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For dream interpretation, I prefer an approach like Jungian or Gestalt dreamwork. There generally isn't much "meaning" of a dream independent of your own subjective reality. In other words, you need to explore the meaning of the dream in terms of your own personal psychology and situation. In dreamwork, other people can help you uncover ideas that you might otherwise overlook, but ultimately it is up to you to feel, intuitively, what ideas "click" and feel meaningful to you.
This typically involves starting with lists of associations for various elements in the dream. In your case, you would think of associations for:
House (or wherever the fire took place)
Fire
Burning
Death or Dying
In a dreamwork group, people would offer their own associations to help trigger ideas for you.
I, for example, might say:
House: home, safety, comfort, investment, "money pit", projects (remodeling, etc.), chores (of course if the fire was not in a house, you'd have do associations for whatever setting you were in).
Burning: pain, suffering, disfigurement, hell, etc. (plus some associations already listed for fire).
Death/Dying: finitude, finality, "doorway to another realm"?, transformation, mystery.
Anyway, your job is to come up with your own list of associations - possibly picking a few from other people's associations, if they feel right to you. Then, thinking in terms of your list of associations, re-tell the dream and think about possible meanings in light of the associations. Generally, a sort of meaning-narrative will start to form in your mind. It does not have to make sense rationally, nor does it have to make sense to anyone else, but if it "feels right" to you, then it is something for you to meditate upon.
Ultimately, the feelings of meaningfulness that emerge from this process are your best insight into the meaning of the dream, for you.
Last edited by Gaylenwoof; 02-01-2015 at 10:02 AM..
For dream interpretation, I prefer an approach like Jungian or Gestalt dreamwork. There generally isn't much "meaning" of a dream independent of your own subjective reality. In other words, you need to explore the meaning of the dream in terms of your own personal psychology and situation. In dreamwork, other people can help you uncover ideas that you might otherwise overlook, but ultimately it is up to you to feel, intuitively, what ideas "click" and feel meaningful to you.
This typically involves starting with lists of associations for various elements in the dream. In your case, you would think of associations for:
House (or wherever the fire took place)
Fire
Burning
Death or Dying
In a dreamwork group, people would offer their own associations to help trigger ideas for you. I, for example, might say:
House: home, safety, comfort, investment, "money pit", projects (remodeling, etc.), chores (of course if the fire was not in a house, you'd have do associations for whatever setting you were in).
Burning: pain, suffering, disfigurement, etc. (plus some associations already listed for fire).
Death/Dying: finitude, finality, "doorway to another realm"?, transformation, mystery.
Anyway, your job is to come up with your own list of associations - possibly picking a few from other people's associations, if they feel right to you. Then, thinking in terms of your list of associations, re-tell the dream and think about possible meanings in light of the associations. Generally, a sort of meaning-narrative will start to form in your mind. It does not have to make sense rationally, nor does it have to make sense to anyone else, but if it "feels right" to you, then it is something for you to meditate upon.
Ultimately, the feelings of meaningfulness that emerge from this process are your best insight into the meaning of the dream, for you.
Thank you so much for your great response!! It is very helpful and I greatly appreciate you taking the time to respond to me! blessings!
Thank you so much for your great response!! It is very helpful and I greatly appreciate you taking the time to respond to me! blessings!
You're welcome. BTW, I only gave examples of associations based on the words you used in your opening post. Your first job is really to think through the dream and come up with a full list of elements - including some that might seem trivial at first. For example, you might recall that you were wearing a certain pair of shoes, or your might have noticed the flames burning particular parts of your body, or maybe, while burning, you were thinking of something in particular, etc. My basic point is that, if you think carefully about the dream, you will probably come up with a longer list of elements in the dream. You should also pay close attention to any feeling tones in the dream, and list those feelings as elements too: e.g., "fear", "regret" etc.
If you think of more elements and you would like more feedback on possible associations, I'd be happy to offer my own associations.
Indeed dream symbolism to totally personal, with some common meaning for all.
But mostly, one has to figure out what thier own dream language happens to be.
Another key to understanding a dream is to focus upon the feelings you had in the dream.
Fire can be fearful or fun.
A house burning can be exciting or disruptive.
Be careful to not apply the props and people as literal, as they are more symbolic that actually representing what they are in the dream.
As has bee said, home can be a place of security, it burning is a threat to that security.
Home can also be a very unhappy place, so watching it burn might be a release.
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