for another, especially if you do not want to face up to the possibility of their betraying you.

If you dream about a naked back, it can mean that you are keeping secrets from those in your life, and that you fear that those secrets could be revealed and you could be exposed.  Dreams of any sort of nakedness, including an exposed back, are often manifestations of this type of fear.  If you have been keeping secrets, dreaming of a naked back may mean your subconscious is telling you to come clean.

Carl Jung used the word archetype to mean an instinct pattern of thought or imagery that was derived from collective experience.  Jung believed in the existence of the collective unconscious – that is that people are born knowing things learned from their ancestors.

There are several archetypes used in dream interpretation, and one of the most common of these archetypes is that of the child.

The child is quite a common symbol in dreams, and it is probably the most easily recognized archetypes.  After all, everyone can remember what it was like to be a child – the freedom of being a child, the unconditional love received from parents, the laughter and the innocence of the imagination.

In the world of dreams, the child reminds us of our past and our childhood.  Dreams involving children, or dreaming of ourselves as children, often symbolizes an unconscious desire to go back to a simpler time.  People in need of unconditional love often dream of being children or being surrounded by children.

Every psychology student is familiar with the concept of the inner child, the part of everyone that refuses to grow up, and is constantly in need of encouragement, comfort and unconditional love.

There are several other child archetypes and metaphors, and one of the most powerful of these is the Divine Child.  The Divine Child archetype is often encountered in mythology, and there are examples of the Divine Child in almost every major religion and belief system in the world.  This worldwide appearance is one of the hallmarks of a true archetype.

The Wounded Child, like the Divine Child, is also an archetype that is seen in cultures and religions all over the world.  The wounded child archetype is most closely associated with children who have been neglected or abused.  Dreaming of a wounded child, or dreaming of yourself as a wounded child, is often the manifestation of a desire for a loving, wonderful childhood.

In addition, the Wounded Child archetype may appear when you are facing something that reminds you of being a Wounded Child.  For instance, being blamed for something you did not do at work can take you back to the times a parent treated you unfairly.  Therefore, such a negative event in the workplace could trigger the appearance of the Wounded Child archetype in a dream.

There is no question that children are powerful dream symbols, and dreams about children can have many interpretations.  When interpreting any dream, it is always important to consider the context of the dream, and to take it into account when examining the dream.

Recurring dreams involving children can have their own meanings as well, and they can often be triggered by memories of childhood.  Often a return to a hometown, a grade school reunion, or running into a childhood friend you have not seen in years, can trigger dreams of being a child again.  These types of dreams are among the most common in the world of dream interpretation.

Dream interpretation can even be part of many people’s careers.  In particular, therapists and psychologists often used dream analysis as part of their practices, especially when working with people who suffer nightmares as a result of trauma and stress.

This article, though will take a more lighthearted approach to dream interpretation.  Let’s start with an examination of the colors often seen in dreams, and what those colors may symbolize.

Dreaming in color

Most dreamers report dreaming in color at least some of the time, and for many the colors encountered in the dream world are even more vivid than those encountered in the real world.  A quick dream color quick is listed below.

Pink – Pink is generally understood to be a symbol of love, and dreaming of pink objects can symbolize a happy love affair.

Red – Red has several different meanings, including passion and anger.  The actual meaning of red objects in a dream is dependent on its context within the dream.

Black – Black is often seen as a negative symbol.  Black can symbolize the a void in the dreamer’s life, or a fear of death or aging.

Grey – Grey is a color midway between black and white, and therefore grey is often seen as a symbol of fear or of confusion.  People struggling with an important decision will often dream in shades of grey.

White – White is generally understood to be a symbol of purity, but like black it can also symbolize a fear of aging or death. Dreaming of white objects can also indicate a fear of change or of new surroundings.

Green – Green can be a symbol of the yearning for spiritual or physical renewal, or for growth and healing.

Blue – Blue can often symbolize spirituality, but in some circumstances it can indicate sadness as well.  To understand the true meaning, it is important to look at the context of the dream.

Yellow – Yellow is often seen as a symbol for calm, peace and hope. Yellow is the color of sunshine, and dreams of yellow are often sunny, happy dreams.

Dreams about numbers

Numerologists probably have their own interpretations of every possible number encountered in a dream, and every number can mean several different things depending on the context of the specific dreams.  Many people put great stock in dreams about numbers, even going so far as to play those numbers in the lottery.  While we can’t guarantee you a winning lottery ticket, we can provide some common explanations for dream numbers.

One – The number one can be a symbol for wholeness or unity. Dreaming of the number one could mean that you feel your life is complete.

Two – The number two can stand for balance, such as spiritual balance.  Dreaming of the number two could indicate a life in balance.

Three – Three is one of the most commonly seen numbers in dreams, and it is often thought to symbolize spiritual fulfillment, harmony or unity.

Five – The number five can be an indication of an upcoming change.  How the number is encountered in the dream could indicate whether the change in your real life is welcomed or feared.

Learning to recognize and interpret these objects, and learning about your dreams can be an exciting and fun exercise as well as a great learning experience.  Since dreams and their symbols are often manifestations of real fears and anxieties, dreams can provide much help in working through these serious issues.

Let’s examine a few of the most common dream symbols and scenarios.

Dreaming Of School

Dreams of school, including taking tests, forgetting about a test, showing up to school without your books, and they like are among the most common of dreams for students and non students alike.

For those currently in school, dreams about school can be reflections of anxiety about grades, peers, social issues and other concerns.  For those who are not in school, dreaming about school or taking a test is often a manifestation of anxiety about work, or even your personal life.   Dreaming about school is often related to your latest lesson in life.

Dreaming Of A Car Or Other Vehicle

Dreams of driving in a car or other vehicle often symbolize a desire to escape.  Cars and other forms of transportation represent freedom, and dreaming of driving, especially of driving fast, can symbolize a desire to get away from an unpleasant or undesirable task.

Dreams about car crashes or near misses can symbolize the feeling of being out of control.  Such dreams often occur when you are feeling overwhelmed by pressure and unable to cope with the stresses of everyday life.

Dreams in which you are the passenger instead of he driver can also symbolize this sort of lack of control.  This is especially true if the vehicle in the dream seems to be out of control.  Such dreams may signal a need to relax and avoid additional stress.

Dreams About Houses

Dreams about a the house you grew up in can represent a desire to go back in time to when life is simpler.  These dreams often occur at turning points in our lives, such as just after college graduation, prior to a marriage, or during or after a move.

Dreaming about an unfamiliar or threatening house can represent a fear of the unknown or an unwillingness to change.  Again, these dreams often take place during times of upheaval or change, and they can be your unconscious mind’s reaction to such sudden change.

Dreams About Tornadoes

If you live near an area prone to tornadoes, or if you have been the victim of such a force, then a tornado can simply be a tornado.  Unpleasant experiences can be relived through dreams, but most of the time the tornadoes we dream about are symbolic and not literal.

Most of the time, a tornado represents an emotional turmoil.  People in such a state are often described as being whirlwinds of emotions, so a tornado is a fitting symbol of that state.  Dreams of tornadoes often accompany sudden upheavals or changes in life, such as a sudden career change or cross country move.  A dream about a tornado can indicate that you feel your life is spinning out of control.  Those experiencing tornado centered dreams may want to take a step back, meditate and concentrate on the positive aspects of change.

Dreams About Telephones

Dreams about telephone often carry important messages that the dreamer needs to pay close attention to.  When interpreting a dream about a telephone, it is important to pay attention to the details.  For instance, did you initiate the call, or did someone call you?  Was the voice on the other end of the telephone friendly or threatening?  Can you hear the other party or is their static on the line?  These details of a telephone dream can give you valuable insights into just what is being communicated.

Even today, dream interpretation remains a highly sought after art, and science is continuing to focus on dream interpretation as a way to deal with all kinds of anxieties and other underlying psychological issues.

There are some interesting facts about dreaming that you may not be aware of.  These facts include:

• One third of most people’s lives is spent asleep, and a good portion of that time is spent in dream sleep.

• In the average lifetime, a person will have spent approximately six years in dream sleep, equivalent to more than 2,100 days of dreaming.
• Dreams have existed as long as human beings.  There are records of dreams going back over 4,000 years.
• Dream interpretation has existed almost as long as dreaming, and Roman senators in the ancient world often engaged the services of dream interpreters before making important political and social decisions.
• Every human being dreams.  Even if you do not remember your dreams, you dream between four and seven times a night, every night.
• Many animals dream as well.  All mammals are thought to dream, and it is suspected that some lower animals dream as well.  What they dream about, however, remains a mystery.
• If people are prevented from dreaming, they suffer a variety of personality disorders and psychological problems.  The exact function of dream sleep is still not known, but it is known that dreaming is an indispensable part of life.
• The average person spends two hours per night sleeping, and has from four to seven dreams during that time.
• Even blind people dream.  The dreams of blind people who were previously sighted sometimes contain visual images, while the dreams of those who have been blind from birth do not.  Vision is not the only component of a dream, however.  Dreams also contain sounds, sights, smells and touch sensations.
• Dreams are forgotten very quickly upon waking.  It is estimated that 50% of the content of a dream is lost within five minutes of waking, and after 10 minutes as much as 90% of the dream can be forgotten.
• The word dream is derived from a word in Middle English.  This word, dreme, translates to “music” and “joy”.  It is therefore apparent that dreams have long been looked at as a source of wonder and inspiration.
• Men most often dream about other men, while women tend to dream about men and women equally.
• Studies of brain wave activity have revealed greater activity during dreaming than during waking periods.
• People who are awakened during dream sleep are able to recall their dreams vividly, while those who wait until morning to wake often are not.
• Everyone, men and women, seem to experience sexual arousal during their dreams, regardless of whether or not the content of the dream is overtly sexual.
• Smokers who are trying to quit often report greater intensity in their dreams.
• Studies have shown that toddlers do not dream about themselves.  In general, toddlers do not appear in their own dreams until they reach the age of three or four.
• It is impossible to snore and dream at the same time.
• Children commonly experience nightmares, and these nightmares usually begin by the age of three and last until the child is seven or eight years old.
• More than 60% of people surveyed have reported experiencing Déjà vu in their dreams.  Déjà vu dreams occur more frequently in women than in men.

If you do wish to interpret your dreams, either purely for fun or to pursue personal and spiritual growth, there are a few pointers that will help you get the most from your dream world.

Ø As you awaken, immediately replay the dream scenario in your head.  It is important to do this immediately, preferably before you even open your eyes.  The dream world slips away quickly, and as much as 50% of it can be gone in a mere five minutes.  By the time ten minutes has passed, more than 90% of the dream’s contents may be lost.  Replaying the dream in your head will help you remember more of those tantalizing details.

Ø Immediately write down a description of the dream, focusing on key objects, symbols or feelings.  Write a few words about each key element in the dream quickly, before they are forgotten, they go back later and fill in the gaps.  Again, it is important to write your dream down as quickly as possible.  Keeping a notebook by the bed will be a big help.

Ø Choose a quiet place in your home to begin your interpretation process.  Cutting yourself of from sources of distraction will be very important.  The space you choose should be as quiet and peaceful as possible.  If no such space is available, review your notes a final time, fill in any details you can remember, and come back to them later.

Ø Use your intuition as you review your dream notes and try to make sense of your dream.  You may already know on an instinctual level what your dreams are trying to tell you.  Connecting with your intuition can help you connect with your unconscious mind.  If you meditate, a short meditation session can often be a big help.  Connecting with your inner self is always a huge help when it comes to interpreting and analyzing dreams.

Ø As you review your dream notes, pay close attention to the emotions they stir in you.  Paying close attention to your emotional state, both at this moment and during the dream, can help you to understand what your dream really meant.

Ø Think very carefully about any vivid details, situations, locations, sensations or symbols that make the dream memorable.  Open your heart as well as your mind and carefully explore the possible meaning of each symbol, situation and event.  It may be helpful to jot down the impressions in your dream journal or notebook.  As you search for meaning, don’t limit yourself to obvious interpretations.  For instance, dreaming about a missed appointment could simply mean you are worried about being late for work, but that missed appointment could also symbolize a feeling of missed opportunity in your life.

Ø Running an inner dialog with the people or objects you dreamed about is often helpful as well.  This inner dialog is especially useful when trying to determine why you dreamed about certain people.  Try asking them in your head “why am I dreaming about you?”, “what are you doing in my dream?”.   It is also helpful to know that often people in our dreams are symbols of aspects of our own personality instead of literal people.

Ø If you are stuck for an interpretation, it is a good idea to leave your dream notebook and come back to it later.  It may also be helpful to discuss the dream with others, or to consult an expert on dream interpretation.