how to interpret your dreams

Two nights ago, I had a dream that deeply changed me.

Here’s how I know…

ECHOES OF THE NUMEN

I categorize my dreams.

And, this one fell into the category of “Numinous” (Latin for holy).

I started keeping record of my dreams 6 years ago.

I’ve only had 4 that fall into this category.

They’re rare, because in order for me to label a dream as numinous, a few requirements must be met.

1) I must feel divine inspiration upon waking up

2) They must contain symbols from collective mythology

3) They must linger in my consciousness for days (sometimes weeks)

Yesterday, I knew immediately upon waking up that I was given a holy gift.

This dream contained all the elements of something special, and it’s come at a crucial turning point.

I’ve had dreams that remove inner conflict.

I’ve had dreams that solidify my life’s mission.

I’ve had dreams that inform my content strategy.

The other day, I put out a quote on instagram that sums up my life philosophy:

“Your gifts and your wounds are often connected. That’s why it can be so hard to own your gifts. In order to own the gift, you must also own the wound.”

Now, where did I get that philosophy from? A dream…

MESSAGES FROM THE DEEP

Your subconscious speaks to you through your dreams.

They are a compensatory reaction to your conscious mind (meaning they balance it out).

Here are 5 Tenants to Dream Analysis:

1) Latent and Manifest (Freud)

• Manifest: surface level dream content, the literal storyline as experienced by the dreamer. Aspects of the dream you remember fall into this category.

• Latent: the underlying meaning of the dream, filled with unconscious desires, thoughts, and motivations.

Freud believed that when manifest content was easily identified, it was actually latent content in disguise.

2) Fulfillment of the Primal (Freud)

Repressed unconscious desires get processed by our subconscious mind in our dreams.

Facing them head-on leads to neurosis, so they express themselves in the one place that isn’t too confronting.

Freud reduced most dream content into unconscious libido, inherently aggressive or sexual (I don’t f@ck with this).

3) Personal Myth (Jung)*

Jung believed all of us are being led by our unconscious.

Your dreams are private and personal mythology.

Over the course of months, years, and decades, you can see how your dreams are interconnected.

They help inform your personal story, but this insight will only be available if you journal and keep log.

4) Amplification (Jung)*

Take the characters, motifs, and images from your dream and amplify them through artistic expression.

The finished product does not matter, it’s just an opportunity for your subconscious to alchemize what was present in the dream.

This is a personal favorite of mine, I draw my dream images.

5) Emotional Charge (James Hillman)*

Don’t bother paying attention to the dream material.

Your perspective isn’t objective, so it doesn’t matter anyways.

Instead, pay attention to how you feel when you wake up. Are you happy? Disgruntled? Inspired? Confused?

Journal about your emotional state following the dream.

It’s more important to understand how the dream impacted your conscious mind than to focus on the dream experience.

Tenants 3-5 outline how I interpret my dreams.

I treat them as private/personal myth, journal about my emotional state, and interact with them through artistic expression.

I don’t approach each dream as a “one-off.”

Instead, I explore the themes and motifs that reoccur over time.

My first suggestion is to keep a dream journal.

Your subconscious speaks louder when it knows you’re listening.

I hope this was helpful.

Best,

Brian Maierhofer (Professional Human)

P.S. Speaking of dreams…

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