Cloud Nine:: A Dreamer's Dictionary – The Essential Guide to Dream Interpretation and Subconscious Meanings

by Sandra A. Thomson

Dreams -- windows into an inner world of hidden emotion and desire. Only by understanding our dreams can we fully know ourselves. And by recognizing the revealing subconscious meanings of our dreams and using that information in our waking lives, we have a greater opportunity for personal growth and change. Here is the most complete and comprehensive dream dictionary available. An essential resource for, exploring the subconscious mind, it offers thousands of dream symbols and definitions, listed alphabetically. For anyone who wishes to fully realize personal potential, this invaluable guide to dream interpretation provides essential information on how Illuminating exercises, dreamwork techniques, pointers for improving visualization skills, and tips from some of the world's most respected contemporary dream masters.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference

592 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1994

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I settled on this book after reading reviews on Amazon that seemed to indicate that this was the most highly-regarded dream dictionary. It didn't disappoint. It has components that set it apart from an average dream dictionary.

First, it has a large introductory section containing discussions of theories from multiple researchers and conventional wisdom about what dreams are as well as many exercises (called "Dreamercises") to help one start keeping a dream journal, try to ascertain the meaning of dreams or dream sybols, learn how to dream lucidly, etc.

Second, The author gives a broad view of dreams and encourages the reader to figure out what his or her own dream symbols represent. The dictionary entries don't give a single fixed meaning for any symbol. It is more of a dream "thesaurus", giving many possible meanings for each symbol with traditional symbolism, Jungian symbolism, symbolism derived from research by other authors (which is cited in the text), and mythological or tarot symbolism. There are many cross-references to related symbols. This dictionary doesn't cover every possible symbol you might encounter in your dreams, but the symbols it does cover are generally explored in much depth.

Third, this is a dictionary that stresses the importance of using dreams to discover current and past issues and address them. It is not prophetic, trying to tell you how a symbol from a particular dream will affect your future.

Finally (and most importantly), this author has a large bibliography listing the many works and researchers consulted in putting together the introductory section and the dictionary entries. This shows that the author has done her work, as opposed to the authors of dream dictionaries who present their dictionaries without bibliographies or reference to where they got their definitions from.

If you only get one dream dictionary, this would be the one to have.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are really looking for a guide to help you interpret what your dreams symbols mean, this and Tony Crisp's Dream Dictionary and all you need. None of that silly money and happiness stuff, but real honest dream imagery to help you see within yourself.

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

My boyfriend gave this to me and it's the best resources for figuring out dreams. I look at it often.

[Erin]

I've always wanted dream analysis - maybe this will be the next best thing?!