A dictionary of parapsychology. Please note that words in grey are hyperlinked to a corresponding archive with articles related to that particular topic.

Relatives

Relatives are powerful features of both the waking and dreaming worlds. As a consequence, interpreting dreams of relatives is a complex task. There are hundreds of different possible interpretations that originate within the world of the dreamer as well as from classical psychology.

The reason dreams of family are so prevalent is that everyone has a desire to know what "normal" is, and then act that way in the world. Countless times, clients will come to therapy complaining, "I just want a normal family," or "I just want a normal marriage." The definition of this idea comes from our relatives and how well they fit into or detract from our idea of normalcy.

Dreams of family may affirm or undermine "normal" feelings about ourselves. Extended family relations are very significant in developing the family lore and ritual. As you mature and reflect critically on normalcy in your understanding of it, these rituals either affirm or work against the norms of your perspective. Who does what, why and when is often determined by influences in the extended family. The result is that we construct a family story that defines who we are in our family and what our family means in the world around us.

Relative dreams of this type lend themselves to archetypal interpretations that offer insight into how the dreamer sees him or herself in relation to the larger human community represented by the relatives. To interpret dreams of this kind, discern which relatives were in the dream and whether they are still living or dead in waking life. Often, relatives who have passed away are alive in our dreams. Usually, one of two circumstances exist. Either the activity in the dream reminds you of a ritual aspect of the relationship with this relative, or your relationship with the relative is incomplete.

Dreams about relatives are often recurring. These can have both prophetic or historic meaning. This is especially true in cases where the central characters are relatives with whom there is either emotional tension or uncertainty concerning their health. If there is emotional tension, the dream may be identifying the source of the tension to create an opportunity to resolve it. If there are particular relatives with precarious health, the dreams may resolve, or warn of, impending deaths in the family.

The place and occasion for the relatives' appearance in the dream are important to the interpretation of it. For example, if only the women in your family appear with you in a dream of an activity that they have historically participated in together, you may see yourself as joining with the family in new ways. There are numerous variations on this dream:

1. Not wanting to join the activity (ambivalence about traditional expectations).

2. Joining a group of exclusively opposite-gendered family members (confusion about fitting into the family on your terms).

3. Joining a group of family members with something unique in common; i.e., all bald, all with cancer, all widowed, all single, etc. (identifying with or having concern over ending up like others whom you pity).

While family members are powerful dream icons, their meaning can be quite diverse. Often, free association is the key to discerning their impact on your dreams and the meaning of that influence.

Individual family members, especially fathers and mothers (or representations of them) are often prominent in dreams. For better or for worse, they are primary influences in the shaping of our personalities. This includes how we respond to our environmental stimuli, as well as how we value ourselves and our inner nature. Consequently, another significant aspect of relative dreams is what these dreams show about how our individual ego development and personality strength have been influenced by individual relatives, for good or ill.

Personality strengths and weaknesses often express themselves in alternating generations. For example, in one generation, the father is relentless in expressing anger. In the next generation, anger becomes taboo and inexpressible. In this way, dreams of the individual parent often have a compensatory effect.

Often you will have a dream that includes a particular family member in a very unusual situation for that person (for example: scuba diving with Grandma). Often in this type of dream there will be plenty of other symbols and images that point to the true meaning of the dream.

Source: iVillage, http://www.ivillage.co.uk

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Relatives , Meaning of Dreams about Relatives , Dream Interpretation Relatives )

A Dream Dictionary including dreams about:

Cholera, Christ , Christmas Tree, Chrysanthemum, Church, Churchyard, Churning, Cider, Cipher, Circle, Cistern , City, City Council, City Hall, Clairvoyance, Clams, Claret, Claret Cup and Punch, Clarionet, Clay , Clergyman , Climbing, Clock

For more dream interpretation, see: Dream Dictionary

For more about dreams, see: Dreams.

Necromancer [134]

To dream of a necromancer and his arts, denotes that you are threatened with strange acquaintances who will influence you for evil.

[134] See also: Meaning of Dreams about Hypnotist.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Necromancer , Meaning of Dreams about Necromancer , Dream Interpretation Necromancer )

Dream FAQ Dictionary: Is it possible to control dreams?

Is it possible to control dreams?

You often can influence your dreams by giving yourself pre-sleep suggestions. Another method of influencing dreams is called lucid dreaming, in which you are aware you are dreaming while still asleep and in the dream. Sometimes people experience this type of dreaming spontaneously. It is often possible to learn how to increase lucid dreaming, and thereby increase your capacity to affect the course of the dream events as they unfold. Some things are easier than others to control, and indeed complete control is probably never possible. Some professional dream workers question the advisability of trying to control the dream, and encourage learning to enjoy and understand it instead.

Courtesy to: http://www.asdreams.org

(See also: Dream Control , Dream Interpretation FAQ, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Meaning of Dreams)

Dream Interpretation including the meaning of dreams about: Dagger, Dahlia, Dairy, Daisy, Damask Rose, Damson, Dance, Dancing Master, Dandelion, Danger, Dark, Dates, Daughter, Daughter-in-law, David, Day, Daybreak, Dead, Death, Debt, December, Deck, Decorate, Deed, Deer, Delay,

Dream Dictionary Index including links to 10.000 dream interpretations: Dream Dictionary Index

For more dream interpretation, see: Meaning of Dreams or Dream Dictionary

For articles about dreams, see: Dreams

Read more here: » Dream Interpretation: Dream Interpretation from; Dagger to Dead / Death

Cross-bones

• To dream of cross-bones, foretells you will be troubled by the evil influence of others, and prosperity will assume other than promising aspects.
• To see cross-bones as a monogram on an invitation to a funeral, which was sent out by a secret order, denotes that unnecessary fears will be entertained for some person, and events will transpire seemingly harsh, but of good import to the dreamer.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Cross-bones , Dreams - Meaning of Dream about Cross-bones , Dream Interpretation Cross-bones )

Bosom

• For a young woman to dream that her bosom is wounded, foretells that some affliction is threatening her.
• To see it soiled or shrunken, she will have a great disappointment in love and many rivals will vex her. If it is white and full she is soon to be possessed of fortune. If her lover is slyly observing it through her sheer corsage, she is about to come under the soft persuasive influence of a too ardent wooer.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Bosom , Dreams - Meaning of Dream about Bosom , Dream Interpretation Bosom )

Lamb [108]

• To dream of lambs frolicing{sic} in green pastures, betokens chaste friendships and joys. Bounteous and profitable crops to the farmers, and increase of possessions for others.
• To see a dead lamb, signifies sadness and desolation.
• Blood showing on the white fleece of a lamb, denotes that innocent ones will suffer from betrayal through the wrong doing of others.
• A lost lamb, denotes that wayward people will be under your influence, and you should be careful of your conduct.
• To see lamb skins, denotes comfort and pleasure usurped from others.
• To slaughter a lamb for domestic uses, prosperity will be gained through the sacrifice of pleasure and contentment.
• To eat lamb chops, denotes illness, and much anxiety over the welfare of children.
• To see lambs taking nourishment from their mothers, denotes happiness through pleasant and intelligent home companions, and many lovable and beautiful children.
• To dream that dogs, or wolves devour lambs, innocent people will suffer at the hands of insinuating and designing villains.
• To hear the bleating of lambs, your generosity will be appealed to.
• To see them in a winter storm, or rain, denotes disappointment in expected enjoyment and betterment of fortune.
• To own lambs in your dreams, signifies that your environments will be pleasant and profitable.
• If you carry lambs in your arms, you will be encumbered with happy cares upon which you will lavish a wealth of devotion, and no expense will be regretted in responding to appeals from the objects of your affection.
• To shear lambs, shows that you will be cold and mercenary. You will be honest, but inhumane.
• For a woman to dream that she is peeling the skin from a lamb, and while doing so, she discovers that it is her child, denotes that she will cause others sorrow which will also rebound to her grief and loss.
• "Fair prototype of innocence, Sleep upon thy emerald bed, No coming evil vents A shade above thy head.''
• [108] See also: Meaning of Dreams about Sheep.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Lamb , Meaning of Dreams about Lamb , Dream Interpretation Lamb )

Dream FAQ Dictionary: How can I tell actual paranormal experiences from self-delusion?

How can I tell actual paranormal experiences from self-delusion?

A. If you plan to prove actual paranormal experiences, most importantis that you are honest towards yourself. All efforts to match dreamsagainst real occurrences are moot if they are reported after the fact,since then it can't be proven any more that you actually dreamed this,and are vulnerable to the argument that the recall of the dream isjust a self-delusion. So the most important thing is to write down allof your dreams immediately. Make sure that no obvious external sourcesof information have had influence on your dreams (i.e. don't sleepwith the radio on if you want to match dreams against news items.)Don't interpret too much into your dreams in the moment you write themdown, log only what you really remember. When matching the dream logagainst other things use only the log, not anything you think youwould remember from that particular dream. Remember that recall of adream gets worse with the time, not better. If you want to documentshared dream experiences, all people involved should follow thesestrict standards. (Cf. question 7.3.) Refer to the sci.skeptic FAQ forobvious traps you should not get caught in.

Source: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/dreams-faq

(See also: Paranormal experiences , Dream Interpretation FAQ, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Meaning of Dreams)

Legs

• If you dream of admiring well-shaped feminine legs, you will lose your judgment, and act very silly over some fair charmer.
• To see misshapen legs, denotes unprofitable occupations and ill-tempered comrades.
• A wounded leg, foretells losses and agonizing attacks of malaria.
• To dream that you have a wooden leg, denotes that you will bemean yourself in a false way to your friends.
• If ulcers are on your legs, it signifies a drain on your income to aid others.
• To dream that you have three, or more, legs, indicates that more enterprises are planned in your imagination than will ever benefit you.
• If you can't use your legs, it portends poverty.
• To have a leg amputated, you will lose valued friends, and the home influence will render life unbearable.
• For a young woman to admire her own legs, denotes vanity, and she will be repulsed by the man she admires. If she has hairy legs, she will dominate her husband.
• If your own legs are clean and well shaped, it denotes a happy future and devoted friends.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Legs , Meaning of Dreams about Legs , Dream Interpretation Legs )

A dictionary of Parapsycology. Please note that words in grey are hyperlinked to a corresponding archive with articles related to that particular topic.

A Theosophical definition of Avalokitesvara :

Avalokitesvara

(Sanskrit) A compound word: avalokita, "perceived," "seen"; Isvara, "lord"; hence "the Lord who is perceived or cognized," i.e., the spiritual entity, whether in the kosmos or in the human being, whose influence is perceived and felt; the higher self.

This is a term commonly employed in Buddhism, and concerning which a number of intricate and not easily understood teachings exist. The esoteric or occult interpretation, however, sees in Avalokitesvara what Occidental philosophy calls the Third Logos, both celestial and human. In the solar system it is the Third Logos thereof; and in the human being it is the higher self, a direct and active ray of the divine monad.

Technically Avalokitesvara is the dhyani-bodhisattva of Amitabha-Buddha  - Amitabha-Buddha is the kosmic divine monad of which the dhyani-bodhisattva is the individualized spiritual ray, and of this latter again the manushya-buddha or human buddha is a ray or offspring.

See also: Avalokitesvara , Mysticism, Body Mind and Soul

Gauze

• To dream of being dressed in gauze, denotes uncertain fortune. For a lover to see his sweetheart clothed in filmy material, suggests his ability to influence her for good.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Gauze , Meaning of Dreams about Gauze , Dream Interpretation Gauze )

Birds : Dream Interpretation Dictionary - Various Bird Symbology:

Various Bird Symbology:

White Dove: well known symbol of peace; a symbol of the Holy Spirit descending on Christ, as depicted in many artistic works.  A pair of white doves is a common symbol of love and devotion.

Mourning Dove:  commonly thought of as a potential symbol of upcoming death to someone you know, but only if it is seen in unusual circumstances and not just eating at the bird feeder or sitting on a telephone line.

Eagle: Among the 7 mortal sins, depicts pride; among the 4 cardinal virtues, justice.  Symbol of John the Evangelist, depicting spiritual cognition, faith, healing and ascension.  Similar powerful symbol of the Great Spirit to the American Indians, who use it's feathers in many ceremonial dress & implements.

Goose: symbol of fidelity and loyalty.  Could also be a metaphor for

"being goosed" or "acting like a goose."

Ostrich:  closing eyes to unpleasant facts.  Just mentioning "Y2K" will make many ostriches out of you! <smile>  Also a symbol of meditation, since the Ostrich parent does not sit and hatch it's eggs, but lets the sun do it's work while it guards them vigilantly.

Owl: wisdom, as portrayed in so many children's stories and cartoons.

Peacock:  pride, vanity and showing off due to the male's proud strut; but the male does this as part of his mating ritual to get the attention of the female, so I would apply this as such.  It is used to symbolize the American CBS network, and a metaphor could be "showing your true colors."  The peacock also symbolizes joy in the afterlife.  True story:  my mother & I visited my grandmother's grave one afternoon to find a living, breathing peacock standing there staring at us.  When I found out that it symbolized "joy in the afterlife," you can imagine how special that was.   How often does one find a peacock standing on a grave?  Coincidence, my foot!

Nightingale:  symbolizes yearning and pain; in Christianity it

symbolizes the longing for heaven.

Raven: intelligence; oftentimes depicting things we really prefer not to hear.

Stork:  instantly recognizable in our culture as a symbol that a baby has been delivered or is due, possibly due to the young stork's habit of gratefully feeding it's parents when it becomes a fledgling; or due to the stork's return after winter migration, when nature begins anew.

Swan: transformation, as in from "ugly duckling" into a beautiful swan.  Also symbolizes loyalty and fidelity.

Turkey:  Is any American unfamiliar with the symbology of "Turkey Day?"  Also referred to as a metaphor often used to describe something as being silly, or an embarrassing failure or dud.

Vulture: impending death, or a metaphor for waiting to take advantage of someone in dire trouble, as in "the vultures are circling."

Egg: symbolizes primal beginnings from which all life springs forth;

also in Christianity this is a symbol of resurrection (ever wonder where the thought of Easter Eggs came from?), as in Christ breaking out of his tomb similar to a chick breaking free from it's egg.  Could also have metaphorical influence, such as the age-old question, "Which came first--the chicken or the egg?"  In this manner it could be saying, "Some questions can never be answered by mere humans, so quit agonizing over a problem without solutions and deal with what-is, as it is."

Other types of symbology involving birds:  metaphors such as

"bird-brain", "You eat like a bird", "birds of a feather flock

together," "that's for the birds", "A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the

bush", "feathered friends", etc.  Just apply the metaphor to the context of your dream to get the gist of what the symbology entails.  Also helpful is relating bird dream symbols to song lyrics.  Think of how many different songs mention birds in one way or another.

Courtesy to: http://www.readersdigest.ca

(See also: Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation Birds , Dream Dictionary Birds )

Cider

• To dream of cider, denotes fortune may be won by you if your time is not squandered upon material pleasure. To see people drinking it, you will be under the influence of unfaithful friends.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Cider , Dreams - Meaning of Dream about Cider , Dream Interpretation Cider )

Relatives

Relatives are powerful features of both the waking and dreaming worlds. As a consequence, interpreting dreams of relatives is a complex task. There are hundreds of different possible interpretations that originate within the world of the dreamer as well as from classical psychology.

The reason dreams of family are so prevalent is that everyone has a desire to know what "normal" is, and then act that way in the world. Countless times, clients will come to therapy complaining, "I just want a normal family," or "I just want a normal marriage." The definition of this idea comes from our relatives and how well they fit into or detract from our idea of normalcy.

Dreams of family may affirm or undermine "normal" feelings about ourselves. Extended family relations are very significant in developing the family lore and ritual. As you mature and reflect critically on normalcy in your understanding of it, these rituals either affirm or work against the norms of your perspective. Who does what, why and when is often determined by influences in the extended family. The result is that we construct a family story that defines who we are in our family and what our family means in the world around us.

Relative dreams of this type lend themselves to archetypal interpretations that offer insight into how the dreamer sees him or herself in relation to the larger human community represented by the relatives. To interpret dreams of this kind, discern which relatives were in the dream and whether they are still living or dead in waking life. Often, relatives who have passed away are alive in our dreams. Usually, one of two circumstances exist. Either the activity in the dream reminds you of a ritual aspect of the relationship with this relative, or your relationship with the relative is incomplete.

Dreams about relatives are often recurring. These can have both prophetic or historic meaning. This is especially true in cases where the central characters are relatives with whom there is either emotional tension or uncertainty concerning their health. If there is emotional tension, the dream may be identifying the source of the tension to create an opportunity to resolve it. If there are particular relatives with precarious health, the dreams may resolve, or warn of, impending deaths in the family.

The place and occasion for the relatives' appearance in the dream are important to the interpretation of it. For example, if only the women in your family appear with you in a dream of an activity that they have historically participated in together, you may see yourself as joining with the family in new ways. There are numerous variations on this dream:

1. Not wanting to join the activity (ambivalence about traditional expectations).

2. Joining a group of exclusively opposite-gendered family members (confusion about fitting into the family on your terms).

3. Joining a group of family members with something unique in common; i.e., all bald, all with cancer, all widowed, all single, etc. (identifying with or having concern over ending up like others whom you pity).

While family members are powerful dream icons, their meaning can be quite diverse. Often, free association is the key to discerning their impact on your dreams and the meaning of that influence.

Individual family members, especially fathers and mothers (or representations of them) are often prominent in dreams. For better or for worse, they are primary influences in the shaping of our personalities. This includes how we respond to our environmental stimuli, as well as how we value ourselves and our inner nature. Consequently, another significant aspect of relative dreams is what these dreams show about how our individual ego development and personality strength have been influenced by individual relatives, for good or ill.

Personality strengths and weaknesses often express themselves in alternating generations. For example, in one generation, the father is relentless in expressing anger. In the next generation, anger becomes taboo and inexpressible. In this way, dreams of the individual parent often have a compensatory effect.

Often you will have a dream that includes a particular family member in a very unusual situation for that person (for example: scuba diving with Grandma). Often in this type of dream there will be plenty of other symbols and images that point to the true meaning of the dream.

Source: iVillage, http://www.ivillage.co.uk

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Relatives , Meaning of Dreams about Relatives , Dream Interpretation Relatives )

Dream FAQ Dictionary: What are the various gadgets to help you in lucid dreaming?

What are the various gadgets to help you in lucid dreaming?

[by pryan@prairienet.org (Pamela Ryan)]

These descriptions are straight from the Lucidity Institute'snewsletter:DreamLink: Computerized mask provides a convenient state-testingprocedure and delivers light cues when you estimate you aredreaming. $195NovaDreamer: New computerized biofeedback mask provides a convenientstate-testing procedure and delivers light cues when you aredreaming. $245DreamLight: Computerized biofeedback device monitors your sleep anddelivers light and sound cues when you are dreaming. $1200

These devices are not a means for "automagically" getting you luciddreams. Rather they provide signs that help you recognize your dreamsby means of external influence. Using these dream-signs is still up toyourself and requires quite some amount of training.

Software to make your computer screen act as a flashlight: thehyperreal.com (not techno.stanford.edu any more) WWW/FTP server hasthis, among much other interesting stuff. I know of an MSDOS programcalled "flasher" which can be found there and another similar thingfor Linux that someone has promised to upload. Such programs canperhaps be used as a replacement for the less sophisticated sort ofeqipment as described above.

Source: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/dreams-faq

(See also: Lucid dreaming , Dream Interpretation FAQ, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Meaning of Dreams)

Dream FAQ Dictionary: Why do I keep dreaming the same thing over and over?

Why do I keep dreaming the same thing over and over?

A. Recurrent dreams are a sign of thoughts that occupy the dreamermuch, consciously or unconsciously. Such thoughts have influence onthe dreams and they are often remembered better than "random" dreamssince you somewhat know of their importance. Sometimes those dreamsare unpleasant, a sign or symbol of some conflict situation that youstill have to overcome. Ask yourself what the dream signifies -probably you can interpret it better than anybody else, since you arethe one who knows yourself best.

Of course, there are also nice recurring dreams. Some people buildtheir own dream world which they explore, meeting friends there etc.Some claim they are in fact entering a different world (cf. sections 4and 5), others attribute this to remembrances of old dreams creatingnew ones. At first, it's up to yourself to believe a reason oranother. For either one, probably the most important thing is that youagain - take these dreams as valuable for looking at yourself.

Source: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/dreams-faq

(See also: Reccuring Dreams , Dream Interpretation FAQ, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Meaning of Dreams)

A Dream Dictionary including dreams about:

Bantam, Baptism, Bar , Barber, Barefoot, Barley-field, Barmaid, Barn, Barometer , Barrel, Baseball, Basement, Basin, Basket, Bass Voice , Baste, Bath, Bathroom, Bats , Battle, Bay Tree, Bayonet, Beacon-light, Beads , Beans, Bear, Beard , Beat

For more dream interpretation, see: Dream Dictionary

For more about dreams, see: Dreams.

A Dream Dictionary including dreams about:

Cries, Criminal, Crippled , Crochet Work, Crockery, Crocodile, Cross, Cross Roads, Cross-bones, Croup, Crow, Crowd, Crown, Crucifix, Crucifixion , Cruelty, Crust, Crutches, Crying , Crystal, Cuckoo, Cucumber, Cunning, Cupboard , Curbstone

For more dream interpretation, see: Dream Dictionary

For more about dreams, see: Dreams.

Meaning of dream including the meaning of dreams about: Dagger, Dahlia, Dairy, Daisy, Damask Rose, Damson, Dance, Dancing Master, Dandelion, Danger, Dark, Dates, Daughter, Daughter-in-law, David, Day, Daybreak, Dead, Death, Debt, December, Deck, Decorate, Deed, Deer, Delay,

For more dream interpretation, see: Meaning of Dreams or Dream Dictionary

For articles about dreams, see: Dreams

Read more here: » Meaning of a Dream: Meaning of Dream from; Dagger to Dead / Death