How To Interpret Your Dreams

Sigmund Freud: "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."

With apologies to Jung and Freud
who strove to find the meaning of our dreams
and taught the skill of dream interpretation
who caught the stream of unconscious thought
and brought sense to the gossamer webs
of our subliminal flights of hidden wisdom
that weaves tapestries of primal urges
with emerging messages from our ancient past
and the divination of the destiny we can’t avoid
by oracles and seers

These omens of impending fortune or disaster
are revealed in vague symbols that arise
from lasting images evolving
from fancy fairy tales and myths
and our ancestors legends and folk lore
and wrapped in the diaphanous folds
of the dream merchant’s hidden core
if we explore these concealed metaphors
we’re told that we could unfold
what out lives may have in store

And then again our dreams may simply be
cold practical advice
on how to handle present situations
our spirit’s or our soul’s device
used to advise us of our options
or how to avoid sly deceptions
or they may merely be some ancient oracle’s
pre-emptive throwing of the dice
in this crooked crap game
that we call the journey of our life

Although I’ve kept a faithful journal
and tried hard to avoid the hazardous pitfalls
of too simplistic dream analysis
just the same it isn’t as easy as it seems
my forecasting has often missed
the miracle of interpreting
the mysteries of unconscious thought
and brought me strife because instead
of disclosing some simple information
I’ve discerned it as prophetic divination

To me a tree may be a tree
to you it could mean some sense of growth
within your family
to me an elephant may mean
that I should build
an impervious defence
against stern criticism and fate
and take my life less personally
to you it could signify the need
for stronger and more enduring memory

And so in summing up I’d like to say
I hope that you can see
it isn’t just what psychiatrists agree
for dreams in retrospect have shown
that when we trust the way
we as individuals see
the meaning of the symbols dreams impart
then they’ll truly resonate
within the insistent drumming
of our collective heart

Reviews

[Epipsychologist]

This is excellently penned. I've never really bothered to analyze my dreams much. It's always the same anyway; She runs and runs but she's too slow and I just strike and strike her with a baseball bat (is that a phallic symbol?) until she stops moving. Just kidding.

[Marie Anzalone]

This is a very interesting and thought-provoking topic, Carlton. I personally believe that Jung had it partially right when he classified dreams by type- wish, fear, processing, travel, premonition- but every interpreter since then has missed the mark on actual interpretation of content because they are so individualized. For those of us connected to the earth, the imagery of landscapes and natural features is much more vivid and often less symbolic; etc. The most important question I have learned to ask is, what is this dream trying to tell me? I base so much of that answer on how I feel after waking and after processing the emotions brought up. Some of our scariest nightmares can have peaceful resolutions if the dream was processing fears and hurts. Some fears come to us hidden innocuously. Etc.