Feel free to skim ahead to the good parts you really wanna read!

Dreams fascinate me. My entire science fiction series, Quasar 169, came about from a dream I had, and now many of the 34 stories I've written for it thus far contain actual dreams I've experienced. My dreams are an integral part of my writing. On occasion, I've scrapped whole story ideas because I had a better one come to me in a dream.

Dreaming seems limited to mammals, except the spiny echidna. During dreams or REMsleep, scanned images of the human brain display the same sort of activity as that of a fully conscious person experiencing various external stimuli. Some people dismiss dreams as the brain's way of sorting through collected information from the day's activities, seperating segments for memory storage or an act of disposal you might refer to as "forgetting". If this is so, why would the brain bother with creating things like tangible detail and placing events in a chronological order along the lines of a sort of story?

Most people can't recall their dreams upon awakening to the point they often simply claim they don't dream or don't dream very often. The more interest you have in the phenomena, the more likely you are to recall them later. In a few cases, people dream lucidly—that is, they are aware they are dreaming to the point that they are able to consciously control the actions and events in their dreams. Again, the more interest you have in participating in this wonderfully fun activity, the more likely you are to be able to eventually experience it.

Dreams may be "sent" from external sources—the Bible mentions dreams quite a bit and suggests they may be directly influenced by a holy hand. They may be affected by physical external stimulus—a baby crying in the next room may become a fire engine racing to your house in a dream. It's obvious that they do indeed contain snippets of recent personal activity and thought, but no matter their source, many of us are eager to decipher them.

There are numerous dream "dictionaries" available, though my decades-long study of the subject causes me to reject the bulk of them as frivolous. Dreaming of a white bat means death! Salt in a dream foretells irritations in the near future! Why? How did they come up with that? Without an explanation of how these deductions were made, it's difficult to accept such explanations as truth.

What makes my method appealing? It's based upon a basic psychoanalysis technique—word association. Let me give you a few examples, and then you can begin having fun interpreting your dreams and those of others without having to consult some silly book.

November 28, 2002
I was accepting my first Captain's command from Starfleet. I was in uniform and had to show up at a classroom before setting foot on my very first vessel. My crew was still being assembled. In the class, maybe 7 or 8 kids were being shown a filmstrip about my prior mistakes and how I'd overcome them to become Captain. When I entered, I moved in front of the projector unhappily (I hated to intrude), and noticed a mess all over the floor, so I started cleaning up a little. The class watched me. I wasn't being judged, so I didn't care, for I'd already proven my worth. The kids were in age from 17 to 22. The instructor between 35 and 45 years old, tall, with fluffy brown hair and glasses, quite lean. I didn't know if some of the kids were to be part of my crew. I had a duffel bag with me with a few belongings in it. I was very excited.

Interpretation:
Promotion to something grand and adventurous, possibly in a leadership (teaching, or guiding) capacity. The futuristic tone suggests this will directly affect my future. I'm wearing my uniform, which suggests I am posing as what I wish others to see me as (successful). The people who might learn from me or become my allies are still being assembled. An interest in how I've come as far as I have. I dislike the spotlight, but will remain in it only as long as necessary. My peers study me for clues as to who I am and how I've achieved what I have, but mainly I just show them I'm a humble type, willing to assist in mundane things even if they have nothing to do with me or what it is I wish to ultimately achieve (may signify my many lowly jobs on my way to becoming a known, successful writer). My past does not bother me, only the future matters (Don't worry about the seeds you've planted in the past which continue to spread and grow, possibly beyond your control...only do your best to plant new seeds which may bring sweet fruit and benefit to all). The kids were all of the age when I myself began to seriously consider writing as a way of life. The teacher may represent someone I can look up to or learn from myself, even though I have already surpassed his status. I feel I have little to offer or show. I'm excited at the prospect of moving on in this grand new venture.

A little too fast for ya? Let me do another one for you and break it down as I go.

January 19, 2004
I was staying at a place with a handful of other people. (A stopping place on the journey of my life. The other people may represent friends indirectly involved with the situation about to be described.) I was on my way out the back door when a small, greasy-looking little man approached with a handgun and told me he would return in half an hour for all the valuables in the place. He wouldn't hurt anyone if I complied, but he also warned me not to call the police. (I'm under the impression I can come and go from this situation as I please, but an obstacle has popped up that is clearly difficult for me to get around. It's a scary situation with potential pain or doom involved. I may be forced to do something I'd rather not do.) He left, and I wandered a bit aimlessly around the house, not wanting to freak anybody out by telling them what's going on, but also refusing to take what is theirs just to hand it over to this creep. (The foreknowledge leaves me baffled as to how to best extract myself from this situation without causing anyone any harm or loss.) I went ahead and tried to call the police anyway, but I kept getting put on hold, so I never had the chance to get help. (Odds are, even if I want assistance, I won't get it. This deal's all on me.) I went upstairs to look for a possible weapon so I could handle this guy myself when he returned. In a room set up like a museum I found a rack of strangely-shaped baseball bats. I selected one I thought I could perhaps take him on with. (I seek assistance from a higher source ((could be through prayer or meditation)). While I find possible solace, it's warped—possibly by my own delusion that I can use something from my past to avert possible tragedy.) I'm about to locate a place to hide in so I can surprise the creep, when I hear him ordering someone I care about around. (Someone I care for is unexpectedly involved. This changes everything.) I step around a corner I've been hiding behind and see the little guy has his gun trained on my friend. It's imperative to me that I take all the pain and harm from this situation and not him. I step out in front of the gun, shielding my friend, and slowly drop my own weapon. (I'm willing to take the fall for my friend. I can't knowingly allow harm to come to him through my own failure to give the little guy what he wants.) I tell the creep it's me he wants, right? And I try to gesture for my friend to get the hell outta there so he doesn't get hurt. The little guy seems indifferent to whom gets hurt, but I know he's secretly pleased it'll be me after all. (I knew the identity of the creep shortly after awakening from the dream. He definitely represented a looming problem I desperately wanted to take the fall from and leave my friends out of it. I'd dealt with him before...) I step toward him slowly as though giving myself up, and he momentarily relaxes. I use the opportunity to lunge in close to him, force his arm wide so that the gun is pointing nowhere near my friend, wrench it from his hand, then immediately turn it around, place the barrel against his head, and pull the trigger. Behind me, I hear my friend inhale sharply. (I seek the quickest way out with the least harm to others, and accept the repercussions of my behavior. My friend was affected from having witnessed and been a small part of all that had occurred. He saw me differently at the end. Because the dream ended, I never found out how this ultimately affected how he viewed me. The real-life situation that this dream forwarned me about ended somewhat the same way, suddenly, with abrupt action being taken, and me having to live with the consequences of my action or inaction.)

Are you catching on? Let me break down just a few brief examples along the lines of a dream dictionary.

Tornadoes, for me, signify turmoil, trouble ahead, a potentially dangerous situation that may end up just blowing by. Time to take cover!

Water signifies the depths and state of my mind.

Many-roomed buildings generally are my own various thoughts being examined and gone through one at a time.

I often dream of structures that are neither enclosed, nor fully open, which I liken to my open-mindedness.

Ascending means rising above a situation, achieving something, on my way to something better, seeking answer through prayer.

Descending means failure, or having to backtrack, or seeking something from the past.

Finding jewels or coins tells me I've done or said something right, 'cause I've just been rewarded.

Many doors signifies many choices.

Mountains represent my goals and how far along I am at achieving them.

Flying tends to mean freedom from a situation, a time for relaxation, just feeling grand.

Schools mean a learning situation.

Celebrities often mean aspects of myself or friends I'd like emphasized, or are characatures of people around me. (Jim Carrey represents a funny guy I know.)

Passing unharmed through solids signifies the ability to move beyond barriers.

Dreams of sex with someone may be mere wish fulfillment, may represent a need to be in control of that person, or, if you don't like the person in real life, may be your mind's way of saying, "F- you!"

Are you getting the gist of this yet? The next time you have a dream, write it down, then take each aspect (place, people or animals, colors, numbers, anything) write it down seperately, then beside it write down three to five things this person or thing makes you think of. Let's see...Jennifer Connolley...successful, beautiful, elegant, fun-loving, adventurous...who do I know in real life I could describe that way? Hawaii...beautiful, paradise, rest, relaxation, exotic, fun...maybe it means I need a vacation!

If you want to remember your dreams, you need to first convince yourself that this activity is desirable and fun. The ability may come slowly, but will definitely manifest if you truly desire it, for you must infiltrate your subconscious mind with what you seek before you will truly be programmed to go after it. Learning to dream lucidly is fun, but the dreams this produces are almost exclusively of the wish-fulfillment variety and therefore not worth dissecting. I've kept records of my dreams on tape and in notebooks. Returning to them allows me to recognize patterns in my life and behaviors I may wish to deal with in a way that elicits change for the better. Most importantly—NEVER try to tell another person what their dreams mean! Guide them through the word association process, but allow them to come up with their own explanations based upon their ideas and feelings at the moment. A snake in my dream is pretty cool, but in yours may be terrifying! Maybe you love Christmas, but I think it's a drag and take great joy from Halloween! Do not try to lead the dreamer toward the conclusions you desire. We are all different and perceive the things around us each in our own way. Sans this diversity, our lives in general would be pretty bland. The only way we could express our true selves, our hopes, fears, and desires would be...in our dreams!

By the way, lots of people ask me what it means to dream that your teeth are falling out. When I have this dream, I just take extra good care of my teeth for awhile and the dream goes away. If it's something you're supposed to decode, the situation will be presented to you in a different way the next time you dream. Basically, dreams seem to be your subconscious mind's way of communicating to your conscious mind by way of metaphor. Breaking down and defining your dreams may give you a better insight into how you perceive and deal with the world around you as well as offering you a glimpse of your innermost self. Use the tools I've offered you here wisely. If you still think you need an actual, physical dream dictionary, then may I recommend The Dream Dictionary: 1,000 Dream Symbols From A To Z by Jo Jean Boushahla and Virginia Reidel-Geubtner. Even if you disagree with some of their suggestions, at least the book will set you on your way to coming up with your own personal interpretations of your dreams.

For further information relating to dreams and interpreting them, check out my own dream journal/dictionary at the website below.

Good luck my friend, and pleasant dreams!