How to Interpret A Dream - The Friendly Metaphor

 

Here is how to quickly work with a dream using what I call functional generalization,  or how the dream images work. pkfish-r.gif (1352 bytes)

Dream: I went to a grocery store and saw a child buying a fish for a pet.

Now, let's break the dream imagery down...

I went to a grocery store

Grocery store = 

Or for you, going to a grocery store =   (your interpretation - see below)

But perhaps "buying" needs to be examined as a funtional generalization as well. What does it mean to "buy" something?
If running is a way to get somewhere, and talking is a way to communicate something, what is "buying"?

buying

buying =  pkfish-ll.gif (657 bytes)

Or for you, buying =   (your interpretation)

Now, how about a "child"? If a old man is something very mature, or works to bring us lots of wise experience (or maybe outdated experience), how might a child function?

saw a child

saw a child = 

Or for you, seeing a child =   (your interpretation)

Finally, I see the child buying a pet fish. We might want to further break this down into "pet" and "fish"

What kind of thing is a pet? How does this work?

a pet

a pet =  pkfish-l.gif (637 bytes)

Or for you, a pet is =   (your interpretation)

If a dog is a faithful companion and tiger is a wild beast, how might a fish work, what kind of animal or companion is a fish?

a fish

a fish = 

Or for you, a fish =   (your interpretation)

In my  interpretation, I might look at water. What is it? How does it work? What is it like as a part of myself and my life? I'm going to say that water works in kind of a fluid way, sort of like my feelings or things I'm only dimly aware of.

If you interpreted your fish as a water creature, you may have a different view of what water is or does.

Select the Build Interpretation button to see the collection of functions of how things work:

Putting mine all together, I have a kind of jumble: I want to buy something + getting or investing in somthing + a new, maybe immature perspective a companion + a creature that can breath water + fluid emotional and unconscious things.

I can smooth this out and say the dream is about: I want something and when looking for it at that place where I can get it, I see something new. This new thing carries something emotional and wild, but also something that might be a companion.

 

Finally , I can test the interpretation. A simple method is to say, "Where is my life is this true?"  or "How ispkfish-rl.gif (561 bytes) my life like this interpretation?" or "How might this interpretation change my life?"

After asking myself this question, I listen to myself  and the feelings that I am experiencing. Does this interpretation give me a feeling of "Ah ha!" or does it seem distant and unrelated to my life?

For more information about dreams and dreaming, see the DreamGate Electric Dreams Homepage

For more information about the ethics of dream interpretation, see the Ethics page