Opération Quest: Cool Key for Dream Interpretation

In Steering by Starlight Martha Beck has a method, adapted from Jung, that's super interesting. She believes dreams tap into unconscious knowledge about ourselves, and can therefore guide you. So when you're setting out to find your personal "North star", paying attention to dreams can guide you.

I guarantee you this is très cool.

1. Write your dream down, in as much detail as possible, as soon as you can--we know how fast dreams elude us.

2. Make note of every important person, object, process etc. (I just circle them.)

3. Put yourself in that object's shoes, like an actor, and answer the following questions:

What are three adjectives or phrases that describe you?

What is your purpose?

How are you trying to help the dreamer?

4. With those answers, take a stab at figuring out what the thing or person symbolizes.

5. If necessary, let it gestate awhile--the key message of the dream might hit you later.

This coach takes you through two examples (here and here) of how to do this, with her own dreams--I highly recommend the read.

If you don't already read your dreams this way, I promise you'll find this very interesting. Below are two short examples of mine, or you can stop here.

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The first dream I tried it on was: I was a young man, at a beautiful domed, lit up concert hall, with an older, wise gentleman who was my lover but we weren't especially out or something. He realized a WWII bomber was coming, even though the air raid sirens weren't going. (I remember my dreams so much better since going on amitriptyline years ago, and sometimes they are so amusant. But I think this works with dream fragments too.) I grabbed the man's hand to oull him to safety, really committing to my love for him for the first time.

Then the dream shifted to another scene, later. I was meeting him in his hotel room, and our meeting was frowned upon by society--not because we were gay, but I was a young man unchaperoned (lol). So he wasn't sure I'd come, but I did, and I got into bed with him and we were happy.

I think the beautifully lit up dome represents the wish I currently have for one aspect of my life (I can't say more, let's call it Wish X). The bomber represents Problem Y which seems is destroying my dream. Nanaimo is the old man. Even though moving away from my husband for a year is something some of my friends don't understand / something "society" won't understand, it's the right thing for achieving Wish X.

I think the dream was just a confirmation that I've made the right choice, cause as you know it still makes me sad sometimes.

I had another dream where I was working on my writing, and to my right was my friend Maewitch, and to my left a professor I used to have who was accused of hanky panky with a student. A weird guy brought us some Charley Harper prints, and then walked off with some of my canned goods. I was too bewildered to go after him, but Maewitch did and brought them back.

I think Mae represents my right brain, who is kind and my friend. The prof represents my left brain--witty, smart, but not as cool as it used to seem. I'm trying accomplish stuff (writing), but I'm going to face some weird circumstances (the dude). Weird, hard to understand circumstances that will bring me my true nature (Harper illustrates nature subjects like birds) but will take away my security (canned goods, last a long time, there for emergencies.) But I shouldn't worry cause my right brain (the tapping into it that I'm learning) will eventually bring my security back.