Is dream interpretation real? Good question. I’ve wondered about dreams since I was a kid, but until recently, I wasn’t sure. Now, I am. Sure, that is, that I can’t make any sense of it. Here’s how my two dreams muddied the mirror.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

By David Stone

Assorted Ideas, Large & Small

The easiest way of telling this story is in laying them out, my two dreams, and what they can’t possibly mean.

Sort of.

Dream interpretation is the process of assigning meaning to dreams. Although associated with some forms of psychotherapy, there is no reliable evidence that understanding or interpreting dreams has a positive impact on one’s mental health

Wikipedia: Dream Interpretation

Is dream interpretation real? Dream #1

One of the most commonly reported dreams is when you can’t get to your destination. It’s probably because it leaves a mark of anxiety, and we keep it into wakefulness.

Anyway, it’s one of my most frequent, as far as I can tell, and it’s a feature with Dream #1.

In a darkening city, I’ve lost my keys. And I’ve become separated from my wife, who’s much more responsible about such things. This leaves me on my own as I try tricking my way home.

That’s unusual because, in these kinds of dreams, my destination usually isn’t clear. But this one is.

It’s also odd because the place I want to get to is my childhood home. Like with a crude GPS, I can see a curving trail I must follow.

Just for the record, my childhood home was torn down, decades ago, because the world didn’t, then, have enough junk yards. It needed the land. But in truth, it probably would’ve fallen down by now on its own.

Long story, but as it pertains, I know where it is. But I don’t know how to get there. It seems close but remote.

“Not reaching your destination in a dream tells you that your hopes for the future have been put on hold at the moment. This dream also indicates you have spiritual goals and aspirations that need to be resolved in order for you to move on with your life. … It is yet another omen for spirituality and depth,” according to the Dream Dictionary.

Yikes!

Is dream interpretation real? Dream #2

No joke, my second dream, tumbling in the very next day, is my favorite because it flatters me. And it completely contradicts the first one.

Is dream interpretation real? This gives you something to chew on.

Not that anything special happened. I’ve had more fun — and more drama — in other dreams, but this one was unique.

You see, in this dream, I was the king of cool and confidence. I was the smart guy others counted on for guidance.

Now, I’ll be frank. I’ve never been the cool, confident guy anyone came to for advice. (Maybe I gave it away too freely, cheapening its value. Or bored the hell out of people, as know-it-alls do.)

And I see no special meaning in this dream. At best, it gave me a fleeting opportunity to polish my ego.

Undeservedly.

So, what’s it all mean, Jack?

If dream interpretation is real, it needs to untangle unintended knots because, in consecutive days, I got very different messages about myself.

Which brings me to something I’ve long suspected…

Going back to a thrilling dream I had about twin sisters while at the libidinal peak of my early years, I landed on the idea that dreams are stories we tell ourselves for entertainment. That one was, uhm, entertaining, but at no expense.