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DreamCracker ... turns any dream story into a simple Cipher Game

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How to Interpret a Dream in 4 Easy Steps

Got a dream you just can't figure out?

Make it confess its deepest secrets in just 4 easy steps. With DreamCracker.

A dream is nothing but a coded message -- a cipher -- a story told using symbols and actions.

And DreamCracker is a simple Cipher Game that unlocks the meaning of the coded message.

So wake up the Gumshoe (detective) inside you. Follow the clues. And solve the mystery of your dream story. Using the 4 easy steps below.

RULES
Number of Players: 1 or more
Materials: paper, pen/pencil
Beginning Time Limit: 12 minutes
Target Time Limit: 1 minute or less
Degree of Challenge: Level 1 - Probie

UPDATED: April 24, 2012

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Easy Dream Interpretation at a Glance


My examples use storylines
from movies and TV shows. Here's why.

Dream Interpretation Background File

I love mystery stories. And I tend to view life as a series of mysteries. Whether it's pondering simple questions about Where's the best place to eat? and What should I do this weekend? Or deeper stuff like Why am I here? and How can I make a difference?

So when I had a dream I couldn't forget, I had to know ...What's it mean? What's it trying to tell me?

Is it trying to warn me? Inspire me? Help me make a life-changing decision?

For all I knew, it could have been telling me about the next great business opportunity !

To find out, I created DreamCracker based on a dream interpretation technique someone showed me a few years ago.

It's just 4 simple steps. And with a little practice, you can probably start doing dream ciphers in your head. Like a real-life Sherlock Holmes.

PHOTO -- Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes, the name that has come to mean "the master detective".

Dream Interpretation Role-Play

Before we begin, you'll probably have more fun -- and success -- if you create an Avatar for yourself.

If you're not familiar with the term, an Avatar is some text and/or an image that represents you. The Avatar should be something that symbolizes...
  • your Authentic Self
  • your vision of the ideal you
  • who you are when you express yourself fully, honestly and completely
I chose theGumshoe.

Pick an Avatar that empowers you. Take on the best qualities of your Avatar. And during this game, act as your Avatar would act.

Why Bother Selecting an Avatar?


Let's get started.

PHOTO: Emily Deschanel as forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan in the FOX-TV show Bones


“Every dream is
a personal message
crafted specifically to
guide & protect you.”

Dream Interpretation Poll #1

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Dream Interpretation Step 1 - Sum Up

No matter how long or complicated the dream, keep it simple to start. I've learned...

...it's better to understand one big idea...
...than drown in too many details.


Step 1 -- Write a very, very brief summary of the dream storyline in your own words.

Focus on ONLY the main character, the Hero.

Use short, simple sentences.

Keep the summary around 20 words or less. Like a thumbnail description of a TV show listed in a programming guide.

Add 1 or 2 words to describe any feeling that may have accompanied the dream ... joy, sadness, anger, calm, love, fear, peace, confidence, etc.


To see how this works, let's look at a familiar storyline ... J.K. Rowling's first blockbuster book -- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It's a storyline I might dream when I'm getting ready to make a potentially life-changing decision.

Here's how I might summarize the plot of the story.

A boy gets an invitation to go to a school for wizards. And learns he has magical powers.

feeling: powerful

How would you write the summary?


Trailer for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

powered by Youtube

Dream Interpretation Step 2 - Define

Step 2 -- Put together a list of the words from the summary that you want to define. Make up your own definition for each word/phrase on the list.

Focus on defining nouns: people, places and things.

Make up definitions independent of the dream storyline -- that is...generic definitions that can be used with any storyline.

Keep the definitions simple and short.

Use words with only 1 or 2 syllables, whenever possible. Always ask yourself: how would I create this definition for a 5-year-old child?

Stay flexible. You can add or remove words from the list as you go along. You can also tweak any definition over and over until it feels right.


Continuing with the Harry Potter example, here's the definitions I came up with...

  • boy -- naive, untrained male

  • invitation -- an opportunity

  • school -- a place to learn, grow and develop under the guidance of experts

  • wizards -- special people who choose to master magical powers

  • magical powers -- the ability to use time, space & matter to do things that most other people cannot do

How would you define these words and phrases?


Don't get too hung up on getting dictionary-perfect definitions. These are YOUR definitions. They reflect what you know, feel, believe and want right now. The definitions can be anything you say they should be.

PHOTO: Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter

Dream Interpretation Step 3 - Swap

Step 3 -- Reread the story summary using the new definitions.

Feel free to play with the text to make it easier to read and understand.


First take (simple swap):

A naive, untrained young male gets the opportunity to go to a place to learn, grow and develop under the guidance of experts. This place is for people who choose to master magical powers. The boy learns he has the ability to use time, space & matter to do things that most other people cannot do.


Rearrange the sentences to make the summary easier to read and understand:

A naive, untrained young male gets the opportunity to go to a place where experts help special people learn how to master their ability to use time, space & matter to do things that most other people cannot do. The boy learns he is one of these special people, who can develop his magical powers.

This story makes me feel powerful.


How do your definitions change my summary?


See My Cipher Solution below.

Sorcerer's Stone Books & DVD
I donate 100% of the Amazon.com referral earnings to charity.


J.K. Rowling packed the Harry Potter books with rich symbolism and timeless wisdom. To learn more, check out these books.

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Dream Interpretation Step 4 - the Cipher Solution

Pulling the hidden message out of a dream is really more Art than Science. Any successful detective will tell you it's about gut feeling, instinct & intuition combined with practical experience. "Does it feel right?" Or is something not adding up?

If this Harry Potter story was the storyline of one of my dreams, the young man would be me getting ready to make a potentially life-changing decision (as I mentioned previously). The interpretation would go something like this...

  • I'm at a turning point in my life, starting out again as a naive, untrained young man.

  • I have the ability to do things that seem magical, because most other people cannot do them as well or at all.

  • And I have the opportunity to learn, grow and develop these powers under the guidance of experts.

  • This story makes me feel powerful.

So in this case, the dream is trying to make sure I don't miss this big opportunity. It's emphasizing exactly how important and life-changing this decision could be.

Dream Interpretation Poll #2

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Dream Interpretation Storylines

What's YOUR favorite movie or TV show?

Here's a few suggestions. With short summaries from IMDB.com all ready to go.

See how you might interpret these storylines, if they showed up as one of your dreams.

At the very least, you might discover the REAL reason(s) why you always liked a particular movie or TV show.

Great Movies Rich with Meaning


You can add your favorite show. And vote any entries up or down.

1

Vote Up
Vote Down

Groundhog Day (1993) - IMDb

A weatherman finds himself living the same day ove more...2 points

2

Vote Up
Vote Down

Avatar (2009) - IMDb

A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora more...2 points

3

Vote Up
Vote Down

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) - IMDb

After an encounter with UFOs, a line worker feels more...1 point

4

Vote Up
Vote Down

Twilight (2008) - IMDb

A teenage girl risks everything when she falls in more...0 points

5

Vote Up
Vote Down

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - IMDb

A group of Earth children help a stranded alien bo more...0 points

“Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions -- Edgar Cayce”

Dream Interpretation Gift Shop

Certainly, no one NEEDS a leather journal. Or fancy pen. Or anything expensive to do the DreamCracker Cipher Game. A couple sheets of paper and BIC pen get it done.

However, some people like using dedicated, high-quality accessories, because it adds another dimension to the game.

If you choose to take DreamCracker to another level, here's a few suggestions to consider.


Luxury Accessories from Amazon.com
I donate 100% of the referral earnings to charity.

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Dream Interpretation Community

Got any DreamCracker insights, hints, tips that coule be helpful to the rest of us?

Feel free to share them here. Thanks.

  • All comments reviewed prior to posting.
  • Anonymous comments not accepted.

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A Few Closing Words...

The content on this page is not intended as a substitute for a session with a counselor, therapist or any other licensed professional.

I constructed this page for entertainment purposes only. Read more.

(c) 2009-2012 R.A.Carr. All rights reserved.

by

theGumshoe

I love mystery stories - TV shows, movies, novels. So I put together some Games to solve the mysteries of my everyday life. Hope you enjoy them.
- th... more »

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