For most of us, there are mornings we awaken remembering a disturbing dream, and have the memory of the upsetting dream spill over to effect the rest of the day, or at least the rest of the morning.  On the occasion that we arise recalling a particularly fabulous dream...like a sexy tryst with one's most adored lover, that kind of effect can leave us with a glow through the day that makes even the traffic on the highway seem pleasant. (Ok, maybe the effect isn't THAT overwhelming....but you get the idea.)
So what do dreams REALLY mean.
Naturally, the psychological community spends a great deal of time trying to answer this question, with endless experiments and surveys conducted on accommodating college students.  What is the consensus?
Well...there are a couple of different camps, each with just-valid-enough arguments to support their side of the debate.
Personally, I enjoy dream work with clients enormously.
What has proven to be effective in giving the client insight in the dream analysis is the belief system on which the dreamer has placed his opinion regarding the importance..or lack thereof, of dreams.
A while ago, a client had a dream that had been recurring for a few weeks by the time he came to me.
He laid out his dream.
It was ripe with dream-symbolism staples...like water, a dark alley, a darker metro tunnel, you get the picture...
Turns out that he had never really thought about dreams and the meaning behind them.
As we worked through the dream, it came to light that he was suffering from a particular illness, which has been making an impact on his social life.
He had particular fears that were buried deep in his being which he refused to face.  Since he had become ill, the fears began to surface, he no longer had the energy to keep the dreams stuffed in his subconscious.  By analyzing the meaning of the symbols, he was able to work out a considerable amount of his 'sturm und drang' through working the symbols his mind was feeding him while he slept.
After the session, he felt a lot more secure, and certainly calmer since the bulk of his fears were brought to light.
Keeping a dream journal is a great way to get in touch with what is going on in your mind that might be too difficult to occupy the forefront of your mind.
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