“And, speaking more generally, it is plain foolishness to believe in ready-made systematic guides to dream interpretation, as if one could simply buy a reference book and look up a particular symbol. No dream symbol can be separated from the individual who dreams it, and there is no definite or straightforward interpretation of any dream.”— Carl Jung in Man and His Symbols.
DreamMoods.com is a website with an online dream dictionary—a modern-day version of the dream interpretation guides Jung was writing on.
Whether online or in book form, a dream dictionary is worth a look if you want a laugh or have absolutely nothing better to do.
Only then.
Dream dictionaries aren’t accurate at all.
It’s impossible for them to be. The premise is flawed.
Unfortunately, one can easily come away thinking that dream interpretation has nothing to offer.
Jung noted some symbols in dreams seemed to have a collective meaning that transcends culture. That’s true enough for some symbols. It’s tempting to assign that meaning to all symbols. When you do, however, the observation breaks down. Then what was true enough becomes a bad idea.
The Dream Moods dictionary, both online and in paper form, seems like a shortcut to the truth. Instead, it’s a hindrance to the truth.
And it’s not that hard to follow a process to get to the basic truth of what a dream means.
A Dream Moods dream interpretation example
Here’s how Dreammoods.com interpreted Disneyland appearing in a dream back in 2019 (their website has been updated since then but the example holds true because the premise is flawed): “To dream that you are at Disneyland indicates that you need to take some time off, especially after all the hard work that you have been involved in. Known as the “happiest place on earth,” the dream may suggest a lack of happiness in your life. You are looking for that happiness.”
This interpretation’s content is surely inspired by the commercial “I’m going to Disney World.” The format of the commercial was repeated for years. Nevertheless, a symbol like that would mean many different things to different people depending on their personal experience.
Someone who collects Disneyland memorabilia would have a completely different take on what Disneyland could be from someone who, say, is repelled by crowds and the thought of waiting in long lines in high temperatures. Chances are, the collector thinks of Disneyland as something near and dear to their heart. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy bring happiness to them!
On the other hand, another person who remembers buying a pass to Disneyland and spending all day waiting in line could very well experience Disneyland as a Hell on Earth. They would unlikely equate crowds, long lines, and heat as anything happy.
Someone else might focus on the childhood dream aspect of Disneyland, something relating to the princess aspect, wishing upon a star, or something else like that.
Someone else might focus on the political aspect of the Disney corporation.
In the years since then, the reputation of the Disney company has fallen. The meaning of a Disney or Disneyland dream definitely changed over time.
Dream dictionaries can obscure the truth
Dream interpretation is a big part of the Dream Recovery System. People who use our system have a much better chance of getting to the heart of figuring out their dream means. Some people might read the instructions for dream interpretation, but you need to ask yourself what the various symbols in your dreams mean. Some people might regard that as too tough to do. Others might be resistant to it in some way.
If they’re being honest, it might be that dream interpretation isn’t for them.
That’s too bad. That means there are a lot of aspects to themselves that are going to be left concealed.
However, with others, if they think about the symbols off and on for a while, an explanation might occur to them.
A dream can be like a puzzle sometimes.
Dream Moods is far from a puzzle answer key.
What makes Dream Moods especially harmful to people trying to help themselves is the “sciencey” way it approaches it. There are articles on dream facts, dream theorists, and other aspects. Maybe that might give it some credibility in some people’s eyes.
Really, dream dictionaries and Dream Moods turn psychology into the equivalent of astrology in many people’s eyes, even without some “sciencey” attempt to combine them.
For further reading:
The soulful frustrations of Candy Jane
Marijuana use for sleep has real drawbacks
What you know and don’t know (How to understand yourself with your dream journal 1/7)
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