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Reflections on the Butterfly Dream

In the hushed chambers of slumber, I once found myself entranced within a reverie where I, a butterfly, danced upon the zephyrs, knowing nothing but the pure ecstasy of my fluttering existence. Wrapped in the ephemeral cloak of the butterfly, I knew naught of my human self. But then, as dawn's gentle fingers stirred me from my nocturnal odyssey, I awoke to the stark reality of my human form. Now, ensconced in wakefulness, I ponder: was I truly a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or am I now, in this waking life, but a butterfly dreaming of humanity?

Zhuangzi

ADVANCED DREAM ANALYSIS HINTS

Taking a Leap in Dream Understanding. Like any other skill that you master, the more proficient you become, the more you notice how a tool can be applied or expressed. The same is true with interpreting your dreams. As you establish a dialogue with your psyche and become more comfortable with the messages you receive, you begin to notice more. Some insights can be fun, like noticing that your psyche has a sense of humor and embeds a joke into a dream message once in a while. Other insights can be startling, like discovering that your psyche begins to “teach” you how to understand your dreams, akin to the private signals that a couple silently exchanges across a crowded room. As you begin to enjoy the sport of understanding your life through dreams, your understanding of dreams will expand. Like an Olympic champion, you flex your muscles and dive deeper. Although this chapter cannot cover the full range of advanced topics or questions about dream analysis, it offers a few ideas that should satisfy even the most daring. Enjoy.

ADVANCED DREAM ANALYSIS HINTS

1: YOU OFTEN FIND ADVICE AT THE END OF A DREAM. Although an entire dream can produce insights, specific suggestions about what to do next often appear at the end. Check how a dream ends to see what may resonate as advice.

DREAM EXAMPLE: THE TARANTULA AND THE GUARD. Faced with rumors that his company was downsizing, a young man feared he might lose his job. He dreamed he was at a train station, lying down in the middle of the tracks as trains zoomed by without harming him. As he lay peacefully on a white blanket, a huge black tarantula above his head caught his eye. Feeling afraid and in danger, the man ran for help. He found a guard and pointed to the tarantula. As they watched, a train came by and crushed the tarantula. The guard turned to the young man and said, “There is no problem now,” and walked away. In the end, the danger disappeared as suddenly as it had arrived. The ending suggested that despite rumors about downsizing, the young man’s job was safe and he was not in danger.

Notice a dream’s final images. If you see someone in a terrible storm yet they find a safe haven, all will be well. Or suppose you witness a car crash, which might be a metaphor of a major clash or fight with a loved one. If at the end of the dream, no one is harmed and all is well, whatever the disagreement, peace will be restored.

2: TIME MARKERS IN DREAMS—WHEN WILL SOMETHING HAPPEN? Dreams often portray probabilities, and an occasional ESP dream gives you a glimpse into the future. Yet such dreams seldom specify when an event will take place. Time markers in dreams are rare, but if they do appear, the predicted timing tends to be accurate.

For example, a woman dreams of meeting her true love. The first question that pops into her head is “When?” and the answer is that no one knows. She may cross paths with a future love in a few months or in a few years; unless a dream provides a time marker, there is no way for her to know. An example of a timing marker would be a dream about a wedding that shows a current friend of the bride, as a bridesmaid. In the dream, the bridesmaid just turned thirty, which tells the prospective bride that she will marry when her friend turns thirty. Or, a time marker may show the date on a wedding announcement. Though rare, keep an eye out for timing markers in dreams.

3: SPOKEN WORDS IN DREAMS ARE OFTEN LITERAL. Dreams are visual metaphors, yet paradoxically, when words are spoken in a dream, their meaning is often literal. If a relative tells you to see a doctor, you should make an appointment. If a friend you have not spoken with for a while says, “I need help” in a dream, check out what is happening. If you dream about someone having surgery and afterward the doctor says, “It is fixed,” you or the loved one will recover. Suppose you feel discouraged in your career and then dream that your boss shakes your hand, saying, “Congratulations on your promotion.” You may want to work hard and persevere.

4: DREAMS OFTEN SHOW LOGIC. Though a lot of dreams may appear disjointed, dreams can demonstrate a high amount of logic as they assess a problem or concern. When a dream has several scenes or parts, see if you can spot a sequential logic. For example, the first part may state the problem, the next might discuss what you have done about the concern or what has not worked, and the latter parts may recommend points to consider or directions that may resolve the issue.

5: SENIORS OFTEN DREAM OF YOUNGER DAYS. Those fortunate enough to reach their eighties and nineties in good shape, often describe dreams that replay the days of their youth. These dreams often portray exact scenes of one’s childhood or their earlier years, in great detail.

Sometimes these dreams of former years contain a message. At other times, they sim...