Welcome.

• Do you want to know what your dreams mean?
• Do you or your children want to change (get rid of) nightmares?
• Are you looking for an online dream dictionary?
• Are you interested in the Senoi, the dream-people of Malaya?
• Do you want to be aware that you are dreaming, while you are dreaming?
• And much more...?

Then this is the blog for you. See my archive.

Wim Kerk.

Dreams and daytime fears

The things we are afraid of during the daytime often turn up again in our nightmares. We can make use of this, however. It appears that some people deal with their daytime fears in their dreams. This was the case in the following example:
A woman was awfully afraid of spiders. In a dream a big spider is approaching her. But she feels quiet, and not afraid. Afterwards she noticed that by day she was no longer afraid of spiders either (Rossi, 1972 page 21).

This is not at all as mysterious as it sounds. Therapists often rid people of their fears by means of a method called 'desensitisation' For instance, if you suffer from acrophobia, you can imagine that you are looking down from the first floor of a building. If this goes well, the second floor is
visualised etc. In this way you gradually venture to proceed. Until you can look down from a real building, without (too much) acrophobia.

'Overcoming your fear' in this way is also possible in your dream. This is perhaps also one of the reasons that the Senoi did not suffer from neurosis or psychosis.

If your child has had a nightmare (also meant for adults)

If you have read the articles about the Senoi and lucid dreams you will know that you can change nightmares. Patricia Garfield has developed a very good method, that is useful when a child or adult has had a nightmare. She calls it "after dreaming". I have taught it to my daughter "Lisa" and she hasn't had a nightmare ever since (in my article about lucid dreaming I also included a great dream of Lisa, in which she defeated a "creepy guy").

I will descibe the method and add a couple of things that I think are helpful. I have written it in such a way that you can read it to a child.

After-dreams

First give your child a sheet of paper and a couple of pencils. Tell him of her: 'You can change you bad dreams. You can do anything you want in them, because they are your dreams. If a villain chases you, you can punch him out. If you want, a dream-friend can come and help you. Who do you think is really strong or clever? Just call that person.
When you fall you can land very softly on the ground or just fly. When you are wounded you might fetch a dream-doctor. And even if you die in your dream, you can be reborn with a better and stronger body.'

Then you can start asking the following questions:
'Think deeply, have you had a bad dream that you would like to change now?
(Give the child some time to think about it)
Well, if you have a dream in mind, sit back and relax.
Close your eyes slowly...and think of your dream.
Imagine that you are seeing your dream.
Look very closely at what happened.
Can you see it?
(Your child will now confirm this. Otherwise give him or her some time.)
If you see it...try to think of something different that may happen.
Something good that will change the dream.
Change it into a nicer dream.
A dream-friend can come and help you.
In the new dream you might find a hidden treasure.
Or fly and discover a beautiful place.
Make as many friends as possible.
You can do anything you want.
Can you see this?
(Again the child will confirm this. You can also give your child some advice, if he or she asks for it).
Picture your dream as it is now.
The colours, the sounds, everything exactly as it is!
Open your eyes and draw (or write down) your new dream.'

Online dictionary of dreams

A dictionary of dreams can help you explain your dreams. Though if you really want to know what you dreams mean, you should use the system that I describe on another page.

All dream images are listed alfabeticaly below.


A

accidents:
Dreams about accidents often warn us for something which we do in daily life. For instance if we dream that we are driving through a busy town at sixty miles an hour and almost collide. This indicates that the dreamer runs great risks indeed.
Does the wheel of the vehicle break down? Then you may wonder if there is a situation in daily life which you can't control any more either.

animals:
These often show our instincts, our urges. Mostly agression and fear.
Animals with sharp teeth (sharks, tigers, crocodiles etc.) especilally imply aggression. Our own aggression or that of others.
Is somebody attacked in the dream? Remember, you yourself have created the wild animal in order to chase that particular person.


B

bicycle:
A vehicle that
isn't self-propelling. It requires some effort on the part of the cyclist to move ahead. This may indicate that one must (or can) reach a certain destination in life by oneself.

bird:
Symbol of new ideas and of the soul.

bridge:
Is the bridge
strong or rickety? Perhaps certain daytime difficulties will have to be bridged. On the other side may be a new beginning.

C

car:
It is important to know whether the dreamer himself drives the car or somebody else is behind the wheel. This can refer to a daytime situation. Are there perhaps moments
when you let yourself be 'steered' by others than by yourself?

Also see under 'accidents'.

cellar:
This is a symbol of the unconscious. All information which we have collected is stored here. Surprising things may be discovered in one's own dream-cellar.

chasm\ravine:
These prevent us from reaching a certain point (the opposite side). They often symbolize daytime difficulties. It is positive if a chasm can be bridged. It is also possible to go down into the ravine in order to get to the bottom of things.

chicken:
Symbol of stupid (mindless) cackling. But in a positive sense an animal from which life develops.

circle:
A circle is a common symbol of unity. It often indicates the union of conscious and unconscious aspects.

clothes:
Show something about your personality. What kind of clothes are they? If you wear peculiar or ill-fitting clothes, this usually means that you do not feel at ease in a particular situation (in which the dream takes place). The same is true for dreams in which one is naked in public. On the other hand, well-fitting clothes, which also become you, generally show that you feel good. Especially if it is a style which you have chosen yourself and hasn't been forced upon you by others.

cook\baker:
These people see to it that food becomes digestible. This dream-food usually refers to 'mental food' (or knowledge). Obviously it is important to know what the dishes consist of. Do you only eat desserts or tastier foot? 'You are what you eat' is often aptly expressed in dreams.

cow:
A symbol of new life and a nourishing and caring elements.


D

death\buriel:
In dreams these usually mean 'change'. In other words: the old (a rigid idea, a long
drawn-out conflict etc.) must be buried to make way for the new. So it also expresses 'rebirth'.

What or whom is buried or dies? What are this person's or things qualities? If in reality a beloved person has recently died, and one dreams about this, it obviously doesn't have a symbolic but an emotional meaning. Finally, a dream about death can mean that we have had a painful experience. 'To die a thousand deaths' means that we feel badly hurt, that we suffer intensely. Sometimes a dream can also show this.

diamond:
Extremely positive. Diamonds are very valuable, and so are they in dreams. This gem
symbolizes great inner value.

doctor:
This is our spiritual doctor. Sometimes he warns us, when we are mentally unbalanced.
In such cases he often explains in a symbolic way what is wrong us...and how
we can 'recover'.

door:
A door (entrance to something) can be open or closed. Sometimes the dreamer has to search for a key in order to open the door. Here your own associations are certainly of importance.

dove:
Well-known symbol of peace and love.

drowning:
Dreams about
drowning, floods, tidal waves and similar things often mean that we have the feeling that we are 'drowning' in certain problems; we are being 'flooded'.

E

eggs:
Ancient symbol of burgeoning life. Also a sign of rebirth. Very positive.

examination-dreams:
These occur in a great variety of shapes. For instance, the dreamer can be back at school, where he has to sit for an examination. An examination he hasn't prepared for. Perhaps the questions are in Chinese or totally unfamiliar. Whatever the case, the dreamer doesn't succeed in passing the examination or test.

Such dreams show us that we (unconsciously) imagine being inadequately prepared for a certain situation.

F

falling:
In a dream this often indicates feelings of insecurity (for instance within a relationship or financial matters); one loses one's foothold. It can also express loss.

fire:
A many-sided symbol. In a positive sense fire provides (mental) warmth and light to
illuminate the path of life. In a negative sense fire can be all-consuming. But in the latter case fire is often constructive as well, if only the old and tarnished is destroyed (as symbols of for instance rigid ideas or pain).In that case fire is a symbol of purification. The old is destroyed to make way for the new. In addition to this, fire is a symbol of (passionate) love and also of anger.

flowers:
As a rule you can say that flowers are a good sign (especially if they are blooming).

forest:
Ancient symbols of the unconscious. A good guide can show you surprising parts of yourself.

fruit:
There is a well-known saying: 'to reap the fruits of (something)'. With which results of things happening or undertaken in the past are you right now confronted? Is the fruit sweet or bitter? Ripe or unripe? All these variations refer to everyday events. Often it is also a symbol of mental fertility and love.

G

garden:
A garden full of flowers is a positive symbol. In the same way in which flowers, plants and trees come up, grow and develop, new values can flourish within ourselves.
Positive changes can take place.

gold:
In many cases gold symbolizes growing awareness of new knowledge. To the dreamer this may be as valuable as plain gold.

H

horse: See under 'animals'.

house:
To dream of building a house often means that you will make some wise changes in your
life. What kind of house is it? An elegant or old and dilapidated house? This tells something about the life you are leading. Houses often symbolize the dreamer himself or his life.

I

insects:
If insects, and spiders as well, occur in large numbers this should be seen as a serious warning.

ice:
This often refers to our own feelings and\or thoughts, which can be as cold and rigid as ice. The water (energy of life) doesn't flow, is frozen. One should try to thaw the ice.

J

jam:
To dream of eating jam is very positive. It denotes pleasant surprises and discoveries.

jumping:
If you dream of jumping over an object it usually means that an obstacle in real life can be overcome. Examining the object symbolizes that you should do the same
thing with actual problems.

K

king:
The king is a father figure. But he can also symbolize that you are struggling with your own ambition. Is he a kind ruler or a dictator? Usually this tells something
about yourself.

kitchen:
The kitchen is the place where uneatable food (like grain) becomes eatable. It is a place of progress and creativity. Therefore cooking food in the kitchen is a good
sigh when you are dreaming.

L

landscape:
Does it have a symbolic value, or does it remind you of a particular place or period in your life?

light: Symbolizes growing awareness.

M

man:
Every man also has female hormones, and every woman has male hormones. So every person has something of the other gender (if only physically). According to C.G. Jung a man in a woman's dream would show the male in her. This goes for strangers in particular. Such a dream-man can show certain qualities which are perhaps insufficiently developed or unknown.

monkey: See under'animals'.

mountain:
That which takes place on a mountain is practically always of great importance. It is a place where one becomes 'conscious'.

music:
Indicates matters which are related to the emotions.

N

newspaper:
A newspaper is a symbol of new insight. To print a newspaper yourself often symbolizes the start of a new period in your life.

night: A symbol of the unconscious.

O

old man/woman:
If it concerns an unfamiliar person this is a very special symbol. Jung calls them
'archetypes'. They usually symbolize 'wisdom' and the more developed part of our mind. What such figures tell is very valuable.

P

pursuit:
Dreams of pursuit occur quite regularly. In such cases people often flee and wake up
in fear. However, that which pursues you is also part of yourself. Anger, jealousy, fear and even love can assume the appearance of something threatening. So it is much better to face the menace. In this way you can also get to know this aspect (that which it symbolizes).

R

river:
Symbolizes life.The river makes the land fertile. So it is also a sign of fertility.

road:
With this one's own path of life is meant. What is happening on your road? Obstacles, such as walls, can be symbols of difficulties to which we should give thought before we run into them.
Dreams in which you are lost often mean that you feel abandoned and lonely (during a particular period). They also express insecurity about your path of life.

rose: The flower of love. Also symbol of mental development and balance.

ruins: Symbol of the old, of all that belongs to the past.

S

shoes:
The quality of the shoes is of importance. If we are going for a long walk on fashionable dancing-shoes, we are on the wrong track. Wearing the wrong shoes often means that our progress along the path of life is laborious or bad, because we are
ill-prepared.

sun:
Symbolizes insight. It is usually a very good sign if the sun is shining in your dreams.

T

treasure:
Discovering
a hidden treasure is one of the most positive things you can dream. The Senoi often encouraged their children to have such dreams.

tree:
A green or flowering tree is a positive symbol. It promises life and vitality. Is it a fruit-tree? In this case the ripe fruit can perhaps be picked. Again: think about certain daytime situations.

Also see under: 'fruit'.

U

umbrella:
To dream of carring an umbrella often warns you for trouble and annoyances. Broken
umbrellas symbolize that you are not prepared for problems. A new umbrella however shows that you are able to cope with whatever turns up.

V

violin:
When you see or hear a violin in your dreams this often symbolizes harmony and stability in your life.

volcano:
When you see a volcano in your dreams, this often symbolizes violent feelings and thoughts. Feelings and thoughts usually of your own, but these can also be of someone
else. The rest of the dream is very important if you want to know the meaning of this symbol.

W

water/sea:
A symbol of the unconscious. All life started here, and therefore it is an old symbol of fertility, life and renewal. Everything which emerges from water has a
special value. But we shouldn't drown in the water of the unconscious. We should get to know its forces drop by drop.

woman:
In a man's dream a woman often shows his own female part (also see under 'man'). All those(sometimes unconscious) aspects of a man, which are a part of his personality,
such as his feelings.

Dream-women can also show what the dreamer thinks about women. What is their behaviour in the dream? Docile, authoritarian, motherly etc.

wounded/wound:
If we get hurt in a dream, this usually indicates that we feel 'mentally wounded' (by
one thing or another). Dreams in which we die can sometimes have this meaning as well.

Also see under 'death\burial'.

Y

yacht:
Being on a yacht in your dreams often symbolizes that you should take it easy for a while. Though it is not always a positive symbol. Is the yacht or ship seaworthy?
If not this could be a serious warning. The rest of the dream can give you some ideas to what this is referring.

Z

zebra:
A zebra is an animal that often symbolizes the unity of two contrasts, like all black and white animals.

How to remember your dreams better and interpret them

It is important to write down your dream first thing in the morning. Most people do not have time to think about it the then, so this way you can do this later.

In order to write down your dreams, you will obviously first have to remember them. You dream every night (even though you do not always remember). As a matter of fact, many people forget their dreams because they immediately start thinking about a lot of other things in the morning. Consequently any memory they have of their dreams disappears.

What can you do about this? Repeat a few times to yourself before you go to sleep: 'Tomorrow I shall remember my dream!' Then you fall asleep. When you wake up in the morning, the first thing you do is think about your dream. What was it about? How did it feel?

Stay quietly in your bed, and wait a moment. You will see that in this way it is easier to remember your dream. As soon as you have recalled it, you should quickly write it down. If you wait too long, even a mere 5 or 10 minutes, you will often have forgotten.


How to interpret your dreams

After having written down you dream, there are always two questions to be asked for each dream-image (people, animals, things or events):

1) Who/what/where/when does the dream-image remind me of?

2) If somebody had never seen this image before, how would I explain it to him?

Divide a piece of paper into two halves. On the left side you write down all the dream-images of the dream you have written down. Behind each image you put the answer to the two questions. On the right you write what you think is de meaning of the dream.
See the following example.

e.g.:

You will see that your associations are very important. When you think about the house the answer to question 1 may be that it reminds you of the house of your uncle. The answer to question 2 might be: 'A house is something you live in, where you are save from bad weather. A place where you spend time with your family.

The bird may remind you of a certain park, where you see such birds by day.

And you may think that a bird is something that is free and is able to look at things from a distance.

Now you probably understand that you can discover the symbolic meaning of the dream-images with the two questions. After answering all the questions you can try to understand what the entire dream means. You will notice that only one dream does not tell to much. It is just a piece of the puzzle. If you look at a couple of dreams you often see a theme. Some images will also
appear more often than others. These are usually very significant.
I have also written a dictionary of dreams, that can be useful. But your own associations are more important.

Lucid dreams, dreams in which you know that you are dreaming

A lot of people do not know that you can change your dreams (and especially your nightmares). It is even possible to go a step further than the Senoi (I will tell more about this later). At Stanford University in 1981 Stephen LaBerge clearly proved that people can be awake and conscious during their dreams (these are called: 'conscious dreams' or 'lucid dreams'). In this kind of dream you realize that you are dreaming. And you are capable of directing the dream.


This way of dreaming can be learned. Indeed, it is a fact that about ten percent of all people occasionally have conscious dreams. This group has a 'natural' talent for this kind of dream. But they can also further develop it.

On having lucid dreams

I think that is useful to explain the nature of lucid dreams a bit further (and make you experience such a dream a little).

Everybody knows how realistic dreams can be. Usually you only realize that 'it was all a dream' after you have woken up.

Look around in the room in which you find youself. Look at the objects, feel the clothes you are wearing, listen to all the sounds around you. Perhaps you can smell or taste something. Now imagine that you realize (in one way or the other) that this is a dream. Initially this would be something of a shock, because you thought that it was reality. But soon this feeling changes into
one of excitement. 'This is a dream,' you realize, 'and I can do anything I like!' At such moments people often experience feelings of freedom and power (but don't let these become too strong, or you may wake up).

Inspect your surroundings or change them. Travel through time to exotic places. Meet your ideal dream-love. Make experiments in this dream-world!

Note that this goes a step further than what the Senoi did. They usually had only a couple of seconds of lucidity. Enough to change a nightmare or to start something enjoyable. But if you are having a lucid dream you stay conscious of the fact that you are dreaming.

Methodes to have conscious dreams

Fear

Fear can lead to lucidity. My daughter Lisa for instance had a dream in which she was chased by a "creepy guy". She ran through abandoned streets and heard him coming nearer. I had told her: "You know it is weird, but if you are afraid in your dream you can know that you are dreaming. When you know this you can change the dream".

While the "creepy guy" came nearer and nearer and almost grabbed Lisa, she suddenly realized that it was a dream. This is a very surprising experience, especially the first time. Lisa turned around, looked the villain straight in his eyes and shouted: "Go away!". Our dog "Ralf" sat beside her and growled at the creep, after which the man ran away scared.

Lisa was justly very proud when she awoke. It is important as a parent to make some time to praise your child. This increases the chance that other nightmares will also end well.

Peculiarities

Dreams are often odd. Also when you realize this you can know that you are dreaming. Everything that is by day impossible, can be the reason that you know that you are dreaming. Extreme things, like monsters and flying furniture. But it can also be more subtle things.

I dreamt once that I was back in my parental home. I looked a bit in closets, visited the kitchen and the attic. I believed that it was all real (which we always do in our dreams). Suddenly I realized that in reality my parental home was demolished. This could not be that place, so I had to be dreaming.


If you know this, you can really undertake all sorts of things. You can for instance change your surroundings in an old seagoing ship, a hot-air balloon, or anything you could think of.

It is really important to stay calm, because extreme emotions can cause you to wake up. The first time I had a lucid dream, I became so enthusiastic that I immediately awoke.

The next time becoming aware that you are dreaming

It might be that there was something frightening of strange in your dream, but you did not realized that you were dreaming. Then say to yourself that you will know that you are dreaming the next time you have that frightening or strange experience.

This is usually very effective.

Spurious awakening

One of the extraordinary things that lucid dreamers (and common dreamers as well) may experience is 'spurious awakening'. One imagines waking up in bed, goes about one's daily duties, but afterwards one still happens to be dreaming. Lucid dreamers experience this phenomenon rather more often than others.

LaBerge found a way in which one realizes at such a moment as well that it is a dream. If you have had such a experience, expect the next time you wake up after a dream that this is still a dream as well.

So, if you wake up after a dream, you immediately check whether you are still dreaming. The most common way to do this is by trying to fly a short distance. If you succeed, you can be certain that you are dreaming.

When will I have my first lucid dream?

A very important condition (and perhaps the most important one) for experiencing a lucid dream is 'motivation'. If you merely think: 'I wouldn't mind dreaming like this,', you are not really motivated. But if you decide: 'I want to have a conscious dream, and I shall have it!', you have a much bigger chance that it will happen soon.

How soon and how often one will experience this, differs from person to person. But the same rule applies to learning to have lucid dreams as learning other skills: there is no progress without practice. With a reasonable amount of motivation and practice most people will succeed in having lucid dreams several times a month.

It is also important to remember and write down your dreams. Also read my article about that.

The Senoi, the dream-people of Malaya

Dreams were very important in the life of the Senoi. This people lived in the mountains of Malaya. They had a society free of crime and mental illness.

In the morning the entire family, discussed their dreams. This might sound a bit boring, but nothing is further from the truth. Because no one can say that nightmares are dull. When they became teen-agers the Senoi did not have nightmares anymore. All their dreams were positive. They achieved this by means of a very original system, that I will explain in a minute.

The Senoi lived in long community houses, constructed of bamboo, rattan and thatch, and held away from the ground on poles. They grew among other things rice, bananas, bread-fruit trees and pumpkins. They were mainly vegetarians, but fish and certain forest animals were also on the menu.
That the Senoi didn't suffer of neurosis or psychoses sounds unbelievable. But it is well researched and the results confirm this. The way they handle their dreams seems to be the key to this.

The rules that the Senoi had when it came to their dreams were the following:

If there is danger in your dream, you should confront and conquer it.
When for instance a child had dreamed that a tiger attacked him, his parents would tell him that such dream-tigers could not hurt him. They encouraged him to attack the tiger himself the next time. And if he wasn't strong enough, he could call a 'dream-friend' to help him. If the danger was fire he should put it out with water. When the child fell from a mountain, he would be able to land softly or fly etc. See for this also the article about after dreaming in this blog. Besides this the child was encouraged to have as much pleasure as possible in the dream. "Try to fly and discover all sorts of things, and always let your dream end positive". Even if the dreamer died, he could be reborn in a better and stronger body. My daughter thinks this part is especially "cool".

The most positive ending was if the dreamer got or found a 'dream-gift'. When they were awake the Senoi spent a lot of time creating dream-gifts or something that they had seen in their dreams. This could become a painting, woodcarving, or for instance a piece of music.

In western society such dream-gifts are also mentioned. The sewing machine was invented with the aid of a dream by Elias Howe.
Robert Louis Stevenson -a writer- even had a complete dream-tribe, which provided him with ideas. His best-known works are 'Treasure Island' and 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'.

Several compositions by Wagner, Mozart and Beethoven were dream-inspired. As well as a couple of songs by Sting. And Albert Einstein owes his theory of relativity partly to a dream.

Finally it was important to make as many friend as possible in the dream.
This is logical when you realise that every dream character is a part of your own mind ( you are the one who has dreamded them).

Hostile characters were also 'conquered' by becoming their friend. The hostile figure should then give a gift to the dreamer as a token of good will.

This rather idyllic society was regrettably almost entirely destroyed during World War II, after they shared their dream system with Westerners. Nowadays there are still Senoi, but many will not talk anymore about their dreams, and even deny that they have had such a dream system. The last time they shared their method they where almost destroyed, so I can't blame them.