How to Interpret Vivid Dreams

Vivid dreams are often more than just a dream, and may have hidden meanings to your waking life. Dream interpretation is often used to help pinpoint areas in your waking life that may need more focus. Although it may seem difficult at first, learning how to interpret vivid dreams is a skill that many people can learn.
- Dream diary Dream dictionary
1 Record your vivid dream
Record your vivid dream in a dream diary as soon as possible after the dream occurs. Be sure to record as many details as you can remember.
2 Break down the dream by symbols
Break down the dream by symbols. For instance, if the dream included an animal, break that animal down into the type and color of the animal.
3 Look up each symbol in a dream dictionary
Look up each symbol in a dream dictionary (see Resources below).
4 Write down the meaning
Write down the meaning for each symbol in your dream diary. As you record each symbol and its meaning, the meaning of the dream may start to come together in your head.
5 Reflect on your waking life
Reflect on your waking life and how the dream and its symbols may pertain to the happenings in your life.
- If the dream still doesn't make sense after you have analyzed the symbols, put it aside for awhile. In time, the meaning may become clearer to you. Even if part of your dream seems unimportant, record it anyway. Sometimes the oddest happenings in a dream have the strongest meaning.
- Details about each dream will make the interpretation clearer. The more dreams you interpret, the easier it will become. In time, you will know what symbols of each dream are important and what may not mean anything.