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Dream interpretation can be complicated. Usually, the most important meaning of a dream is the meaning that's important to you as an individual. You should consider your feelings in the dream, current struggles and concerns, and your personal connection with seals. However, images often contain larger, cultural meaning. Think about what seals mean symbolically, and consider whether their symbolic meaning is relevant to your life.
Steps
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Write down all the details. If you want to interpret a dream, you need to record the details. This will help you look at the dream objectively to find meaning. As soon as you wake up, jot down as much as you can remember. [1] X Research source
- Keep a journal by your bed. Many people find they forget details of dreams shortly after waking up.
- Jot down everything you remember. Track specifics, like colors, shapes, sounds, words, and so on. The more detailed of a description you leave, the easier it will be to interpret the dream's meaning.
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Record your feelings. The biggest key to interpreting a dream is considering your own feelings. Dreams are highly personal. How you respond to the symbols in dreams says a lot about what those symbols mean for you on a personal level. If you're dreaming about seals, record your feelings in these dreams. How do the seals make you feel? [2] X Research source
- Think about how you're feeling upon waking up. Do you feel peaceful and rested? Or do you feel anxious and unhappy?
- If you're fixated on the seals, think about them specifically. How did you feel when the seals entered your dreams? Were they frightening and ominous or were they friendly? Did they put you at ease, or make you nervous?
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Identify your thoughts. Try to get in touch with your dream self. As you remember and record the dream, try to remember any specific thoughts you had during the dream. These can be major clues when it comes to interpreting the dream. [3] X Research source
- Do you remember having any thoughts in the dream? For example, say you were being chased by the seals. Did you think anything like, "I'm not going to make it" or "They're going to attack me"?
- Try to connect these thoughts to thoughts you have throughout the day. Dreams are often a reflection of your current situation or struggles. Think about any moments during the day in which you had similar thoughts to those in your dream. You may realize the seals represent something from your actual life.
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Think about your personal role in the dream. Oftentimes, we are not ourselves in our dreams. You also may find that you're playing a role you would not normally play in life. For example, you may be aggressive in your dream while you tend to be non-confrontational in real life. Think about the role you play, and how it makes you feel. [4] X Research source
- Think about how you felt about the role you played in your dream. This can potentially tell you something about the dream's meaning.
- Say you were a hero in the dream. Think about how that felt. Maybe your dream was a form of wish fulfilment. Do you sometimes wish you could be more heroic in real life?
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Consider the potential symbolism of seals. Most symbolism in dreams is highly personal. However, no one is completely unaware of culture and the cultural meanings or associations that are often attached to images. Think about any potential meanings or metaphors regarding seals.
- There is a certain duality in seals that can be symbolic. While seals live in the ocean, they can also come up on land. A seal in a dream may suggest confusion regarding one's place in the world.
- Seals are excellent swimmers and able to navigate water. A seal in a dream may have something to do with the ability to go with the flow of life. If you've felt overwhelmed recently, a seal in your dream can be representative of a longing for more control.
- Seals are marine mammals. Water can represent many different things. Calm, still water can represent reflection and inner peace. Stormy water, however, can indicate personal conflict.
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Look at your personal struggles. If you want to know what a dream means, you have to look at your current life. When you dream about seals, they may be representative of something you are struggling with personally. Dreams can sometimes even direct answers to your personal struggles. [5] X Research source
- Think about what's been on your mind lately. Have you been feeling overwhelmed by something at work or a personal relationship? Have you been struggling to make a big decision?
- Your dream may be telling you something. If you're, say, torn between two career paths, your dream may be pointing you in a certain direction. If you've been feeling negative about yourself, your dream may be trying help you figure out how and where to change. Be open to letting your dream guide you as you identify any underlying concerns in your life.
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Evaluate your personal connection to seals. Whiles symbols in dreams can certainly be affected by culture, symbols are often highly personal. When it comes to your dream's meaning, you're the expert. If you've been dreaming of seals, think about your own personal feelings regarding seals. This can tell you a lot about what the dream may mean. [6] X Research source
- Have seals ever had a large importance in your life? Do you have any particularly strong memories of seals?
- For example, maybe seals were your favourite animal when you were a child. One of your earliest childhood memories might be of your father taking you to see the seals at the zoo. This could potentially be significant. The dream could be about your father, or your childhood.
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Avoid dream dictionaries. Dream dictionaries tend to give general answers that are not applicable to everyone. Answers also tend to vary greatly between dictionaries. Just because a seal is a good luck omen for some does not mean that will ring true for you. Even with universal elements, different people have different associations. You're better off considering your own specific associations with seals than thumbing through a dream dictionary. [7] X Research source
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Question each image in your dream. Once you've examined all elements, try to put it all together. As you do so, push yourself to scrutinize each aspect of your dream. This will help you meticulously consider the potential meanings. [8] X Research source
- For example, you remember an image from the dream. You are swimming in the ocean with your best friend when a large herd of seals approach. The seals surround you, and your friend is nowhere to be found.
- Start asking questions. What did the seals look like? What kind of seals were they? What do seals normally represent to you? What does the beach normally represent to you? How did you feel when the seals approached? Were you concerned about where your friend went?
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Figure out what the seals mean in your specific dream. Try to figure out what the seals in your dream meant. After you've answered a variety of questions regarding the dream, think about what meaning these answers point towards. [9] X Research source
- Again, think about what seals mean to you traditionally. For example, seals were your favorite animal as a child. Your father used to take you to the zoo to see seals when you were very young.
- You can apply this meaning to the example above as you consider the other symbols in the scene. Your best friend is a friend from college, a time in life when you left your childhood behind. You rarely went to the beach as a child, as you lived in an urban area. You felt happy when the seals surrounded you, and were not particularly worried about where your friend was.
- Childhood images in this scene made you feel at peace. This dream could potentially represent a longing to return to childhood. Maybe you miss something about your youth.
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Reflect on your feelings again. You need to return to your personal feelings in the present to see what the dream was trying to tell you. Remember, dreams can sometimes be a reflections of your current emotions. Again, think about what you've been going through lately. [10] X Research source
- Think about the feelings and thoughts you had in the dream. Have you had those same feelings and thoughts during real life recently? For example, maybe you felt the same sense of happiness earlier in the week when your brother called. The two of you reminisced about your childhood, and you left the conversation feeling relaxed.
- What else has been going on lately? Maybe you've felt distant from your family. You have started a new job, and you have not had as much time to keep in touch. You've felt very stressed and disconnected from others lately.
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Apply the interpretation to your current situation. Is there any decision you're trying to make or obstacle you're trying to overcome? Your dream may be nudging you in a particular direction. Stop and think about what's been going on with you and what the dream may be trying to tell you. [11] X Research source
- For example, maybe you're unsure if you want to remain in your current career path. You have a job lead closer to your family. The job pays less, but you've been considering pursuing the job anyway.
- Maybe your dream is encouraging you to seek work closer to home. You are being reminded that you value family, and that being close to your parents and siblings is important to you.
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Tips
- You may conjure up a seal to reflect the meaning of "sealing something", namely, to "close it" and be done with it. The appearance of the seal in a dream may mark a point of closure.Thanks
- In Scottish culture, there is a belief that seals can take human form, known as "selkies". If you're aware of that myth, seals in your dream may point to deceptiveness.Thanks
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about interpreting dreams, check out our in-depth interview with Samantha Fox, MS, LMFT .
References
- ↑ http://psychcentral.com/lib/how-to-analyze-your-dreams-and-why-its-important/
- ↑ http://psychcentral.com/lib/how-to-analyze-your-dreams-and-why-its-important/
- ↑ http://psychcentral.com/lib/how-to-analyze-your-dreams-and-why-its-important/
- ↑ http://psychcentral.com/lib/how-to-analyze-your-dreams-and-why-its-important/
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/is-psychology-making-us-sick/201401/three-keys-unlock-the-meaning-your-dreams
- ↑ http://psychcentral.com/lib/how-to-analyze-your-dreams-and-why-its-important/
- ↑ http://psychcentral.com/lib/how-to-analyze-your-dreams-and-why-its-important/
- ↑ http://psychcentral.com/lib/how-to-analyze-your-dreams-and-why-its-important/
- ↑ http://psychcentral.com/lib/how-to-analyze-your-dreams-and-why-its-important/
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