What Do Your Dreams Mean?

Last night I had a super weird dream. There's absolutely no logic to it what-so-ever. Here's the gist of it:

I'm at my high school because my brother, Nate is graduating. I bring my grandma who has somehow become a gerbil. When we get to the high school, Nate approaches me & tells me that SURPRISE, he's not
graduating, he's getting married! Besides being EXTREMELY caught off guard about this (my brother doesn't currently have a girlfriend) I'm also SO mad because he hasn't invited my dad, any of our other siblings or anyone else, actually. But, I follow him to a room I've never seen before in the school with my poor gerbil grandmother in tow. We get there & this girl who I do recognize from some, far-off past approaches me, hugs me & says "YOU'RE GOING TO BE MY SISTER-IN-LAW. I'M SO EXCITED." to which I smile & nod. I then grab my brother by the arm, drag him to a corner where I proceed to voice my concern about this marriage since, well, they clearly haven't been together long & they're both SO young, & the family isn't here, & she seems a little crazy. He nods & says "I know. I just wanted a wife. Can we find a different one?" Yeah. Weird conversation. So, then we realize that my grandma is missing in the bleachers of the gym. The principal & some students help me look for her. We finally find my non-gerbil grandmother sitting in the locker room. She tells me it's been a long day & she'd like to go back to the nursing home now.

....Weird, eh? But it got me thinking. Is there REALLY any logic or wisdom in dreams like this? Can we take anything from crazy, confusing dreams like this?

I began to search online & found a bunch of "dream experts," but the most comprehensive, easy to search page that I found was http://www.dreammoods.com/ It allows you to search alphabetically for the meaning behind your dreams. For example:

Gerbil: To see a gerbil in your dream represents hyperactivity and energy. It may mean that you are seeking for social activity or companionship.

Grandmother: To see your grandmother in your dream represents nurturance, protection, and unconditional love. Consider the qualities and characteristics that exist in your own grandmother. She may also be the archetypal symbol of the wise old woman.

Wedding: To see or attend a wedding in your dream symbolizes a new beginning or transition in your current life. A wedding reflects your issues about commitment and independence. Alternatively, your wedding dream refers to feelings of bitterness, sorrow, or death. Such dreams are often negative and highlight some anxiety or fear. If you dream that the wedding goes wrong or ends in disaster, then it suggests that you need to address some negativity immediately. If you dream that you are attending a wedding, consider how you feel at the wedding. If you are upset or sad, then it means that you are unhappy about the current status of your life. If you are happy, then you are embracing a new change in your life. To dream that you are getting married to your current spouse again represents your wedded bliss and happiness. It highlights your strong commitment to each other. It may also signify a new phase (such as parenthood, new home, etc) that you are entering in your life. To dream that you are planning a wedding to someone you never met is a metaphor symbolizing the union of your masculine and feminine side. It represents a transitional phase where you are seeking some sort of balance between your aggressive side and emotional side. The dream may also indicate that two previously conflicting aspects are merging together as one.If you are getting married and have dreams of your pending wedding, then it highlights the stress of organizing a wedding.  Conflicts over wedding details, tension with family and in-laws, fear of commitment, and loss of independence may all cause wedding anxiety dreams.  Research has shown that up to 40% of brides and grooms have dreams about their ceremony and things going perfectly. To dream that Santa Claus is attending your wedding highlights the jolly occasion.

Hmm. So, what exactly can I take from that? I'm seeking new friends? I guess that's accurate. My best friend recently told me she is moving to NYC which is about 9 hours from me. I'm pretty excited/bummed. She's literally the 1 person I hang out with besides, obviously my husband. So, with her living so far away I've been evaluating a lot of current friendships in my life. Maybe subconsciously I'm opening myself up to meeting new people & expanding my shrinking circle of friends. Who knows? As far as the mention of my grandmother, I don't see how that exactly fits. It represents wisom... Hmm. I guess if I'm taking the advice of Dream Moods & considering my grandmother's personality, it makes a little more sense. My grandma has such a fun sense of humor. She's smart & just a beautiful, loving woman. I don't know how it gels with any of the other components of the dream, but I guess it works. Now the wedding? That throws me. I'm no especially unhappy with my life in any way, but I was CERTAINLY unhappy when I found out my brother was marrying a stranger. I think that speaks less about my unhappiness in my own life & more about my concerns as his sister. Interesting take on it though, eh?

Of course I spent some time checking out a lot of these sites & here's some of the craziest, most interesting or just silliest meanings I found today.

Abraham Lincoln: To see Abraham Lincoln in your dream refers to your solid character and leadership ability. Known as "Honest Abe", the dream may also be telling you to be truthful or to come clean about something.

Can Opener: To see a can opener in your dream indicates your willingness to accept new ideas and new concepts. It may also be a symbol of reassurance and a way to tell yourself that "I can" do something.

Chase: To dream that you are being chased signifies that you are avoiding a situation that you do not think is conquerable. It is a metaphor for some form of insecurity. In particular, to dream that you are chased by an animal represents your own unexpressed and unacknowledged anger which is being projected onto that animal. Alternatively, you may be running away from a primal urge or fear. To dream that you are chasing someone signifies that you are attempting to overcome a difficult goal or task. You may also be expressing some aggressive feelings toward others. To dream that you are being chased and enjoying it implies that you like being the object of desire. You like feeling wanted. The dream may be analogous to a blossoming relationship.

Dead: To see or talk to the dead in your dream forewarns that you are being influenced by negative people and are hanging around the wrong crowd. This dream may also be a way for you to resolve your feelings with those who have passed on. Alternatively, the dream symbolizes material loss. If you dream of a person who has died a long time ago, then it suggests that a current situation or relationship in your life resembles the quality of that deceased person. The dream may depict how you need to let this situation or relationship die and end it. If you dream of someone who has recently passed away, then it means that their death is still freshly in your mind. You are still trying to grasp the notion that he or she is really gone. If the dead is trying to get you to go somewhere with him or her, then it signifies that you are trying to understand their death. You also don't want to be alone. To see and talk with your dead parents in your dreams represent your fears of losing them or your way of coping with the loss. You are using your dream as a last opportunity to say your final good-byes to them.To see your dead sibling, relative, or friend alive in your dream indicates that you miss them and are trying to relive your old experiences you had with them. In trying to keep up with the pace of your daily waking life, you dreams may serve as your only outlet in coping and coming to terms with the loss of a loved one. To dream of your dead child is a way for you to keep your child alive through your dreams. For a parent to lose a child is extremely difficult. Such dreams occur because you still cannot accept or understand how or why your child was taken from you so soon.

Deli: To dream that you are at a deli indicates that you are seeking for emotional nourishment outside of your social support system. You want to know the options that are available to you. Alternatively, the dream suggests that you need to watch your weight.

Facebook: To dream about your Facebook page represents your desires to expand your social circle. You need to reach out to others in a more direct and personal way. It is time to get out there and experience life.

Falling: To dream that you fall and are not frightened signifies that you will overcome your adversities with ease.  To dream that you fall and are frightened indicates a lack of control, insecurity, and/or lack of support in your waking life. You may be experiencing some major struggle and/or overwhelming problem. It may also imply that you have failed to achieve a goal that you have set forth for yourself. To dream that you are free-falling through water indicates that you are feeling overwhelmed with emotions. You may feel that it is easier to give up, then to try to stay afloat or prevent yourself from going under. To dream of the fall season indicates that something is about to come to an end and something new will begin. Alternatively, the dream is symbolic of the cycle of life. It is time to collect the benefits and rewards that you've worked so hard for.

Friends: Dreaming of a person you haven't seen or thought of in years may be a "time and place" message. If a friend from school is in your dream, perhaps a lesson, behaviour or experience from that period in your life has some meaning in the issues you are currently confronting in your waking life. Work out what that friend represents to you. Describe them in three words. If your friend is carefree, a risk taker and fun, ask yourself if these traits have appeared in your life in the past few days or if you could have benefited from incorporating them. Our relationships with our friends help us to learn more about ourselves and this also applies to their presence in our dreams.

Nachos: To make or eat nachos in your dream signifies your need for more leisurely pursuits. You need to take some time out.

Nail Polish: To polish your nails in your dream suggests that you need to put more focus onto what you are doing and what you are trying to accomplish. To dream that you are changing your nail polish color represents your creativeness or emotional nature. Look up the color of the nail polish for additional significance. In particular, to see blue, green black, purple or other non-traditional nail polish color in your dream represents your free spirit. You like to express yourself in unique ways. If you see clear nail polish in your dream, then it signifies your objectiveness in a situation.

Pogo Stick: To see or play with a pogo stick in your dream represents life's ups and downs. If you do not have control of your pogo stick, then it indicates that you are all over the place in your emotions and thinking. You need to focus and zero in on one issue at a time. Alternatively, being on a pogo stick may be analogous to sex.

Recurring dreams: Recurring dreams refer to any dream or dream theme that repeats itself. Such dreams are common and tend to take on the form of nightmares, so are highly memorable for the dreamer. In reality, many recurring dreams are not as similar as the dreamer often thinks. What is similar is the theme, and the subsequent feeling attached to the theme. For instance, a repetitive dream about being chased will often involve different pursuers and will happen in different environments.The theme that persists is the experience of being chased, indicating perhaps that the dreamer is repeatedly avoiding something. The dream tends to repeat because the issue in the dreamer's waking life is continuing or unresolved. Once the dreamer approaches this issue in a new way in their waking life, the dream may stop.

Sex: Sigmund Freud believed all dreams were sexual. Freud was a pioneer in the dream field and brought much to dream analysis, however his views on the sexual basis of all dreams were not always widely supported. In contrast, Carl Jung, an equally important contributor to the dream field, felt that sexual dreams represented the dreamer’s desire to balance their masculine and feminine selves. In recent years we have come to see that dreams offer the dreamer a safe place to play out sexual fantasies, express love, feel intimate and have fun. How you feel about the sex in your dream may give you insight into your sexual feelings in your waking life. If you dream about having sex with someone it may mean you desire them in waking life. However, it can also mean you simply admire some of this person’s qualities and you want to connect with these qualities. It is important not to feel guilty or ashamed of sexy dreams. Like all dreams, they are rich in symbolism, so enjoy them!

Trapped: People who have dreams about being trapped may feel stuck in their waking life and can't envisage a way out of the situation. They may be stuck in a job they dislike or they may feel trapped in a relationship that is no longer satisfying. Dreams about traps can also involve the dreamer setting their own elaborate traps. If you find yourself setting a trap in a dream, ask yourself what you are trying to hold on to - is it a job, a boyfriend or maybe a belief?

Waiting Room: To dream that you are in a waiting room symbolizes your patience. You have an ability to remain calm, even during a crisis.

Work: As work plays an important role in our adult lives it frequently features in our dreams. Dreams about work are often about our sense of responsibility and duty. If the photocopier keeps jamming in your dream, it may be you are in a bit of a "jam" at work. If you dream your colleague is sitting behind your desk, maybe you are feeling anxious about your job security. Alternatively, work dreams may not be about work at all, but a message from your dream world that you have something you need to work on in the real world. For instance, if you dream that your wife or husband is at your place of work, perhaps you have some relationship issues that require your attention.

Zoo: To dream that you are at a zoo symbolizes loss of freedom. Alternatively, a zoo suggests that your abilities and talents are going unnoticed. You or an aspect of your life feels caged in. The zoo may also represent chaos and confusion as implied by the common phrase "this place is a zoo!" You may need to tidy up some situation in your life.

Pretty interesting, eh? I never would have thought that dreaming about nail polish could be so "deep." It's pretty cool to look into the meaning of your dreams & I definitely suggest looking at these sites!

1.) http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/sex+relationships/wellbeing/what+do+your+dreams+meanr,11597
2.) http://www.dreammoods.com/

I'm pretty sure they have an interpretation for anything your could possibly dream of. Ha. Get it?

Have you had any strange dreams lately? What do you think they mean? Does the "interpretation" have any real relevance to your life?