Interpret a Dream Involving the Color Red

The vast majority of people dream in color. If you've had a strange or recurring dream about the color red, you may be curious as to what it means. By keeping track of your dreams and considering your personal connections to the symbols, you can figure out the meaning of your dream. Keep in mind that there are no universal meanings behind colors in dreams. Dreams are highly personal and what red means to you depends on your personality and experiences.

Steps

Recording Your Dreams

1. Keep a dream diary. If you want to figure out what a particular dream means, you should keep a dream diary. Recording your dreams on a daily basis can help you remember details that are key to proper interpretation.
   • Try to write down your dreams first thing in the morning. People tend to forget dreams quickly as the day goes on. Have a pen and notebook near your bed so you can record your dreams as soon as possible in the morning.
   • Write down as many details as possible. Where were in the dream? Were you yourself or a character or person? Where did red show up in your dream? What other colors were present besides red?
2. Identify your feelings. When it comes to dream interpretation, feelings are just as important as details. When you're recording your dreams, try to keep track of how you felt during the dream.
   • Many psychiatrists and psychologists who study dreams believe the feelings experienced during give clues to its meaning. Try to remember how you felt during the dream. If red played a particularly large role, pay close attention to how you felt in the presence of red.
   • Were you sad in the dream? Happy? Remorseful? Frightened? Dreams can provoke a variety of feelings. You may even experience contradictory feelings during the course of a dream. Try to be as detailed as possible when transcribing your feelings during a dream.
3. Ask questions. Even a mundane dream can give you insight into your personal life. When recording your dreams, question every detail.
   • Say you dream you were sitting in a red tent petting a cat. Were you otherwise alone in the tent? Was the cat just a random cat or a friend's cat, your cat, a cat you had in childhood? What associations do you have with cats? Do cats remind you of any friends or family members? Do tents and camping have any particular associations?
   • Dream interpretation requires a lot of self-questioning. Push yourself to pause and ask questions about every detail of your dream.
4. Pay attention to recurring thoughts in day-to-day life. Dreams provide insight into your thoughts and feelings. Your dreams may be an expression of how you feel, unconsciously, about a certain aspect of your day-to-day life. If you've been having recurring thoughts about, say, your job, your dream may be a reflection of this.

Interpreting Your Dream

1. Consider your relationship with the color red. When it comes to dream interpretation, you are the expert. While some people propose that certain images are universal, most psychiatrists feel your personal connection with a color is more important than what that color symbolizes on a winder scale. When you think of red, what do you think of?
2. Learn some common associations with the color red. While your personal connection is the most important, it can help to at least familiarize yourself with some theory on color and dreams. In dreams, red has sometimes been said to symbolize intense feelings. People also tend to associate red with increased activity and intense emotions like anger, passion, determination, and general excitement. Physically, red has a stimulating effect on blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration.
3. Allow yourself to be the expert. Learn to trust yourself. You are the expert in regards to your unconscious mind. As dreams are heavily based in personal associations, memories, and relationships, you're the best judge of what symbols in your dreams mean. Do not rely too heavily on outside opinions and research. Allow yourself to interpret the dream based on your own feelings and experiences.
4. Consider all factors of the dream. Once you've gone through and recorded the dream and your feelings, put it all together. Considering all factors, what do you think the dream means?
   • Let's return to the tent example. For the sake of this example, you're a middle-aged divorced man. Say, in this dream, you felt at peace. The cat you were petting was a cat you had in childhood that died. You used to camp in your backyard as a young boy, sometimes with other children and sometimes alone. Lately, you've been having recurring thoughts about aging. You just turned 40 and are becoming more aware of how quickly time passes. You associate red with your wedding day, as the bridesmaids wore red dresses.
   • Perhaps the red tent dream points to the fact you're missing better times. You may feel you're past your peak in life and long to return to a time of promise and potential. The red in the dream points to your wedding, a time of new beginnings and hope. The dream may be a sign you need to acknowledge and deal with your feelings of depression and regret.

Understanding the Drawbacks

1. Understand there is little science in dream interpretation. While dream interpretation is a popular form of pop psychology, there is very little research behind it. Keep this in mind when interpreting your dreams.
   • Freud's theories on dreams have been widely discredited and most modern psychiatrists and therapists take dreams with a grain of salt.
   • While your dreams may point to inner desires and feelings, keep in mind there is much we do not know about dreams. Scientists are still unsure what purpose dreams serve.
   • Despite this, most psychiatrists and doctors agree dreams do hold some meaning. It might not be a bad idea to consider the meaning of strange and recurring dreams. However, be skeptical of any interpretations as the dream code has yet to be cracked.
2. Avoid dream dictionaries. Dream dictionaries offer theories on universal meanings in dream symbolism. However, your personal connection to a color or symbol is vastly more important than externally prescribed meanings. Not to mention many dream dictionaries are based on shoddy research. You're better off considering your own thoughts and feelings than consulting a dream dictionary.
3. Talk to a therapist about troubling dreams. If you have a recurring dream that's preventing you from getting quality sleep, talk to a therapist. Recurring disturbing dreams can be a symptom of many psychiatric disorders.

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Sources and Citations

See also

• Interpret a Dream Involving Fruit Trees
• Lucid Dream in One Night
• Interpret Dreams from a Biblical Perspective
• Interpret a Dream Involving Water
• Interpret a Dream Involving Seals
• Interpret a Dream Involving Cats
• Interpret Your Dreams
• Interpret a Dream Involving Dolls
• Interpret a Dream Involving Journeys
• Predict the Future by Interpreting Your Dreams

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