Types Of Dream
There are several different types of dream and it is necessary to be able to distinguish between them in order to determine which ones are important and which ones aren't. Some dreams may fall into more than one category. Any dream is capable of being interpreted although this can sometimes be extremely difficult. Dream journals are probably the most important tool you have to help you on your way to understanding your dreams.
Daydreams: Daydreams are classified as a level of consciousness between sleep and wakefulness. Almost everyone has daydreamed at some time in their life. Personal experience has shown that daydreams are rarely significant.
Healing Dreams: Healing dreams often serve as a message to the dreamer regarding their health - physical or mental. Sometimes the message is clear and other times it isn't so clear and may need interpretation.
Nightmares: Nightmares are dreams that basically scare you and can often be quite terrifying. There can often be content that is in need of interpretation with nightmares. Sometimes nightmares are the product of trauma (very often childhood trauma) and as such can be hard to deal with. If you experience nightmares that do link back to childhood trauma you should consider seeking professional help. This can be very important should the nightmare also fall under the category of being a recurring dream.
Lucid Dreams: A lucid dream is a dream where you are aware that you are dreaming and with time you may develop the ability to steer the dream in a particular direction, or at least to influence the dream. With practice it may be possible to literally do anything you want within the dream. Flying is a common theme for many people. Because there is control within the dream it can sometimes be hard to determine whether the dream content is significant.
Message Dreams: Message dreams, as the name suggests, are dreams where a message is being given to you from whatever source. This type of dream is not necessarily precognitive or prophetic (attempting to foretell a possible future) but is much more concerned with the present. The message contains information you need to know now for whatever reason. It may help you to make a decision or solve a problem in your waking life. Although not directly foretelling the future, such a dream often has great import for the future. Message dreams should always be interpreted.
Normal Dreams: Normal dreams are the mind's way of clearing out unwanted information and usually the dream content will reflect the previous day, or sometimes days. For example, suppose you spent the day playing a dungeons and dragons type computer game. And at night you dreamed of caves and monsters that you experienced during the game. The dream is purely a reflection of what you'd been doing and as such has no need of interpretation.
Precognitive Dreams: Precognitive dreams are particularly interesting as they are effectively forecasting a potential future. Usually precognitive dreams are of a very personal nature in so much that all the content of the dream revolves around the dreamer or people who are close or significant to them. An attempt should always be made to interpret this type of dream if there is any ambiguity as to the message.
Prophetic Dreams: Prophetic dreams are similar to precognitive in so much as they too foretell a potential future. The difference is that prophetic dreams are usually not about the dreamer but about unknown people etc. For example, if you dreamed that a family member was going to have a car crash that would be a precognitive dream. If you dreamed that there was going to be a seventy car pile-up on the freeway (and nobody you knew was involved) that would be a prophetic dream. An attempt should always be made to interpret this type of dream if there is any ambiguity as to the message.
Recurring Dreams: Recurring dreams are dreams that you experience time and again and because of this repetition they need to be examined closely to see if a significant message is present. Recurring dreams often occur with very little change to the actual content. As mentioned under nightmares, a recurring dream can be linked to trauma but this is not automatically so. If your mind or spirit is trying to get a significantly important message across to you then the attempt will be repeated until the message is understood. Recurring dreams are nearly always significant and interpretation may well be vital.