Understanding Your Dream Images And Symbols

Dear Laura,
I keep having a dream about a monkey. When I looked it up in dream books, I felt even more confused. What does the monkey mean?
— a friend of Jane Goodall

Dear Friend,

Fear not! Although countless authors feel they have an exclusive handle on dream interpretation, I use a different approach. I believe that elements in dreams mean something uniquely different to each and every person by design. After all, if each of us is as unique as our own fingerprint, then clearly when it comes to dream interpretation, one size doesn’t fit all.

Get a pen and paper and write down the answers to the following questions: What does a monkey represent to you? (ie., the circus, childhood, zoo, science, etc.) How do you feel when you see the monkey? (ie., happy, worried, depressed, scared, etc.) How is the monkey behaving? (ie., docile, aggressive, pensive, oblivious, etc.) Does the monkey have human behaviors? (ie., talking, crying, laughing, etc.) Where is the setting of the dream? (ie., work, home, outdoors, etc.)

Now look at what you have written and ask yourself if there is something going on in your life that could relate to this monkey imagery. Use a series of personal questions like these to help you interpret your dream imagery.

(And if that doesn’t work, cut out the bananas before bedtime).