Dreams show up with symbols
embedded in their narrative.
These can be looked at as containers holding information or archetypes which are meaningful, in some way, to the person who dreams…however, while the arrival of a horse appearing in my dream may have a certain meaning for me within that dream’s context, the same image may and likely does have a completely different significance for you.
“An Archetype, also known as a “universal symbol,” may be a character, a theme, a symbol, or even a setting (literarydevices.net).”
While dream symbols may seem indecipherable at times,
their significance can be teased out.
Archetypes or symbols are created through the values we’ve been taught by our family, institutions and cultures. They come about by the stories we’ve read or been told, by the movies we’ve seen, as well as through the beliefs our parents hold and who, in turn, have absorbed from their parents and so on.
Here are a few Archetypes that may show up in your dream life. Of course, there are many, many more…
Animals Family Weapon
Mountain
Meadow
Plains
Water
Park
Forest
Tree
Flowers
Friend
Colleague
Stranger
Tornado
Storm
Quake
War
Disaster
Apocolypse
Soldier
King
Mob
Chaser
Shadow Figure
Teacher
Mentor
Angelic Being
Buddha
Light
Nun
Priest
Church
Monk
Pastor
Shaman
Priestess
Computer
Phone
Buildings
University
Campus
Subway
Buse
Plane
Train
UFO
Extraterrestial
Flying
Space
Notice your feelings about symbols or images that appear in your dream.
If your dream contains a stuffed teddy bear, this will probably feel quite different from being near a live bear even if that occurs within a dream.
A table set with wonderful food; a feast, in fact, may evoke feelings of enjoyment, guilt or disinterest depending upon your relationship with food, with your physical health or your particular psyche.
Whatever feeling shows up for you, write it down. Journal it!
Your Dream language is unequely yours.
It’s a visual / feeling / sensing language.
Recording these night journeys allows you to understand and see the unity in your dream life; how you are benefited by the dreams you dream and through this, trust in the process grows.