For the past 6 months or so, I've been having a really difficult time managing certain areas of my life. I thought I'd found my place. It was somewhere I was very happy to be but it was taken from me through another's actions, and through my inability to have responded in a manner which would have been appropriate inside the system to which I belong. Things will come back together of course, but I've recently started having the most vivid and seemingly random dreams involving animals both real an unreal. I started doing some research on dream interpretation, and on the meanings behind certain objects, places, and creatures, and am finding it difficult. It is hard to utilize any level of knowledge on dreams when, while I can very easily see in which way these things might apply for me:
1) There is so much happening so fast, and tonight may bring something brand new to the table.
2) There can be no set timeframe, no beginning or end, for any warning presented through dream - therefore when warnings pile up, one could become over encumbered with the stress of mindfulness.
Is there perhaps a way to see more clearly? Might it be clearer if one were able to know their past, recognize their present, AND see their future? Does anyone here have knowledge and/or experience in Oneiromancy?
With dream divination, keep in mind that the symbols seen are of your own. You need to find the meaning behind them for yourself. How I view snakes are different than how you view snakes. Also, keep in mind the nature of dreams; most of the time dreams are more about the past or present, rather than the future.
For clearer dreams, I suggest meditation in some form in your everyday life. Start doing some exercise through out the week. Also, watch your diet. And, of course, keep a regular sleeping schedule. When you have a dream, try waking up and writing it out. If you are religious, you could also pray for meaning/clearer message/whatever.
Chenny is right. I have never found a dream dictionary which had definitions fitting whatever dream had me researching. More often than not, the actual role of the individual character, animal, or object has been more telling of its meaning. But often it requires careful consideration to figure out enough contextual meaning to interpret the purpose of the dream.
Thank you for the advice. I've considered the need for meditation and reflection, but I am curious if these things conflict each other? I mean, maybe I don't understand the meaning behind the two. I'd thought that to meditate was to clear one's mind of everything, while being cognizant of what enters one's mind on its own; and reflection was the conscious consideration of something in particular.
How do you separate the two, and what is a good way to learn how to meditate?
Meditaion can be many things. Deep concentration is one. There are also ways of quieting the conscious mind in order to explore the subconscious. Of course there are myriad types and purposes for meditation besides these.
im pretty good when it comes to dream interpretations
the involvement of creatures both real and unreal suggest
seeing something you've thought you always knew exactly what it was differently (like a whole different side to a best friend just as an example)
you also say that so much is happening so fast this one kinda speaks for itself, there are probably some big changes going on in your life (using the previous example re-evaluating previous engagements you've had with aforementioned friend)
Phinicus, by the definitions you've given, I would consider them the same. "Clearing one's mind" is very hard, so to fill it with something desirable would be more beneficial. The point of meditation is to enhance the person's focus by practicing focus. It calms the body down, and all that good stuff. It's a good addition to a healthy life style.
Other tips I just thought of for sleeping: do not lay in bed when you aren't tired. Get up and move around until you get tired, then go back to bed. It'll help teach your body to associate the bed with sleep. Also, do not drink caffeine after 12:00 PM. Warm milk before bed helps sleeping too.
