The Language of Dreaming

Posted by Lisbeth Cheever-Gessaman Jul 11, 2007

I love the Dreamworld, I will not lie. There is something so inherently mystical about an entire reality that we create that exists within a framework of reality that exists that we all agree isn't really 'real' and yet we can recount the adventures of every nights happenings, many of which stay with us our entire lives as clearly as memories of things that have actually happened.

Dreams are real. But they aren't. And yet, they are. See, mystical, sticky conundrums like that are one of the things that initially drew me in to magickal studies in the first place! What is really 'going on'. so to speak?

Most of us want to know more about our dreams, feeling that when we are able to unlock them, it's like having a key to a part of us - which is absolutely so! The trick is in learning the language of our own individual subconscious - not at all a difficult thing to do, but it takes some very specific focus.

Why I am mostly opposed to Dream Dictionaries: To build on my earlier article about Dream Interpretation - I've always inherently felt like Dreams are the universal language that we each individually create in the context of who /we/ are. Reading that when I dream of a Tiger it means *this* universally just never washed with me. The mind uses what it has at its disposal to tell you stories which is influenced by daily concerns, cultural connotations, behaviour, the inward context of our own spychology and even the cliches and idioms of everyday language. A dictionary of symbology infers that we all dream in a pre-defined and agreed upon context that you don't understand until someone else tells you what it means. This is just silly.

This is one reason why I've studied dreams from a classically esoteric perspective with a Jungian influence. I've kept journals (reams, heh) of Dreams over the years and now can wake up in the morning and pretty much hit it spot on. Dreams have shown me when I'm too overworked, infatuated, inspired and even ill. They've revealed a lot about myself I already know but within a deeper context. As you embark on studying your own dreams, you'll find that there is indeed an entire world that is only uniquely your own that only you can individually interpret. And like a good friend, Dreams do not lead one into futility, but into a realm of even greater depth and understanding, depending on how deep you really want to go.