What Do Your Dreams Mean?

Some pretty far-out things can happen after your head hits the pillow at night, right? Dreams can be magical, mysterious and at times even terrifying. But fear not: It’s just your subconscious mind trying to gab with you. We’ll help you get a clue.

Keep a Dream Diary
The only way to decipher what your dreams are trying to tell you is to remember them -- and that can be a toughie. So keep a journal and pen handy by your bed, then tell yourself before you go to sleep, “Don’t forget your dreams tonight.” As soon as your eyes pop open in the a.m. -- before you brush your teeth -- jot down anything you can recall: people, places, events, objects … whatever.

Let Your Dream Tell a Story
Grace, 15, recently had a dream in which she locked herself in a bathroom stall at school and wouldn’t come out. All of her classmates piled into the girls’ restroom, carrying on like circus performers. There were clowns, lion tamers, monkeys -- way more activity than could ever actually take place in that small space. Grace, in her dream, was on her cell phone trying to call her mom, but there was no answer.

Crack the Dream Code
So what did Grace’s dream mean? After journaling about it and giving it some thought, Grace figured it out. She’d recently been at the center of a nasty rumor, and the dream reflected her feelings about that. She’d felt trapped (locked in) by all the commotion (circus) the gossip had created, and she felt helpless (unable to get through on her cell). If you’re having trouble understanding what the elements of your dream represent, you can check a dream dictionary -- but first look for any personal meaning related to what’s going on in your life.

Dream up a Solution
The next night, before going to bed, Grace wrote in her diary, “I want to have a dream that helps me deal with this gossip situation.” Here’s what happened: This time in her dream, Grace was the star of the circus, but there was no audience. She was swinging on a flying trapeze while holding scissors -- with her toes. She soared back and forth, then did a theatrical triple-flip, clipping the cords to the trapeze swing as she did so. In that moment, the scissors disintegrated and her feet grew wings. She flew clear through the top of the circus tent and into the sky.

Find Freedom in Your Dreams
Grace found her peace inside this dream. She owned her power and decided to cut off any and all attention to the gossip that was going on around her at school. And guess what? Poof! The rumors quickly disappeared. So you see? Dreams can create real-life happy endings when you know how to read them.