introduction

fill in?

want to cut myth that some "universal" dream language exist.

even themes that common can differ in meaning between people, if get dreams like that at all. culture, personal experience, and more influence what dreams mean, so what someone else thinks might not even matter.

suggest start learn your dream language.

this take time. first step: record dreams.
some dreams sadly fade, so might have days that wake up and ready record, but hardly remember anything. can try retrace steps, if remember one little piece. might sudden remember more as go through day, too.
but would also say that even if not remember more, if only know one little thing. still worth record. you want set self up to remember more, and really only get there by use what already have.

might take long time before see patterns. or might have patterns very quick.
start check in with dream journal, see if anything catch eye yet. weekly, monthly, not really important how often, as long as easy enough to do this.

details to record:

• POV/self
  • you main character, or just watch other dream characters as if movie?
  • if main character, did you have role? fearsome mage, tired retail worker, child self, so on.
  • if just watch, then who? see below:
• characters
  • anyone that know from real life?
  • what about actor, someone on youtube, or character from fiction?
  • did characters seem like real people with real reaction, or stay still and silent until right things happen?
  • on that note, did any character seem as if have single role and able do nothing else?
• communication
  • how did you and characters communicate?
  • did people say words out loud, sign, or just “know” meaning?
  • did you communicate in different way from characters?
• place
  • is this place somewhere that know in real world?
  • if not, could this place exist, or break basic physics rules?
  • did things not line up, like dream characters call ancient ruin when very clearly mall from 2000s?
  • did things ever change after you turn around?
  • did doors and gates lead random places, like you go through bedroom door and end up on farm?
• setting
  • able identify time period?
  • did you or characters recognise this as game?
  • did visuals or mechanics match this game?
  • did you see any "real life" cutaways?
• events
  • what actually happen?
  • did you just "know" backstory?
  • did characters ever change, or swap out for different ones? objects and creatures?
• feelings
  • how those events make feel?
  • feel detach, or very emotional involve?

to put these together, will share dream.

2022, 23rd july.
inside thrift store, try look for books about identify plants. have hard time understand what look at, and somewhere in mix see animal and bug pictures.
decide give up and leave store, which no one notice or answer. but when get outside, that store not in sight - instead stand on big hill with waterfall in background, in orange autumn colours.
see someone and ask for help, but he look very nervous. he say need visit city, and frantic dash away. sudden feel need chase down, and run after.

tangent: dream journal formats

not need write out as if story - play around and see what works best!
note: for digital formats especially, please keep regular backups. do not want lose years' worth dream journal and insight. promise.

• write in bullet points
• write as if script for play or TV
• write as if story
• draw or paint what see
• make audio recording and narrate

for some dreams, may want use more than one method - maybe remember melody, or words just can not describe picture. try to keep these all together!

so that all good, but how learn dream language?

as check back on dream journal, see what show up more than once. what in common between these?

• do you wander and feel detach more in some places than others?
  what could this say about those situations in reality?
  do more "realistic" places make stressful dreams, and more "impossible" ones make fun ones? opposite? neither?
• when good things happen in dreams, how do you and characters react?
  same for bad things.
  do this change with place, setting, and characters? which characters more critical?
• if same person show up often in dreams, who?
  do they make feel good or bad? how do you interact?
• do same or similar event happen many times, like pets talk to you in plain english?
  could this reflect something you need process, or in some way mourn?
  or maybe this something that make very happy, and brain return for joy!
• do you play same role again and again, like princess that get kidnap?
  how do you feel in this role?
  role do not always mean something, but if play same one many times, that might just be important.
• do some actions seem force awake, like if close eyes?
  this do not always have meaning in self, but can help if ever become lucid and want quick out.
• in your real world culture or other practise, do anything you dream about already have meanings?
  if sparrows have deep meaning for you, then this might reflect in dream. trust your gut on this.

remember also that dream language can change and grow as you do, and not every dream have meaning.
some dreams just happen so brain can process and file new information, or give chance practise skill without real world consequence.
but these still important, even if not feel enlighten, and think should record just like any other - even if only because hilarious see words like "hello kitty's death ray." :)

happy dreams!

some dream types...

after you start find dream language, not hurt also figure out dream types.
like dream language as whole, these patterns which happen from dream to dream. these include if dream have story, how and why things appear, and so on. might also find that one dream go from one type to another as progress - not all set in stone!
if still not quite understand, here shadow write personal dream types:

scramble dreams

most common. brain pull together random things. not always have story - may just wander around or see funny and weird things. even with story, often change and lose track - how start completely disconnect from how end, if even get proper end! many just fade out.
example: shadow is princess stuck in tower, so why not go downstairs? oh look, fun party with resident evil and spongebob characters.
lovely party, but now hear sad elephant who need go comfort. when try find, am distract by someone sell shiny jewels. by this point, dream totally forget original point: that shadow should be stuck in tower.

story dreams

also common, but little less. often story parts random, but characters mostly stay same and generally have flow. more stable and easier write down! can represent feelings and things from life, but feel disconnect from meaning until wake up. more focus here on events and feelings in dream, and not real life.
example: shadow is princess in tower - so sad with this life. but oh, someone come rescue! we ride off together, but danger come - and now lost in forest, where stories tell evil witch live... very lucky though, she actually kind and help us leave. we ride to city, happy as can be!

practise dreams

with disabilites, many things in life that struggle do. dreams give safe place practise these things. when wake and record, can comment on things that know right or wrong, look up real guides, and figure out better for next time - dream or real.
example: shadow is princess in tower, and have nothing better do with day... well, have this thing that really need wash, so think do that now. if bubbles overflow, if water burn hands, if anything go wrong - will do best figure out how fix.

memory and feeling dreams

often have pieces from or about real life. these can be nice, but most often not.
these dreams often have simple story to push right way so feel what need feel - again, dream make safe place for brain experience and process. not think ever fully play back whole memory in dream, but get pieces like something someone say, or things that fear happen.
example: shadow is princess in tower and so awfully sad. know if not make everything impossibly perfect, people will be angry. try hardest, but still miss something. when someone come in, they get very angry about this tiny little thing, when everything else just how they demand. feel hurt, can never win.

faery dreams

dreams that someone in court give! these little bit rare - can imagine dream walk take plenty effort on their part, and also need get timing right if want make sure able remember and record later. these can be tests where see how do in faery setting as "human", just good fluffy feelings and comforts, or anything they want. can get pretty silly!
example: shadow is princess in tower, but have faery friends... and today they decide shadow stuck no more! no, now right outside with them. they hoot and laugh and bring in for best dance that ever have. forget this silly tower, belong with faery friends!
so, maybe these not all resonate with you. maybe faery dreams for you more general spiritual experience dreams, or different deities in your life give different dreams that feel worth separate. maybe practise dream not something you really get - no problem! these not rules, just something to think about.

dream or experience?

so you have wonderful dream, something magical that call to soul. or maybe something just as terrify and ask: is that... real? you wonder if you see some other world, memory from another place and time, or if someone use dream to reach out...
if you read previous page about dream types, this is where give some ideas on how spot those spiritual experience dreams in specific. your tells might be different in end, and this OK! hopefully at least this give some place start.

• experiences can be very, very emotional - like strike at core that not even realise there. this not always bright and happy: sad, scared, anything really. might have deep conversation with spirit, or deity embrace, or get peek at hidden, intense feelings.
• you just get feeling that someone in dream not who they say. deities, demons, faeries, and more can often hide under disguise to make point.
• between sleep and wake, things about dream different. to go with above, maybe you know someone in dream have brown hair, but soon as wake, you realise they have moss for hair. now that able think clearly, might see through that disguise!
• dream already tie in with your path. of course, sometimes see familiar figures like spirits and deities because easy for brain draw on, and not mean they really walk dream. but if events follow real rules that see in real life practise, that might mean more than just dream.
• you can not remember what happen, or only small snips. some experiences do come back fully, but often find lose at least some bits.

to put all this together, how about walk through some dream journal entries?

experience dream

all alone, explore and wander woods. find strange little flower path, and remember stories: everyone always say that if follow, never return again.
and choose follow anyway. this lead to tall log fence, where inside see faeries. from here, hard remember details when everything look so bright, fuzzy, and surreal. vaguely remember food, music and cheers, and go inside building.
this line up with real experiences - some faery places very hard see and understand, especially with less experience, and this dream happen not long after embrace court. even years after, still remember how wonderful dream make feel. so, feel confident say this dream real experience, not random brain creation.

normal dream

need travel through bright river - colours here like cartoon. strange faeries live on water here: small chubby sprites with large gems embed in chest, big bug eyes, and pointed heads. they try lure and tempt under water, but never adapt techniques as ignore. soon make way out from river, and continue travel.
with typical faery test dreams, they do adapt and respond in kind. if shadow ignore, they do anything possible to try get some reaction, or tempt into break rules - these ones did not. also, dream visually bright, but not fuzzy or come with details that not able remember. and not any feelings about or lessons from dream, so feel confident say that even with faery theme, this dream just something from brain, not experience.