Interpret a Dream Involving Journeys

Dreaming is a deeply meaningful act that can allow you to develop insight into your thoughts, feelings, and concerns.[1] Dreams can help you sort through life's difficulties and challenges, especially if you take the time to reflect upon their significance.[2] While Interpret-Your-Dreams is not an exact science, it might allow you to consider your thoughts and experiences in a new light or even help you make a difficult decision. If your dream involves a journey, think about the journey of your own life and where you want it to lead.

Steps

Recording and Remembering Your Dreams

  1. Keep a dream journal. Everybody dreams--usually multiple dreams per night. However, it is very difficult to remember all these dreams. If a dream wakes you up, write that down immediately in a dream journal that you keep next to your bed. If you go back to sleep before writing it down, chances are that you will forget it ever happened. You can only interpret your dreams if you can remember them in as much detail as possible.[3]
    • Keep a journal, working pen, and soft lamp next to your bed to make it easier to write dreams down in the middle of the night.
  2. Write in your dream journal every morning. Never skip a morning in your journal. Even when you do not remember your dreams, note that in your journal. You will soon train your brain to remember your dreams simply by reinforcing the journaling process.[1]
    • It is best for you to write your dreams down immediately after waking up to make sure that your conscious mind does not rewrite or alter the plot of the dream.[4]
  3. Write down details of your journey dream. Any dream you hope to interpret should be written down. This helps you recall your dreams in the short-term and the long-term.[1] Be sure that you write down every detail you remember as well as your emotional state upon waking.[1] Details to write down include:
    • People you met in the dream
    • How you felt at each stage in the dream
    • The setting of the dream
    • Your physical manifestation in the dream--what did you look like? What were you wearing?
    • The plot of the dream
    • Your mode of transportation in the dream
    • The origin and destination of your dream journey
    • The motivation for your dream journey
  4. Look for recurring patterns over the long term. If you dream about journeys often, you might begin to see common themes and patterns emerging over time. By recording your dreams, you will be able to determine these recurring patterns more clearly and accurately, allowing you to better understand your own dreams.[1] Reread your dream journal to determine whether journeying is a common theme in your dreams, which could be significant.
    • Pay attention to subtle changes in your dreams over time. They might tell you whether you are growing and changing in important ways.[5]

Interpreting Important Journey Dream Symbols

  1. Consider the mode of transportation. Sometimes journey dreams involve you moving under your own power, such as when you walk, run, or fly. Other journey dreams involve you being moved by a vehicle such as a boat, car, or train. Take a few minutes to consider whether you were moving yourself or whether something else was moving you.[6] Ask yourself whether you were the one in control or whether someone else was in charge of your journey. For example, many flying dreams involve a feeling of confidence, control, and freedom.[7] On the other hand, a dream where you are in the caboose of a train might indicate that you feel behind in life.[8] This can help you decide whether your journey is a positive adventure that you chose or an unpleasant decision that you are forced to make.
    • The state of your vehicle might make a difference to the interpretation of the dream as well. A decrepit vehicle might indicate uncertainty or low self-esteem, for example. Think about whether your mode of transit reminds you of yourself or of anything important in your life.[9]
  2. Assess the pathway of your dream. If your pathway is rough and your destination blocked along the way, this is an indicator that something is obstructing your path in life. You may be anxious about not achieving goals in life and you may lack faith in your abilities to get you to your destination. After waking, if you find that the obstacle is still looming large in your memory, you may need to make a change to your life to enable you to move on.[10] If your pathway is clear and smooth, you may feel optimistic about new possibilities ahead.[6]
    • If your path involves a fork or a crossroads, that can mean that you have to face a decision that has several facets. Each probably has good and bad aspects and only you can weigh the consequences to see where the decision might lead you.[9]
  3. Note your feelings about the destination. Ask yourself how you feel about your ultimate destination. Are you excited to get there? Scared? Uncertain? Are you confident in the location of the destination, or is your journey taking you to new and strange territory? Answering these questions can help you interpret how you feel about important decisions in your own life. Do you want to try something new and exciting, or would you prefer to have stability in your life?[9]
    • Some dreams end in dead-ends instead of arriving at your destination. This suggests that the path you chose is not leading you where you want to be. Consider whether any aspect of your life is unsatisfying.
    • Many dream journeys do not even have a destination, which indicates that you are more concerned with the process of the journey itself than your ultimate goals in life.
  4. Reflect on the scenery. What are you passing along your route to your destiny? A dreamer passing through a lush forest might be thinking about his or her wonder and personal growth.[11] A dreamer traveling through a desert may be worried about loneliness, emptiness, and stagnation.[12]
    • If you do not recall the scenery or landscape around you, that may indicate that you are more concerned with the end goal than you are with the journey to get there.
  5. Ask yourself whether you got lost or delayed in your dream. Getting lost, delayed, or distracted is a common theme in dreams involving travel. For example, you might dream that you lose your passport or that you took the wrong freeway exit.[9] Being sidetracked demonstrates that something is sidetracking you from your real goals. Getting lost is a metaphor for being lost in life and not knowing your true direction. It can also mean that you are afraid of losing your identity. If you are frantically searching for a way back to the main road, it can be indicative of your need to find a map to life and to shore up your insecure feelings about your life.
  6. Assess your own limitations in the dream. Many journey dreams will give you physical obstacles, burdens, and limitations that you do not experience in your waking life. If you are somehow limping or on crutches during a journey dream, this indicates that something is holding you back and impeding faster progress. If you are laden down by another person, this may mean that somebody in your life has become a burden and is holding you back.
  7. Look up other symbols in a dream dictionary. According to many theories of dream interpretation, certain major symbols have universal significance. These are recorded in dream dictionaries, which you can access online, in bookstores, and in libraries.[4] If there are any major symbols you noticed in your dream, such as birds, snakes, teeth falling out, monsters, rainbows, or any other number of objects, look up their meaning in a dream dictionary. That might help you consider why they appeared to you while you were sleeping.

Reflecting on Your Life

  1. Tell yourself that your dreams are unique. Even though there may be some universal dream symbols and motifs, remember that your dreams are unique to your own personality, thoughts, and experiences.[1] A road in your dream might mean something quite different to you than it would to another person. Do not let dream dictionaries obscure your own instincts or ideas.[1]
    • For example, flying dreams generally indicate freedom. However, if you felt anxious or claustrophobic during your flying dream, then pay more attention to your feelings than an entry in a dream dictionary.[3]
  2. Identify symbols of personal importance. Where there any images or themes in your journey dream that are meaningful to you? For example, did you travel down a path that resembles where you grew up? Were you wearing your high school uniform? Think about any details that remind you of your childhood, career, or experiences.[4] These might help you determine the meaning behind your dream.
  3. Ask yourself how you felt about the people in your dream. Were you happy to meet people during your journey, or did you feel like they were holding you back? Your thoughts and feelings about the people you met on your dream journey might help you figure out how you feel about the people you see in your waking life.[4] For example, if you have to carry an annoying coworker on your back during your dream, that might indicate your frustration about how work tasks are being divided up.
  4. Consider whether you have problems to solve. Dreams are important ways for people to solve major and minor problems in their lives. Simply dreaming about a topic can help you sort out how you want to proceed. Take a few minutes to list the major problems, dilemmas, or concerns you have in life. Your dream might have clues about your true thoughts and feelings about these problems, and might give you clues as to how to solve them.[1]
  5. Think about similarities between the dream and your recent experiences. Sometimes dreams have major significance. Other times, objects appear in dreams simply because you have encountered these objects recently. This is known as "day residue."[4] Feel free to ignore "day residue" in your dream interpretation, unless the residue evoked any significant emotions in you.
    • For example, your dream journey might take you past the restaurant where you ate lunch yesterday. This is likely day residue and not an important symbol to interpret.
  6. Think about upcoming physical and metaphorical journeys. Dream journeys tend to indicate a concern about your general life path. Ask yourself whether you have recently experienced--or plan to experience soon--any major journeys. These could be physical journeys such as a cross-country move, vacation, or major work trip. These could also be metaphorical journeys such as getting married, changing careers, or finishing your degree.[1] Take a few minutes to consider whether any of the feelings in your journey dream resemble feelings you have about your own life journeys.
  7. Write down questions your dream might be asking you. Dreams are often better at posing major life questions than they are at answering them.[4] Do you feel like your dream is encouraging you to think more deeply about something in your life? Write down questions you have about your dream in your dream journal, and use them as a guide as you begin to make decisions about where your life will take you.
    • One way to help determine these questions is to think about other parts of your life that inspire the same emotions you felt in your dream. If you felt free and relaxed during your dream journey, think about other parts of your life that make you feel free and relaxed. Use this as a key to unlock the deeper meaning of your dream.[13]
  8. Consider obstacles you face in your life journey. If your dream journey was a difficult one, consider obstacles you face in your waking life. Ask yourself such questions as "What obstacles are before me?", "Are my obstacles self-imposed?", and "What elements of my life need a good shake-up to let me move on?". Look at your dream as an opportunity to solve your life problems.
  9. Understand that the process is more important than the answer. Dream interpretations are not neat and clean. Dreams are messy, confusing, and cannot always be understood. However, the process of interpreting dreams is valuable because they allow you to reflect deeply about your life.[4] Even if you cannot come up with a simple explanation for your dream journey, congratulate yourself for pondering your life journey and reflecting on your life path.

Tips

  • Dream interpretation is more of an art than a science. Follow your instincts as you consider the links between your dream journey and your general life path. Do not get hung up on dream dictionaries: they are a helpful starting point but might not give you the answers you need.
  • Embrace the ambiguity of dreams. Tell yourself that your dream is not a puzzle to solve but rather a way for you to develop insight into your thoughts and feelings.

Warnings

  • If you are particularly disturbed by your dreams--such as if you have recurring nightmares about a terrible journey--consider seeing a therapist who specializes in dream interpretation and sleep disorders.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 http://psychcentral.com/lib/how-to-analyze-your-dreams-and-why-its-important/
  2. ↑ http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=115645
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.guidetopsychology.com/dreams.htm
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elana-miller-md/analyzing-dreams_b_4333868.html
  5. ↑ http://psychcentral.com/lib/9-common-questions-about-dreams-answered/
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://www.dreaminterpretation-dictionary.com/dreams-of-travel.html
  7. ↑ http://www.dreammoods.com/commondreams/flying-dreams.html
  8. ↑ http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/c.htm
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 http://michaelrolsen.com/dreams-travelling-mean-dream-interpretation-travel/
  10. ↑ http://mythsdreamssymbols.com/ddr.html
  11. ↑ http://mythsdreamssymbols.com/ddf.html
  12. ↑ http://mythsdreamssymbols.com/ddd.html
  13. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/emotional-freedom/201104/tap-the-power-your-dreams-remembering-and-interpreting-their-life
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