The best dream dictionary
If you’re looking for the best dream dictionary to use to interpret your dreams, you can stop right here. Not because I’m about to recommend an easy to use and accurate dream dictionary, but because there’s no such thing. Dream dictionaries, at best, may give you some starting points, some ideas about what your dream symbols may or may not mean, and, at worse, they can lead you very far away from any helpful and
Battle Zen
“I’ve had a recurring dream for 20-25 years,” said Josh, calling into a breakfast radio show last week, “and I’ve always wondered what it means.” I was talking about dreams and chatting with callers on Sarah Howell’s breakfast show on ABC Sunshine Coast. I always enjoy engaging with listeners about their dreams on radio, even though we have only a few minutes to dip into a dream compared to the full hour of a private
Does it matter if I don’t remember my dreams?
“Am I missing out? Does it matter if I don’t remember my dreams?” Take any random group of people and mention dreams. Some will get very excited, eager to talk about their most bizarre dreaming experiences, relieved to find a forum to compare notes and night-time adventures. Most will be curious, aware of remembering their dreams from time to time, and wondering what, if anything, they may mean. Some are dismissive, certain that dreams are
Doodle dreaming
There’s a land somewhere between dreaming and waking that I call Doodle Dreaming. It’s rare that I find myself there, but when I do, it’s mesmerising, and I linger as long as I choose. The gate to Doodle Dreaming, for me, is found at the end of a long and luxurious dreaming night. I wake up but don’t open my eyes. I’m not awake enough to want to get out of bed, but I am
Yin yang cats
A large grey cat lounged on the couch, dozing, lazing, generally blissing out, when suddenly a small, spritely white cat leapt up from nowhere in vicious attack. She, for I think she was a she, dragged him, for I think he was a him, off the couch and they rolled across the floor, belly to belly, locked in blood-drawn combat, and looking very much like a Yin-Yang symbol. It was at the point where I
Change of frame
Once upon a time, about twelve years ago, I bought new and rather edgy eyewear, quite different from the more-or-less transparent frames I had been wearing. I stepped out, expecting comments from people who knew me well. “I love your jacket!” several people said, while others asked if I’d changed my hairstyle, and almost everyone generally commented that I was looking really well. I’d been wearing that jacket all winter, and hadn’t changed my hairstyle.
What a difference a dream makes
More precisely, what a difference a dream makes when you remember it, interpret it, and take action on what you learn. Joe sleeps through his dreams, wakes with his alarm, scrolls social media, hurriedly showers and dresses, grabs a piece of toast and runs to catch the train. Work is stressful and overwhelming, much the same as any other day, leaving him exhausted and feeling that he’s not making any progress. In a parallel life,
Mindful magic
There’s a magical beach a couple of hour’s drive away, where time stands still and gentle winds whisper profound wisdom. If the wind is salty and onshore, the magic begins the moment I step out of the car. If the barbecues dotted along the cliff top are sizzling and there’s a tang of ketchup on the air, I need to climb down onto the rocky shore before it begins. So first I notice the air,
What if you get a dream interpretation wrong?
“What if you interpret a dream for someone and you get it wrong?” he asked, quickly adding, “No offence, just curious.” It’s a great question, one I’ve been asked by journalists over the years, and one I was asked in a social situation this week by someone who wanted to know a little more about my work. Some people ask the question because they think dream interpretation is a prophetic art, a process of reading
How to run a dream group
Do you keep your dreams to yourself? Do you sometimes share them with a partner, friend, or dream therapist? Or do you share with an inner circle, a dream group, perhaps? I received an email this week asking how to set up a dream group, a request that stirred my memories and took me back to the very early 1990s when I was writing my first book about dreams. Some of the people who had