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Interpretations and the Foolhardy Dreamer

© Lauri Jean Crowe

There is nothing in the realm of dreams that I find so foolhardy as the modern dream dictionary, and no serious student of dreams would take the text of another as anything but an affront to the self. Still, these books exist in endless supply with new ones clogging the shelves in the new age sections of bookstores everywhere. But print isn't the only media afflicted with this infiltration of useless collections of words and symbols, relevant only to the authors and their desire for a quick buck gained from the starved masses who want to know the meaning of every little thing in their lives while always searching for a quick fix to the question, "who am I?"

The continual quest for self-definition can only be defined by the individual, and seeking any meaning in the context of a grouping of pre-set, ready-made dream symbols is simply clouding the issue. It's taking the easy road, rather than the one leading to a true understanding of what it is to exist. On-line dream sites often boast a dream dictionary or interpretation for pay mechanisms within their web pages. Some will even interpret your dream for free, using their home dream software which gives an interpretation based on a formula. To all who would try these, I say please do so - but only as a form of entertainment or perhaps inspiration for some of these dictionaries are vast in their symbols. Do not look to another to define what something means to you. It simply cannot be done.

In order to discern any meaning to your own dreams, you must first pay attention to them. Recognize that this aspect of your reality could have meaning, but do not expect profound insight each and every time you sleep and dream. The dream journal is a tool to establish recollection of your dream experiences, and note patterns within them. From those patterns, you can note synchronicities with your waking reality, and perhaps learn a bit about who you are. You won't find these keys to self within the pages of someone else's book. You must create your own.

Do quest the meaning in your dreams, but make that meaning a personal statement, utilizing you own personal symbolism and mythology. It is only when you begin to categorize your own dream experiences into symbolic terms that you can see the metaphor between your waking and dreaming realities. Perhaps your first interpretations will seem foolhardy after time has elapsed and you have many pages in your book. However, you will have created those pages, and their

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