Dream interpretation is fascinating. I never read Freud’s famous book on the subject, but I got the gist from other sources over the years: Just think of how your dream relates to sex, and voila, you’ve got Freud.

Anyway… what are dreams?

“Dreams are a continuation of the thought processes of the day, under the altered conditions of sleep.”- Sigmund Freud

Other than Psychology, there are various methods and superstitions in different cultures, like the ancient art of dream-telling called Oneiromancy, which originated from Egypt but is still popular today. I discovered it after tweeting about my dream and a fellow SSG member responded on Slack. His name is Jean, he’s from Brazil, and he’s been helping me understand my dreams, so I’ve included his interpretations here as well.

Why am I writing about dreams? Because I believe that, if you take a closer look, they’ll tell you everything that’s going on in your head and your heart — from your deepest desires to your biggest worries. Once you know what they are, you can act accordingly. You wouldn’t want to ignore a dream that’s warning you you’re on the wrong path, would you?

So let’s explore the 3 recurring dreams I’ve had of late and see how they fit with my current mentality and struggles. Maybe this sparks some interesting dream interpretations of your own! Or not. Either way it’s fun.

When you dream of drowning,

From Freud’s perspective, this would probably mean that you’re re-experiencing your birth, being a fetus in the womb again. (j/k)

Actually, I was close. First of all water may represent the unconscious, which means you might be afraid of being swallowed by unconscious instincts. The other — even more interesting interpretation — is that water represents the feminine, which according to Freud might mean you need to work on your detachment from your mother to self-actualize yourself.

According to Oneiromancy, my dreams about drowning in the sea mean:

1. The feeling of drowning is failing at achieving.
2. A crash with a plane is lack of confidence in achieving.
3. A crash with a bus is wanting to start from scratch.

Now that’s specific! And it makes a lot of sense…

My interpretation? Symbolism aside, ask yourself, how did you feel in the dream and what could that mean? To me, drowning feels like being helpless against something. Whether it’s work-related or it concerns my health, I can’t say. On the bright side, I keep re-surfacing, so I’m not a quitter!

When you dream of floating,

Freud considered flying as a show of confidence and power, so a short woman floating above the ground has enough confidence not to feel short.

It also has something to do with male erection. #facepalm

According to Oneiromancy,

• Dreaming with floating can either represent the recognition and acceptance of oneself or that you are experimenting a recently discovered freedom.
• If you are floating, but afraid of moving, it suggests you are questioning your own skills.
• Finally, dreaming that you are floating suggests that you are letting yourself be drift away from your targets because of worries.

There is is again — questioning my own skills.

My interpretation? While there’s a lot of truth in what Oneiromancy has to say, the details in the dream are also important.

The recurring detail in my dreams is that I use objects as “the source of flight”. I can’t fly without those objects and they’re “special”, not me. This might signify that I see myself as ordinary, and that I can only achieve with the help of the right tools, which is somewhat accurate.

So basically, the way you fly in your dreams is the way you see yourself. – tweet it

Another important detail in dreams is how they change in time. If at first you were failing; then flying with help; and finally taking flight on your own, it probably means that you are finally becoming confident in your skills.

So flying = confidence, on all fronts. Got it.

P.S. On a related note, did you know that women tend to undermine ourselves with words? Ladies, we should stop doing that. 😦

When you dream of a new family,

That one was tricky for me to understand. It’s not the usual thing I would dream about or even anything I have heard others say they dreamed of. What happens is: I’m suddenly somewhere, surrounded by “strangers” who make me feel safe, as though they are my family.

I’m not even talking about friendship. Family is a very specific thing and feeling this way is very rare, especially amongst strangers!

It was even tricky to find what Freud thought about this. In his practice, he always considered the family as the source of all issues in the individual, perhaps favouring nurture even more than nature. So the idea of a family in my dream could mean a variety of things:

• re-associating with my past and re-attaching myself to my parents;
• losing my individualism, becoming a part of a bigger whole;
• and so on. 

It’s a scary thought, seeing as I — along with many westerners — believe myself to be an individual, who relies on herself to get by.

Oneiromancy, on the other hand, is more optimistic:

• dreaming with your own family means meeting a new love.
• dreaming of another family means that you will meet someone that will be important in your life, and if there were a lot of people — it is the beginning of a favorable stage of your life, in all aspects.

My interpretation? Both accounts are semi-right here, but I think they’re missing the point — finding oneself in a new environment and new people, and feeling like they’re family, sounds a bit dangerous to me. Like I’m trusting in people too much, which has been known to happen.

In the end, your interpretation should always be a multitude of things, not just one person or tradition’s opinion.

Takeaways,

1. Drowning and floating say a lot about your confidence.
2. Consider how the dream made you feel first and foremost.
3. Details matter. Don’t discard them for the bigger picture.
4. Dream interpretation is a combination of elements and methods, and the most important element is you. Your interpretation of your own dreams would always be more accurate than anyone else’s.
5. Don’t be a passive observer. If your dreams are telling you something — for example, that you are lacking confidence in your skills — do something about it. Don’t wait for it to get worse.

Now’s your turn.

What are your defining dreams? What do you think they mean? 🙂