Hi,
I don't know much about dream interpretation, but I often find that my dreams reflect some aspect of something that happened that day. Can you think of anything similar that happened on the two days that you dreamt? You said there were real life events, could these have triggered the dreams?

Your question was "how do I get out repressed thoughts/experiences from the subconscious mind?" What I normally do is to try to remember the feeling that you are experiencing during the dream, and then to just sit with that feeling and see if any associated thoughts or memories arise.

Good luck and sweet dreams.

Originally Posted by rinkjustice

Hi everyone. A question: In the past few weeks I've had two dreams about water. The first dream was very salient. I was trapped in a car as it sank to the bottom of a filthy swamp. I tried to find an escape but couldn't and drowned (which is when I woke up).

What made the dream profound was some real-life events that seemed to correspond with the dream of me dying. I decided to investigate the meaning of the dream (something I never do) and checked a dream interpretation book. Apparently, water and drowning have to do with being overwhelmed and repressed experiences or feelings in the subconscious.

Anyway, last night I had another vivid dream. I'm in a movie threater and it's pouring rain outside. There is a flood. A big tsunami wave is expected to crash through the wall of the theater, right where the movie screen is. I sit in my seat and can hear and feel the awesome rumbling of the giant wave as it gets closer and closer.

So, the common thread of meaning with these dreams seems to be this: there is something in the subconscious mind that is repressed and may be distressing.

My question is: how do I get out repressed thoughts/experiences from the subconscious mind?

Addendum: I have frightening intrusive thoughts on a regular basis. Related to my OCD I guess. It's one reason I started meditating, although I don't know if it's related to this question.

When I was taking medication for my depression and anxiety, I had really vivid dreams of death and dying myself. I would free fall off cliffs or off roofs in the attempt to fly in my dreams only to crash horribly on the rocks or street below killing myself in the process.

I've learned through therapy that dreams are not always as they appear, meaning yes, they are symbolic of something we're dealing with but, they are a result of the brain making sense of everything we've seen and heard through the day. Little snippets of tv shows we've seen, news we've heard, things we've read which is why dreams can be influenced by the tv being on as we enter REM or the radio playing softly in the background. This is also why hypnosis is effective for many.

Suggestions come in all forms, hypnosis uses direct suggestions placed into a person's mind to guide them to stop a habit or pick up a positive one. Not all things we dream are ours. They are borrowed suggestions from living life.

They are scary to be sure, so, if they continue then speaking with a trained therapist about your life and ways you can relax to treat your OCD might help your dreams.

There is a quote I once heard supposedly meant for situations like this: Sometimes a cake is just a cake. Meaning, sometimes it is what it is, a bad dream without any "strings" attached.

I really appreciate EWAL67 and what he/she said. I have long told people that dream's have to do with something that went on that very day and that is a constant thing I can find woven into all of my dreams.

Dream inerpretation is not a "pure science" and that's not opinion but a fact. I hope I haven't stepped on any toes with that comment and I would never be so bold as to tell someone else what to believe. A "Pure Science" is like Mathematics. It always has a perfect answer yet it is a science. In so many things in life I am the "watcher" of the unfolding of events. Dream Interpretation is something which seem's to be people seeking answers to make sense of thing's that don't always quite make sense.

I should have updated the thread a long time ago, but life got crazy for awhile.

Thanks to everyone for your insights. Very much appreciated.

Here is the update: about two days after having the dream, I told my oldest daughter about it. I also told her I might become an obituary writer (which I was seriously considering because of the dream). That's when my daughter disclosed to me that her grandfather (my ex-father-in-law) had went into a coma and died (around the same time as the dream).

My daughter didnt know if she should disclose it to me since her mother and I are not close and are not in contact anymore.

I always got along with him though.

This was a bit surprising to me, but I have been blessed with many spiritual experiences in my life (I'm LDS if anyone cares to know) so I'm not blown away or anything like that. Just puzzled as to why. I never had a special relationship to the man, and hadn't spoken to him in years since the divorce.

Again, thanks for your thoughts. They are welcome and appreciated.

Originally Posted by rinkjustice

Here is the update: about two days after having the dream, I told my oldest daughter about it. I also told her I might become an obituary writer (which I was seriously considering because of the dream). That's when my daughter disclosed to me that her grandfather (my ex-father-in-law) had went into a coma and died (around the same time as the dream).

Hi,

As it has been a long while, would you like to update us whether you have tried any of the suggestions above? I would go with what ewal67 suggested but in a different way.

I am also curious if what you're really looking for is a dream interpretation, releasing repressed and suppressed thoughts and experiences, or to find out if you're dreams are causing stuff to happen in the outside world, or maybe something else.

If it is releasing repressed and suppressed thoughts and experiences as your original question was, it can be done. It's easy in theory but takes time and discipline. It will get you rid of OCD if you want.

Mindfulness Meditation and Practice

I agree that ewal67's suggestion is a good one, but I didn't try it for two reasons: 1) I felt I got an answer as to why I had the dream in the first place (ex-father in law died) and 2) I've been busy (getting trained to be a hypnotist).

But ewal67's suggestion is something I do when I feel agitated or depressed. Meditation sweeps away the flotsam of my conscious mind and whatever the lurking issues are come perculating up to the top. Very effective.

BTW, my dreams don't trigger events in the outside world, I'm sure of that and never supposed that in the first place. But I do think dreams can be a channel by which anyone can receive revelation by God.

There are also many other reasons why we dream as well, but aren't relevant to the discussion.

P.S. My OCD has calmed down a lot since meditating. If I was more diligent about meditation, I might have even irradicated it by now.

Interesting stuff has happened. I wish you success in hypnosis.