six steps to interpreting dreams

Interpreting Dreams

Last Updated on May 31, 2021 by Avia

Six Simple Steps to Interpreting Dreams

Easy Tips to Interpreting Dreams: When it comes to interpreting dreams, and the importance of doing so, I’m reminded of an analogy a friend of mine once shared with me. She compared the process of dream interpretation to find a vein of gold beneath a body of water.

Indulge me for a moment and imagine you are standing at the edge of a grand lake. You have, from a reliable source, undeniable evidence that there is an epic source of treasure beneath that lake. You can’t see it…the water is dark and murky. You can’t touch it…it’s too deep to swim without diving equipment. You know the vein of gold is there, but you have no tangible, concrete evidence that it’s waiting there for you to discover. So, what do you do?

Maybe you’d do some research on how to mine for gold underwater. Perhaps that would entail obtaining geological maps to discern the depth of the lake, and the precise location of the golden vein. Perhaps you would invest in powerful underwater lighting systems so you could see into the murky depths.

You see where I’m going with this analogy.

The water is your subconscious mind. The vein of gold is the treasure of your psyche. Obtaining maps and tools to locate and mine for that gold is akin to interpreting our dreams.

“Don’t ignore your dreams.

In dreams, your soul is awake and you are your true self.”

~Bangambiki Habyarimana

interpreting dreams
Tips to interpreting dreams

So how do I know ‘thar’s gold in them thar hills’ of your psyche? Because beneath the murky layers of our conscious mind and our ego is our REAL selves…our authentic “God-Self”…that essence within us that is pure, liberated, and divine.

I promise you….that deeply rich, inner aspect of each of us is a treasure beyond imaginable value. The divinity of our psyche (our inner selves) is a beacon of light, shining love, creativity, and resource. By tapping that psychic ‘vein of gold’ we are tapping into unlimited potential.

That’s why interpreting dreams is so important. Dreams are a real reflection of who we are, and when mined for meaning, they can uncover rich, rewarding insight.

Analyzing the meaning and symbolism of dreams allows us to come in contact with the unmarred splendor of our souls, and that, my friends, makes us invincible.

If you don’t believe me, get proof for yourself. Mine for your own vein of gold within the subconscious. Interpreting dreams is one of the best ways to access your buried treasure.

If you do believe me, or have already tapped into your own beacon of light through dream interpretation… then you know that accessing your liberated, limitlessness is like being switched into high-voltage potential.

Either way, my experience has directed me to believe interpreting dreams is a vital, necessary act. We owe it to ourselves to shine light beneath the waters of the mind and discover what’s going on under the surface of our existence.

In that spirit of psychic exploration, I offer six simple steps to help with interpreting dreams. These steps have been instrumental to me in my own dream interpretations, and I hope they are equally effective for you. Happy interpreting! 

easy ways to interpreting dreams
Easy ways to interpreting dreams

“Dreams are today’s answers

to tomorrow’s questions.”

Learn more about Dream Meanings here.

~Edgar Cayce

Six Simple Steps to Interpreting Dreams

Below are some common dream animals and their meanings. As always, the ultimate meaning of an animal in your dream depends upon you. By paying attention to certain dream details (like the ones listed above), and taking time to communicate with your dream animal, the meanings will become more personal and clear to you.

interpreting dreams writing it down

Write it down: Keep a notebook or a recording device by your bedside and record your dreams the moment you wake up. Do not delay because dreams are so whispy; the moment we engage in activity, dreams begin to blow right out of our memories. Record your dreams in small bits – it doesn’t have to be overwhelming detail. Odds are, if you record just the meaty bits of the dream, your memory can recall the rest. Record what seemed most important to you. Interestingly, studies have shown the process of recording our dreams actually helps us find meaning to them. The analytical mind becomes engaged with the creative mind, and this marriage creates new understandings.


interpreting dreams summarizing dream meanings

Get the highlights: After you’ve recorded your dream, take a few moments to jot down single words that best describe the overall feel of the dream. You can do this upon waking, or as you go through the day. After you’ve safely recorded your dream, your perceptions of it may morph as you go about your day. Keep track (in a notebook or via recording device) of the single words you’d pick to describe the pervasive feel of the dream. For example, if you were being chased in a dream, you might choose “panic” as one word to describe the whole feeling of the dream.


interpreting dreams and comparing dream meanings

How the dream mirrors your life: By now you are starting to concretize the feeling of the dream, and that’s a good start to interpreting dreams. By recording the dream and then putting single-word identifications on the feeling of the dream you are fleshing out the dream and it is taking on substantial meanings. Now you can begin to compare the feelings and events in your dreams with those you experience in waking life. For example, if you were chased in your dream, think of instances in your waking, every-day life that make you feel the same way you felt as you did whilst being chased in your dream. By comparing dream feelings with “real-life” waking feels we begin the gap between two worlds – the conscious and subconscious worlds. And when we do this, dream meanings inevitably follow.


interpreting drams through observing dream meanings

Take a closer look: Revisit your dream and observe the people, places, activities and events in your dream. Pay special attention to the people and animals in your dreams. What are they doing? What do they look like? What colors are dominant in the dream? What kind of activities are taking place? What is the season in the dream? Just play around in a free-associative way with the various elements in your dream. You can write down these thoughts, or merely ruminate in a “daydream” sort of way. Doing this will cause profound meanings to surface in your conscious mind.


interpreting dreams and dream meanings

How the dream reflects yourself: After you have taken stock of the different people and/or animals in your dream, the next step to interpreting dreams is to imagine these people are you. For example, if the main player in your dream is a yellow dog, imagine this dog is you. What does that mean to you? What was the dog doing that you also do? I’m taking this straight from the dream master, Dr. Carl Jung, he proposed everything in our dream is actually a projection of the Self. That means a mother in your dreams is actually the mothering aspect of you. The yellow dog in your dreams is the loyal aspect of yourself. That is, if you subscribe to dogs being man/woman’s best friend. If you have a phobia about dogs, the dream is speaking to a fearful or attacking aspect of yourself.


interpreting dreams putting dream meanings in order

Getting the big picture: Now it’s time to put it all together. If you’ve diligently followed previously-listed steps, you now have a great overall outline of your dream. Now you will put all of your recordings, impressions, single-word associations, observations and self-projections together. Invest in quiet time alone as you ponder all your dream interpretations. Ask your spirit guides to help you with interpreting dream meanings too – they often communicate through dreams and are happy to help with interpretations.


“A dream which is not interpreted

is like a letter which is not read.”

~The Talmud

I hope you have enjoyed these simple suggested tips to interpreting dreams. Check out the links below for more tips on interpreting dreams, including dream meanings, and common dream symbolism. Also, be sure to check out my book recommendations below for more assistance in interpreting your dreams.

Mighty brightly,

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