Understand Your

DREAMS NOW
Spiritual Dream Interpretation
Understand Your
DREAMS NOW
Spiritual Dream Interpretation

Doug Addison
Understand Your Dreams Now: Spiritual Dream Interpretation
By Doug Addison Copy right © 2013 by Doug Addison All rights reserved. No part of this book may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International
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ISBN 13 - 978-0-9824618-4-6
ISBN 10 - 0-9824618-4-4

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ENDORSEMENTS

With many years of experience, the wisdom of an ancient

sage is mixed with relevancy of a contemporary prophetic
spokesman in the writings of Doug Addison. This man’s
understanding ranks among the top in this generation for
“interpretive skills.” Deep, yet user friendly!

James W Goll
Encounters Network - Prayer Storm
Best Selling Author

Many today are dreaming significant dreams and yet lack

understanding as to the interpretation. Doug Addison’s
skillfully written book is a valuable resource for those who are
looking for answers, insight, and teaching into the subject of
dreams and their interpretation. Doug teaches that you CAN
interpret your dreams and the dreams of others.

Patricia King
Founder of XPministries
www.xpministries.com
 Doug Addison’s book, Understand Your Dreams Now!
Spiritual Dream Interpretation, is a comprehensive guide that
anyone can use to interpret what God is speaking to them in
their own dreams, and also become a powerful minister
assisting others to understand the language of dreams. I
encourage you to begin your “dream journey” by allowing this
book to be a training manual, and to use Doug’s amazing
journey and insights to help you along the way.

Randy Clark
Founder of Global Awakening
and The Apostolic Network of Global Awakening
DEDICATION
and Special Thanks:

I owe so much to my mentor and spiritual father, John Paul

Jackson, who first trained me in dream interpretation. Also, my
wife Linda, who encouraged me to pursue my dreams!
I would like to acknowledge and give special thanks to
those who helped me develop, write, and edit this book: Nina
Edwards, Robert Watson-Hemphill, Julianna LeRay, Michele
Partain, Marti Statler, Arlene Brown, and countless others who
helped in so many ways over the years.
CONTENTS

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1: Breakthrough Dreams

Chapter 2: How to Fast-track

Chapter 3: Freud, Jung, and Jesus

Chapter 4: Spiritual Dream Interpretation

Chapter 5: Common Dreams People Have

Chapter 6: Getting the Most Out of a Dream

Chapter 7: Develop Metaphoric Thinking

Chapter 8: Context Makes a Difference

Chapter 9: Purpose to the Mystery

Chapter 10: Dream Symbols

Chapter 11: Nightmares, No Reason to be Scared

Chapter 12: Children’s Dreams

Chapter 13: Help me Remember!

Chapter 14: Next Steps

Appendix A: Bibliography

Appendix B: Dream Dictionary

FOREWORD

The world is intrigued with the concept of communication

with other life forms and the idea of interacting with
multidimensional realities that might have the capacity to
unveil the mysteries of our future. Scientists labor to unlock
the secrets of parallel universes through quantum physics in
hopes that these discoveries might reveal the destiny of the
universe, and ultimately, its inhabitants. Millions of people are
flocking to psychics, palm readers, and soothsayers to access
their fate through the world of paranormal phenomena. Yet in
the midst of all this, most people are completely unaware that
God designed a way of reaching through the veil of eternity to
communicate to His beloved people their future and destiny
through the avenue of dreams.
Much like learning a foreign language or reading
hieroglyphics, understanding dreams is a skill that can be
acquired through teaching, instruction, and practice. So many
gifted people find themselves troubled, confused, or even
plagued by dreams because they misinterpret or misapply
them, which often leads to the fear of someone’s demise. Doug
Addison has done a masterful job of clearly communicating, in
a simple and understandable way, how to interpret your dreams
and access your future now. This will bring peace to dreamers
and open the door to new dimensions in your life. Understand
Your Dreams Now is more than a book; it is a step-by-step
training manual written to help you to comprehend these
visions of the night.
In this powerful book, you will learn about several
different types of dreams and their unique functions, how to
understand symbols, and what to do about nightmares. Doug
even has a chapter about teaching children the art of dream
interpretation.
Doug Addison is uniquely qualified to write this book,
having been trained and mentored by the famed dream
interpreter, John Paul Jackson. Doug also has decades of
experience helping people to accurately interpret their dreams.
For years he has interpreted dreams for people in the streets, in
churches, in bars and nightclubs, and in the marketplace. Doug
has traveled the world doing seminars and conferences on
dream interpretation. He’s one of the most respected experts in
this field. His insightful stories and straightforward writing
style make this book applicable for the novice, yet his deep
understanding and revelatory nature also make Understand
Your Dreams Now a great resource for mature leaders with lots
of experience.
Years ago I read a dream interpretation book, and I was so
impacted by the author’s life that I began to gather other
dreamers weekly. We would journal our dreams during the
week and then meet together to try our hand at interpreting
them. At first, it was just a fun way of learning how to hear
from God. But as the months passed, each of us was so deeply
impacted by the mysteries that were being discovered through
our dreams that nearly every single one of us was dramatically
transformed. That experience leads me to believe that Doug
Addison’s book could actually cause a radical revolution both
to the reader and to the world around them.
God said that, “In the last days … [He] … would pour out
His Spirit on everyone …” in the world. This heavy rain would
result in people having visions and dreams. Think about the
ramifications of billions of people suddenly hearing the clarion
voice of their Creator and supernaturally comprehending His
deep love for them! We are actually in the midst of that very
epoch that was foretold long ago by the prophet Joel. Joel’s
prophecy makes this book a must-read for every Christian, and
for that matter, every dreamer on the planet.
I highly recommend this book. I have the deepest respect
for the author and his insights. May God meet you in the pages
of this book and lead you into the palace of your dreams!

Kris Vallotton
Senior Associate Leader, Bethel Church, Redding, California
Co-Founder of Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry
Author of nine books including
The Supernatural Ways of Royalty and Spirit Wars
INTRODUCTION

Are you ready to journey into the amazing world of

dreams and the supernatural? You picked up this book curious
to learn what goes on behind that shadowy door of
supernatural happenings in your mind at night. Let me take you
on an exciting ride into the world of dreams and how to
interpret them. It’ll be fun, and surprisingly quick and easy!
This book could very well change your life forever. I can
help you understand the hidden meaning in dreams—and do it
quickly.
Would you believe that by interpreting dreams, you might
save your own life, meet your future spouse, make the right
business move at work, learn the callings of your children, see
what can take place ahead of time, or help you be at the right
place at the right time? It does happen.

What you will learn

This book is full of inside tips and secrets that I have
learned after interpreting tens of thousands of dreams and
training thousands of dream interpreters over the past twenty
years. Here’s a sample of what you will learn about dreams:
 to get the meaning quickly with pinpoint accuracy
to recognize symbolic messages in dreams and from
movies, television shows, music, art, and nature
to develop your ability to hear God through your
dreams and daily life
which dreams are important to pay attention to
how to respond to dreams to change your life for the
good
to find dreams that give you clues about your destiny
and life calling
turn around a negative dream or nightmare to get a
positive outcome
how to track and journal your dreams

Have you ever dreamed of flying, falling, running or being

chased, having a baby, teeth coming loose, showing up
without your clothes, or going to the bathroom in public …?
These are some of the many Common Dreams people have that
actually have significant meanings. You will be able to take
almost any dream, get its meaning, and apply it to your life.
We will also dive deep into the subject of scary dreams,
and you’ll find that not all nightmares are bad. You can learn to
take a negative dream and actually positively change your
waking life. Dreams are interactive, and once you understand
them you will be equipped to help people around you as well.
This is a practical, how-to book, and I have included
sample dreams and exercises. I will even give you a list of the
meanings of some of the most popular dream symbols to help
you get started. I have purposely kept the chapters short and
will not overwhelm you with too much detail, as this process is
better “caught than taught.”

An amazing discovery
I have studied dream interpretation for decades and
trained thousands of people on how to understand their
dreams. One day, a colleague of mine asked how I was able to
get to the meaning of a dream quickly and with what seemed
like minimal effort. My ability to understand dreams this way
came after years of study and practice, so the question I asked
myself was: “How could I help people grasp dream
interpretation faster than it had taken me?”
This sent me on a journey to eventually discover the most
important things to look for in a dream that allow you to
quickly understand its meaning. I had hundreds of hours of
study and practical training in dream interpretation. I wanted to
take the essence of my years of training and what I specifically
look for as a dream expert. I also wanted to find a way to teach
people this process that would allow them to catch on in less
time.
After careful study of my own dream interpretive process,
I determined that good dream interpreters do not rely only on
dream symbol books. They have trained themselves to
recognize the important symbolic elements in each dream. They
realize that the meaning of symbols may change from dream to
dream and dreamer to dreamer. They do not just use a method
but also are intuitively perceptive to recognize the hidden
messages. They can hear God speaking through dreams
because ultimately, God is the giver of revelation. Plus, great
dream interpreters have acquired on-the-job experience with
interpreting dreams.
So I developed a theory on how to train people more
quickly and ran it through several test groups. Every test
group intuitively grasped dream interpretation much more
quickly than those I had trained previously with more detail. In
fact, many people who applied four to eight hours of my new
way to understand dreams were often much further along than
others who have studied for years, although all dream
interpreters still need practice and experience to mature and get
really good. These study groups were so successful that in
2007 I developed a live training workshop called The Dream
Crash Course that went on the road for five years as I
perfected the process. This book is a hybrid of all my years of
experience interpreting dreams, training others, and doing
countless outreaches.
I have gathered many of the ideas and concepts in this
book from many sources over the years. I owe a lot to John
Paul Jackson who paved the way for many of us dream
interpreters who are now taking this message to the world.
Much of what I learned and I am sharing in this book comes
from my years as an instructor and dream team coordinator
with Streams Ministries International.1
To make this a truly interactive book I’ve developed a
corresponding website called
www.UnderstandYourDreamsNow.com where you can
download a dream journal and exercises, watch demonstration
videos, and get additional dream resources.

Grace’s dream
Grace dreamed she was at a concert dancing to an obscure
song the musicians played from their repertoire. As she was
enjoying the song, she came face to face with a young blond
man she didn’t recognize. She kissed him. The very next day,
she attended that group’s concert with friends and heard the
very song from her dream. At that moment, she looked over
and came face to face with a young blond man similar to her
dream (no, she didn’t kiss him) but years later, these two would
marry and have three children. Grace said that the dream
opened her eyes to noticing him.
Whether you are an experienced dream interpreter or just
starting out, I know you will benefit from these concepts,
practical training, and examples. This is what I wish someone
would have shared with me when I was just starting out. I
would have shaved years off my learning curve and saved
myself a lot of frustration. If you apply what I share, you will be
surprised at how quickly you will catch on to dream
interpretation. Ultimately, we must rely on God to understand
revelation but you can practice to perfect your abilities.
Are you ready to start the journey?
CHAPTER 1
Breakthrough Dreams

“One of the most adventurous things left us is to go

to bed. For no one can lay a hand on our dreams.”
E. V. Lucas

Understanding dreams can radically change

your life!
I was test-driving a car with my wife, and the salesman
was in the back seat. He asked me what I do for a living, and he
seemed surprised when I told him that I teach people how to
understand their dreams. He told me, “I have been having a
strange recurring dream that has been bothering me. I keep
dreaming about being at my father’s funeral standing next to
his casket.” In real life his father had passed away a few years
before. I told him that although the dream may seem dark, it
actually had a positive meaning and purpose for his life. The
dream indicated that he was close to his father. It also seemed
to suggest that there was something his father had not
completed in life that this salesman was destined to fulfill. I told
him that I believed he would fulfill it at an even greater level by
following in his footsteps.
 He grabbed my arm and said, “You will not believe this.
This is my last day at the car dealership because I am leaving
my career as a salesman to become a farmer, and my father was
a farmer.” I went on to tell him that God had given the dream to
him, and it indicated his destiny in life. As we got back to the
showroom, he wanted me to tell his sales manager because his
co-workers felt that his decision was crazy. He got on his cell
phone with his wife, and as he told her about what I had said,
tears fell from his eyes.

I had the strangest dream last night

How many conversations in your life have started with “I
had the strangest dream last night?” People are fascinated with
the movies that play in their heads while sleeping. Some
believe that dreams predict the future. Others say dreams
depict real life or are a manifestation of what we want to be,
while others might attribute a strange dream to what they ate. I
am convinced that dreams can connect us with a power greater
than ourselves. They are supernatural in nature and can have
lasting impact on our lives. Dreams are more than just strange
occurrences while we sleep. They are interactive, predictive,
and can actually bring healing and even lasting change to our
waking lives.
One-third of our life is spent asleep. That means that
during an average lifetime, twenty-five years can be spent
dreaming. Every night, we dream an average of one to two
hours, and some studies show we usually have several dreams
per night. These dreams are valuable whether you remember
them or not.
Everybody dreams but not everyone can remember them.
Just because you cannot remember dreaming does not mean
that you did not dream.
The dream world is fascinating—full of speculation, hope,
and sometimes, even fear. We can wake up from a good dream
feeling refreshed and hopeful. On the other hand, we can wake
up from a bad dream feeling tense and apprehensive. I will
show you in this book how to use even a negative dream to
positively change your life. Here’s an example from my own
life.

Breakthrough dream
I was impacted by a recurring nightmare that tormented me
during my teenage years. I would be dreaming, and suddenly I
would be aware of an evil presence. Gripped with fear, I would
try to run but would be stuck or only able to move in slow
motion. Sometimes I would wake up literally running through
my house screaming at the top of my lungs, scaring my family
and later my roommates as well.
Just before my nineteenth birthday, I was so stressed out
by the nightmare I could not take it any longer. I decided that
the next time I had this nightmare I was going to force myself to
stay dreaming and face it. When the nightmare occurred again,
I stopped in my tracks and said to myself in the dream, “I am
going to stay asleep, I am going to stay asleep!” This time I
really did stay asleep and decided to turn around and take a
look at what it was that had been chasing me all these years.
As I did, it was like a scene from the movie Poltergeist. Objects
in the room began to rise up and I found my own body starting
to rise and hover as well. Though I was terrified I went with it,
and suddenly I could see that beyond the dark evil figure was a
blinding white light. I woke up in a pool of sweat, but I had
total peace. Wow! I had just had a supernatural encounter with
my fears and overcame something that was trying to hold me
back from my destiny. I never had that nightmare again, and my
life took a dramatic turn for the good.
What followed was a spiritual awakening in my life. I was
nineteen years old, and at that moment, I fell to my knees right
beside my bed and invited Jesus into my life and soon after
began pursuing my spiritual life. I am not sure how you came to
read this book and I want you to know that my purpose for
writing it is not to preach to you or tell you what to believe. I’m
convinced that there is probably something in your life or
maybe in someone you know that needs a breakthrough. You
can very well receive this in a dream!
Everything changed in my life after that breakthrough
dream. It later dawned on me that there was a reason an evil
force was pursuing me in my dreams for over seven years.
Something did not want me to go on in life and tried to stop me.
This is evident because now I help literally millions of people
get through their fears and understand their dreams. For this
reason I also specialize in recurring dreams and nightmares. I
often wonder what would have happened had I not faced the
nightmare.
 That breakthrough dream took place over thirty years ago
and inspired me to learn more about dreams. I have been an
avid dreamer all my life, remembering dreams all the way back
to age four, but this breakthrough dream intrigued me to know
more. Since then, I have studied dream interpretation from
various approaches and have been a dream interpreter for a
number of years. I have found the spiritual approach to dream
interpretation has the greatest impact. I was amazed at the
difference when I used the metaphoric language from the Bible
as opposed to a list of symbols in books. I began interpreting
dreams much more accurately when I did it from a spiritual
standpoint that takes into consideration dreams and visions
and symbolism from the Bible. The Bible is actually full of
symbolism and has many dreams already interpreted. There is
also a wealth of metaphoric meaning in stories that Jesus told
called parables.
I am convinced that God is speaking to all of us all the
time. Dreams are one major way to hear and connect with God.
Although not all dreams are divinely inspired, once you
understand symbolic language, you can take just about any
dream, find its meaning, and apply it to your life in some way.

Many dreams are spiritual

Throughout this book I will mention God, the Bible, and
other spiritual references. As I stated previously, it is not my
intention to tell you what to believe. No matter what faith you
have, I hope this book helps open the supernatural world of
dreams to you. I want to take you on an exciting journey that
can totally change your life.
To that end, I am sharing all I have learned about dreams.
After years of practice and eventually becoming a professional
dream interpreter, I mastered the ability to recognize symbolism
not only in dreams, but also in waking life. Having interpreted
well over 25,000 dreams, I have thousands of stories just like
the one about the car salesman.

Breakthrough in dream learning

Rapidly changing technology allows us to take advantage
of new strategies available in the areas of learning and
education. In my case, I have been self-taught in computer
programming, web design, music, writing, and public speaking,
becoming quite successful without a degree or extensive
training. Even though I did not attend college, I am honored
that some of my books have been used in colleges. I realize
that not everyone is wired like me, so I want to help you benefit
from my quick method of learning as applied to dreams.
My strategy for learning has been to read what you need
to know, find someone who is already doing what you want to
do, and study how they do it. I became a computer network
engineer and developed a very successful company in the San
Francisco Bay area without a formal certification. I later applied
this strategy and learned how to interpret dreams.
The book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without
Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell, inspired me to find ways to
learn quickly. Gladwell teaches that we can learn more quickly if
we pattern ourselves after people who have mastered
something. He called it “Thin Slicing”—learning from the
masters. After studying people who are good at various things,
he also concluded that we are actually more accurate when we
spend less time thinking and instead react to the snap answers
that pop into our heads. This reminded me of how spiritual
intuitiveness really works. Once we learn to recognize the voice
of God, we can train ourselves to quickly trust those small
divinely inspired hunches.
Another streamlined method that stands out is the work of
psychologist John Gottman. For over thirty years, Gottman and
his team videotaped and studied couples interacting together.
They observed people from all walks of life—some with good
marriages and some with not-so-good marriages. After
listening to a couple talk for one hour, Gottman was able to
determine with an accuracy rate of 95% whether they were in
danger of divorcing in the future if they did not get help. It was
interesting to note that if he listened to them for two hours, his
rate of accuracy actually went down to 90%. Later, he
discovered that he actually only needs to hear a couple
interacting for about three minutes to make an accurate
diagnosis of their marital condition.
Gottman admits that he would be overwhelmed if he
looked at every detail, so he trained himself to look for only
four major factors. As he did this, he developed pinpoint
accuracy in determining whether a couple will divorce if they
do not get help. What are the four points? Well, you can read it
for yourself in The Seven Principles for Making Marriage
Work: A Practical Guide from the Country’s Foremost
Relationship Expert.
Gottman trained others to do the same by revealing his
secrets as an expert and found that people could learn his
process quite quickly. This really inspired me. As an expert
dream interpreter, I have a high success rate of helping people
accurately understand their dreams. I found that you don’t
have to look at all the details of a dream because you will
become overwhelmed. In this book, you can learn from an
expert and become skilled at determining what to look for in a
dream that will make interpretation much easier.

Learning dream interpretation quickly

I explained my process of accelerated dream learning and
how I’ve been able to teach thousands of people all over the
world to understand their dreams more quickly. It took me
years to learn all the details of dream interpretation, and I did it
by studying and practicing. What I want to do for you is cut
this learning time down considerably by giving you the things
that I look for as an expert dream interpreter. I am going to give
you these valuable insights at the beginning of this book
instead of at the end, as it is commonly done. By doing this,
you will be able to keep this in mind as you learn. I’ll also go
over these points again and again so they will become
automatic for you, and you will no longer have to think about
them.
I do not want to overwhelm you with a lot of information
or facts about dreams. Information without practical application
will not be helpful for you to learn how to interpret dreams. We
are in a world that is on information overload, but we have little
practical application for the information we receive. I know as
we start talking about dream interpretation that there are many
factors that go into it and it can get quite confusing, so I will
show you exactly what I am looking for when I interpret a
dream.
And of course, if you really want to master your ability to
understand dreams, you must practice and study dreams, even
if you don’t know if you are doing it right. Practice, practice,
practice! After years of interpreting dreams, I still record my
dreams daily and take notes of new things that I learn. I keep
my dream interpretation gift in shape by using it regularly. You
cannot live on past successes only. Just like daily exercise, the
minute that you stop using a talent or gift, you get out of
shape and may not be as sharp.
I mentioned earlier the story of psychologist John
Gottman, who studied couples interacting for over thirty years.
He admitted that while assessing a couple, if he looked for all
the things he knew that go into a good marriage and also make
a marriage fail, he would be confused. But if he only looked at
four important points, he could pinpoint problems at a 95%
accuracy rate. It is the same with dream interpretation! Once
you know what to look for in a dream, the meaning will almost
stand out. Of course, we use revelation from God as well. Later,
I’ll explain more how these go hand-in-hand. First, we need to
lay down some tracks to roll on so that we all get on the same
page.
 Since I am trying to simplify the complex process of dream
interpretation and introduce to you a fast way to learn, I
recommend finding ways to laugh. Yes, my advice to you is to
lighten up as you read this book. I use comedy at my live
events and find that people learn much more quickly while
having a good time. For some reason, my comedy style does
not always come across in my writing. You can go to
www.youtube.com and type in my name and you’ll find some
of my comedy videos. This will also help you get to know me
better. I tend to be a little outside the box of normality.
As you may know, dreams come in many different
categories and details. Perhaps at one time you too had a
disturbing dream about a loved one that has passed on. Just
like the car salesman I mentioned earlier, you may have a
lingering question of what it all means. Possibly you have had
a recurring nightmare that has left you covered in sweat, or
maybe it is just a repetitious dream that has you wondering.
Whatever it may be, I believe my book will open the door to
understanding your dreams and finding the real truth behind
them! Shall we begin?
CHAPTER 2
How to Fast-track

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” Walt Disney

The world of dreams really is a strange place. Imagine for a

moment what it’s like to be a dream interpreter. Everywhere I go
people are telling me their dreams! Even though many of them
are long and somewhat bizarre, each person sharing is always
into it. They go into a lot of detail to make sure you understand
that the elephant they were riding backwards down the hallway
was actually turquoise and not blue, and they were wearing a
hat that looked like their grandfather’s, but not really. Most of
the time, they are not able to capture it in words since dreams
reside in the spiritual realm. Dreams leave strong impressions
even though people may not understand them.
When I first started out as a dream interpreter, I was really
nervous and tried to keep track with the dreamer on every
detail. I became confused and overwhelmed with all the aspects
of their dreams. Later on, I learned to focus on just the
important elements of the dream first. This made the process
much easier.
I also realized that I had to learn to listen to people more
closely. I don’t know about you, but I am an easily distractible
person. When it comes to listening to a dream, you can’t drift
off and find yourself thinking of something else in the middle
of it. I benefited from taking a class and reading a book on
some basic listening skills. You might want to consider
practicing the art of listening if you want to become a good
dream interpreter.
I told you I was going to give you the most important
points to look for when interpreting a dream. Most books save
the best for last, but I am going to bring it out right up front.
There are four things that I look for when I interpret a dream. I
wish someone had told me this a long time ago. I am showing
you at the beginning of this process how I am able to interpret
a dream very quickly. By doing this, you will begin to recognize
the parts of dreams that matter the most and filter out things
that are less detailed. I’m not trying to create a method but give
you some insider advice from an expert that will make it much
easier for you during your learning process. As a seasoned
dream interpreter, I still follow this basic pattern, and I’ve
trained thousands of dream interpreters to do the same. It will
take away confusion and help you to know what to focus on.
Here it is … drum roll please …

Four easy steps to dream interpretation2

Who or what is the dream about, and what area of your
life does it refer to?
Is the dream positive or negative, and noticing the color,
is it bright or dark?
Are there any repeated themes, or is it a Common Dream?
What are the three to four main points of the dream?
These are more questions to ask yourself as opposed to
steps. Let’s look at these four questions in detail so we can
learn to interpret dreams.

QUESTION ONE:
Who or what is the dream about?

The very first thing you want to look for when it comes to
dreams is who or what the dream is about. Are you the main
character, or are you just involved, participating, or observing?
If you were the main character of the dream, the dream is
most likely about you. If you are involved or participating, the
dream is about you and something or someone else. If you are
observing a situation in a dream, then most likely the dream is
not about you, but about something else completely. Unless of
course you are observing yourself, then the dream is still about
you.
Observing dreams are usually about someone or
something else. People who are particularly compassionate and
like to care for others often have observing dreams. This is
because they are getting insight on how to pray for people and
support them. People with the gift of intercession often have
dreams of observing so that they are motivated to pray.
What area of your life is the dream about?
Take note of the area of your life the dream is about. Often
there will be people or places in the dream from your family,
work, church, etc. Frequently, this will be a clue for context. If
you are by yourself or in a place that you do not recognize,
then the dream is most likely about you or some aspect of your
life.
In addition to the role you play in the dream, it’s important
to look for the context of your life. Are you by yourself or with
your family? Then it’s probably mostly about you and having
something to do with your family. Are you with people from
work or school? Then it probably is related to your career or
that area of your life. Are you with people from church or an
organization that you belong to? Then the dream most likely
relates to that area of your life.
Of course, this is a generalization and does not always
apply to every single dream, but it is a good place to start.
With all my experience, I have found that most dreams have
people or places in them to tell you what area of your life that
they point to. I call this a context anchor or clue, and it is
helpful to pay attention to these details.

QUESTION TWO:
Is the dream positive or negative; is the color
bright or dark?
 The next thing to watch for is if the dream is positive or
negative, and whether the colors are bright or dark. This will
tell you about the source of the dream. The color of the dream
can tell you how to make a practical application to your life.
Positive dreams or dreams from God are usually bright or have
some colors in them.
The thing that really matters is how you respond.
Negative dreams are not all bad as they can reveal things in our
lives that need to be changed. Later, you’ll learn that when we
see a negative dream, we need to flip it around and find the
positive side that God is trying to point out. So in a sense, a
negative dream can have a positive outcome.
Darker or muted color dreams tend not to be reality but
show you things that need to be changed in your life. Black-
and-white dreams are usually full of fear and similar to
nightmares. What you should watch for are the dull or muted
color dreams, as they are often plans of darkness against your
life or maybe your own fears and not reality at all. They are
dreams that show you how to pray and how to prepare and
plan. Muted color or dark dreams may not be reality but more
of a warning. In many cases, you will need to flip the meaning
from negative to recognize a positive outcome.
Do not assume that all color dreams are from God and all
black-and-white dreams are negative or from Satan. There’s a
lot more to it than that. But we do need to pay attention to
whether the dream is positive or negative. That will help us
later when we interpret and make a practical application to our
daily lives.
People often ask me what a dream symbol means. For
instance, they’ll ask: “What does the color blue mean?” You
may want to ask yourself: “Is it blue in the sky of a beautiful
sunny day, or is it blue in the eye of a dinosaur that’s about to
eat me?” There is a big difference and this is called context. We
will learn more about understanding context and how it can
change from dream to dream.

QUESTION THREE:
Are there repeated themes, or is it a Common
Dream?

Another major thing to watch for is repeated themes. This

is the same thing said two times or more. It’s the same thing
said twice, it’s the same thing said twice. Did you catch that?
I’m repeating myself for dramatic effect. Sometimes themes
repeat in a dream in order to highlight something important to
pay attention to.
An example would be having a deflated beach ball and
then walking to your car and seeing a flat tire. The repeated
theme is loss of air. In dreams, air can represent aspects of your
spiritual life. This dream may indicate that you need to increase
your spiritual connection.
Repeated themes can also occur in different dreams over a
period of time. It becomes easier to recognize this once you get
into the habit of recording your dreams in a dream journal or on
a computer on a regular basis. I will go into more detail on how
to record your dreams and tips on journaling later.
 Is this a Common Dream? Watch for dreams like these:
flying, falling, running, having a baby, teeth coming loose, etc.
The meaning may vary from dream to dream, but it will help you
to recognize familiar themes. Many of these Common Dreams
actually have a common meaning. We will get into the study of
Common Dreams in Chapter5 and become familiar with the
dreams that lots of people have on a regular basis.

QUESTION FOUR:
What are three to four main points?

If you had to break the dream down to only three to four

points what would they be? These are the main elements of the
dream. Though a dream may be quite detailed, find just three or
four main points that stand out in the dream. Even though
there are often more than three to four points to the dream, it
will help you quickly get the main meaning of the dream. It’s
like getting the interpretation into the crosshairs of a gun.
Did you know that your brain processes things in
summary? If I asked you what you did last weekend, you
would probably give me three to four main points and not go
into all the details. We tend to summarize when we talk about
things that we have done in the past. When Jesus taught
parables, He gave simple explanations. Dreams are similar to
night parables—we would lose too much of the meaning by
looking too closely at details.
The problem with most new dream interpreters is they get
too detailed and try to milk the dream for all it’s worth. With
dream interpretation “less is more,” especially when you are
learning. If you look at all the details in the dream you’ll quickly
get confused. To be a really good dream interpreter you will
need to learn to do this as you look at a dream. Then, after you
determine the actual interpretation or meaning of the dream,
you can get into all the details and what is called the
application or the purpose of the dream.
Let’s try this process out on a dream.

Flying a kite dream

I dreamed that I was with a group of people from school
and we were flying kites. A huge wind came and took my kite
higher than all the others. I was trying to control the kite when
it got tangled in some trees nearby. I was able to fly to the top
of the trees and get the kite untangled. Back on the ground
again, we all decided to go to the library to study. When we
got there a grand party was going on. I saw a girl I knew from
elementary school. She came up and handed me a book and
told me I would need this. I woke up.

Let’s ask the four questions:

Who or what is the dream about, and what area of your

life does it refer to? The dream is about the dreamer and
particularly his life involving school.
 Is the dream positive or negative, and noticing the
color, is it bright or dark? It is a positive dream because
even though the kite got stuck in the trees, he was able
to get it untangled and the rest of the dream was good.

Are there any repeated themes, or is it a Common

Dream? Yes, there is a repeated theme of flying. He is
flying a kite and the dreamer himself flies as well. One of
the Common Dream themes is flying (without an
airplane), and as you will find out later, it indicates a
high calling or high creativity.

What are the three to four main points of the dream?

The main points of the dream are: flying the kite, the
party at the library, and being given a book by the girl.

The interpretation of a dream

Once we know what the dream is about and where to
focus, the actual dream interpretation should be quite short—
three to five sentences, like a short paragraph—whenever
possible. Too much detail in the interpretation may become
confusing.
A good dream interpretation will state clearly the meaning
of the dream without explaining the symbols. When we start to
say flying is a high calling that you have, and the kite stuck in
the trees is something you are trying to do that is getting
stuck, and the library is symbolic of learning, and the book is
knowledge you will need, then we might be adding too much
detail to the interpretation. It is better just to say that the dream
is about something you’re being called to do that you are
currently struggling with, but new revelation or knowledge is
coming that will help you.
If you begin to tell people the meaning of the symbols
during the interpretation, you will also give them the
opportunity to disagree with you. Because many people
already have a preconceived notion of the meaning of symbols,
it is much better to have them hear the meaning of the dream
and let it resonate with them first before discussing the details
of the symbols. Stating the interpretation without explaining
the symbols will also make you sound much more
knowledgeable.
The final step is to develop a short, one paragraph, simple
interpretation of the dream. You can use the three to four main
points as a reference guide. Then, as you get better at it, you
can develop your own style based on your gifts and
uniqueness.
Some might think I am putting the cart before the horse by
diving in so quickly into the “how to’s” of dream
interpretation. This is all part of the accelerated dream learning
that I talked about in the last chapter. You know now where we
are going and I am giving you the tools to think like a dream
expert. As I said earlier in this chapter, there are four easy steps
to interpreting dreams. If you follow the simple guidelines I
have laid out for you and remember to listen closely to my
helpful tips, in no time you too will be able to unravel the
secrets whispered in the night. Next we will take a look at the
biblical interpretive process that I have already introduced you
to versus the popular methods of today.
CHAPTER 3

Freud, Jung, and Jesus

“Dreams are often most profound when they seem

the most crazy.”
Sigmund Freud

Freud, Jung, and Jesus

Dreams can be a very positive part of our lives.
Understanding dreams correctly can be challenging since there
are so many viewpoints out there that are often conflicting.
Here’s the test to know if your dream was interpreted correctly:
you will feel a sense of connection or confirmation inside of
you. Have you ever had someone try to give you the meaning
of a dream you had, and it just does not sit right with you? Or it
sounds too strange to coincide with the details you had given?
Chances are it may not be the right meaning. Don’t rule it out
though, as the meaning of the dream might be challenging you
to get beyond your current thinking or belief system.
Here are some key discoveries that have shaped dream
interpretation, both positive and negative. Today, people tend
to look at dreams from a psychological standpoint. Sigmund
Freud and Carl Jung began teaching that dreams can reveal
things about our core being that we are not aware of. They
used dream interpretation as a means to psychoanalyze people.
Freud taught that dreams tend to reveal our latent sexual
desires, whereas Jung taught that most of the elements within a
dream are there to reveal more about our inner-self. Both
viewed dreams as a means of primarily revealing hidden clues
to heal the psyche. They taught that the dream resides inside
of you and is working its way out. Because of this belief, they
often refer to dream interpretation as “dream work.”
Unfortunately, this is quite contrary to the spiritual Hebraic
understanding that dreams come from the outside (God) and
can reveal things within us, as well as things to come.
To their credit, Freud and Jung paved the way to make
dreams more mainstream. Most people who have attended
colleges or universities received Jungian dream interpretation
training in a psychology class. Because of this, a therapy-
based understanding of dreams tends to be the most popular
viewpoint. Although there are elements of truth to what Freud
and Jung taught, they do limit the world of dreams by seeing it
primarily as a way to reveal the inner-self. Dreams can be
healing but also very predictive and spiritually oriented. A
dream can show you how to pray or prepare for a situation. It
can be about your own struggles or even a life calling you
have yet to fulfill.
You may ask, “What does Jesus have to do with it?”
When I began to study dreams from a spiritual standpoint, I
was drawn to the Bible, which is surprisingly packed full of
dreams, visions, and symbolic language. Reading the stories of
Joseph and Daniel, the two major dream interpreters in the
Bible, has always impacted me, but what really got my attention
was when I studied the teachings of Jesus. One of the things
that Jesus said quite often is that we must have “eyes that see
and ears that hear.” He was referring to seeing and hearing
spiritually. Jesus used parables, which are symbolic stories
from real life situations that convey a deeper spiritual message
about the Kingdom of God. Even His disciples who were close
to Him did not understand this way of communication at first.
You can learn a lot about God’s hidden language by studying
Jesus’ parables.

What makes good dream interpreters so hard

to find?
It’s quite ironic that people everywhere are having
dreams! People love talking about them and are eager to
understand them, yet there is not much in the way of good
dream interpretation training available today. What makes me
say that? If there were good dream interpretation going on then
we would not see literally billions of people walking around
with no clue as to what their dreams mean. There are some
major factors that have negatively affected the ability to
accurately interpret our dreams.
I am convinced after all my study and on-the-street
interaction with people that God can use dreams to help guide
and speak to us. Not all dreams are from God, but many can
have hidden meanings. A big part of hearing God through
dreams requires trust and a step of faith. Many people have
stopped believing that God can speak to us through dreams, so
simply believing that it is possible can open dreams up in a
greater way.

What negatively impacted dream

interpretation?
A huge factor that has negatively impacted dream
interpretation is that we tend to think logically. Dreams reside
in the supernatural realm and do not always appear logical.
Most people have a “western-world modern mindset” that the
supernatural is not a normal part of life. Most of us did not
grow up being taught how to understand the hidden meanings
of our dreams. If we shared a bizarre dream we had, we were
often laughed at or told to grow up.
Bookstores have a lot of dream symbol books. Many of us
have been taught to use a list of dream symbols, but
unfortunately, many of these books are not always accurate.
Symbols vary from dream to dream, and some of the meanings
may come from a psychological or even psychic dream
understanding. In this book and at my live events, I do my best
to train people how to understand and recognize symbolism
and metaphors. I will present a short list of symbols at the end
of this book to help you gain a baseline and for training
purposes, but I do not recommend using symbol lists as a
means of understanding dreams. You can use them as a
starting place or to gain understanding, but be sure not to limit
your interpretation too strictly on symbols.
 Overall, dream interpretation has become a lost art. I have
learned to use God’s hidden language from the Bible as a basis
for learning to understand symbolism. I realize that the Bible
contains a broader message and is not to only be used as a
means of symbolic understanding. Of course, not all symbols
are always clearly defined in the Bible, so it helps to learn to
recognize the patterns in how God speaks through symbolism.
I was amazed when I began studying the Bible with new insight
into this hidden language. I will walk you through some very
fascinating discoveries and even how Jesus spoke in a hidden
language as well. You will begin to recognize metaphors in
your daily life that will help you better understand the dreams
you have at night.

I had a dream no one can interpret

When people find out I am a dream interpreter, I most
often hear, “I had a dream years ago that no one has been able
to interpret.” My response is usually, “You have to be kidding!
I specialize in dreams that no one can interpret.” There is a
good chance that if no one has been able to interpret their
dream, it is because the dream is from God or they have not met
a good spirit-led dream interpreter.

Rising above dream

I was at a restaurant and struck up a conversation with a
bunch of guys at the bar as I waited for my table. They found
out I am a dream interpreter, and of course, one of them had a
dream that no one had been able to interpret. The dream went
like this: he was with his friends in a room and he kept sticking
his thumb in his mouth and blowing. While doing this, he
began to rise up to the top of the ceiling, hover there, and then
come back down. He kept repeating this over and over. The
meaning of the dream was that he has something greater to
fulfill in his life and has potential, but his friends are holding
him back. He keeps hitting a ceiling. I could see that my
interpretation really moved him and that his friends sitting at
the table were probably the ones who were holding him back.
So, he walked outside with me and told me how that really
impacted him and he agreed with me and gave me the
opportunity to speak deeper into his life.

Dream interpreters in the Bible

Allow me to open up to you about the dreams, visions,
and the supernatural in the Bible and how many people may
have missed or at least misunderstood it. The purpose of this
section is to take a fresh new look at how God speaks to us and
gain some amazing insight into the symbolic, yet often hidden,
language of God.
It is interesting that even though over one-third of the
Bible is made up of dreams and visions, it is the last place most
people think to go to learn about symbolism and metaphor.
Although there are a lot of dreams and visions referenced,
there are only a few actual dream interpreters mentioned. The
two most influential ones are Joseph and Daniel in the Old
Testament (also called the Jewish Torah).

Joseph
Most people know about Joseph as having a coat of many
colors that was made for him by his father Jacob (Israel).
Joseph was a dreamer from childhood and he had dreams about
his future that took over twenty years to actually come to
pass.3 He dreamed that his brothers and his family would bow
down at his feet. This caused his brothers to become jealous
and fake Joseph’s death and sell him to slave traders that took
him to Egypt. Later, as God’s destiny on his life unfolds, he
finds himself standing in front of one of the most influential
world leaders of his time. Pharaoh had two dreams that
troubled him, and none of the astrologers or spiritual officials
in Egypt could interpret them.4 Just two years prior, Joseph had
accurately interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and
baker.5 This set him up to not only interpret Pharaoh’s dreams,
but also for him to be released from prison and placed as
second in command in all of Egypt.
Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams to mean that there
would be seven years of plentiful times followed by seven
years of intense famine. Joseph recommended a plan to store
grain and provisions for the next seven years to prepare for the
seven lean years. Things happened just as the dream foretold,
and eventually, Joseph’s family came and bowed at his feet
just as he had dreamed as a child.
Daniel
Another amazing dream interpreter in the Bible was Daniel.
It was during a time when Israel was captured and most Jewish
people were living in exile under the Babylonians. King
Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful leader on earth at the time,
had a dream. Similar to Pharaoh, none of the astrologers or wise
men could interpret the king’s dream. Nebuchadnezzar would
not even tell people what the dream was and was requiring that
someone had to prophetically tell him what he dreamed and the
meaning of it. This was such a high order that no one was able
to do it. Then Daniel heard about the situation and consulted
some of his friends. In the middle of the night, God revealed the
dream and its meaning to Daniel in a vision. As he shared it
with the king, it was accurate and had so much impact on him
that he placed Daniel in a high governmental position and
lavished him with gifts.6 Daniel later interpreted a nightmare
plaguing the king and Daniel gave him advice that would have
saved the king seven years of hardship had the king listened to
him.7
It is interesting that the times when dream interpretation is
mentioned, it was used to influence major world leaders and
help change the course of history. In both cases, the popular
dream interpretative method of that day could not interpret a
dream from God. It is not like there was a lack of spiritual dream
interpreters in ancient Egypt or Babylon, but there was a lack
of people who could interpret a dream from God. This is still the
case today with the psychological and psychic-based methods
of interpreting dreams. These methods will not get a clear
interpretation of a dream from God. It is also worth noting that
both of these ungodly world leaders actually had a dream from
God, and it took someone who could hear God’s voice to
interpret their dreams.

Hearing God and practicing

If you study the dream interpreters of the Bible more
closely, you will find that both Joseph and Daniel indicated
that they had to hear from God to get the interpretation.8 What
we do not see is that both of these guys had to practice and
study as well as pray to God for the interpretations. In Daniel’s
case, he utilized a team.9 I used to interpret dreams by just
asking God what the dream meant. By doing this, our
interpretations are limited to our ability to hear God clearly on
any given day. You would never study the Bible by getting
revelation from God alone. You can also use reference books
and commentaries. This applies to dreams as well.
Later, I realized that even people in the Bible practiced and
mentored with others. In the Jewish culture, it is very common
to learn from a teacher. The prophet Samuel instituted the
schools of the prophets in which he trained people to hear
clearly. Jesus trained His disciples to understand parables.
There is value in both hearing God directly to understand a
dream and also practicing dream interpretation. It is also very
helpful to practice and operate in a team like Daniel did.
A new breed of dream interpreters
I believe that we are about to see an entirely new breed of
people who can hear from God and interpret dreams. Just like
Joseph and Daniel, we need trained people who can hear God’s
voice and are able to interpret the dreams of people—and
possibly offer their help to government and world leaders. We
also need dream interpreters to reveal strategies from God for
businesses and to generate finances to fund new creative
kingdom projects. Dreams will play a major role in the next
decades to come. This is one of the major reasons why I have
dedicated my life to training good dream interpreters. When
people find out that you can interpret dreams accurately and
hear the voice of God, they will invite you into businesses,
media, and governmental meetings.

Why doesn’t God just speak clearly?

I am talking a lot about hearing God through dreams,
which may sound quite mysterious to some. People often say:
“If God wants to speak to me, He will speak to me plainly.”
Those who are saying this obviously are not familiar with all
the different and creative ways that God speaks through the
Bible. Jesus didn’t even speak plainly to His own disciples.
The Bible is full of metaphor, symbolism, and hidden language.
Even just reading the Bible requires some degree of
interpretation.
God often conceals things so that those who are hungry
and want to know more will search it out.10 God will also hide
things from people who consider themselves wise in their own
eyes and reveal deep spiritual truths to those who are humble
and childlike.11
Remember, to their credit, Freud and Jung paved the way
to make dreams more mainstream, but God is the ultimate dream
giver. God wants us to search and meditate on our dreams. He
wants to remind us that just like Joseph and his coat of many
colors, dreams are unique and hold the mysteries of the future.
We must be sensitive to our own dreams and not take them for
granted. We must have eyes that see and ears that hear, so
that we can not only unravel what God is showing us for our
own lives, but so that we can also encourage others!
In the next chapter, we will take a closer look at how God
can speak to us through dreams. In particular, we’ll look at the
dreams and symbolism found in the Bible. I think you are going
to be pleasantly surprised!
CHAPTER 4
Spiritual Dream Interpretation

“We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is

no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do
not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your
dreams.”
Genesis 40:8

I have been studying dream interpretation from a spiritual

and biblical standpoint for decades. In doing so, I noticed that
when we use the symbolism found in the Bible as a guideline
and listen to God speak about the dream, we get a much deeper
understanding. As I have trained thousands of dream
interpreters, many of them are quite surprised at the positive
results of this type of dream interpretation. Most of my
experience has taken place in public places like festivals, malls,
and large events in which we can have contact with a variety of
different people. This gives me a broader understanding of
dream symbols, as I have tested these symbols with people
from all walks of life.
I have done a thorough study of dreams, visions, and the
symbolism found in the Bible. Many of the dreams listed in the
Bible already have interpretations provided for you. This is
very useful in understanding how God speaks. Not all dreams
are from God, but once we understand God’s hidden symbolic
language, an entirely new world opens up for us. We will not
only see messages in the dreams that we have at night; we will
also be able to hear God speaking to us in unlimited ways: on
television, in the movies, street signs, names, and even
numbers. The key to understanding dreams is using a
combination of symbolic understanding and the ability to hear
God’s voice.
If you would like to do a study in the Bible, remember that
the words dream and vision are often the same. You can use
the Internet to search the Bible for dreams and visions. It is
also helpful to study the book of Daniel and make a habit of
reading the parables of Jesus. I don’t believe that the Bible was
meant to be used as a codebook to understand symbols. The
best way to learn to hear God’s voice is through a relationship
with Him. But you can use the Bible to study symbolism, and in
the process of doing so, you will understand much more about
the nature and characteristic of God’s love for people. Let’s
take a look at a few dreams, visions, and symbolic parables
from the Bible.

King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream

“These are the visions I saw while lying in my bed: I
looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of
the land. Its height was enormous. The tree grew large
and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to
 the ends of the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit
abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild
animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its
branches; from it every creature was fed.” (Daniel 4:10–
12)

Notice that the main character or point of focus of the

dream is the tree, and the context is very positive. Its location,
size, and impact had worldwide visibility. It supplied everyone
with food and shelter. In the dream, there was no mention of
the king. However, all of the aspects of the tree pointed toward
someone with great power. This is a very good example of how
Daniel recognized from the context of the dream that the tree
was the king himself.

Other trees
“He (Jesus) took the blind man by the hand and led him
outside the village. When He had spit on the man’s eyes and
put His hands on him, Jesus asked, ‘Do you see anything?’ He
looked up and said, ‘I see people; they look like trees walking
around.’” (Mark 8:23–24)
From this we can determine that trees can sometimes
represent people or leaders based on context, but not always.
Notice other trees mentioned in the Bible: Tree of Life, Tree of
the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and a tree planted by the
water to name a few. We must look at the context of each of
these to find out their meaning.
 A good example of this is in the Garden of Eden where
there were two trees.12 One was the Tree of Life, and if you ate
from it you would live forever. The other was the Tree of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil. God told Adam not to eat from
that tree. One was good, and one was not good for them, but
the tree that was not good for them had the word good in it as
well as evil. This is actually a symbolic message from God
about two spiritual sources or voices that we can hear from.
One of them is directly from God, and the other one has a
mixture of good and evil. So as we learn to hear the voice of
God, we must recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit and discern
any other voices, which are often a mixture of our own good
intentions and (sometimes) bad things.

Snakes
Snakes, for instance, usually represent lies and
accusations. Notice that in Genesis Chapter3, there is a snake
in the Garden of Eden, and he lied and deceived Adam and Eve.
Look at the function and context of snakes themselves. They
slither around on the ground, and they have a forked tongue
which could be symbolic of “talking out of both sides of their
mouth” or split speech, also known as lying.
But like the two trees in the garden, there are also different
types of snakes mentioned. Venomous snakes attacked the
people of Israel, and God told Moses to make a bronze snake
and put it up on a pole. If the afflicted people would look up at
it they would live (Numbers 21:8–9). And as the people looked
up to this bronze snake, God healed them. This was symbolic
of the future coming of Christ who would be lifted up, and
people would look to Him and be healed.
This is very interesting because it was originally a snake
that lied and caused people to be separated from God. So later,
when snakes attacked God’s people, God used an image of a
snake that had greater power and was symbolic of the future
coming of Christ who would heal people that looked to Him.
So the question to ponder is when is a snake in a dream
something negative, like lying, or positive, representing Christ
and healing? The answer can be found in the context. Notice
the snake in Genesis is deceiving people, and the bronze snake
in Numbers is producing healing. In order for a snake in a
dream to be positive, it would have to have some aspect of
people getting healed. Instead, most snakes represent
deception where people are lying against us. Even if we use a
symbols list as a baseline, we still need to look at the function
in the context of the symbol in the dream.

Dreams in the New Testament

There are many dreams and some good dream interpreters
mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible. There are also
many dreams mentioned in the New Testament. It is interesting
to note that you don’t actually see someone who specializes in
dream interpretation in the New Testament. However, many of
the people mentioned have dreams and visions, and they did
understand them. This indicates that they knew how to do
dream interpretation. They already knew how God speaks and
did not have to be trained like we do today.
The story in the book of Matthew about the birth of Jesus
is full of dreams. Joseph, the husband of Mary, had dreams
that were very significant and helped save Jesus’ life as a
young child.13 When Jesus was born, the Magi, or wise men,
came from faraway lands and were guided to the city where a
new King was to be born. They were also warned in a dream to
leave Jerusalem after they had found Jesus.14
Then later at Jesus’ trial, Pontius Pilate’s wife had a dream,
and she was able to warn her husband to wash his hands of
the entire situation.15 Throughout the book of Acts we see
Peter and Paul being guided by dreams and visions. Dreams
were a natural part of life in the Bible and need to be a natural
part of our lives as well.

Why didn’t Jesus interpret dreams?

People ask me all the time why we don’t see Jesus
interpreting dreams in the Bible. Well, we actually don’t know if
He interpreted dreams or not. The thing we see Jesus doing the
most is teaching and healing people, but there is a verse in the
Bible where it says that Jesus did many other things as well. He
did so many things that, if they were all written down, the
whole world would not be able to contain all the books.16
The more important thing to recognize is whether or not
interpreting dreams is contrary to any type of biblical
principles. As long as we are using the Holy Spirit as our guide
and the Bible as a reference, dream interpretation is safe,
helpful, and fun.

Secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven

Jesus spoke in parables primarily to reveal to His followers
the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.17 The
parables are packed full of powerful life-changing principles
and full of symbolism as well. Jesus also said whoever has the
knowledge of these principles will be given more. But whoever
does not have them, then the little bit they had will be taken
from them. This is the condition of people today because many
have stopped valuing the supernatural side of God in dreams,
parables, and spiritual principles. When we stop valuing this
revelation, then we will no longer get it. But the good news is
what Jesus said: if you have this knowledge (of parables) you
will be given more and you will have an abundance. All you
need to do is start placing value on your dreams, reading the
parables, and watching for God to speak to you through
symbolism, and you will be given more revelation than you can
imagine. As we begin to receive more revelation, we must
develop our interpretive skills to be able to know what it means
and how to apply it to our lives. In the next chapter, we will
explore how to recognize symbolic messages in dreams and
everyday life.

So what if we see a symbol that is not in the

Bible?
Probably one of the most commonly asked questions I get
is: “Where is that in the Bible?” When we do not see a symbol
clearly defined in the Bible, you can use the process that Jesus
did in Mark, Chapter8. The context of this story is that Jesus
and His disciples had just fed 4,000 people miraculously with a
few fish and a small amount of bread. And afterwards they had
seven basketfuls of bread left over.
Then He left them, got back into the boat, and crossed to
the other side. The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,
except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. “Be careful,”
Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees
and that of Herod.” They discussed this with one another and
said, “It is because we have no bread.” Aware of their
discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about
having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your
hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears
but fail to hear?” (Mark 8:13–18)
When Jesus said, “Watch out for the yeast of the
Pharisees …” His disciples immediately thought He was
speaking literally, so they answered, “Is it because we have no
bread?” At that point, Jesus told them that they must have
eyes to see and ears to hear. What He was referring to was that
they must develop symbolic understanding of things.
Let’s break it down more and pretend that this was a
dream. Yeast goes into bread, and since the Pharisees were
teachers, it is safe to say that the bread represented their
teaching. It was like nourishment or spiritual food. But there
was something else in their bread or teaching. Symbolically,
yeast causes things to rise or puff up. So, the hidden meaning
of this small parable was to be careful because the teaching of
the Pharisees causes pride. A lesson we can learn is to resist
the urge to think literally when things in dreams are often
symbolic.
It is interesting that this incident was not even listed as a
parable among the commentaries. In fact, none of the
commentaries even mention that this was a spiritual lesson on
how to develop the ability to think symbolically and
understand these hidden messages that God is sending. The
Holy Spirit revealed this to me one day when I was reading this
section from Mark. And I realized that it is a key to teach
people how to understand symbols that we do not see clearly
defined. If we do not see a sample clearly defined, then we can
do what Jesus suggested and “think like yeast.”

Another slice of understanding

Using metaphoric understanding and listening to God, I
discovered deeper insight into the rest of this section of Mark.
“When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how
many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they
replied. “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four
thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
They answered, “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not
understand?” (Mark 8:19–20)
Jesus refers to the disciples having twelve and seven
baskets of bread left over. At other times Jesus referred to
himself as the bread of life. And so symbolically, just as the
bread was broken and placed into twelve baskets, so was Jesus
later broken by His death on the cross and spiritually placed
into the twelve of them.
But what about the seven basketfuls? What did they
represent? Again, I could not find this in any commentary. As I
researched it more, I got revelation from God that the first level
of leadership after Jesus left the earth was the twelve apostles.
Then later as they got busy they appointed seven deacons to
help them minister to the poor and needy. 18 The seven
basketfuls represented the second tier of leadership that was
coming. I’m sharing this with you to show you how you can
use symbolic thinking as you study the Bible and as you
interpret your dreams.
Just as I showed you how symbolism is a very important
part of dream interpretation, I also want to get more practical by
explaining Common Dreams many have. But first remember, a
tree may represent a person or it may represent fruit and life. In
order to fully understand we must look at the whole picture.
Some symbols will be simpler than others, like the yeast that
puffs up and the Pharisees pride; others will take more
reflecting and sometimes research.
Common Dreams often get overlooked, yet they can have
great meaning when interpreted correctly. I am certain that
either you or someone you know has had one of these dreams
that are quite common to many. Some of the most common
ones are flying, falling, being chased, or even having a baby.
Let’s take a look at these Common Dreams in the next chapter.
CHAPTER 5
Common Dreams People Have

It’s strange how interesting your dreams are, but

when someone tries to tell you their dream you’re just
like “WHATEVER!”
Comedian Jim Gaffigan

After interpreting thousands of dreams for people, I began

to notice patterns. Several dream themes seemed to be common
to many people I came in contact with. Dreams like flying,
falling, teeth coming loose, running or being chased, having a
baby, showing up naked, going to the bathroom in public …
recognize any of these? Chances are you have had one or more
of these Common Dreams.
As I give meanings to some of these Common Dreams,
realize that I’m generalizing. There may be more details to your
dream, but this is the basic meaning for most of them. The
following are the most popular Common Dreams. It is important
to understand these particular dreams because they may help
in the accelerated dream interpretive process.

Baby or pregnant
 Both men and women can have this type of dream. Most
of the time it is not a literal dream but symbolic. It’s talking
about birthing something new into your life. It could be a new
job, a gift, an anointing, creativity, or even a clever invention.

Below are a few examples of baby or pregnancy dreams.

There is more than one baby involved, such as twins or

triplets. This indicates that the new thing coming will
be of greater magnitude: double, triple or even
quadruple.

The baby newly born is soon walking or has a full

head of hair and teeth. This is showing that the new
thing coming to you will mature and happen quickly.

The baby is not alive or needs to be resuscitated. This

is showing you that there is something that God is
trying to do through you but it is being stopped or
needs help to get it going again.

Someone gives you a baby or you find one. This

indicates that a gift or something new that has been
neglected or let go is coming into your hands.

Car or vehicle
Symbolically, cars take you places, so they can represent
various aspects of your life—like your job, family, ministry, or
calling. Remember to pay attention to the context of the dream
and notice who is in the car with you. It could possibly be
people from your place of employment, where you attend
school, family members, or just you. This can give you clues as
to what area of your life the dream pertains to. Look at the
condition of the car, the conditions outside the car, where you
are going, or if you are lost.

Here are some different kinds of car dreams.

The brakes fail, you cannot control the steering, or

you are unable to stop. These say you are going too
fast right now or you feel out of control and unable to
stop.

Your car transforms into a convertible, a racecar, or

one of elegance. This can mean that change is coming
to your life—change that will bring greater creativity
and impact.

Your car gets towed. There is a calling on your life that

you are not fulfilling, and something is trying to take it
away from you.

Chased or running
More often than not, dreams that involve running can be
frightening. This type of dream usually represents one of two
situations. You are either running from something in your life,
or you are being chased down by your own destiny and it’s
trying to catch up with you. Either situation can seem scary
because they both require major changes. This type of dream is
a strong indication that there’s some calling on your life that
you have yet to fulfill. Why would something evil try to
prevent you from this? It is because you have something great
to fulfill in your life for God.

Included here are various kinds of dreams that mimic

being chased or running.

You suddenly begin to run in slow motion. This type of

dream means that delays are getting in the way of you
moving forward. You might want to take an inventory
of your life and try to pinpoint what it is.

There is a presence of something evil in your dream.

This shows that there is something trying to stop you
or work against you. There is no need to be afraid
because it shows that you have a high calling on your
life. I will show you how to turn these types of dreams
around in my chapter on Nightmares.

Deceased relatives
It is not uncommon for deceased relatives to appear in our
dreams. Often our parents or grandparents can be symbolic of
God giving us advice and guidance. These dreams can also
heal grief because of the loss of a loved one. If you have a
recurring theme of deceased relatives from one specific side of
the family, like your mom’s side, this can indicate that there is a
generational calling on that side of your family that has not yet
been fulfilled.

Dying
Although this kind of dream can be frightening, dying in a
dream is not always bad. It can be symbolic of leaving one
season of your life and moving to an entirely new one. It is
possible that the dream is about someone that is going to die,
but in most cases, it is symbolic of great change coming.

Example:
A friend dreamed she found her husband dead. A short
time after the dream, her husband began to have a spiritual
awakening in his life.

Falling
Dreams where you are falling indicate that you are out of
control in your life. Falling can also suggest that you may need
to let go and take some risk. Most people who have falling
dreams also have flying dreams. If you’re having a repeated
falling dream, this indicates you need peace in your life. Once
the peace manifests, you can get the creative juices flowing
and fly again.

The following are a few examples of falling dreams.

You dream you are falling and wake up with a jolt.

This shows that God is trying to get your attention and
get you to wake up to something new.

You slip off a steep ledge or cliff. This indicates that

you are in a time of tight maneuvering and God is
encouraging you to hold on.

You step off a ledge or high place on your own into a

free fall. This shows that God is calling you to take a
risk, or that you are a risk-taker by nature.

Flying
The most popular common dreams are flying dreams.
Dreams that involve flying without the use of an airplane are
usually very good (depending on context). They indicate you
have a high degree of creativity, you have the ability to rise
above circumstances, and you are possibly maturing
spiritually.

Since flying dreams are the most common, I gave a few

more examples so you can see how meanings vary based on
context.

Trying to take off but failing can indicate that there is

something that you are destined to do but you are
experiencing setbacks. It is possible that you are
hindering your own advancement, and the dream is
letting you know so that you can make the necessary
changes.

Low/high altitude flight can show you the level of

spiritual maturity you are achieving. If you consistently
fly at low altitude, then you will want to examine your
life to find ways to grow spiritually. Flying at very high
altitude reveals that you are advancing spiritually and
that your creativity is increasing.

Flying over a known city or region is usually an

indication to pray and intercede for that area, or you
may have a connection there.

Flight into outer space is a great dream! This is saying

that you are moving or are about to move into high-
level spiritual experiences with God.

Crashing or out of control is obvious that your

spiritual life needs attention. It may be a warning to
bring balance back into your life.

Floating or levitating is similar to flying in that you are

 rising above situations in your life. Levitation dreams
show that God is giving you power to get over some
particular situation in your life.

Flapping your arms to fly means that you are using

your own efforts instead of God’s grace and power in
your life.

House
Dreams that take place in and around your home represent
some aspect of your life. Notice the context. Are people there
from work, school, family, or are they unfamiliar? Watch for
clues.

Below are some different kinds of house dreams.

You go back to your childhood home even though you

are your current age. This indicates that you are either
dealing with family or childhood issues right now, or
there is still something to be fulfilled that your
ancestors had been called to do.

You are in a house and you discover rooms that you

never knew existed. This represents things in your life
that you have yet to discover. This could be hidden
talents, gifts, or future accomplishments that are
available to you.
Late
Showing up late for anything in a dream is a warning to
not miss what is coming. It is just making you aware of
something approaching. So when you wake up, ask God to
help you catch whatever it is.

Losing wallet or purse

When you lose your wallet, purse, or identification, it
usually indicates that you are not recognizing your true
identity or calling in life.

Lost
This type of dream is showing that you are lacking clear
direction. It is possible that you have decisions to make, or that
you may need to rethink your plans. This type of dream is
another heads-up that you need additional preparation.

Naked
You show up in the dream and realize you forgot to get
dressed. Public nakedness is actually a good dream as long as
it’s not vulgar or pornographic. This type of dream indicates
that you are a safe person and people feel free to disclose their
problems to you often. When you have this type of dream,
watch for people who may need help, or just listen to them. If
you forget one area of clothing, it may be trying to emphasize
a particular type of gifting you have. An example of missing
your top or shirt could show you are open and free as you
nurture people. If you forget your pants, then you are lacking
something that you need for your “walk” or daily life. No shoes
can indicate the lack of peace.

Not able to run, move, or speak

Whenever we are unable to run or move in a dream, it
indicates that something is trying to stop us or hold us back in
life. This interpretation can also be applied to dreams when we
are not able to speak or cry out for help. This can indicate there
are dark forces working against you, but the good news is that
there must be something great for you to fulfill, and that is why
you are getting so much resistance.

Past relationship
When you dream about being back in an old relationship
again, it usually is symbolic and indicates you may be tempted
to go back to old behaviors or an “old lover.” Maybe it’s a
habit of isolating yourself, feeling depressed, overeating, etc.
When we have one of these dreams it is a heads-up to be
careful. It can also indicate that you are going through
something right now that has a connection to that time of your
life.
Sexual
Although this might be an uncomfortable topic, many
people are having sexual dreams, and not all of them are bad.
I’m talking about the ones where you kiss someone but yet it
did not necessarily seem intimate or a bad thing. Or, you are in
love or married to someone else in the dream even though, in
real life, you’re not attracted to him or her. In some dreams, you
could be lying close, hugging, or holding someone that is not
your spouse or partner. These dreams are not always what
they appear.
Symbolically, sexual attraction can indicate that you have
a similar calling or gifting as that person. You most likely
desire, or are drawn to be more intimate with, the spiritual gifts
that they have. Again, if you are dealing with things in your life
and you have sexual dreams, don’t worry that it’s something
bad in your life. Some sexual dreams may indeed point out the
need for deeper healing of coming temptations.
How about those dreams in which you or your spouse or
someone you know is having an affair? Don’t jump to
conclusions! This could simply be symbolic that they are
getting too busy with something that is pulling them away
emotionally from their relationships. This could be overworking
or falling into addictive behaviors. When you have these types
of dreams, it is best not to confront the person, but to pray and
ask God to bring balance to the person’s life.

Teeth
 This type of dream reveals you are in need of direction.
Teeth chew food and make it useful for the body. Symbolically,
teeth chew the word or teaching of God so it can be digested
and made useful through application. Chewing or thinking
about something brings deeper understanding. That’s why
teeth coming loose or falling out means you’re in need of
direction, wisdom, or advice.

Here are examples of various teeth dreams.

You bite into some food and your teeth break off. This
indicates that there is something that you are having
difficulty understanding at the moment.

You look in the mirror and suddenly your teeth are

falling out. You are lacking wisdom in the area of your
self-image or who you are and what you’re called to do.

Your incisor teeth come loose or fall out. These are also
known as “eye teeth” and symbolically, loose incisors
can indicate that you are lacking spiritual vision.

Your wisdom teeth come loose or fall out. Obviously,

you’re lacking wisdom in some area of your life.

Your front teeth come out. This could indicate that you
are too busy or “biting off more than you can chew.”
Test
When you take a test in a dream, it’s giving you an
indication that you are in a time of testing with God. To mature,
we need to learn life lessons, and God will test us along the
way to see if we’re ready for advancements and promotions. If
you need to take a test but cannot find the classroom, then
there is some training or preparation you need in order to
advance.

Toilet, bathroom, or shower

Dreams situated in bathrooms, toilets, or showers show
that something negative needs to be flushed off or cleansed.
This does not necessarily mean that it is something major.
Things like unforgiveness, anger, and pride to name a few may
just need to be flushed. Toilet dreams actually can have a
positive outcome.

Below are a few examples of toilet, bathroom, or shower

dreams.

You cannot find the toilet, or you find one but it is

dirty. This indicates that you have not yet found the
type of help that you need to get over some things in
your life.

If the drain or toilet is plugged up, then you probably

 are holding onto something negative, possibly
unforgiveness.

You need to use the bathroom before leaving to go

somewhere. This shows that you have some things to
take care of before moving forward.

You find yourself going to the bathroom in public.

This indicates that you are open and vulnerable, and
others will help you through this time.

Underwater
Water normally represents spiritual aspects of your life.
Being underwater is a great dream because it shows that you
are going deeper into spiritual things. When you can breathe
underwater, you are maturing.

Weather and disasters

Because we see earthquakes, tornadoes, and tsunamis on
the news and they are a part of life, most of the time they are
symbolic in dreams. Depending on the context, they can also
indicate something of great magnitude or impact coming or
times of turmoil. Water often represents the spiritual realm, so a
tidal wave can represent a major change coming or movement
from God. It is possible that what you are seeing is not
symbolic but actually a prophetic warning of a natural disaster
coming. Thankfully, it is usually symbolic.

Here are some examples of weather and disaster dreams.

A tornado is coming at your house. You are about to

experience turmoil. Usually, if the tornado is white, then
God is allowing this to happen.

A huge tidal wave is coming and wiping things out.

Something new is coming in the spiritual realm that will
wipe out the old and bring in the new.

An entire city or area is underwater, flooded. This

could be a move or increase of the Holy Spirit.

We will get into more Common Dream symbols a bit later.

For now, begin to notice these dreams. You will want to
familiarize yourself with these Common Dreams, as you will see
them often. So, whether we are flying or falling, swimming or
sinking, we all have Common Dreams! In the next chapter, we
will take a look at how to identify the specific purpose of a
dream and determine how to respond in ways that will change
your life for the good.
CHAPTER 6

Getting the Most Out of a Dream

“A dream which is not interpreted is like a letter

which is not read.”
(The Talmud)

How do I know what is important?

One of the most important aspects of understanding
dreams is simply knowing who or what the dream is about. In
my opinion it’s probably fifty percent of what you need to
know. So many people think that their dreams are about
something or someone else when in reality, the dream is often
about them. That is why I developed the Four Easy Steps to
Dream Interpretation that we went over in Chapter2. With
enough practice using the questions in these steps, you will
begin to notice key elements of dreams. Another essential tool
is for you to know the purpose of the dream and how to
respond to it.

The meaning, purpose, and response

 Dream interpretation will become much easier when you
learn to separate the meaning of the dream from the purpose or
how it essentially applies to your life. These are two totally
different things. Most people immediately begin thinking about
how the dream applies to their life before giving full
consideration to the dream’s true interpretation. This rookie
mistake is actually why most people don’t understand their
dreams. To be a really good dream interpreter, sometimes you
need to step away from your own thoughts as to what you
think it means and take a closer look at the dream itself. You
will almost need to remove yourself from the picture so you can
get an unbiased view. Let me explain what I mean.
The meaning of the dream is usually very simple. It can
normally be stated in a short paragraph and is very persuasive
and direct. It is best to state the interpretation of the dream like
this: “The meaning of this dream is …” Once you or the
dreamer feels that the interpretation is correct, and it feels right,
then you can go on to the details of the dream, which is more
of its purpose or how it practically applies to your life.
Although there can be more than one meaning, normally
there is one main meaning and many applications. The dream
can be for you and also symbolic of your job. The dream can
be about your family and also apply to others going through
the same thing. It will take practice to recognize the three to
four main points of the dream because that’s where the
interpretation lies.

Example:
 I dreamed I was with people from my work and I received
news that I was pregnant and going to have the baby on
March 4th.
T h e meaning of a dream is the bottom line or basic
overview of the dream. You can use the Four Steps to Dream
Interpretation we have already gone over to get the dream’s
interpretation. It is usually short and to the point, allowing for a
broad application. In this case, the dream is about something
new coming regarding your career.
T h e purpose of a dream is to get your attention that
something new is coming in your career. In the application, you
can go into much more detail on how it practically relates to a
situation. “March 4th” is either a date or timing of the new
thing or may be a play on words for “march forth,” which
indicates that you are to move forward boldly. By putting too
much emphasis on the application, you may lose the impact of
the meaning. If you start trying too hard to figure out what
March 4th means, you may forget the exciting news that
something new is coming in your life! Another thing to keep in
mind is that if you can take a dream symbol out of the dream
and it does not dramatically change the meaning, then it’s best
to not focus on it. If you remove March 4th, the dream does
not change all that much.
The response is what to do with the meaning of the dream.
Responding in some way will make the dream come alive. In the
case of this dream, pray and ask God to show you what it is He
is bringing in your life and if there is something you can do to
help prepare. Various responses for dreams might include:
praying, reading, taking a class, calling a friend, doing some
research, etc.

Try it on a dream in the Bible

I have gone over four practical steps to understand
dreams and what to watch for using “meaning, purpose, and
response.” Let’s try it out on a dream that’s already interpreted
in the Bible. This really is the true test to see if it works. We’ll
use the dream of Pharaoh’s cupbearer, who lost his job and
was in prison at the same time that Joseph, the dream
interpreter, was there.

Pharaoh’s cupbearer’s dream

“So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to
him, ‘In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, and on the vine
were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and
its clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand,
and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and
put the cup in his hand.’” (Genesis 40:9–11) Let’s use my four
questions for understanding dreams:

Who or what is the dream about and what area of life?

Is the dream positive or negative?

Are there any repeated themes in the dream or Common

 Dreams?

What are the three to four main points of the dream?

You’ll notice first of all, the dream is about the cupbearer

and has to do with his work. Second, it does seem to be
positive. Third, the repeated themes of threes—the three
branches and the three stages of the grapes: budding,
blossoming, and ripening into clusters. And last, just a few of
the main points would be the three branches, three stages, and
being back at his job. Now let’s look at the interpretation that
Joseph gave him.

The meaning
“This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three
branches are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up
your head and restore you to your position, and you will put
Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you
were his cupbearer.” (Genesis 40:12–13)
Notice how short and to the point Joseph’s interpretation
is. He correlates the repeated theme or pattern of threes with
three days to the fact that the cupbearer had lost his job and
was now in prison, and in the dream, he is back on his job. So,
you can see that Joseph used a combination of hearing God
and symbolism to interpret the dream.

The purpose and response

 “But when all goes well with you, remember me and show
me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this
prison.” (Genesis 40:14)
Joseph got the interpretation of the dream, and he
responded practically by asking the cupbearer to remember him
later so that Joseph could get out of prison. Remember how
there could be more than one purpose? One purpose of this
dream was to prepare the cupbearer for getting his old job
back. Another purpose was to set Joseph up to later step into
his life’s destiny of interpreting Pharaoh’s dream. Then, he not
only got released from prison but also was promoted to second
in command of all of Egypt. It pays to be a good dream
interpreter!
So, you can see that the steps I have outlined and the
practical responses work with a dream already interpreted in
the Bible. As you develop your ability, your understanding of
dreams will get better, and you will soon be able to help people
like Joseph did. God is looking for people who can hear His
voice, interpret dreams, and step on the scene like Joseph,
interpreting dreams even for major world leaders and releasing
God’s strategies on the earth.

I thought God gave interpretations?

I have trained thousands of dream interpreters, and I still
run across people who do not believe that we can learn to
interpret our dreams. Many feel that we need to rely 100
percent on revelation from God. This comes partly from
Joseph’s words as he interpreted the cupbearer’s and baker’s
dreams.
Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong
to God? Tell me your dreams.” (Genesis 40:8)
Yes, we must rely on being guided by the Holy Spirit and
listen to God as we interpret a dream, but keep in mind that
dreams are also similar to night parables. Jesus taught His
followers the need to understand parables by interpreting the
meaning. If you study Matthew, Chapter13, you will see this. It
really is okay to practice hearing God in our daily lives. He
wants us to hear His voice and know Him better. I will go into
more detail on this later.
I am not trying to teach you a method but instead show
you how to get to the basic meaning of a dream. Dreams are
subjective, and just like parables, symbols may change from
dream to dream, so we need to rely on God’s revelation to
know what each dream means and how to make a practical life
application.

How can you tell if a dream is from God,

yourself, or other sources?
This is one of the most popular questions I get asked. I
will give you a few tips later on how to recognize dreams that
are from God or yourself, but the best way to do it is simply
practice. The more dreams that you begin to interpret, the
better you will get. All God-given gifts, natural talents, or skills
must be developed. If you want to be a teacher, you would
need to practice. The same goes for a musician or worship
leader, administrator, or any other gift or calling. This principle
applies to hearing God and dream interpretation as well. The
more you do it the better you will get. I’m giving you some
tools so that you can get started right away.
Training yourself to look for the main points of the dream
will take practice. After you do it a few times, though, it will
become automatic, and it will be as though these main points
are highlighted and stand out. To become a really good dream
interpreter, you will need to train yourself in recognizing these
four main points of the dream. As you do that, also learn to
recognize the source of the dream and where it is coming from.

PRACTICAL STEPS TO UNDERSTANDING

DREAMS
Write your dreams down and save them

It is very important that you value your dreams. You can

do this best by writing them down and keeping track of them.
Find a recording method that suits your lifestyle and
personality. I used to write my dreams in a paper dream journal.
My journals date back over twenty years, and I have them
stored in boxes. The problem for me is that I am an avid
dreamer, so when I tried to find a dream I had previously, I
needed to search through a pile of dream journals over four
feet high. Over ten years ago, I converted to a computer dream
journal. At first it was awkward because I was so used to
writing things down with pen and paper, but now, I wouldn’t
do it any other way. I go into much more detail. I can cross-
reference them and do searches. The most important thing is to
track how your dreams are fulfilled.

Pray for divine understanding

Even though I am giving you steps to understand your
dreams, remember that we must rely on hearing God as well as
learn to understand symbolism. So the very first thing to do is
pray and ask God to speak to you about the meaning of the
dream. We can never get away from relying on the Holy Spirit
to guide us. You might hear me repeat this because it is a really
important part of interpreting dreams.

Make notes and do research

If you are using the steps that I recommend for
understanding dreams, things will become clearer because
you’ll know what to focus on in the dream. There will still be
things that you may not understand, and you will need to
research. I have used reference material like a book on the
meaning of names, biblical imagery, and some dream symbols
books. I now primarily use an Internet search engine. I have a
bibliography at the end of this book with reference materials
that can help you. Another important aspect of recording and
journaling your dreams is that you can go back later and
update them with notes and details. The more notes you take,
the more understanding you will develop. You really do get out
of it what you put into it.

Constellation Orion the Hunter dream

Let me give you an example of researching a dream. I had a
dream that I was standing, looking at the night sky, and I saw
the constellation Orion the Hunter rising in the East. I did an
Internet search and found that Orion the Hunter rises in the
east during the harvest time. This brought greater
understanding that my dream was about something new that
was about to happen that was currently hidden that would
eventually produce a great result or yield a harvest.

Follow through on direction you receive

One of the major principles of understanding how God
speaks in dreams and in everyday life is to follow through on
any revelation or direction that we receive. If you are not
valuing how God speaks to you, then you may not receive
additional revelation. Following through could include practical
steps such as making a phone call, sending an email, forgiving
someone, etc.

Study the dreams and parables in the Bible

It is really important to frequently study symbolic
language such as parables and dreams in the Bible. Commit
yourself to continual learning, and keep your gifts sharpened
by regularly using them. After interpreting dreams for over
twenty years, I still do this. Whenever I have spare time or
don’t know what to read in the Bible, I read parables, psalms, or
dreams like in the book of Daniel. It’s funny because I’ve been
studying these for years and yet I still notice new things. Make
it easy for yourself by carrying the Bible on your smart phone
or pulling it up on your computer.
We must consider dream interpretation and hearing God
like any other gift that God can give us. The more we use it, the
better we get.19 But if we do not use it, we will eventually
become dulled to it. You can train yourself daily as if you are a
professional athlete or singer. This is what will set apart those
who can develop accurately in dream interpretation. You can
start out small and grow over time. Consistency is the key.
There is no way around the fact that dream interpretation
takes a lot of practice. The more dreams you interpret, the
better you will get. You may feel somewhat confused and lack
confidence at first, but don’t give up; stick with the process,
because a light will come on the more you do it. It is also good
to interpret dreams other than your own. Your own dreams are
harder to understand because we try to apply them before we
interpret them.
Dreams can seem crazy and chaotic, but after you learn
what to look for, you can get something out of nearly every
dream that can be practically applied to your life. Interpreting
dreams has evolved over the years to what some consider an
art form. One amazing way to understand symbolic language is
through the arts. Let’s take a look at metaphoric messages in
movies.
CHAPTER 7
Develop Metaphoric Thinking

“Last night I dreamed I ate a ten-pound

marshmallow and when I woke up the pillow was gone.”
Tommy Cooper

It can be very intriguing when you figure out a dream’s

hidden message; it’s almost like decoding a secret from God,
like you are His agent. There’s nothing better than seeing the
twinkle of “ah-ha” in a dreamer’s eye whenever your
interpretation hits it right! I mentioned previously that you
cannot interpret a dream accurately by using a list of symbols.
It is necessary to learn to think metaphorically or symbolically
if you want to become a really good dream interpreter.
Understanding metaphors is essential because the more you
get into dreams, the more you will see various dream metaphor
examples from different people and different places.

What is a metaphor?
A metaphor is a figure of speech where one thing is
expressed in terms of another. A metaphor can be a visual
representation, that is, a symbol. For example, “a sea of
troubles.” If I just said I’m going through a difficult time, it
does not express the depth of it. A metaphor can richly
describe a situation visually. I use the terms metaphor and
symbol interchangeably throughout this book, just so you
know, these are very close in meaning.
In addition, a simile is a figure of speech using words
such as like or as to compare two things. An example of a
simile would be: Alex is “strong as an ox.” People use
metaphors and similes all the time to compare one thing to
another and may not even realize it. They are part of our
everyday speech.

Easy way to understand metaphors

Here’s the easiest way to think metaphorically: think of
something in nature and what it does. Let’s use the metaphor
of animals. A bird flying high in the air represents the ability to
achieve things on a higher level. Butterflies go through a major
transformational process, which is symbolic of going through a
difficult time and emerging beautiful. Fish swim in water with
water representing the spiritual aspect of life. Some fish can be
symbolic of the ability to be spiritually attuned, but sharks can
represent a vicious attack (verbally or emotionally).
Here are some more examples in nature. Rats and mice are
drawn to garbage and can simply indicate the presence of
something negative in your life that needs to be cleaned up.
Horses have power. Donkeys can be stubborn. Dogs are man’s
best friend. Cats tend to be more independent.
 All these characteristics of animals can be symbolic of
other things in real life. When you learn to recognize the
function or characteristic of something, and in our case apply it
to dreams, you’ll understand the metaphor’s meaning.

Learn to think metaphorically

Life is full of metaphors. Begin to look for hidden
messages in things that you see in your daily life. Notice street
signs, songs on the radio or in stores, commercials, billboards,
addresses, and numbers. Not everything will be God speaking
to you, but quite often you can recognize God’s voice in
metaphors in your daily life. When we learn to decipher
metaphors, we can gain deeper meaning into life. My entire life
is like a parable, and things that have happened to me are often
hidden messages from God.
Just take a fresh look around and ask yourself, “If this
were happening in a dream, what would it mean?” For example,
a friend picked me up at an airport, and we had a one and a half
hour drive to my hotel. An hour into the trip, we realized that
he had driven the wrong way. This was a prophetic message
that in making decisions, he had to be careful not to go the
wrong way. Unfortunately, a short time later, he did end up
going in a wrong way that was quite costly to his organization.

Watch for repeating metaphors … repeating

metaphors … repeating metaphors …
 I went through a time in which lights were repeatedly
burning out in my house and in my cars. I would replace the
bulbs, and they would burn out again within weeks. Most
people would think that I was burned out, but I knew God was
giving me a heads up to not get burned out. And so my
response was to take some time off.
My wife and I pay attention to repeating numbers all the
time. Eleven can represent transition and we know that we’re
about to transition into an entirely new season of our lives.
Maybe you see numbers line up on the clock like 2:22, 3:33, etc.
It could be the meaning of the actual number or symbolic that
things are about to line up for you. The only way to know for
sure is to record it, watch for it, and ask God for confirmation.

Metaphoric exercises
Here’s a fun and helpful exercise you can do to
understand metaphors. Take a moment right now and think of a
person you know, and describe them as an animal. Be nice, of
course. Maybe it’s their appearance or an aspect of their
personality that causes you to choose one animal over
another.
Next, describe what they do (or their career) as a boat.
What kind of boat would they have? Are they like a sailboat,
gently coasting by the wind of the Spirit? Or are they more like
a speedboat that can bolt quickly and have fun? Are they more
like an aircraft carrier supporting other people, or a mercy ship
because of their compassion? People describe me as a cruise
ship because of my sense of humor.

Metaphors in movies
Remember that Jesus often taught deep spiritual principles
by using simple, symbolic examples from everyday life. I
believe that if Jesus were teaching today, He would use movies
or television to creatively explain valuable truths by parables.
People are familiar with today’s movies and television, but
some people are not aware of the hidden meanings in the
shows right before their eyes. Let’s take a look at some
metaphors in movies.

Superhero movies
Most superhero movies have the same type of theme.
They feature supernaturally gifted people who use their
powers to help people and fight evil, but when they stop using
their supernatural abilities, crime and evil tend to increase. This
is symbolic of when Christians stop using their God-given
supernatural gifts. It is as if evil increases. But just like in the
movies, when they go back to using their supernatural powers,
the world seems to balance out again.

The Incredibles
A really helpful example to understanding metaphors is
the animated movie The Incredibles. It is about The Parr family,
who possess supernatural powers.20 There were five family
members, which is symbolic of the fivefold ministry gifts that
are mentioned in the Bible.21 The father had supernatural
strength, but sometimes he was too strong and would break
things. This is a metaphor for people who become too spiritual
and rigid and lack grace. They inadvertently end up breaking a
lot of things and hurting people around them. The dad needed
balance, and he had that in his wife, whose supernatural power
was flexibility. Strength requires flexibility or we end up hurting
people.
Most people thought the daughter Violet’s supernatural
gifting was the ability to disappear, but actually, she wanted to
disappear because she didn’t want anyone to see her. Later,
she discovered that her true supernatural ability was to cover
her family with the bubble of protection—a force field. This is
symbolic of having the gift of prayer and intercession. When
she discovered her true gift, she no longer wanted to
disappear. Instead, she became very interactive with her
friends. Wanting to disappear is a metaphor for people who are
supernaturally gifted by God but don’t want anyone to know
about it. This is called false humility, and there are many
“Violets” out there who need to discover their true identity in
God.
And then there was their son named Dash, whose ability
was to move very quickly. This is symbolic of our need to
move quickly in making decisions and getting things done.
And then there was the baby, Jack-Jack. Most people may
have thought that Jack-Jack might have been evil because of
his appearance, but actually, he could do everything that all
the other family members could do all at once. He was the most
gifted in the entire family yet he was just an infant. This is
symbolic of a generation that is rising up right now that is so
very talented but not yet matured in their gifts and callings.
They are breaking many records in sports without the use of
steroids and setting new standards.
Another character was the young family friend named
Buddy. He was not a family member but he came to Mr. Parr
and asked to be mentored. But the dad had no time for him and
told him to leave, so Buddy went off and built a machine that
allowed him to do supernatural things. It was more of a
counterfeit than an actual supernatural gift. This is symbolic of
people who have come to us to be trained in the things of God
but we’ve sent them away because they didn’t fit into our
family mold. Many of these highly gifted people have come to
churches or even approached us, but we turn them away
because we did not understand them. They went off
discouraged never to come near God or a church again. Some
of them were so gifted that they developed groups such as the
human potential movement and the New Age that are using
biblical principles without a personal relationship with God or
the power of the Holy Spirit. When I say this, I am not being
judgmental because I was once one of those highly gifted
people who came to the church but was turned away.

Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3

 Like other superhero movies, Spider-Man is a classic
example to study to learn how to think metaphorically. Spider-
Man’s name was Peter and he was very much in love with
Mary, but Mary loved another man who was very evil. Mary
can represent the church today and Peter can represent those
who are following God’s plan for their life. God is so in love
with the church but the church is in love with the world (the
evil man). Think of the symbolism of a spider. Spiders seem
negative, but Spider-Man was actually very positive and cared
about people. This is very similar to Christians who understand
and operate in the supernatural power of God. They seem evil
or even negative to others but in reality they are not (well, most
of them). When Spider-Man stopped using his powers, he lost
vision, had to use glasses to see, and crime began to increase
around him.
In Spider-Man 3 he got black stuff all over him, which was
pride. And in the movie he had to go to a church to get the
pride off of him. This was not even a Christian movie, yet it was
prophetic and has many more layers of symbolic meaning.

Inception
The movie Inception was all about the world of dreams.
They did a great job with special effects, capturing what a
dream looks and feels like, but there was a lot of symbolism in
that movie as well. The symbolic meaning is that there is an evil
force in the world trying to steal the dreams of people. It
revealed that some people have the ability to use dreams to go
into deep areas within ourselves and unlock the fears that are
holding us back from our future.

Avatar
The symbolic meaning behind Avatar is that there is a
negative force that we don’t understand that’s trying to
destroy people. Avatar bodies are like the supernatural abilities
that we can have in God. The evil force was driven by greed.
We need to step into our supernatural abilities, (or our avatar
bodies), to be all God has called us to be and change the world
for good.

Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-

Man
Batman and Spiderman are great metaphoric pictures of
how God will take something that looks bad or intended for evil
and use it for good. Bats and spiders may not seem positive,
but Batman and Spider-Man are very positive as they fight evil
and restore justice. This is a prophetic picture of the spiritual
warfare that is going on all the time.
I n The Amazing Spider-Man, a gas was released that
turns people into lizards. This symbolizes a Satanic attack right
now to get people to become coldblooded and lack the ability
to love. This is happening in people today as a mean spirit has
entered our society. It is interesting that Batman and Spider-
Man could not take the enemy down by themselves but had to
operate as a team with others. This is a message for us today
that God is calling us to work together in greater unity and
there will not be many Lone Rangers.
Now that we have seen modern day examples of
metaphors in the media, let’s try interpreting metaphors with an
example of a vision in the Bible. Dreams and visions are closely
related, so deciphering metaphors from a dream is very similar
to doing so with a vision. Please note that any dream or vision
that is literal (what you see is what you get) or actually
happens does not need an interpretation. Whenever you see
things that are symbolic in a dream or a vision, then it requires
interpretation.

Peter’s trance
The Bible describes when Peter had a vision while he was
in a trance in Acts: “He saw heaven opened and something like
a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It
contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles
and birds. Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything
impure or unclean.’ The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do
not call anything impure that God has made clean.’” (Acts
10:11–15)
Let’s look more closely at the symbol of the animals in
Peter’s vision in Acts 10:12. When Peter sees the unclean
animals that were not to be eaten by Jews,22 he could have
easily misunderstood this metaphor to mean God was speaking
about his diet or the farmer nearby. However, a few moments
later, a group of non-Jewish people came looking for Peter
because an angel had told them Peter’s name and where he
would be staying. This was a major confirmation, which
supported the meaning behind the vision that Peter received.
When God speaks to us, especially in dreams and visions, He
will often confirm it in some other way, and there will be context
for how it applies.
God was communicating to Peter through symbolism that
he must take the message of Jesus to the non-Jewish people.
This rocked Peter’s theology because the belief system of his
day said that salvation could only come to the Jewish people.
So, when God wanted to expand Peter’s understanding of His
love for the entire world, He spoke to Peter with a symbolic
message in a vision.
You will begin to see metaphors and symbolic messages
in the world around you. As you begin to plunge into stories
like the one above concerning Peter, more symbols will register
for you in the Bible. You’ll start to notice them even more after
reading this book. Spider-Man, Batman, and even the darker
movies I mentioned all have metaphors. Cartoons and even the
name of the street you live on can have a symbolic message.
As you draw your attention to something, your brain will
automatically start highlighting it for you to investigate. To
help you understand this, let’s now go deeper and look at how
the meaning of a symbol or metaphor can change based on
context.
CHAPTER 8
Context Makes a Difference

“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”

Vincent van Gogh

I mentioned that my life is a continuous parable. I see

metaphoric messages nearly every day, and they seem to
appear everywhere I go. God is speaking to all of us this way,
but most people have not tuned into it or noticed. My desire is
to teach you these tools so you can be more aware of how God
used symbols throughout the Bible to speak to people and that
He hasn’t stopped now. Let me give you some examples!

Parable of the sixes

I travel a lot and speak at many conferences, and often the
things that happen to me on the way to a particular event
symbolize a real life parable for that group or city. I was going
to speak at a church in Canada. On the way out the door, my
wife handed me $6 of Canadian coins that she had found.
When I got to the airport, I was in seat 6 on both flights and I
arrived at gate 66. They picked me up and took me to Motel 6.
Wo w, with all those sixes, most people would think it was
negative (666). But as I was talking to some of the leaders from
the church, they mentioned to me something that had
happened six years ago. God gave me the understanding of it:
they had started something six years ago that had gotten off
track, and they needed to go back to that original vision.
People can misunderstand these cloaked messages from
God when they have not grasped both the language of
symbolism and how it functions with metaphors. When you
practice placing your attention on it, thinking metaphorically
becomes easier and even automatic so that eventually, you will
not have to ponder what all the symbols mean in a dream,
vision, or real life parable. It will become automatic and you will
just know what God is saying.
In this chapter, we look at why something like the number
six might seem negative to some yet could be used positively.
We will take a look at why symbols and metaphors can change
from dream to dream.

Symbols can change

Now that you understand how metaphors work, let me add
in a new level of understanding for you. The meaning of
metaphors and symbols can change based on how they appear
or how they are functioning. Although there are plenty of
common metaphors, we have to be careful not to interpret the
same symbol the same way for every dream. I do generalize
some of the Common Dream themes that we will go over
shortly, but even those can change based on the context in
which they appear.
You may have heard the saying, “A picture is worth a
thousand words.” This accurately describes the world of
metaphors in dreams. One symbol might represent many
different things. For example, if you see a certain person in a
dream, it is possible they represent something other than
themselves. Maybe it is the meaning of their name, possibly
their position in life, or what they are doing that sheds deeper
light on the dream’s meaning.

Even Jesus changed a symbol’s meaning

When Jesus spoke in parables, He taught deep spiritual
principles by comparing them to common things in everyday
life. It was as if He was saying, “Picture this … this is what the
Kingdom of Heaven is like.” Jesus made reference to “seeds”
several times. Once, He compared seeds to having faith,
another time, He compared seeds to the word of God, and still
another time, to spreading the good news.23 The meaning of
the symbol “seed” changed from parable to parable based on
the context.
Just like Jesus’ symbols in His parables, dream symbols
can change from one dream to another. This is why we need to
be careful that we understand how the metaphor is used within
the dream—the context in which it is being presented. So, if a
metaphor or symbol changes, how do we figure out what it
means? Context is key.
Understanding symbols in context
The context of the symbol is what really counts because it
tells us what it applies to and how. The context helps us
understand if the dream is positive or negative, giving us a lot
of clues about what area of our lives the metaphor applies to.
Context can tell us if it is about ourselves or someone else, or if
it’s about our personal life or work life.
In my opinion, learning to recognize context is one of the
most important things about understanding dreams. When you
get the symbol’s context, you will know how to apply the
dream practically, which will help change your life in some way.
So, we need a combination of symbolic understanding and
recognizing the context of how the dream symbol appears.
Let’s take the color blue. Is it the beautiful hue of
periwinkle blue in the flower in your love’s flowing brown hair,
or is it the blue in the eye of the dinosaur about to eat you?
That’s context! So when someone asks me a question like,
“What does the color blue mean?” I ask a quick question to
confirm if it is positive or negative. Remember that in step two
of the Four Steps to Understanding Dreams, you ask yourself if
the dream is positive or negative. You will also need to ask
yourself this when evaluating a particular symbol.

President comes to my house dream

It was right around election time a few years ago, and a
friend of mine had a dream that she was having people over to
her house and lots of activity was happening. Then, at the end
of the dream, the President dropped by for a visit. She was
alarmed that the dream indicated that she was supposed to
vote for the re-election of the President even though she did
not feel that it was the right thing to do. The context of the
dream was showing that it was about her life, and something
that was going to happen at her house. Because the President
is symbolic of authority, it indicated that new authority was
coming to her. Sure enough, she had recently made a decision
to have a small group of women meet at her house. The context
of the dream was not about voting for the President but was
confirmation that God was giving her new authority or blessing
for the group starting at her house.
You get the idea that the symbols of the dream can
change based on what they are doing. It’s more like how they
are functioning and what the end result is. That’s the danger of
using symbols without context. You need to know context in
order to figure out the symbolism.

Understanding metaphors in context

Let’s take a look at some examples of typical dream
metaphors in context. The more you see them, the more you
will understand. Please keep in mind it takes practice. Even as a
dream expert I still keep my gift sharp by practicing daily. Since
I am thin I often joke that “spiritually, I am buff.” It is because I
work out by going to the metaphor gym every day. Let’s do a
few metaphoric workouts right now.
 I want to show you these examples so that you can learn
to recognize symbols in context. To make these concepts easier
to differentiate I italicized the metaphor’s meaning and
underlined the context.
The metaphor of playing chess in a dream can represent
strategic moves in your life. But playing chess in the dark
indicates that you lack ability to see your next move. Note how
the context here gives added instruction.
Getting a new high-tech cell phone can indicate that you
are advancing in your ability to communicate. But buying a
high-tech cell phone from a drug dealer can be a warning not to
make a shady deal, and to be honest.
The brakes going out on your car means that you are in a
time where you feel out of control or in a difficult time.
However, the brakes going out on your car and your car flying
away suddenly means that it is a difficult time but you will
overcome it.
Evil men or thugs trying to beat you up indicate that there
is spiritual warfare coming against you. But if you’re able to
suddenly make some amazing self-defense moves and take out
a whole crowd of them, then you are overcoming this attack.
Driving a brand new car can be a new opportunity
coming. However, if the car turns into a “Fred Flintstone” car
and you are using your feet, then you are using your own
efforts and not tapping into God’s strength.
Making a telephone call to a friend can mean that you are
attempting to vocalize something. But if your phone keeps
going dead, it means that something is trying to cut off the
communication between you and another person.
 Ordering something to drink or eat means there is
something you need, like information or revelation, that will
help you. But if no one can understand you when you try to
order, then something is trying to stop this process. It is really
important to pay attention to dreams where something is trying
to stop you. This is a sure indicator that you are about to have
a breakthrough in your life if you are persistent. Please don’t
give up.
Looking around in a dream means that you need to pay
attention to your present situation. If you are unable to see
clearly, then the context indicates this is a time in your life
when things are not clear. Cloudy vision can clear up by
getting more focused and asking God to reveal a strategy on
what to do next.
Being given a book and map means that you are getting
strategies or revelation. If you are given a book or map by a
faceless person, faceless people can represent angels sent by
God, so this means you are getting the strategy directly from
Heaven.
You dream that you are going into a bright white closet.
Closets represent a few different things (like hiding, prayer,
something very personal). That is why we have to note the
context. A bright white closet would most likely indicate God
calling you into a time of prayer and intimacy.
Driving your car is a metaphor for being able to go
forward in your life. If you are driving in the rain and then it
clears up, then this indicates you are in a time that was once
unclear but things are shifting and the season is changing. If
your car is going in reverse, then you are moving away from
your destiny right now.
Swimming in water can represent the spiritual aspect of
life. So, swimming can be good, but notice the context of the
water: is it clear or dirty, fast-flowing or stagnant, or is it
shallow or deep? The context of how you are swimming in
water will help you understand more about what is happening
with your spiritual life. If you are swimming in clear water this
means that your spiritual life is refreshing and life-producing.
Swimming in dirty water indicates that some issues might need
to be addressed or healed. If you are swimming in fast-flowing
water, get ready for things to accelerate and get real exciting.
Swimming in stagnant water indicates that you may be stuck
and need to start moving again. If the water is shallow, this
indicates that you might be too comfortable and need a
challenge. Swimming in deep water shows that you are
maturing spiritually and possibly taking more risks.
Running in slow motion means that this is either a time
when things are slowing down, or something is trying to keep
you from moving quickly. Take positive action by checking
your life to see if there is something that you are doing that is
slowing you down. Positive action may help free you up.
Time traveling means that you are impacting other areas
of life. If you time travel to the future, this can indicate that you
are in a time of acceleration. If you time travel to the past, then
there is something from the past that needs to be taken care of
or dealt with.
You wearing shoes with different colors indicates your
destiny or things that you are called to walk in. They can also
be symbolic of peace. It is very important to notice if your
shoes are on or off because it shows if you are gaining or
lacking. Sometimes, the colors may add more meaning, but
most of the time the shoes are the main point.
Giving gifts freely to people: this is either a calling for you
to help other people, or you have the special ability to impart
spiritual gifts to other people. Either way, it shows that you
are a giver and a person of compassion.
Planting/gardening could be symbolic that you are in a
time of growth and starting new things. If gardening is a
hobby for you, then this may be telling you to spend more time
in your garden.
Fishing can symbolically mean there are things in the
spirit that you need. It may also be that you have a destiny on
your life to help other people. Jesus told His three closest
disciples: Peter, James, and John—who were fishermen—that
He would make them “fishers of men.”24 If fishing is leisure for
you, then this type of dream is calling you to more recreation.

Why a symbols list doesn’t work

I think now you get it. A symbol in a dream can change
the meaning based on its context. You cannot use only a list of
symbols to accurately interpret a dream, as you now see.
Knowing some basic symbols is necessary at first, but
understanding their functional use in a dream allows you to go
much deeper. That does not mean that you cannot use
symbols lists as a basic guideline, but relying on the list as
your primary means of interpreting dreams will limit your
interpretations, and they will often turn out with a generic or
half-baked sound to them. When I was a new dream interpreter,
I did this often, and I noticed that my dream interpretations
were shallow and did not have impact. After learning to
recognize the main points of a dream and the context of the
symbols, my dream interpretation went to a new level that
brought more impact to others and even to me.

Find metaphors in your life

Be aware that each of us has a personal dream or symbolic
language based on our culture, background, and beliefs. Begin
to notice repeated symbols or themes that are appearing in
your dreams or life. It could very well be that God is trying to
communicate something to you. You may want to write them in
a journal so that you can track them. Also notice the context in
which they appear. Do you have more repeated themes about
your family, work, or your spiritual life? These are clues that
will allow you to know what area of your life to work on or
improve. This allows you to work hand-in-hand with God as He
draws you closer to your destiny. After studying dreams, I
determined that there are many dreams that we have at night
that can point us to our life dreams. In the next chapter, we will
look at various types of dreams and their functions so you will
know how to respond with greater purpose.
CHAPTER 9
Purpose to the Mystery

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the

mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.”
Albert Einstein

Knowing the source of dreams

The most commonly asked question I get about dreams is,
“How do I know if a dream is from God or not?” The answer is
not easily explained, as it takes practice. I often use the
analogy of someone who is an expert at identifying anything
that is a counterfeit. They would have to first study the real
thing before they are conditioned to quickly identify a fake.
Dreams are similar, and as you study and take notes in your
dream journal you will more easily notice dream sources. You
can have a dream from yourself, which is from your own
desires, or a dream that reveals the plans of darkness against
you. These tend to be dull-colored dreams or even black and
white.
Dreams from God usually have more color and a positive
feel to them. However, as we go into nightmares, we will see
that there actually is a nightmare in the Bible that was given to
a king by God to try to get him to change. So, it is a bit tricky at
first to identify if a dream is from God or not. It will take
practice, and as you will find in this book, God can use just
about any dream you have to change your life.

Types of dreams and their functions

Understanding dreams cannot be put in a box. Not all
dreams are the same, and many people attribute a strange
dream to something they may have eaten or watched on T.V.
Once you begin to recognize various dreams, you will see that
each one can have a specific purpose. Some dreams provide
you with insight into yourself and are a means for self-
exploration. Other dreams may be prophetic in nature, and
some can be an avenue of healing. Dreams may even reveal
your life calling or destiny. In this chapter, we will discover
various types of dreams and their purpose.

Destiny and calling

There are several types of dreams that you may want to
particularly be aware of. These are the ones that pertain to your
destiny or life calling. Some of these destiny dreams actually
reveal a future career or higher calling you may be invited to
fulfill.
After interpreting thousands of dreams for people, I began
to notice a common pattern. There are some dreams that people
seem to have that indicate that there is something more for
them to fulfill in their lives. I have seen so many dreams about
people’s destiny that I became a Life Coach as well as a dream
interpreter. There are so many people who are living their lives
without clear direction. They are often surprised to find that a
night dream they thought was insignificant was holding some
major keys that could unlock their destiny.
Some destiny dreams may first appear to be negative,
such as nightmares or those involving running or being
chased. There must be something great about to happen in
your life if something negative or evil is trying to stop you.
Other destiny dreams can include taking a test, showing up
late, being naked, teeth coming loose or falling out, or being
pregnant or having a baby. I will go into the details of these
dreams later in the Common Dreams section.

Revealing your fears

If we have fear in our lives, it holds us back from maturing
and advancing. Fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of success,
fear of being alone, fear of love, fear of the unknown—
whatever it might be for you, it boils down to not being good
for you. The words “do not be afraid” appear in the Bible
nearly seventy times. Fear dreams usually involve feeling
trapped or feeling unable to move, see clearly, or speak out, to
name a few. They may also reveal something positive that God
is calling us to, but they also highlight the fear that is holding
us back.
Years ago I was about to make a significant career change.
I had heard God very clearly and had lots of revelation and
confirmation from people around me. Then, the night after I
made the decision to take the job, I had a dream that the
president of the company I was going to work for was angry
and disgusted with me. I woke up wondering if I had made a
mistake with my decision. I realized that I had a load of
confirmation dreams and prophetic words to do it, and so this
one dream seemed out of place. It was from my own fears. I
broke through my fear of failure and it was a turning point in
my career.

Healing
You can actually get healed emotionally or physically in a
dream. Watch for dreams of cleansing, flushing, or being
showered off. Some of these dreams may take place in the
context of a bathroom or shower.
A woman had a dream just after her husband died. He was
in a great place and he came to her to reassure her that he was
fine. This dream healed her of grief, and she was able to get on
with her life. You can also have a dream that you get physically
healed and wake up feeling great. It is important to recognize
that our waking life and dream life are closely related.

Interactive or lucid
Any dream in which you know you are dreaming or you
are able to do something to change the direction of the dream
is called lucid dreaming. An example of this would be the ability
to wake yourself up from a bad dream or fly away from
something that is attacking you. It can also be positive when
you learn to stay asleep and interact with the dream. For
instance, you have a recurring dream that there is a door that is
locked, and in the dream, you find a way to unlock the door.
This is important when it comes to dealing with recurring
dreams or nightmares. You can change the outcome. When
you change your dream life, know that you are also changing
your waking life as well.

Nightmares
It does not take a dream expert to tell you what a
nightmare is like. They are usually dark, muted, black and
white, and have the feeling of a lot of fear or evil. When we
have nightmares or anything negative, it is not usually God’s
will for our life. These types of dreams are showing us that
something wants to hold us back from all the good things that
God has for us. Since these types of dreams show Satan’s will
and not God’s will, we need to flip them around and begin to
pray the opposite will happen. The only true reality for you is
God’s intention. We will go into nightmares in more detail later
in the book.

Physical or environmental
Sometimes people attribute a strange dream to something
they ate. It is possible that what we eat can affect our dreams,
but I have found that there are fewer of these dreams than
people realize. Medication, alcohol, reaction to food or our
environment can indeed affect our dreams. Most people are not
trained enough to discern the difference between these various
dreams. If you eat a heavy meal too late, you might dream you
are being chased by a giant meatball.
It is also possible that you might be picking up on
something happening in the spiritual environment around you.
People who have a spiritual gift of discerning of spirits often
have dreams of demonic attacks that might be coming against
people in your close proximity.

Prayer strategy
You can have a dream that will reveal deeper insight about
a person or situation. Most of these dreams are given to you to
let you know how you can privately pray and support others.
Knowing when to actually share them with the person or
people involved takes practice. Pray, asking God to let you
know, and notice how the people respond.
Someone had a dream that I was crying and really
distressed. They contacted me, and yes indeed I was going
through a difficult time. I appreciated knowing God knew about
my pain and that someone was praying for me.
When I have dreams that reveal people’s difficulties or
struggles, I simply wake up and pray for them. Sometimes I feel
it would be helpful to actually contact them, but prayer itself
can often change the person more than confronting them. I say
that my preferred method of receiving correction is in a dream.
Wouldn’t you?

Recurring
Any recurring dream is an indication that God wants to
either do something new in your life or is drawing your
attention so that you change something. Once you either
establish the new behavior or take care of the issue, then these
recurring dreams will stop. Most recurring dreams have the
same type of theme like running, falling, or being unable to
move or speak. The most common recurring dream is being
chased by something evil. We really need to pay close
attention to recurring dreams as they can reveal our future and
any obstacles holding us back.

Spiritual warfare
Dreams where we are battling, defending ourselves, or
fighting can indicate that we are in a time of spiritual warfare.
Though they may be exhausting, fearful, and even
disconcerting, spiritual warfare dreams will free us up
spiritually. When we battle in a dream we will experience
advancement in our waking life. Warring dreams may involve
hand-to-hand combat, swords, guns, knives, bows and arrows,
and the like. If these dreams persist you may want to consult a
friend or family member to pray with you. It is also possible
that you have a spiritual warfare intercession gift in which you
battle for other people.

Spiritual experiences
Dreams are not always just a vision in the night.
Sometimes a spiritual experience can be mistaken for a dream.
The apostle Peter had an experience in which an angel of God
came and literally broke him out of jail, and he thought it was a
vision or a dream.25 Dreams, visions, and spiritual experiences
all go hand in hand with the supernatural. When we enter a
dream, we are literally in the spiritual realm.
I have had my share of spiritual experiences that seemed
like dreams. The reason I knew it was more than a dream is that
when I woke from it, I was given knowledge of people and
taken to places that I have never been. The next day, I went to
the place I saw in the experience and actually met the people,
and it was just as I saw in the experience. Not all dreams of this
nature are actual spiritual experiences, but it is good to be
aware that this type of thing can actually happen.

Warning dreams
Dreams can give us a “heads-up” to things that are
coming or could potentially happen if we don’t take action.
They are not always reality, and it’s not always set in stone
that the dream is exactly what will happen. Warning dreams can
guide us to be careful that we make good decisions. Some
warning dreams can tell us exactly what will take place. I had a
dream that a family member got in a major car accident. I
prayed, and while the accident did indeed occur, it was minor
and there were no injuries. So, the warning dream was also
prophetic and intercessory as well.

About ourselves or about others

Within the dream categories I just mentioned, you could
have dreams about yourself or about others. Learning to
determine the difference between the two will be very helpful
because you will then know how to properly respond.
Most people’s dreams are primarily about themselves and
the various aspects of their lives. But we are all wired
differently, so some people have more dreams for others than
they do for themselves. When you have the dream, the best
place to start to understand it is to first consider if the dream is
revealing anything in your own life before jumping to
conclusions about other people. Symbolism can be quite tricky,
so we need to be careful when considering whether the dream
might be about someone else. Dreams about ourselves can be
very revealing and even healing once we learn to recognize
them.

Literal or symbolic dreaming

Some people dream literally—that is, what you see is what
you get. It is usually a small percentage of people who dream
this way. In fact, if you are a literal dreamer, then it does not
take a lot of effort to understand your dreams. You will,
however, need to learn more about application and how to
respond to each dream.
If you are like most people, you dream symbolically. That
means that there are things in your dreams that are out of
proportion or not normal in everyday life. For example, you
might be flying a helicopter down the hallway of your home.
We know in real life this is not possible, so that makes it
symbolic, and we will need to use metaphoric understanding to
decipher the message in the dream.
Most of my dreams are symbolic, but I occasionally have
literal dreams, when what I see in the dream comes to pass in
real life. I’ve talked to a lot of people who have told me that
they dream about things and then see them happen, and it
scares them. It’s really important to not be afraid of things like
this. You may have a gift to know things in advance, and
unless God speaks to you about it, there is no pressure for you
to respond.
So, it really makes no difference whether you dream
symbolically or literally about yourself or about other people.
What we all have in common is this wonderful and wild world
of night dreams that fascinate us all.
The list of “dream types” I just presented is fairly basic,
but it gives you enough information to begin understanding
your dreams now. I have found that these are the ones we see
most often. A single dream might also fall into more than one
category. It can be a spiritual warfare dream that is warning you
about something and giving you a strategy in which to pray.
Prayer can change or prevent what is coming, and you can
wake up with a new outlook on your situation.
We have covered a lot so far. Now it’s time to take a look
at some dream symbols. As we do this, keep in mind that
symbols may change from dream to dream, and you will be a
more effective dream interpreter if you learn to think
metaphorically and recognize the context in which symbols
appear.
CHAPTER 10
Dream Symbols

“Dreams say what they mean, but they don’t say it in

daytime language.”
Gail Godwin

When it comes to teaching dream interpretation, everyone

asks, “Where is the symbols list?” Well, here are basic
meanings to dream symbols, but remember that these may
change from dream to dream and from dreamer to dreamer. As
we have learned, the context of the specific dream will also
make a difference. These are generalizations and not meant to
be taken as the letter of the law. I have divided the symbols
into categories to better explain them. We will go into more
detail on all of these symbols in Appendix B at the end of this
book.

Trains, planes, and automobiles

When you see dream symbols that pertain to
transportation, note that they sometimes carry groups of
people. These can represent families, communities, companies,
churches, ministries, or organizations, whereas trains can
represent movements that are coming because they “roll down
the tracks.” This could be about a move from God in your life,
your family, even your city or nation. A movement from God
just means that something new and refreshing will happen. But
also notice the context. Are you waiting for a train that never
shows up? Was the train derailed, or did it get stopped for
some reason? Did the train arrive but it had wings and could
fly? These context details will tell you more about the type of
movement that is coming.
Planes can represent organizations, but notice what kind
of plane and what is happening on the plane. Fighter jets
indicate spiritual warfare or military connections. A large plane
waiting on a runway to take off is something that is coming but
has not started yet. Planes that crash do not necessarily mean
there will actually be a plane crash though. Most of the time,
it’s symbolic and represents the need to pray for an
organization or business that is having trouble.
Planes can also represent personal destinies or impact,
especially if it’s a smaller plane or helicopter. These can
indicate that you have influence and can move about quickly
and freely.
Our vehicles, such as our cars, can represent various
aspects of our life—like our job, life calling, ministry, or
whatever we do with the majority of our life. Always take note
of the context. Who’s in the car with you? Is there anything
out of the ordinary, or is there something wrong with the car?
Does the car have exceptional or supernatural abilities, or is it a
convertible? These are all important to understanding the
calling that is on your life or the season that you are in right
now. A convertible is an open-heaven time of fun and deeper
connection with God.
I remember a woman from Egypt who attended one of my
dream training courses, and she never had dreams of being in a
car. I asked her what her main means of transportation was in
Egypt and she told me it was a camel named Omar. She said
that she often dreamed about riding on Omar, so for her, her
camel was the same type of symbol as a car is for one of us.
They represent our life because they take us from one place to
another and we spend a lot of time there. If you dream about
riding on a motorcycle or bicycle, it shows that there are
aspects of your life and calling that are very flexible and can
move in and out and change frequently.

Boats and things that float

Similar to planes and cars, boats and ships represent our
own life calling, jobs, organizations, ministries, etc. Ships travel
on the water, and water can represent the spirit, so these can
be symbolic of spiritual impact. Unless, of course, you have a
career or work on a boat, or a boat is your favorite recreation.
Then the meaning may change. Most of the time larger ships
represent organizations. Again, you want to notice the context
of the type of ship. Is this a sailboat? Then it is driven by the
Spirit. A battleship can represent spiritual warfare or a cause
for justice. Aircraft carriers are groups that help other people
with their lives and destinies. Submarines are groups that are
more covert and can go deep in the Spirit. A cruise boat
represents groups that are fun. You get the idea. Remember the
exercise we did of describing a person using a boat? Exercises
help us learn what symbols mean when they appear in dreams.

Snakes, alligators, spiders, and sharks

Animals can represent various things. Most of them
depend on context and how they function in nature. I
highlighted snakes, alligators, spiders, and sharks because
these tend to be the ones that appear often in dreams, and they
alert us of potential danger.
Snakes can mean that people are lying or being deceptive
around you. If the snake bites you, then you are going through
a painful time of betrayal. If it is poisonous, then it will be a
more difficult time. Sometimes, it can represent demonic attack
against us, and these dreams indicate we need to pray and be
aware—particularly if it is a King Cobra. This could mean that a
high level of deception might be trying to come against you.
Remember not to worry when you see negative things because
it indicates that you have a higher calling on your life.
Alligators and sharks can represent people who have
malicious talk or bad intentions. Notice that both of them live
and operate in water, which indicates that it’s possible that
these people are spiritually oriented but dangerous. They leave
a trail of bodies behind them in the form of broken
relationships, backbiting, and gossip. I believe the best way to
fight against an alligator or shark is to use the dolphin
mentality.
 Dolphins represent a positive spiritual impact because
they tend to be friendly and travel together in pods. Dolphins
are the only marine mammals that can actually kill a shark, and
they do that in a group together. This is symbolic of our need
for community and that love and encouragement always wins
out.
Spiders can represent demonic attack and an occult spirit.
Notice they weave webs and try to trap things. The presence
of spiders in dreams is a call for us to pray and ask God to
reveal what is coming against us. They are not necessarily
people but could be demons.

Lions, tigers, and bears (Oh my!)

Although I will go into more detail in the symbols list,
lions, tigers, and bears are ones to watch for. It is not always
negative, but as you might guess by now, it all depends on the
context in the dream.
Lions, for instance, are tricky to discern. A lion can
represent something negative that is lying in wait to attack
you, or it can represent the Lion of Judah, which is symbolic of
Jesus and the Spirit of God. Both of them might be scary in a
sense. One could be scary in an evil way, and the Lion of
Judah could be scary with the seriousness of God. This is not
meant to bring judgment against you.
Tigers and various types of wild cats could represent
some type of attack against you, but this is not always the
case. Tigers and panthers also speak of strength and the ability
to survive. Domestic cats are interesting because they tend to
be very independent. A cat in a dream could represent
someone who thinks independently; unless, of course, you are
a person who likes cats. Because our pets are often treated as
family members, it is possible the dream is simply about our
pet.
Bears usually represent demonic attack against us. Even if
they are not mauling or chasing us, just their very presence in
the dream indicates that there is a time to be aware of potential
attack. There are dark forces that want to take things from you,
like your destiny. We also take into consideration cultural
personal dream language. For example, a brown bear could
represent the state of California, assuming that it is not
attacking you.

Buildings
There are multiple meanings for buildings or houses, but
they tend to represent various aspects of our lives. Notice who
is in them. Are you alone? Are there people from work or your
family? This will help bring clarity as to what aspect of your life
the dream is about. The most common dream people have
about houses is being in their childhood home yet being their
current age. This is an indicator that you are either dealing with
things from your childhood that are affecting you now or that
there could be things that your family is called to do that you
will be fulfilling. Again, this is just a generalization.
Even more than just a house, the important part can be the
various rooms of the house. An example would be the living
room, which represents family, community, or fellowship.
Hallways can be transition, while bedrooms can represent
intimacy. Bathrooms are cleansing and flushing times. Doors
can represent opportunities, and windows can be vision or
insight. Basements can be showing you things that are hidden.
Offices in high-rise buildings can talk about our higher life
callings and destinies.

People
In order to determine what the people in your dreams
mean, you must ask yourself several questions. If you know
them, it is possible the dream is about them, but don’t rule out
the fact that they could be symbolic of something else. Maybe
it’s the meaning of their name, the position they hold, or their
relationship with you?
If you do not know them, then you need to ask yourself
similar questions. Did they have a name? Did you know their
position or authority? Were they acting in any certain way
possibly with superpowers, good or evil? Were they bigger or
smaller than they are in real life?
You may need to look up the meaning of the person’s
name. You can do this in a name-meaning book or do an
Internet search. Compare a few to be sure it seems accurate. If
it’s their position, like your boss, maybe they have authority—
that could represent God. Or if they have governmental
authority, such as the president, it can represent that new
authority is coming to you. Faceless people can possibly be
the Holy Spirit or an angel.
If the person is someone you know, but they actually look
like someone else, then it is possible that those two share a
similar calling, gifting, or have some divine connection
together.
If a person’s gender is different than what they are in real
life, take a look at the change. For instance, if you see a woman
that you know, but in the dream she is a man, then this could
mean that she is going through a time that will require being
strong or tough. This goes for a man appearing to be a woman.
This does not necessarily mean that they are suffering from
gender issues. It could be symbolic in that the man you are
seeing in the dream is going through a time in which he needs
to be more sensitive.
If the person is smaller than they normally are in real life,
this may indicate that they’re going into a time of humility. If
they are larger, then they are going into a time of being
strengthened.

How to identify what people mean

Do you know them?
Does their name stand out?
What position do they hold?
Have you seen them before?
What role were they playing in the dream?
Are they acting different than they normally do?
Do they possess any supernatural powers?

Clothing and body parts

Articles of clothing can have symbolic meaning as to the
types of callings and gifts or an aspect of their personality. It’s
not so much the individual item of clothing as it is if that item
of clothing is missing. Pants can be our daily life or our walk—
things we do on a regular basis. So, if you see someone
without their pants in a dream, they could be lacking something
they need to fulfill their destiny. The same goes for a shirt. A
coat can be a major calling on our lives; some people refer to
this as a mantle. Shoes can be our spiritual walk and can also
be peace.
Accessories—such as earrings, necklaces, or lockets—
can indicate gifts from God. A belt can represent someone who
has the gift of truth or justice. A purse or wallet can be our
identity, especially if it is missing or stolen. Glasses can
represent vision.
Various body parts are significant as well. The head can
represent thinking. The neck can be direction or stubbornness
depending on whether it is stiff or not. Breasts can be someone
who is a nurturer. Hands reaching out can be relationship or
hard work, while arms can be strength. Legs are similar to pants
and speak of our walk. And feet are similar to shoes, indicating
peace or the lack of.
Eyes and ears can represent the prophetic gifting. Ears
can represent a good listener and noses can represent
discernment. The mouth can represent someone who is
articulate or very vocal. Teeth can be wisdom and hair can be
wisdom and strength.

Weather, tornadoes, hurricanes, and tsunamis

Turbulent weather dreams, like tornadoes or hurricanes,
can indicate that you are going through a difficult or
tumultuous time. Remember, water represents the spirit, so rain
can actually be good. Floods and tsunamis can represent
coming movements from God that will impact many people. It
will also wipe out the old and bring the new. The interesting
thing about disaster type dreams is that we now see these
natural happenings on a regular basis around the world, so
sometimes it could be prophetic of something about to happen.
However, it normally is symbolic. To be sure, it’s always a
good idea to pray and ask God to protect you and others when
you have these types of dreams.

Water: rivers, oceans, and ice

As I’ve mentioned before, water can represent aspects of
spiritual life. Oceans often represent humanity. The beach can
mean people, because multitudes are compared to the grains of
sand on a beach. But the beach can also be a time of recreation,
especially if you live near it. Rivers can be moves of God, and it
is important to recognize the context of the water. Is it moving
fast or is it stagnant? Ice and snow can represent things of the
Spirit that are being saved up for later. Of course, remember
that this is a generalization and it could represent weather
patterns that may be happening in your area. Keep in mind that
sometimes things in the natural realm reflect the supernatural,
so if there is a flood, it could also represent an increased
measure of the spiritual realm.

Colors and numbers

When interpreting dreams, I put less emphasis on the
meaning of colors and numbers than I used to when I first
started out. One of the reasons is because there are so many
conflicting dream symbol meanings for colors and numbers. I
believe that God gives us revelation into the meaning of
symbols, but we have to be careful that we are not applying
them globally to every dream.
Although colors and numbers in dreams are important,
they are more useful in the application rather than the
interpretation. Colors bring understanding to context.
Remember, if you can take out any symbol of the dream and the
dream does not change, then it’s best not to focus on it. I have
listed some very basic meanings of colors and numbers at the
end of the book as a starting point.
I believe that one of the more fulfilling parts of being a
dream interpreter is helping people who are plagued with
nightmares and bad dreams. In the next chapter we will go
head-on into dealing with and even finding ways to redeem
scary dreams!
CHAPTER 11

Nightmares, No Reason to be
Scared

“Flip it and flip it good!” Doug Addison

Picture this: It’s night, you are asleep, everything’s dark,

and then suddenly, you become aware of something very evil
in your dream. It is so evil that you are paralyzed and cannot
move! Then, unexpectedly, it is as if you are taken out of your
body and you can now see yourself through the eyes of this
evil being. You are unable to run or speak. Then you wake up
covered in sweat!
People are having nightmares like this all the time, and
often they are recurring. I talked earlier about a recurring
nightmare that I had from age twelve to nineteen. I would wake
myself up and even find myself running in my own house
yelling at the top of my lungs. Living with me was interesting!
My mother thought that I might have a mental problem and
took me to doctors for medication. But it was not a mental
problem at all. I realized later, after I had my breakthrough, that
it was actually a calling from God on my life and a destiny that
Satan did not want me to see. It is very important to
understand this principle. When something negative is coming
against you, it really does mean that you have something
positive to fulfill in life. This goes for your children’s
nightmares too.

Developing a positive Kingdom perspective

Unfortunately, many of us have been taught or
conditioned to focus on things that are wrong, negative, or
that don’t work. But when we see the world from a negative
viewpoint, we can start believing this is reality. If we are not
careful, we see the world though the lenses of fear and
negativity. The true reality is that God is still in charge and
loves us all. God’s love and changing power is greater than
any evil in this world.
We must develop the ability to see the world as God sees
it. You may have heard the Bible verse that nothing is too
difficult for God. Reality is that God’s love and power are so
much stronger than any demonic power. We have nothing to
fear. It helps to get the perspective that powers of darkness in
this world are trying to destroy God’s creation. When we see
negative things like depression, suicidal thoughts, sickness
and even nightmares, we must realize that this is not the will of
God for any person or even ourselves.
It is the plan of darkness to steal life and destiny. Because
God’s love and will for us is the only true reality, we can
recognize the works of darkness as a counterfeit and opposite
to God’s intentions for us. Most people may not grasp the
depth of what I am saying here at first. This truly was
revolutionary when I first got ahold of it. And now here’s the
fun part. When you see the works of darkness in a person’s
life, or your own for that matter, you have the opportunity to
positively turn it around to bring about God’s love and ultimate
plan and destiny for your life.

“… The reason the Son of God appeared was to

destroy the devil’s work.” (1 John 3:8)

I have trained myself to recognize that when I see

nightmares or negative things, I quickly understand it is not
God’s will. So, God’s ultimate plan is usually the opposite of
what you see in the bad dream. I have seen the greatest
changes happen in my life and those around me when I
practice a strategy that I call flipping. Flipping means taking a
negative situation and flipping it into a positive Kingdom
perspective. It is the ability to recognize negative things, turn
them around, and interject God’s positive will and destiny for
your life.
There is a repeated theme throughout the Bible: God in
you is greater than all of the negativity around you.26 To prove
my point, science has discovered that there is a major
difference between light and dark. Light can be measured and
has substance and mass, and when it moves, it has force.
Darkness, however, is the absence of light. God is light, and He
encourages us to live as children of light.27 As children of light,
we bring God’s presence with us everywhere we go, even if we
are not aware of it. This will positively affect our dreams. When
the powers of darkness realize that you are no longer
negatively affected by nightmares, you will see them less and
less in your life. Of course, it may also require changing
negative behaviors in your life as well.
Developing a positive Kingdom perspective and lifestyle
is what will truly change your life and increase your ability to
understand dreams and effectively deal with nightmares. I am
only touching on the positive Kingdom perspective a little in
this book, but I go into much more detail in my book, Personal
Development God’s Way . And I talk about how night dreams
point to our life dreams in that book as well.

Recap of the concept

To recap, the Kingdom of God is opposite that of
darkness. Satan wants to steal, kill, and destroy, while God
wants to bring life!28 We must develop the ability to recognize
that a negative dream is usually revealing plans of darkness so
that when we encounter a negative dream or nightmare, we can
take positive action and not believe that the negative dream is
reality. We will not buy into the fear and instead use the
nightmare as an opportunity to interject God’s changing love
and power into our lives.
There is balance to flipping the negative because, at the
same time, we don’t want to miss an opportunity to respond to
something that God is trying to point out to us. Let’s say you
have a dream that you are at school, and you just took a test
and failed. Then in the dream you go out to your car and you
have a flat tire. The dream would indicate that God has been
trying to get you to advance but you’ve been failing the tests.
Flat tires represent the need for more of the Holy Spirit in your
life. Yes indeed, this indicates that you have something
positive to fulfill and Satan wants to stop you. But you will
need to first ask God to reveal to you what it is He’s trying to
teach you. Then, you can take steps and work hand-in-hand
with God so that you can move on to a new level of maturity in
your life.
Okay, now that we have established the concept of
positively turning around negative things, let’s apply this more
specifically to dreams. One very important aspect of dream
interpretation is to recognize the dream’s purpose. Many
dreams are given to us to help change our lives, and once you
recognize this, you can change your life with almost any type
of dream, even a negative one. My philosophy is if you see
something negative, then you need to “flip it—and flip it
good!”

Nightmares can be complex

I realize that I may sound as though I am oversimplifying
the process of understanding nightmares. And in a sense, I am
—for the very reason that the subject can often be too complex
to be easily taught, especially in a book. After dealing with
literally thousands of bad dreams, I noticed a pattern and
found a similar thread in each person’s dream story. They all
seemed to feel there was something greater they were called to
do, but many did not know what it was. This was my story as
well.
Keep in mind that as I reveal an easy way to work with
nightmares, each person’s story and life is unique. It is
possible that they are literally being tormented by demonic
forces while they sleep. These can come from a myriad of
sources such as drug abuse, being violated or molested, or any
type of trauma or unresolved conflict. These can be open
doors for the demonic to torment a person at night. Nightmares
can also come from being around the wrong types of people or
from watching certain TV shows or movies that have a bad
effect on our spiritual life.
Healing and getting set free of these types of things might
require the aid of others to pray and counsel you. But it still
comes back to the fact: why would the enemy work overtime on
a person unless there is a great destiny for them to fulfill?
Of course, not all nightmares spring from having open
doors like I just mentioned. You don’t have to have trauma or
exposure to the demonic to have nightmares. The bad dreams
could be symbolic and God wants to use them to get your
attention. Let me show you where I found this with a dream in
the Bible.

Example from the Bible

When I was studying the dreams that were already
interpreted in the Bible, I noticed something significant in the
nightmare that King Nebuchadnezzar had in Daniel, Chapter4.
It is worth your time to take a closer look at this because it
indicates that not all nightmares are from Satan and that God
can indeed use a nightmare to change our lives. Notice that the
dream was actually a nightmare, but interestingly, there was an
angel in it. God wanted to use this nightmare to warn the king
of what was coming.
“I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented
and prosperous. I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was
lying in my bed, the images and visions that passed through
my mind terrified me.… In the visions I saw while lying in my
bed, I looked, and there before me was a messenger, a holy
one, coming down from heaven. He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut
down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and
scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds
from its branches.’” (Daniel 4:4–5, 13–15)
Daniel went on to interpret the dream and told the king
that the tree in the dream was actually the king himself and that
he was going to lose his mind and his kingdom for seven
years.29 But the most amazing part is in the verse that follows.

“Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice:

Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your
wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be
that then your prosperity will continue.” (Daniel 4:27)

Daniel told the king that if he would change his ways,

then the disaster would not even have to happen. The part
about the king repenting was not in the dream. Daniel
understood God’s heart and ways and that mercy triumphs
over judgment.30 Daniel flipped the negative dream around and
offered to help the king avoid calamity. This is a very powerful
principle, and we can do it as well.

Steps to flip a negative dream:

Write the dream down or record it in a journal.

Use the interpretive process described in this book.
Pray about the meaning and ask God to show you if
there’s anything you need to change in your life.
Look at possible opposite meanings to the negative
message of the dream.
Make a list of the positive and keep it someplace so
you can see and pray over it often.
Take positive action on what you hear from God—like
get deeper healing, forgive someone, get prayer, face
fears, etc.
Come back to this dream later and make notes on your
progress or new revelation you may have received.

Common nightmares
Here are a few of the common nightmares that people are
having. Most of these are recurring, and they indicate that
there is either a change that is needed in your life or a particular
calling or destiny that you have.
 The most common nightmares are running or being
chased by something evil, being unable to move around, being
swarmed or attacked by something bad, being shot at, having
knives or darts thrown at you, being in the presence of
something very evil, being in a house and someone’s trying to
break in, the brakes going out on your car or losing your
control of the steering, and a violent storm or tornado coming.
The meaning of these dreams may change based on the context
and the details.

Positive outcome to a nightmare

My friend had a terrible dream about his daughter. A
report had come that she came up missing at a lake, and they
feared that she had drowned. He was part of a search team that
locked arms and swept the entire lake. Then, suddenly, he felt
something touch his leg, and his daughter’s dead body floated
to the surface. He woke up crying and sad all day.
He wondered if his daughter was in danger. After talking
more with him, we determined that she was drifting far from
God and he was worried about her. I interpreted the dream to
be that she was going to “die to herself” and a positive change
would soon come to her life. This is exactly what happened.
Within a year, she had a spiritual reawakening and her life
changed dramatically. The nightmare was symbolic.

Nightmare that reveals something negative

 I interpreted a dream for a guy who was having a recurring
dream that he was killing people. In each dream, he would pull
out swords or knives and mutilate people—some he knew and
others he did not.
After talking more with the dreamer, I discovered that he
was suffering from bitterness from some things that he had
experienced in his life. The bad dream indicated that he had
anger and unforgiveness that needed to be dealt with in his life
so he could move on.

Nightmare revealing the plan of the enemy

A young girl was having a recurring dream that someone
would break into her house and kill her and her family. It was
horrifying to her, and she wanted it to stop. Dreams like these
often require asking fact-finding questions. By her own
admission, she did not watch horror movies and was not
involved in anything negative. The dreams started when she
was a teenager when her parents divorced. In this case, there
was a plan of the enemy to stop the callings of God that were
on her family. After discussing it further, we were able to
pinpoint a few things that her greater life calling might be.
Dream interpretation is an art that involves listening to
people and God. This is such a great opportunity to minister to
people as they open their lives to you. You will need to learn to
ask the right questions. Be sure to not go by how they feel.
Sometimes our feelings can be deceiving. Earlier in this chapter,
we read about a man who dreamed his daughter drowned. The
dream was so real he cried out and wept over her in fear, and
yet the dream revealed something quite positive!
In the next chapter, we will get into children’s dreams, and
more on nightmares as well as why many young people are
drawn to zombies and vampires!
CHAPTER 12

Children’s Dreams

“All children are artists. The problem is how to

remain an artist once he grows up.”
Pablo Picasso

Five-year-old David wakes up from a nap in the car, and

while his mom is wrestling the safety straps off of him, he
points to the sky and says, “Mama, a buzzing bumble bee
stung me and I died! Then, a rescue eagle picked me up and
took me to the doctor, where I drank and drank and drank. But
then guess what, mama? I came back to life!”
Most people would think David has an active imagination
or perhaps that he watches too much television, but there is
actually a lot of spiritual significance to this dream. What are
the hidden clues about David’s destiny? What is the heads-up
God is giving these parents?
David’s dream is about his destiny and shows that he has
a prophetic gift (eagle) on his life but he may have opposition
from the enemy (bee sting). But the doctor (Holy Spirit) will
revive him. The dream also gives his mom a prayer strategy and
insight on how to mentor him in his spiritual life. God will bring
new life to little David.
Mentoring children in the supernatural
As parents, we are often looking for clues to discover the
hidden treasures of talents, giftings, and callings of our
children. As you are learning in this book, dreams can help us
figure these out! Just by the very fact that your child is
dreaming shows a gifting towards the supernatural and a
connection with God’s ways.
Children do remember their dreams and sometimes even
more than adults. Many children dream of flying, but later in
life they no longer fly in their dreams. As we discovered, flying
represents high levels of creativity and calling. Younger
children have the mentality that “all things are possible for
those who believe.” As we mature in life, we are encouraged to
be more logical.
As a child, I used to have dreams and spiritual
experiences, but I did not know how to describe them. I
remember waking up on the couch when I was five years old
screaming because I saw a light coming at me. My mom told me
that I should not be watching TV before bed. Sometimes adults
laugh and say our kids have a big imagination. Now, I know
that these were legitimate dream experiences, and your children
may be having them all the time. By interpreting children’s
dreams, we can begin to mentor the spiritual and supernatural
workings in the children around us.
In the traditional American culture, we were not taught to
understand or value things like dreams, angels, and the
supernatural. It is really helpful if we talk to our children about
their dreams and things that they experience to support them in
it. Making it seem normal to have dreams and have open
discussions is an essential part of mentoring. Young children
do not have language to adequately express the dreams that
they are having, let alone understand them.
Here are a few steps you can take to help your children
understand and value dreams:

Openly talk about your family’s dreams, particularly at

the breakfast table or in the morning. That’s when most
people will remember them.
Keep a dream journal for your child if they’re not able
or don’t want to do so themselves.
Write their dreams down and follow the steps for
understanding dreams we have discussed in this book.
Have the child draw the dream or act it out.
If they had an important dream, have them create a
collage or other artwork.
For dreams that seem to be important to them, hang the
dream artwork somewhere prominent as a reminder.

Children’s dreams are a little bit different in that they may

not have the same type of language or understanding that
adults do. Remember that your child’s dream language is going
to be simpler than that of an adult. They may see things in
cartoon form or associate characters they know from games,
books, or superhero shows. Often, these superheroes might be
symbolic of angels or even God in their dreams. Pay attention if
the dream is light or dark and ask them if they knew what it
meant. Here’s a good example of a four-year-old child’s dream
that the parent did not understand but was actually quite
prophetic.

Sam’s dream
I dreamed that Daddy and me were driving in his car.
There was a big bump and the car went boom and Daddy was
scared, but then Jesus came and said, “Don’t be scared Daddy,
it’s going to be all right.”
After asking more questions of Sam’s dad, we found out
that he had lost his job right around the time his son had this
dream. As I’ve said throughout this book, cars can represent
our career, jobs, or aspects of our life. Sam dreamed that his
father had a car accident, but it was symbolic of him losing his
job. Seeing Jesus in the dream was reassuring that
circumstances would work out, and sure enough, they did. Sam
has a prophetic dreaming gift, and we were able to help bring
clarity to his child-like dream. Sam, although a young child,
truly heard from the Lord. He may have lacked words to
describe the dream in greater detail, but this was due to his
maturity.

Children’s dream language

It is helpful to keep these things in mind when listening to
children’s dreams or interpreting them:
 Keep things simple.
Get familiar with characters, cartoons, books, video
games, and TV shows they know.
Superheroes can represent angels, Jesus, or other
heavenly creatures.
Is there color or is it dull/dark?
Pay close attention to the sound effects they make as
they describe it.
Notice their facial expression and body language.
Ask what the child thinks it means

Children’s nightmares
I have a friend whose 8-year-old son was having a
recurring nightmare that demons were trying to get him. He
would pray with his son and tell him that he needed to say, “In
the name of Jesus” and the demons must leave his dreams. But
it did not seem to be helping him, and he kept having the
nightmares. One day they were watching the cartoon Jimmy
Neutron, in which Jimmy’s friend, Carl, was having very bad
dreams. Jimmy built a machine called “The Dream-Inserter
5000” that would allow Jimmy to go into Carl’s dream and help
him fight the monsters. The dad immediately said to his son,
“This is how Jesus can go into your dream and help you fight
the demons.” A short time later, his son was able to grasp how
to do dream spiritual warfare—after seeing Jimmy Neutron do
it.
I have also seen people do other things for children who
are suffering from nightmares. If you instruct your children to
tell the demons to leave their dreams and they won’t go when
you say, “in the name of Jesus,” then tell them, “I (meaning
you, the parent or grandparent) said they must go.” I have
seen cases in which the next time the child had a nightmare,
they were able to say something to the effect of: “My dad
(mom, or grandparents) said that you have to leave.” Quite
often, the demons leave and the nightmares stop. This shows
that parents and grandparents can actually stand with our
children and grandchildren in their dreams. I have also seen
cases where after this happens, children begin to have angelic
encounters and prophetic dreams. It goes to show you that
when the enemy attacks someone hard, it is because they have
a huge destiny call of God in their life.

Major plan of the enemy

Children quite often see angels and demons and are very
much aware of the supernatural realm, but most of the time,
they don’t have the language to describe what they are seeing.
I have been dreaming and having supernatural experiences
from as far back as four years old (and I’m sure many before
that, but I just can’t remember). As a child, I did not realize that
these experiences were from God. My parents were not trying
to be mean or insensitive when they told me to grow up and
stop fantasizing or telling big stories. Back then, there was no
one to explain them, but today we are all growing more in our
understanding of the supernatural.
 I believe that nightmares are a plan from darkness to keep
people away from their destiny and afraid of the supernatural.
Many highly gifted and creative people get nightmares when
they are young. Then they grow up being afraid of anything to
do with angels or supernatural experiences. Satan will try to
instill fear and anxiety into people, and particularly when they
are young, which sets the stage for the rest of their lives. God
is not a God of fear, but of love and peace. It is important that
we recognize this plan from darkness and overcome it.
This reinforces my belief that when something negative is
coming against you, it really does mean that you have
something positive to fulfill in life. This goes for your children
too.

A young generation of dreamers: vampires,

zombies, tattoos, and piercings
I realize this might be an unusual topic to place right after
children’s dreams, but this is actually the topic of dreams for
many teens and people in their twenties and thirties. There is a
serious attachment with this generation (not limited to any age)
with zombies and vampires. And so it is important to
understand that dreams may change from generation to
generation and culture to culture. Just as young children have
a simple dream language that is different from adults, teens and
people in their twenties may also have a different
understanding of symbols than that of older adults.
Let’s take a skull, for example. To the average Christian, a
skull represents death or something negative, but to the
younger generation, skulls usually represent someone who’s
been through a lot but has made it through. To them, that
person is an overcomer of death. This may be surprising to
many Christian adults but I learned this after interpreting
dreams for so many people in this culture.
For a number of years, I have been interpreting the
symbolism in tattoos using the same understanding of dreams.
It might sound strange to some at first, but I’ve been seeing an
amazing response when we help people understand that God
may be speaking to them not only in their dreams but also
through the design they chose for the tattoo or the type of
piercing that they have. Let me just say right up front that I am
not for or against tattoos, but what I’ve noticed is that about a
billion people have tattoos. Plus, the symbolism of the tattoos
can prophetically reveal the person’s character, calling, likes,
and dislikes. I am also finding that the meaning of symbols in
the dreams of this generation vary a little bit from that of my
generation. I have discovered it is best to not judge things that
you don’t understand. Accept the person and learn to love and
listen.
I meet so many people who are drawn to zombies and
vampires. At first glance, you would think that they’re just into
evil things, but the more I interact with people, God has been
showing me prophetic insight into this. Bear with me on this
and let’s pretend it was a dream. A zombie would represent
someone who is dead but yet still living. I believe people drawn
to zombies don’t necessarily realize it, but there’s a good
chance that they may not understand their destiny, so they feel
dead inside. They may feel like there’s more to life. They’re
barely alive but feel dead.
Similarly, this generation believes that vampires cannot
die since they are eternal. But most vampires on television and
in movies are not really happy people. They actually want to
die but can’t. Also, they cannot see themselves in the mirror.
This is symbolic of people who do not know who they are or
what they are called to do. They lack vision for themselves. I’m
not saying that people who watch zombie and vampire movies
are bad people. I believe that there’s an entire generation of
people walking around who don’t know what they’re called to
do in life. I’ve seen many who match these descriptions, and
some unfortunately, are hopeless, and some even want to die,
but most would not go as far as killing themselves. So they live
life feeling dead inside.
Since we are learning symbolism and to flip the negative,
let’s apply it here. The zombie and vampire craze is a prophetic
sign of an entire generation that soon will find themselves.
These people are highly creative and very gifted. Many of
them are bored with their current churches or situations and are
looking for a challenge. They’re not looking for something to
live for; they are looking for a cause that they would die for.
And just like in the movies, symbolically there is a coming
“zombie apocalypse” in which “the undead” will suddenly
come out of the graves in masses. I believe we are going to see
this happen. Suddenly, people who have not had vision for
their lives or know what they want will begin to get it. It will
happen in the masses.
Tattoos and piercings fall into a similar category that is
greatly misunderstood today. Most tattoos and piercings are
considered body art. They are very personal and highly valued
by the person. Years ago, tattoos were only for bikers, sailors,
and criminals, but today families get tattoos, both young and
old. Quite often they commemorate a life situation or change.
They may show a person’s values, likes, and dislikes.
While I have been interpreting dreams for years, I’ve also
spent many years interpreting hidden messages in tattoos. I
have been having amazing success helping people understand
how God might be speaking to them through their choice of
artwork and the placement on their body.
By understanding God’s hidden language in symbolism;
you can interpret dreams, tattoos, and piercings and even
discover more about a person based on the types of art, music,
clothing styles, and even movies they like. It opens the door to
have deeper conversations. My motivation is to see people
find their God-given gifts, talents, and their ultimate calling on
their life. All of these things will point to their destiny or life
purpose on a greater level if you are willing to take a risk and
love people. If you are interested in finding out more about
how to prophetically interpret tattoos, you can visit my website
www.dougaddison.com.
I hope you are discovering how dream interpretation can
help change the lives of millions of people from all generations
and walks of life. I have so much fun being a dream, and now,
tattoo interpreter. I hope you can catch a glimpse of it too. All
of what I learned and am sharing with you I got from taking
detailed notes after each outreach and event. Now, I want to
give you some really practical tools on how to remember and
record your dreams in ways that will help make this process
come alive for you.
CHAPTER 13

Help me Remember!

“All the things one has forgotten scream for help in

dreams.”
Elias Canetti

Some people cannot remember much of their dreams; they

get snippets and a few details here or there, but mostly, it
seems blurred. Then, there are the others who dream in
volumes, with great detail and vividness. We all dream—
science has proven it—but not everyone remembers all their
dreams. This is actually quite normal. I want to introduce you
to the idea that it really does not matter if you remember all the
details of your dream or not. Dreams reside in the spiritual
realm and often come from God. If you study your own dreams,
you will begin to see that you may actually be getting more
from your dream life than you first realized.

Four levels of dream recollection

I have identified four ways we can remember and respond
to our dreams. These may vary based on how you dream. But
you can develop this more in your life as you mature in your
dreaming gift.

Level 1: Clear recall, clear meaning—

purpose is to give direction
A great dream to have is the one you remember and know
exactly what it means. This is the first level of dream
recollection: we remember clearly and know what the dream
means. Dreams like these are very easy to understand and
pursue. You can change your life by using dreams that you
understand clearly as guidance.
In the book of Genesis, Jacob was given insight through
dreams for a business plan on how to prosper when his father-
in-law, Laban, was cheating him out of wages. 31 God clearly
spoke to Jacob in a dream and gave him a specific plan to take
the spotted and speckled sheep and goats that were of no
value to Laban. God also said that if he did this, God would
cause Jacob’s flock to grow and prosper. God used what
seemed to have no value to quickly multiply and make a lot of
money for Jacob.

Level 2: Clear recall, unclear meaning—have

to search out purpose
The second type of dream that we can have is the one that
you remember but don’t understand what it means. These are
the kind of dreams we are figuring out in this book.
Jacob’s son Joseph also had dreams about prospering in
business but the meaning was partially hidden. Joseph’s
dreams about his family bowing down and serving him are
good examples of this.32 Joseph had several detailed dreams
but he did not know what they meant. He shared these dreams
with his brothers and his family, and they got jealous of him,
causing him a lot of heartache in life. The meanings of Joseph’s
dreams were later revealed to him as he actually lived them out,
as we discussed previously, and he was placed in high
command in Egypt.

Level 3: Unable to recall—purpose is to

bring automatic change
The third type of dream is when we know we dreamed
something, but cannot remember the details. Many people
wake up with this sense of knowing, but they cannot remember
anything about it. This is called a concealed dream and it is
actually the best dream you can ever have!
This used to frustrate me, as it used to happen quite often.
It was almost as if the dream was being hidden or sealed away,
and no matter how hard I tried, I was unable to recall the dream.
There is an explanation for this. It can be found in the
oldest book of the Bible.

For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet

man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the
 night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering
on their beds, then He opens the ears of men, and seals
their instruction. In order to turn man from his deed, and
conceal pride from man. (Job 33:14–17 NKJV)

God will often use a dream to give us instructions and

direction for our daily lives. Because the change we often need
is beyond our own understanding or may be a radically
different course of action, God will wait until we are sleeping to
give us divine instruction. Most of the time, the changes we
need in our lives are outside of our current thinking.
So God uses a concealed dream as a way to seal away
instructions inside us. We wake up knowing that we dreamed
but cannot remember anything about it. Then later, we might
have strange feelings like we have been there or experienced
this before (also known as déjà vu). This most likely is because
we had one of these concealed dreams and then we went and
lived it out.33
In my live seminars, I have noted that nearly one hundred
percent of the people who say they have dreams but cannot
remember them also experience déjà vu. These too can be really
good dreams. We will later live the instructions out without
having any obligation or decision-making. I call it revelation
without any obligation. How good is that?

Level 4: No recall at all—purpose is to

prepare our Spirit for something
 The fourth type is the dream that we can’t remember even
dreaming, like a dream within a dream. That may sound a little
bit out there, but let me explain. Have you ever had a dream and
in the dream you say, “I have dreamed this before”? Most
likely, you have dreamed this before but do not remember. This
is similar to the dreams from God that get sealed away from our
conscious mind. We may not remember dreaming, but the
dream was placed inside of us and we live the dream out later
on in life.

Beaver dream
Let me give you an example of the fourth type of dream. I
dreamed that I was in a movie theater and a woman brought in
a beaver. The beaver began to run around as if it was busy
doing things, but it was actually distracting many people. In
the dream I said, “This is the second beaver dream I have had
tonight.”
In reality, I could not remember having more than one
beaver dream. When this happens, we have most likely
dreamed this before but do not remember. Dreams can be
hidden away and then later revealed to us. The purpose of
these dreams is to prepare us for things that we are about to
face.
The purpose behind the dream that involved a beaver was
for me to become aware! As the saying goes, “busy as a
beaver,” and I was getting ready to experience it! In dreaming
about a beaver in a media outlet such as the theatre, God was
letting me know that I was about to get busy in the area of
media as well! He was trying to convey that it would be
inconvenient and distracting for me. And this is exactly what
happened within the next few months of my life. I began to do
more television and videotaping for a reality show on
interpreting dreams and tattoos. Since I understand dreams, I
knew that God had prepared me for it! What an amazing God—
through the beaver dream, He revealed the details!
The best way to develop greater dream recall is by writing
down your dreams in a journal. I may have easily forgotten the
Beaver Dream, but by recording it in my dream journal, I was
able to associate it later with my real life. Allow me to give you
some tips for dream journaling that could very well change
your life.

Recording and remembering dreams

Dream journaling is a must for dream interpreters. If you
do not write them down right away, you will most likely forget.
Some dreams stay with us as vivid memories, and others
vanish right when we wake up. Dream journals can go beyond
just recording your dreams. You can use them to track how
God speaks, and you can cross-reference them and add
detailed notes later when the dream actually plays out in your
life.

Tips for recording and remembering dreams

 Keep a notepad conveniently located near your bed, and
when you have a dream, get in the habit of writing it down right
when you wake up. You may want to do what I do: when I
wake up in the middle of the night with an important dream I do
not want to forget, I make some bullet points on the notepad
next to my bed. These are notes to jog my memory later.
You can use an audio recorder if it works for you. I am
usually too groggy and can’t understand the audio the next
morning. Also, my wife doesn’t always enjoy me talking while
she’s sleeping. But if you want to use an audio recorder, you
can keep it in the bathroom or step out of the room.
Make a habit of journaling daily. Once you start, you will
find that an entire new world will open up to you. I made a
commitment to journal every day of the year and now I am
hearing God in ways that I never knew possible. God was
speaking to me and I did not understand it because quite often,
God speaks over time. I’ll get into how to journal in just a
moment.
A good way to start the day is to talk about your dreams
with your family or coworkers. Ask one another, “Did you
dream last night?” You’ll find that if you are asking each other,
suddenly you remember a dream that you forgot or did not
realize that you had. Another interesting aspect of this is that
you’ll find out that others around you are possibly having the
same dreams. This will also help to teach our children to value
dreams and about how God speaks.
Carry something with you to record your dreams or ideas
later in the day. Maybe you suddenly remember a dream or
something God had shown you, or a creative idea. Unless you
record or write it down, most likely you will forget it again. So,
get in the habit of either writing it down, or do what I do: send
a text message or e-mail to yourself. I also have a voice
recorder app on my smart phone, and the minute I remember
something, I make a voice memo. Then, don’t forget to get that
information into your journal.
Get creative in the way you record your dreams. You don’t
have to just write them down—you can also draw them out or
use diagramming on a piece of paper. With children, you can
ask them to act the dream out for you and then you can write
down what they tell you, because quite often, younger children
do not have the language to express the things happening in
their dreams.
Find ways to respond to your dreams. I’ve already
mentioned doing something practical, but you can do
something artistic as well. If you have a vivid dream that
seemed to mean something special, you could write a poem, a
story, a song, or a painting. Often, when you do this, you’ll
understand the dream had deeper meaning.

More ways to record your dreams

Writing or typing out your dream is the first step. Because
dreams tend to be more animated and spiritual, when we write
them down we may lose the impact. Writing things down tends
to be a left-brained activity, but dream interpretation is a
creative, right-brained function. So, remember to write your
dreams down and record them, and then you may want to
consider one of the following ways to find the meaning. In this
section, we will discuss various ways to record and journal
your dreams. To see examples of these please visit
www.UnderstandYourDreamsNow.com.

Dream chart
After you have written down your dream, take a separate
piece of paper, begin placing the various elements on that
paper, and circle the ones you believe are important. Then, you
can use a different colored pen or pencil and write a possible
meaning next to each of those circles. Doing this in a chart or
diagram format will help you get to your right brain and see the
main elements of the dream.34

Bullet point
Again, you’ll want to write your dream down first and
then go through the four steps that I’ve mentioned about
understanding dreams. On the final step, look for the three to
four main points. You can do this in a bullet point fashion. I
encourage people that as they are listening to someone’s
dream, to pull out a piece of paper and begin to bullet the main
points as you hear them. This is a really useful exercise and will
help you to recognize these points.

Whiteboard
 My favorite way to train people in dream interpretation is
to use an electronic pen on my computer where I can draw out
diagrams and pictures and circle things on the text that are
important. There’s something about drawing your dream,
whether in circles, bullet points, or small pictures, that really
allows you to see things in a new way. You can use a small
white dry erase board for this purpose. In fact, I own a lot of
them. I take them with me when I travel. I have larger ones
fastened to my wall and am continually using them to record
dreams and my creative ideas.

Take a picture
If you draw out your dream or use a whiteboard, you may
want to consider taking a picture with a digital camera or cell
phone. You can then print it out or paste it into your journal.
Also, get in the habit of taking pictures when you see things
that remind you of the dream or that God speaks to you. This
will get you into the habit of not only remembering your
dreams but also interacting with them.

Secrets to journaling
Be sure to record your dreams in a way that suits your
personality. If you are not technical, then use a paper journal.
Find the best time for you to journal. For me it is early in the
morning, but maybe you are an afternoon or night person. The
important thing is to capture those dreams and make notes.
 As you keep a journal, you can also record other areas of
your life. I have a section not only for dreams, but also for daily
creative writing, ideas, jokes and comedy, health log, and more.
The first thing I do is write out my dreams since those are the
ones you might easily forget if you get distracted.
I journal an hour or more per day, now that I am in the
swing of doing it, and it is not all at one time. I bullet point
things that are going on in my life. It is usually not all that
creative or dramatic. Then I go back to yesterday’s bullet
points, and I begin to fill in more detail as to how God spoke to
me—lessons I learned, anything that will add to my life. I
spend most of my time journaling in yesterday’s details
because you will learn more from a future standpoint.
Whether you remember your dreams or not, just remember
they may be sealed up. Continue to write your dreams down
and keep a notebook by the bed. As you begin to value what
God has spoken to you through your dreams, He will begin to
reveal deeper insights.
I have more ideas, articles, and instructional videos on
recording your dreams and journaling. Be sure to check my
website www.UnderstandYourDreamsNow.com.
Now it’s time to tie it all together. I want to give you some
more insider tips and the next steps for you to become a really
good dream interpreter.
CHAPTER 14
Next Steps

“It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to

someone else.”
Erma Bombeck

I have presented an accelerated dream learning process

throughout this book. It is time-tested and has worked with
thousands of people everywhere. But there really is no getting
around the fact that to get good at dream interpretation, you
really do need to practice. It is just like anything else—you will
get out of it what you put into it.
It was not until I interpreted over a hundred dreams that
the light switch came on and it started feeling more natural.
Something will happen when you get more dreams under your
belt. You will begin to notice patterns and symbols, and the
pieces will seem to fall together. I have had some great dream
mentors throughout my life, and I am forever grateful for all
that they poured into me. My prayer is that I can now pay it
forward by helping you in some way.

Never stop learning

 If I can give you any parting advice that will help you, it is
for you to never stop learning. Be a student of the gifts that
God has given you, and practice all the time. Unfortunately,
many people go to school to learn, and when they get out they
stop learning. We were created by God to continually improve
and grow. I gave my life to dream interpretation, and after all
these years, I have not stopped learning and I continue to
practice on a daily basis with my own dreams and the dreams
of people around me. Of course, daily journaling is a key.
You will be challenged to find the time to journal and work
on interpreting dreams. My advice is to not wait until you have
a large block of time. It is best to develop a habit of doing small
things consistently on a daily basis. It may not seem like much
at the time, but doing small things regularly will produce
noticeable results over time. Think of developing your dream
gift like working out physically, practicing a musical
instrument, or developing a hobby or sport. The more you do
it, the more natural it will become.
Once you awaken your gift of understanding dreams, your
life will never be the same.
Chances are you will become a popular person once
people find out that you are learning to interpret dreams, and
you will never run out of dreams to practice on if you ask your
friends and family.

Hearing God
Something I have mentioned throughout this book but
have not really gone into detail about is hearing God. Learning
to hear the voice of God is essential in being able to accurately
interpret dreams. By now, you have picked up the fact that we
need to learn to recognize symbolic messages and allow the
Holy Spirit to guide us through a dream interpretation.
Learning to hear God’s voice is a lifelong process, and yet it is
simple enough that even a child can do it. I am convinced that
we all can hear God, and that God wants us to!
I use the following example often when trying to explain
how God may be speaking to you, but you have possibly
missed it. Let’s say you just thought of a friend or family
member that you have not had contact with for some time, and
then suddenly you hear from them. Or you are driving down
the highway, and you get a distinct feeling inside that you
should slow down. Then, just ahead, you see the police. How
about when you’re waiting in the checkout line at the
supermarket and you get a feeling you should have gone to a
different line? Then you look over, and sure enough, that line
was moving much faster! These are all examples of how God
speaks to us.
There may be times that God speaks more clearly, but
most of the time it comes in the form of a small, quiet voice
inside us that, unless we train ourselves to listen to it, can be
considered a coincidence. I’m sure that all of us have
experienced this sometime in life. Just like understanding
dreams, hearing God does not need to be mystical. I like to
think of the supernatural things of God as being a natural part
of our lives. That would make us naturally supernatural. You
do not have to be a prophet to hear the voice of God.
Practical steps to hearing God
Be expectant that God really does want to communicate
with you. Most of the time, we simply need to clear away some
of the busyness in our lives to perceive what He is saying. He
longs to convey messages of love, comfort, guidance, and
warning through a variety of different methods. Maybe it is
through dreams and visions, through the Bible, through a
conversation we have with someone, or through nature, music,
and a variety of the arts. The possibilities are endless.
Hearing God requires us to develop a lifestyle of listening
spiritually. The best way is to find time to quiet yourself to hear
His voice. For most people, this is while in the shower, driving,
or simply taking a walk. God longs for us to spend time with
Him. Sometimes He gives us a puzzling dream just so we will
search out its meaning and be drawn deeper into spending time
with Him. We can often miss God’s still, gentle voice if we do
not slow down enough to listen.
It helps to find specific time that you can listen for God to
speak. It really helps to have peace in your life if you want to
hear the voice of God. When you are hurried or stressed out,
you are less likely to consistently hear Him. It’s good to set
time aside regularly—daily, if possible—to quiet yourself. For
me, the best time is first thing in the morning. I know we are all
wired differently, but morning seems to be a good time because
the phone isn’t ringing, there are fewer distractions, and things
are the quietest. After a good night’s sleep, we are more
spiritually alert. Unless you have children—then maybe it is
after they have gone to bed.
 Many of us have busy lives with lots to do but we don’t
have to be hurried. You will go through times when you have
more or less time with God, depending on your life situation. A
key is to think in terms of having a relationship with a living
person. God longs for us to commune with Him like a father
would with his children.
Take time to journal and write down how God may be
speaking to you. I’ve mentioned it several times and I can’t
stress the point enough that journaling will change your life
beyond what you may believe possible. Quite often God
speaks over time and most people miss this process because
they don’t track it. Since I take time to journal every day, I am
continually surprised to see things come to pass that God had
spoken to me. In my opinion, hearing God clearly cannot be
done without valuing what He is speaking to you and tracking
it over time.

How to recognize God’s voice

Most people ask me how I know if what I am hearing is
from God, myself, or the enemy? It takes practice to develop
the ability to discern. God’s voice is not condemning and
always carries with it a sense of peace. I highly recommend
doing a few of these simple exercises to develop your ability in
this area. It might also get you started on using a journal.

Let God speak through writing

 Get in a place without distraction. Take a piece of paper or
use your computer and begin to write what you feel God is
speaking to you right now. You can write it in the first person,
like a letter from God, or you can say, “I sense God is saying to
me …” Save it and revisit it later to see if anything comes to
pass or you get more insight.

Prophetic verse from the Bible

Another fun exercise is to ask God to speak to you though
the Bible. Pray and ask Him to give you a specific verse or
chapter about yourself. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear
anything relevant at first. Maybe you will need to pray and
listen throughout the day for God to speak to you. This may
take a few times so try it every day for a few days or until you
receive something that you have peace about. The first time I
did this, I heard God say, “Isaiah 61,” which starts out with my
life calling in the first few verses.

Train yourself to know God’s voice

Go back to the last time you knew for sure that you heard
God accurately. Maybe He spoke to you or answered a prayer.
Now, study how it came to you, how it felt, and any distinct
qualities or characteristics about it. Then, make some notes and
repeat the process a few times. It will not take long for you to
begin to notice God’s voice more clearly.
Do it in public
The more you do these simple little exercises, the clearer
you will be able to distinguish God’s voice. Maybe you are
experienced at hearing God like me, but I still do these types of
exercises to stay sharp. After you gain more confidence, go to
a public place like a coffee shop or store or even at work or
school. Ask God to speak to you something encouraging for a
person. Get their permission and share it with them. Notice their
response and ask them if it made sense. Remember to try to do
more listening than talking. Give them an encouraging word
and listen to their response.
All of these exercises will develop your prophetic gift to
hear the voice of God. Be sure to be positive and encouraging
and use them to help strengthen people.35

Help change the world

I believe that we are sitting on a gold mine of encounters
that we can have with people who have had dreams but do not
know what they mean. It’s one thing to learn how to interpret
your dreams for yourself, but it’s something totally different
when you begin to do it to help other people. There is
something powerful in giving your gift to someone else. Also,
you’ll find that interpreting other people’s dreams is actually
much easier than interpreting your own. This is because we
tend to want to apply our dream before we look at the actual
interpretation. Most people will share a dream with you that is
usually simple and, in many cases, one of the Common Dreams
that I’ve listed in this book.
People everywhere are having dreams, and many of them
are from God, who is showing them their future and life destiny.
It is very similar to the cupbearer’s and the baker’s dreams I
mentioned previously. They told Joseph, the dream interpreter,
“We both had dreams but there is no one to interpret them.” 36
It is not like there was a shortage of dream interpreters in
Egypt. What they were referring to was the fact that no one
had been able to interpret their dreams correctly. This is
because only someone who knows the Holy Spirit and can
understand God’s symbolic language can interpret dreams that
are from God.37
With this in mind, it’s clear that we are sitting on endless
divine encounters with people waiting to happen. This is why I
left my six-figure job in San Francisco and have given my entire
life to helping people hear the voice of God, understand their
dreams, and find their destiny. There is nothing more rewarding
than to see someone suddenly make a connection with the
dreams they are having to the very thing that they were created
and called to do on earth. For this reason, I have trained
thousands of dream interpreters and helped launch dream
teams around the world. You might say that we are on a
mission of love to help open people’s eyes to the goodness of
God’s love and power. We are not like any group of Christians
you’ve ever met before. Our life mission is to help others and
one of the ways we do it is through “dream outreach teams.” I
would like to recruit you into this new movement of God!
Start your own dream team
Just as I have accelerated you into understanding dreams,
I want to jumpstart you into helping other people understand
their dreams. Here is a quick way to do that. The fastest way to
get a taste of what it is like to be on a dream team is to first
become familiar with some of the more popular Common
Dreams we went over in Chapter5.
The more popular Common Dreams you will find with
people are: being chased by something evil, falling, flying,
showing up late, and teeth coming loose. There are many
others, but these you will encounter with people over and over.
Now, ask a friend or co-worker if they have had any of the
Common Dreams, discuss with them the possible meaning of
the dream, and note their reaction. Though interpreting dreams
and dream team outreaches are much more complex, this
exercise will allow you to experience what it is like to be part of
a dream team and see how dreams really do open people up.
Begin interpreting other people’s dreams on a regular
basis. You can ask them to write them down and give you time
to get back with them. Find a partner who has read this book or
knows the process if you need help. Develop a short
interpretation and share it with them.
Start right away by telling people you are learning to
interpret dreams and you need some dreams to practice with.
You can get some business cards printed up for free on the
Internet. Be careful to not give out your personal information,
and always use an email address created for this purpose.
Going public
If you really want to develop more, get a few people
together and go through this book with them. I recommend
going to a mall or coffee shop and practicing with people
around you. Tell them you are learning to interpret dreams, and
ask if they have one you can interpret. After you get better,
you may consider trying to do a dream interpretation event at a
local business, fair, or farmer’s market. Be sure to start small
and work your way into larger events. Big events require
commitment, and leading a trained team can be much more work
than you might realize.
Outreach events can include setting up a booth with some
chairs and a sign. Name your team using a nonreligious name
that seems inviting like Dream Encounters, Dreams Are Us, or
anything creative. Use a small sign or menu board explaining
what you offer. If the event requires you to charge, you can
always take donations towards a notable charity or invest
donations into a better booth. Remember, your goal is to help
open people’s eyes to how God may be speaking to them
through dreams. It is really fun and people love it!

Next steps
I consider it an honor that you took time to read this book.
Please go to my website and give us some feedback or follow
me on one of my social networking sites. Let us know how it
has helped you, and be sure to share any stories with us. I
highly encourage you to take my Dream Crash Course video
training class, which is available online at
www.dreamcrashcourse.com. It helps to actually hear me
explain some of these principles practically and, in the online
class, I give you some more tools and exercises that I have
found very useful in understanding dreams.

Life is a gift so be a giver of life to others.

Dream big!

Doug Addison
 APPENDIX A:

Bibliography
BOOKS
Dream Encounters: Seeing Your Destiny from God’s
Perspective, by Barbie Breathitt, Holy Fire Publications – 2010

Dream Language: The Prophetic Power of Dreams,

Revelations, and the Spirit of Wisdom, by James Goll, Michal
Ann Goll, Chuck Pierce, Destiny Image Publishers – 2006

Dreams: a biblical model of interpretation, by Jim Driscoll,

Zach Mapes, Orbital Book Group – 2010

Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, by Leland Ryken, James C.

Wilhoit, Tremper Longman III, InterVarsity Press – 1998

Listening for heaven’s sake: building healthy relationships

with God, self, and others, by Anne Clippard, David W. Ping,
Gary R. Sweeten, Equipping Ministries International – 1993

VIDEO COURSES AND AUDIOS:

The Dream Crash Course, Doug Addison
InLight Connection 2012 – www.DougAddison.com
Understanding dreams and visions audio, John Paul Jackson
Streams Ministries International – 2006
www.StreamsMinistreis.com
 APPENDIX B:

Dream Dictionary

For years, I have resisted the urge to publish a dream

symbol dictionary because dreams are often complex and you
must understand the context in which a symbol appears in the
dream. So, without proper training on understanding context
and other elements in the dream, a symbols list will not allow
you to interpret a dream accurately. However, it does help to
have a baseline or reference tool for some common symbols.
Please realize that each of these symbols may change from
dream to dream—and be based on a person’s own dream
language with God.
I have been studying dream interpretation for many years,
and I cannot remember exactly where I got all of the meanings
for these dream symbols. I would like to give individual credit,
but the undertaking to do so would be too great. I learned a lot
from studying the Bible and from my personal experience of
interpreting thousands of dreams. I owe a lot to the Holy Spirit
and my mentor, John Paul Jackson, as well as others who
taught me how to think metaphorically and to interpret dreams
much more accurately by using a spiritual and Biblical
understanding of symbols in context. In no way am I claiming
ownership of this list of dream symbols.
 To keep this list simple, I did not give any references as to
the origin or where a symbol may appear in the Bible. My
desire for you is that you would learn to think metaphorically
and recognize how symbols change from dream to dream and
dreamer to dreamer.

DREAM SYMBOLS
famous people may represent the roles they play or
Actor,
possibly the meaning of their names; could be a call
actress:
to pray for them.
they carry people and represent organizations,
Airplane: companies, ministries, or churches based on the
context.
• Jet or large plane: same as above just on a larger
scale
• Small plane: same as above but smaller impact,
personal ministry or job
• Fighter or military: spiritual warfare or military
calling and connections
transition, networking, and connections with other
Airport:
groups; travel
Alligators: people with malicious talk
various gifts, attacks, life situations, personal
characteristics that depend upon what type of
Animals:
animal (please refer to specific ones listed here such
 as ape, monkey, bat, bear, beaver, etc.)
Ankles: flexibility, movement, connection
Ape, monkey: mocking spirit, primal instincts, crazy, fun
Arm: strength, connection
Attic: the past, neglected, stored
Baby: something new such as a job, gifting, idea
Back: the past, vulnerability, family values
Bank: money, finances, provision
Bankruptcy: depleted, old season comes to an end, new start
hidden or beneath the surface, foundational issues
Basement:
or values
Bat: demonic attack, involves fear
Bathroom: cleansing, flushing, healing
Bear: demonic attack, unusual strength
• Polar bear: attack that appears holy
• Golden bear: California, freedom
• Grizzly bear: vicious attack
Beaver: staying busy, steadiness
Bed, bedroom: intimacy, closeness, rest
Bee, hornet,
demonic attacks, painful times
wasp:
• Bee can represent anointing or gifting of God
 because they make honey
Bicycle: leisure, recreation, small impact ministry or job
Bird: depends on type of bird
• Songbird: music, worship, joy
• Blackbird, raven: undercover demonic attack, negative
influence
• Eagle: insight, prophetic
• Owl: wisdom and discernment
• Hummingbird: gentleness, delicacy
• Dove: Holy Spirit, hope
• Peacock: vibrant, pride
Blouse: gifting, talents, covering
organizations or personal job or ministry depending on
Boat:
the boat:
• Battleship: spiritual warfare
• Aircraft carrier: large organization that helps others
• Mercy ship: mission-minded organization
• Cruise ship: fun time
• Speedboat: fun and fast
• Sailboat: Spirit-driven organization
• Rowboat: slow-moving with lots of effort
• Submarine: covert, goes deep in the spirit
• Canoe: smaller impact, recreation
Book(s), information, revelation, education,
bookshelves: writing
Boots: boldness, able to go places, walk through tough times
Breasts, chest: nurture, compassion, provider, sensitive
Bridge: transition, season change
Bride: group of Christians, the church, wife, love
fierce, provision, fake you out (as in, to “buffalo
Buffalo:
you”)
Building: depends on the type of building and context
• House: aspect of your life, family, job, ministry
• Office building: business, job, life calling
• High-rise: major life calling
Bull: stubbornness, mean, attack
small group of people, business, church, ministry, city-
Bus:
oriented or local
Butterfly: come through transformation, beauty, delicate
perseverance, able to get through tough dry times,
Camel:
connection to Middle East
Candle: light and darkness, guide to others, guidance, hope
various aspects of your life, family, personal job, or
Car: ministry; remember to watch for context in order to
understand details.
Cartoon character: fun, consider character’s name or function
Cat: independence, strong-willed, sly, creative
• Black cat: possible occult spirit
Cave: isolation, alone time, hidden
topped out, unable to grow higher, limited, rising
Ceiling:
higher
old things, dying to the past, family and
Cemetery:
generational callings
Chair: position, rest
Chicken: food, provision, afraid
Cliff: risk, edge, bigger vision
time, timing, possibly the numbers on the clock are
Clock:
significant
Closet: stored away, hidden, time of personal prayer
Coat: gifting, talents, mantle, calling, action
Coffin: loss, dying to the old, new season ahead
Coins,
money, “change,” small amounts of favor
change:
• Foreign coins: influence or connection in those
countries
Cow: provision, slow-moving
Credit card: finances, borrowed favor, given favor, debt
Crossroad: change, decisions
Cup: calling, refreshing
Dam: things being held back, power
Dart: attack
Death, leaving one season, moving to another,
dying: overcoming things
Debt: overextended, trap or impaired, repayment
Deceased bringing wisdom and advice, healing of grief,
relatives: fulfill the family calling
Deer: gentle spirit, thirsty for spiritual things, food
Desert: dry time, wilderness
Desk: calling, our job, writing, business
under pressure to succeed, high value, beauty,
Diamond:
influence
Dinosaur: old ways of thinking, dry religious spirit
healing ministry, Jesus (healer), medical calling, need
Doctor:
healing
Dog: friends, love, companionship
Dolphin: fun, able to refresh others
Donkey: carries the load, not too smart, stubborn
Door: opportunity, transition
Dragon: demonic attack, mystical
spiritual warfare gift, something holding you back
Dragonfly:
from flying
Duck: food, “get down (duck),” provision, letting things go
(water off the back)
Egg: new growth, fertility, new idea, or creation
Elbow: flexibility, pushing through, working hard
old thoughts and memories, breakthrough, big
Elephant:
impact
Elevator, lift: new levels, advancement, decrease, easy season
Eyes: prophetic gifting, spiritual perception, seer, clarity
Ear: prophetic gifting, perception, listener
turbulent times, radical change, warning of a
Earthquake:
coming disaster
Face: true self, identity, honor, self-image
family values, past issues, generational callings to
Family:
fulfill, negative connections that hold you back
Feet: foundation, daily life or “walk,” support
Fence: division, protection
Fingers: direction, connection, gifting based on which one:
• Thumb: change, administrative
• Index: prophetic, give direction
• Middle: evangelistic, sales oriented, offensive
• Ring: compassionate, pastoral
• Pinky: teacher, instructor
Fire: enthusiasm, destruction, God’s power and Spirit, passion
Fish: sport, people, gift to help others, outreach-oriented
Flies: demonic attack, small and pesky
major move of the Spirit, cleansing of old ways,
Floods:
warning of disaster
growth, beauty, make beautiful, gift of
Flowers:
encouragement
Fog: unclear time
nourishment, spiritual growth, survival, fun, community
Food:
and relationship
Forehead: steadfast, mindset, thought life, belief systems
attack that can be undetected, rob your efforts, attractive
Fox:
woman or man
Frog: attack against sexuality, lust, able to adapt
Front: vision, future
Fruit: spiritual food, gifts, characteristics, spiritual qualities
Funeral: ending one season, death, change coming
storage, rest from job or ministry, taking a break,
Garage:
holding back
Garden: growth, provision, character
Gardener: Holy Spirit, Jesus, helper, growth
Gas refreshment, refuel, time of being filled and
station: renewed
Gate: new opportunity, spiritual connections
Gifts: talents, gifts, promotional times, surprises
high-minded, thinker, able to rise above, connect with
Giraffe:
God
Glasses, contact vision, insight, needs some type of help to
lens: see more clearly
negative person, not a true friend, untrustworthy,
Goat:
gullible
purity, been through refining process, holiness,
Gold:
finances
Grapes: gifts, the anointing of God, refreshment, spiritual food
Grass: growth
Gun: authority, spiritual warfare, protection
Hair: wisdom, strength, beauty
Hallway: transition
Hand: relationship, reaching out
Hat: covering, protection
Head: mind and thinking, renewed, authority
Heart: compassion, love
Heel: vulnerability, play on words for “heal,” resist
similar to plane: aspect of life, job, and ministry,
Helicopter:
but much more mobile
Fashion: elegance, beauty, influence
Hippo: someone with a big mouth, hurts many people
Hips: identity, passion
the goodness of God, nourishment, spiritual gifts,
Honey:
God’s presence
Hospital: healing, healing ministry, or profession
Hot air balloon: slow-moving time, leisure, rise above things
Hotel, motel: temporary time, transition
House: various aspects of your life, your family, job, ministry
• Living room: relational, fellowship, community, new
life
• Kitchen: place of preparation, nourishment, food
• Bathroom: flushing, cleansing, healing
• Dining Room: spiritual growth and food
• Basement: hidden, beneath the surface, foundational
issues
• Garage: rest from job or ministry, not using talents,
store up
• Attic: the past, neglected, stored
• Den, Family room: community or fellowship, family
oriented
• Bedroom: intimacy, rest
• Porch: community, recreation, leisure
• Backyard: past, play time
 • Closet: stored away, hidden, time of personal prayer
Ice: a move of the Spirit that will come later, slippery time
prayer and intercession, healing, the goodness of
Incense:
God
Insects: demonic attack, more of a nuisance, pesky
gifting, life calling or purpose, family and generational
Jewels:
inheritances, spiritual gifts
Judge: God, mediator, justice
unstable or bouncy time, ups and downs, comfort
Kangaroo:
(pouch)
Ketchup: “catch up,” running behind
Keys: opportunities, strategies, authority
tenderness, passion, love, similar gifting as the person
Kiss:
you kiss, lust
Knee: prayer, flexibility, humility
Knife: spiritual warfare, authority, attack
Ladder: advancement, promotion, opportunities
Lamb: sacrifice, young Christian
Lamp: guidance, insight, angelic
Lawyer: justice, defender, mediator, advocate
Legs: your “walk” or daily life, advancement, strength
play on words: “Let us,” (asking for more),
Lettuce:
nourishment, spiritual food
Library: learning, wisdom, knowledge
Lighthouse: spiritual guidance, keeps you from danger
Limousine: elegance, influence
God: “Lion of Judah,” can also represent the enemy,
Lion:
power, strength
Lips: tenderness, speech, articulate, talker
Living room: relational, fellowship, community, new life
Lock: opportunity for later, blocked, guarded
spiritual attack—normally on finances, demonic
Locust:
attack
Mansion: influence, riches, Kingdom of God, Heaven
Map: strategy, plan, guidance
Marketplace: business, interacting with others, financial gain
covenant or promise, commitment, family,
Marriage:
partnership
Meat: nourishment, spiritual food for more mature
Mechanic: someone who can help repair your life, career
Microscope: looking closer, beneath the surface, examining
Microwave: fast food, lacking nourishment, fast lifestyle
Mirror: self-image, self-esteem, vision
Money: finances, provision, wealth, favor
Monkey, ape: mocking spirit, primal instincts, crazy, fun
Monster: demonic attack, usually with fear
Moon: guidance during dark times, reflects God’s light
Moss: idleness, not been used
similar to car: some aspect of your life, your job,
Motorcycle: ministry, but more mobile; recreation and
pastimes
Mountain: higher calling or destiny, intimate time with God
Mouth: speech, articulation, communication, gossip
Moving van: transition, relocation
slow-moving, stubborn, carries burdens, carries
Mule:
necessities for a journey
Nails: beauty, fashion, spiritual warfare
Naked: open, transparent, vulnerable, freedom
guidance, direction, stubborn, risk—“stick your neck
Neck:
out”
spiritual gifting, generational blessing, fashion,
Necklace:
beauty
Night: unclear time
discernment, know if you can trust people, wisdom gift,
Nose:
nosy-prying, inquisitive
Oasis: refreshment after a dry time, rest
Ocean, large move of the Spirit, humanity, great influence,
sea: many people
Octopus:
 controlling spirit or person, multitasking
Oil: Holy Spirit, the spiritual realm, healing, anointing
Old old behaviors, things you once overcame, the old
man: nature, an old person
Overalls: time of hard work, willing to get dirty
Ox: hard work, power, slow but steady, strength
situation that may produce a spiritual blessing (see
Oyster:
also pearl)
Panther: power (negative or positive), independence
your spiritual life or “walk,” what you do on a regular
Pants: basis, play on words: “wear the pants” (control,
responsibility)
exit strategy, backup plan, going into new
Parachute:
territories
Path: life journey, direction, road less traveled
Peacock: creativity, beauty, pride, royalty
Peanuts: settling for less, not worth as much
something small that has great value, spiritual gifts
Pearl:
formed beneath the surface
Pictures: visions, memories
unclean spirit, messy, financial provision if in this
Pig:
industry, prosperity in certain cultures
Pigeon: unclean, taken advantage of, message deliverer
Pillow: intimacy, rest
Pilot: leader, Holy Spirit, guidance
Plow: preparing for something new, groundbreaker
Police: authority (good or bad), protection, career
Porch: community, recreation, leisure
a person that won’t let you get close to them,
Porcupine:
wounds others
something new is coming like a gifting, job, new
Pregnant:
idea; see Common Dreams section
multiplication, fast growth, surprise blessing, sexual
Rabbit:
attack
Raccoon: demonic attacking the area of theft, false identity
blessing, refreshing time in the spirit, unclear time, move
Rain:
of God
Rainbow: covenant or promise of something new
gifts or things from God that have not been used
Raisins:
(dried up), nourishment
Ram: spiritual attack, pushy person, sacrifice
Rats: the need to clean things up, things left unattended
Refrigerator: spiritual food stored up for later
possibly someone who is cold blooded or mean,
Reptiles:
demonic attack
Restaurant: place of nourishment, possible business, career
Reverse: not going in the right direction
Rhinoceros: stubbornness, demonic attack
Ring: covenant or promise, marriage, friendship
Road: journey of life
Robe: calling or unique gifting
advancement in higher things of the spirit, spiritual
Rocket:
warfare, fast movement
Rollercoaster: fast exciting time
Roof: covering, leadership, authority, protection
Roses: beauty, fragrance, love, commitment
Sand: masses of people, beach, recreation, fun time
learning, education, spiritual training, or if you go to
School:
school could be your life
Scorpion: painful attack from the past
large move of the Spirit, humanity, great influence, many
Sea:
people
Seed: growth, God’s word, faith
Shark: malicious talk, person with bad intent, demonic attack
Shawl: special ability or spiritual gifts, particularly prayer
Shirt: gifts, special characteristics
Shoes: our daily life and “walk,” peace
Shopping center, business, hanging out (friendships),
mall: fashion, vanity
Shoulders: burden bearer, strength, helper
Shower: flushing, cleansing, healing
Skateboard: fun time, recreation
mobile, gets around easily, recreation, fun time,
Skates:
smooth time
Skunk: unpleasant time, something stinks, bad character
Slippers: comfort, intimacy
presence of fire (could be positive), early sign of a
Smoke:
move of God, sign of danger, unclear time
Snail: slow moving time or person
Snake: lies and deception
Snow: move with the spirit, recreation, revelation
Socks: peace or lack of peace
Spider: demonic attack
Squirrel: storing up for later, sneaky or dishonest, “squirrelly”
Stairs: advancement, increase or decrease
Stomach: ability or inability to understand or digest
preparation of things that nourish you, spiritual food,
Stove: things are heating up, “cook something up” (as in to
invent something to produce a result you want)
Suit: business, formal, influence
Suitcase: travel, change
Swimming pool: move in the spirit, recreation, spiritual life
Swimwear: time of refreshment, going deeper in the spirit
Sword: spiritual warfare, defense, warfare or defender gift
Table: community and relationship, share spiritual food
Taxi: temporary time, temporary worker
Teeth: wisdom, understanding, strength
Telephone: communication, prophetic
play on words: “tell a vision,” communications,
Television:
worldwide impact, media connections, influence
Theatre: creativity, big influence
Thief: demonic attack to take what you have
Thigh: faith, strength
power and strength (could be positive or negative),
Tiger:
stubborn spirit
Tires: keeps things rolling, filled with the spirit
Toes: stretch, balance
Toilet: cleansing, flushing, healing
speech, talking, gossip (tongue wagging), “tip of the
tongue,” “tongue-lashing,” “bite (hold) your
Tongue: tongue,” “slip of the tongue,” “silver-tongue,”
“sharp tongue,” “roll off the tongue,” “forked
tongue,” “tongue in cheek,” “cat got your tongue?”
Train: move of God, something new
Treasure: riches, finances, hidden things, favor
Trees: leaders, people, provision
Truck: provision, similar to car, play on words: “pick-up”
large move of the Spirit, big impact, possible
Tsunami:
disaster
someone who lacks wisdom, failure, “talk turkey”
Turkey:
(talk plainly and openly), giving thanks (grateful)
Umbrella: shields from attacks, protective covering
protection of sexuality, intimacy, your core level
Underwear:
gifts that may be hidden
Unicycle: similar to bicycle only smaller
Uniforms: authority, service, careers
Upstairs: higher level, increase
Valley: difficult time
Wallet, purse: identity, favor, finances
Watch: timing, be aware, intercession
the spirit, spiritual life, Holy Spirit, the spiritual realm,
Water:
refreshment
depends on the type of weather; turmoil, shaking,
Weather:
change, difficult times
Wedding: covenant, commitment, calling in life, marriage
Whale: big impact in the spirit
an aspect of the spirit of God, move of the Spirit,
Wind: difficult or positive time, lift you higher, hold you back
Window: vision
able to rise above or get out of bad situations,
Wings:
angelic, high levels of creativity
Wolf: demonic attack
Wrist: flexibility, connection

COLORS (positive and negative meanings)

White holiness, purity; religious control
Silver redemption; false humility
Blue revelation; depression
Red redemption; anger
Yellow courage; caution, fear
Purple authority; false authority
Black neutral, hidden; dark or evil
Green growth; misfortune
Brown compassion, pastoral; humanism

NUMBERS
1 single
2 double
3 trinity, God
4 creativity, worldwide impact
5 grace
6 man’s efforts
7 completion, perfection
8 new beginnings
9 fruit of the spirit and gifts; judgment
10 rules, law
11 transition
12 leadership, government
13 rebellion
14 establishment
16 high level of grace
18 provision; judgment
21 jackpot
24 leadership, government
50 jubilee, reconciliation, freedom
 Footnotes

1 Streams Ministries International: www.streamsministries.com

2 Original concept derived from 201: Understanding Dreams and Visions course:
www.streamsministries.com
3 Genesis 37
4 Genesis 41
5 Genesis 40
6 Daniel 2
7 Daniel 4
8 Genesis 40:8, Daniel 2:27–28
9 Daniel 1:17 and 2:17-19
10 Proverbs 25:2
11 Matthew 11:25–26
12 Genesis 2
13 Matthew 1:19–21, 2:13, 2:19, 2:22
14 Matthew 2:11–12
15 Matthew 27:18–20
16 John 21:25
17 Matthew 13:10–12
18 Acts 6:3
19 Hebrews 5:14
20 Original concept by Jeannine Rodriguez, Images of Light Ministries 21
Ephesians 4:11
22 See Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14
23 Matthew 17:20, Luke 8:11, Matthew 13
24 Matthew 4:19 New King James Version 25 Acts 12:9
26 1 John 4:4
27 Ephesians 5:8
28 John 10:10
29 Daniel 4:24–27
30 James 2:13
31 Genesis 29–30, and Genesis 31:4–13
32 Genesis 37
33 John Paul Jackson: Understanding Dreams and Visions audio set 34 This
concept is similar to creating a Mind Map http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map
35 1 Corinthians 14:3
36 Genesis 40:8
37 1 Corinthians 2:14, Matthew 13:11
 Books by Doug Addison
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Spiritual Identity Theft Exposed
Write a Book Quickly: Unlock Your Creative Spirit

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