Common Dream Themes, Structures

Dreams have been an important part of my life. God has used dreams to reveal solutions to my problems, show me my gifts and talents, give me spiritual revelation, instruct me to do certain things, prepare me for something about to happen, direct me in my journey to healing, comfort my heart, direct my path, etc.

Dr. Terrance McGillicuddy, a Christian therapist, worked for 22 years as a hospice Chaplain. He discovered that dreamwork had the power to move people from a “place of darkness and fear, to a new place of light and hope.”

• Find inner healing, psychological transformation, and spiritual aliveness.
• Work through things about life that are distressing us— existential and psycho-spiritual—to an authentic and profound religious experience.
• Connect with God and experience His presence, love, and reassurance; they know they are connected to that which is eternal.

Research shows we typically dream five to seven times during an ordinary night’s sleep! This amounts to one to two hours of dreams every night, adding up to approximately five years of dreaming in a typical lifetime.

It shall be in the last days, God says, That I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, and your young men shall have visions, and your old men shall dream dreams (Acts 2:16-17)

Top ten dream themes

1. Journeys
2. Houses
3. Water
4. Falling
5. Flying
6. To be chased
7. Loose teeth
8. Snakes
9. Royalty
10. Death

Calvin Hall’s five common dream issues

1) Struggles with mother & father

2) Personal freedom vs. security

3) Conflict between masculine & feminine

4) Socialization (acceptance from others) vs. instinctual (gut, intuitive) nature

5) Concerns with life & death

Seven dream categories

1) Routine maintenance dreams

2) Current event dreams

3) Historic event dreams

4) Transformational dreams

5) Divine encounter dreams

6) Extrasensory perception dreams

7) Clear dreams

Structures dreams take

Dreams can vary widely, from single images to complex, seemingly endless story. Whether they take the form of a simple still shot or an elaborate movie, they may appear like a cartoon, an adventure story, or even a monster movie. Similar to stories, most dreams generally follow a familiar pattern of four parts:

Four parts or stages of many dreams

Dream experts refer to four stages through which a dream progresses—the setting, plot development, culmination of the plot, and conclusion.

Setting/Context: First the dream sets the stage upon which a particular concern will unfold, introduces the location and the persons who will participate in the drama, and sets up the initial situation for the dream message.

Plot development: Next, the dream sets up the problem or issue to be faced. As the story unfolds, we meet the struggle necessary to resolve the problem or issue.

Culmination of plot: As the story continues, there is a key point upon which the plot (problem or issues) changes; something significant happens or doesn’t happen for some reason.

Conclusion: Finally, the dream offers an approach to resolve the problem/issue/ conflict, a way to address a tricky issue, solve a problem, or handle a challenge.

Of the many techniques to help us find the message of the dream, this simple four-part story structure provides a good approach. Understanding the four parts gives us a basis for further exploration of the dream. We can ask ourselves whether the dream ends satisfactory/ If not, how would you like to change it?

The because factor

In some dreams, events don’t happen because of some reason: I can’t go somewhere because my Mother is upset; I can’t get up a hill because it’s too hard; I miss an opportunity because I am afraid of what’s ahead.  Identifying the “because factor” may help you identify the source of an issue, perhaps even revealing a solution.

Dream on!