What if I Don’t Understand My Dreams?

Whether you are new to the world of dream interpretation or a trained and seasoned dream interpreter, the most common complaints concern confusion in comprehending dreams. Dreams are symbolic, mysterious, and quite puzzling most of the time. No one understands every dream. So, if you are perplexed, rest assured that you are not alone.

Common questions that can give us a reality check:

1. Does every dream need to be interpreted?
Not necessarily. Every dream may contain meaning that could be beneficial, but not every dream is a spiritual dream that needs interpretation.

2. How do I know if my dream is important enough to spend more time and energy trying to understand?
I believe every dream is worth some time and effort—even if we never fully ‘get it’. We always learn something in the process of trying. The more you work with dreams, the better you become at recognizing the ‘weightier’ dreams that may carry more significant meaning.

3. What can I DO to unlock my dream?
A number of habits help us with interpretation. Value your dreams more (thank God for dreams)! Journal them. Make a list of symbols and possible meanings—search and meditate on them. Draw a picture of your dream. Pray—ask Spirit for revelation. Ask gifted friends. Keep going back to read and ponder. Wait and listen. None of these practices are wasted effort.

4. What if I’m missing out on something very important because I don’t understand my dreams?
Many people experience recurring dreams because there is a persistent issue in their lives that needs addressing. Creator is gracious to us by gently reminding us and prodding us to delve deeper. Often, for timely and critical matters, revelation seems to come much clearer. If we are truly seeking and listening, I believe it is harder to miss out on destiny direction.

5. Why do dreams have to be so difficult?
Whether dreams are from our own soul, as a result of a busy day and unmet needs, or whether they are divine spiritual direction, they are communicated symbolically, and most western minds are not used to processing metaphorically.

It requires effort to venture beyond our normal ways of thinking.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but it takes practice to wrap our brains around symbols and pictures, to arrive at the release of intelligible words.

An author, Sandy Warner, shares this story: “One time I said, ‘God, I can hear you just fine, why don’t you just talk to me and tell me what you mean?’ God answered, ‘Sweet One, I am not teaching you YOUR language, I am teaching you MINE.’”

Dreams from God are divinely designed to draw us into relationship, not just to get answers, but to develop communication and communion. We learn to lean on Someone much bigger than ourselves—someone who knows our circumstances and sees the Big Picture.

Wisdom says to keep asking, seeking, knocking, keep studying, waiting, listening. All are disciplines crucial in developing receptive hearts and attentive ears.

Keep up the good work!

Question: Where do you seem to get ‘stuck’ most often in understanding and interpreting your dreams?