What Books to Read?

Dear Peregrin,

Can you tell me what the most read books is on dream interpretation? I would like something simple, but descriptive, that i could read and decide for myself what my dreams mean. I have "10,000 dreams interpretated" by Pamela Ball, but I want something more descriptive but easy enough to read as I am new at this.

thanks,

Sunny

Good morning, Sunny.

I really don't know what the most read books would be. I personally have read many such books and find them all lacking. Those that are easy to understand are far too simplistic to be useful, and those with good information are all too often tedious.

So far, my favorite of this type of book is "A Dictionary Of Dream Symbols: With An Introduction To Dream Psychology" by Eric Ackroyd.

But I rarely refer to it. I would also put it in the "informative but advanced" category, but not as boring as some.

Freud had some good ideas in "The Interpretation of Dreams," but his student Carl Jung did a far better job in "The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious" - I think because he was more objective. Between the two, Jung is an easier read. Both, however, are deeply embedded in the language of psychology. Neither is a reference of the type you are looking for.

But, honestly, I can't think of how to accurately translate dreams without a working knowledge of human psychology. From what I've seen, the symbolism can differ greatly from one person to the next. I comment on this in an essay on my own method, it can be found in this blog.

If you're set on locating an easy-to-read dictionary, though, my advice would be to save your money and use internet references. You can do a google search and find dozens; here's one to start with.

I have read of one method of self-interpretation which can work. It involves remembering and listing each element in your dream. If there was a chair in your dream, you put that in your list. Then, one by one, concentrate upon each element in your list. Think about what it might be saying to you - and write this down on a separate list. When you're done, you should have something that makes some sense to you.

Good fortune, and pleasant dreams,

Peregrin