Lauri’s Blog

Our dreams bring us messages every night, messages about our relationships, our career, our personal goals and even our health. It’s always fascinating to me how our dreaming mind chooses to bring those messages to us. Sometimes it brings the message in the form of a celebrity, and sometimes in the form of a person we knew from long ago. When it comes to dreams, “You never know what you’re gonna get” – to quote Forrest Gump. My favorite dream messenger is the animal. American Indians believe we all have an animal spirit guide that helps us walk through life. This is especially true when it comes to our dreams. The animals that appear in your dreams are there to help you with your current circumstances, no matter how annoying the animal may be…

Dear Lauri,
I had a dream that I was cleaning in my kitchen under my ex-husband’s stove and two mice bit my hands, one on each hand, on the fleshy part under my little fingers and they wouldn’t let go no matter how hard I tried to shake them off. They just bit in harder. Then I woke up. Weirdest one I’ve had in a while. – Branwyn 37, Wausau, WI

Lauri: How recently did he become an ex? Sounds like you are trying to cleanse yourself of frustration and negativity that may still remain. The stove is interesting as it may point to plans, ideas, etc. that you’ve got cooking up but are hindered by the ex in some way, since it was his stove. The two mice are connected to two particular issues that are pestering and annoying and gnawing away at you right now. It’s annoying when we find a mouse in the house and even more annoying to find that said mouse has been gnawing away at the walls, wires or insulation! So these dream mice are letting you know that you’ve allowed something unwelcome into your psyche and it is time to exterminate it! They bit you because the situation must really “bite” as far as you’re concerned. It is significant that they bit your hands as that is the way your dream is showing you that this isn’t anything you can’t handle.

Branwyn replies: We’ve been divorced for over seven years. The two issues I have right now are the ongoing issues with him concerning our kids and having a really hard time finding a job. I would like to move away to find work but am kind of stuck with a rule that says I can only move a certain distance away from where he lives because of shared custody. It’s been frustrating for a long time. So yes, your interpretation fits perfectly with what’s happening in my life. Thank you so much! I’ll be more aware of those kinds of messages in my future dreams.

Got a dream you’re wondering about? You can find out what it means in just seconds from now! Get instant, immediate access to my HUGE online dream dictionary (over 5800 symbols), my interactive dream journal and tons of other powerful dream working tools. For a one time fee of only $9.95 you can have everything you need to easily figure out your dreams ANY TIME YOU WANT! You’ll never have to wonder what your dreams mean EVER again. Find Out What Your Dreams Mean Right Now

“Using your site makes it beyond easy to figure out my dreams. And now that I am getting their messages I have been able to make big changes in my life with confidence because I now know what my inner mind is telling me to do. Thank you so much for this amazing resource! I don’t know how I got along without it!” – Christi F. Phoenix, AZ

Q & A with dream expert Lauri Loewenberg

By Laura Johnson | 08.12.10

What dreams may come …

Either Leonardo DiCaprio is the hottest man alive (speculation allowed here) or the film he stars in, “Inception” was No. 1 at the box office for three weekends in a row because people are becoming obsessed with dreams and what they mean for everyday life. As in the film, there are many out there who believe dreams are very important to existence. No matter what happens after you read these pages know dreams are the only thing in the world no one else can experience with you … unless for some reason you’re part of a science-fiction story.

Had a “naked” dream before? You know, the one where you’re standing in the middle of some crowded place? Well the naked one and the dream where you’re being chased are the most common. When we are young and we have a nightmare our parents assure us everything will be OK because, in a term, it was just a dream. However, there are some who believe our dreams are far more informative than we may believe.

The Weekender’s own Dream Zone columnist, Lauri Loewenberg agreed to be interviewed about the most personal dialogue we have with our subconscious n our dreams.

Weekender: What got you into this gig?

Lauri: I was able to remember my dreams when I was two. I have been documenting them since then. I started by drawing them and then moved to writing them down. In college I took a dream psychology course (although I don’t have a degree in this as there isn’t such a thing) and was extremely impressed at how much sense it made. Dreams are important, powerful and actually logical once you break them down. Because dreams are something everyone has, I knew I could help essentially everyone by getting into this job. I started it as a column and then moved to the radio and finally wrote a book. I am extremely passionate about what I do.

Weekender:Is this a full time job for you then?

Lauri: Yes, 24/7. Even when I’m sleeping! (laughs).

Weekender: So what is your official job title?

Lauri: Dream analysist n in a word, dreamologist

Weekender: So you’re not a psychic then?

Lauri: Not at all. I can’t predict the future. I simply help people to find their realities within a dream. I ask questions to help them find their own answers

Weekender: Do dreams really mean something or are they just excess thoughts?

Lauri: I can understand how it’s easy to dismiss dreams as nothing. But they are not nonsense. You need to give your dreams more credit than that n your subconscious more credit than that really. Yes, they are presented to you in a different language than you are used to but that just means you have to be able to crack the code. If you listen you can really solve your own problems.

Weekender: So dreams are not to be taken literally at all?

Lauri: Not at all. But they are always about you and about the present.

Weekender: When you’re gathering information about someone’s dream do certain things always mean the same thing (example: seeing bugs in a dream represents something is bugging you in real life) for every person?

Lauri: Those are referred to as archetypes and yes, they do mean pretty much the same thing for everyone. That’s the point of dream symbolism. But sometimes things can take a different turn which is why I always ask questions so each person can make their own conclusions. Like the common “naked” dreams means there is something we’re having anxiety about and we’re concerned how we may appear to others or it could mean we feel we’ve opened up or exposed ourselves too much.

Weekender: What about the other common dream, the “chase” dream?

Lauri: This dream interestingly enough, more commonly reoccurs with women than men. It usually means you are trying to avoid or get out of some sort of issue.

Weekender: Is it hard to listen to people’s dreams sometimes? Because it seems to us the only people who care about one’s dreams is the person themselves.

Lauri: I can see why they can be boring to others but I find it interesting because it’s like a big puzzle and a window into what’s going on with a person. I want to help people see what the issue is and show them advice about the dream.

Weekender: What about dreams that predict the future … almost premonition like? Why does that happen?

Lauri: Those are what’s referred to as EPS dreams. I’m personally a little skeptical of them. But I suppose anything is possible because time isn’t really linear. Also, when we’re in the REM stage of sleep our brain waves have slower frequency and could possibly pick up on things flowing around. Who’s to say?

Weekender: In your words, what are dreams?

Lauri: They are an emotional state n an honest reflection about who you are. I mean your eyes are closed the whole time they happen giving you a razor-like focus on yourself. Sometimes people don’t want to think about themselves, that can be too scary, but in dreams you are forced to do so.

Weekender: What about a nightmare? What does that reflect?

Lauri: Those are warnings. Only your own body can tell you what your need, and that’s what it does in dreams.

Weekender: In the wake of “Inception” dreams are becoming a hot topic. Do you think people will be able to infiltrate other people’s dreams in the future?

Lauri: I would not doubt it. With technology like an MRI scan we can watch dream patterns. In Japan they have created a dream VCR that reportedly records images from dreams. 100 years ago the Internet would have thought to be impossible. We’ll see.

Weekender: Why should we interpret our dreams?

Lauri: It’s really pretty practical, it’s not New Age at all. Dreams don’t ever lie, and in this world, that’s rare.

In just seconds from now you can access my HUGE INTERACTIVE DREAM DICTIONARY as well as all my powerful dream interpretation tools and easily figure out all your dreams… for ONLY $9.95! (Never pay another cent) Click Here To Get Started

“I have recently had a string of dreams that your online dictionary helped me decode and i feel i am on the right path now and it just made everything make sense. Thank you for making this so readily available to us. keep up the good work.”   – Deborah, Salt Lake City, UT

From losing teeth to growing a third leg, a lot of strange things happen to our bodies in our dreams.  It’s important to know that the different bodily afflictions we suffer in our dreams are rarely about our actual body but more about our abilities.  The mouth and throat seem to be a favorite body part for the dreaming mind to manipulate.  The reason for the popularity is because the mouth and throat in a dream are really about our voice and ability to communicate and communication is a very common waking life issue for just about all of us.  The dream below is a perfect example…

I dreamt I was in my apartment with my boyfriend and his two kids. I started choking and ended up pulling this extremely long noodle out of my throat and nose. It wouldn’t stop and I was gagging on it. I went into the bathroom to get a better look and get it out all the way. When I came back out to the kitchen EVERYTHING was gone and everything was bright white.
– Mandy 24, Merrill, WI

Lauri: The noodle either represents something that has been on your mind (your noodle as we sometimes call our brains) or it represents being too flexible and bending to others needs too easily, which created an uncomfortable situation for you in waking life, hence the gagging in the dream.  You pulled it out of your throat, which symbolizes voicing your displeasure about the situation, a situation that probably went on for too long, hence the length of the noodle.  And notice how everything became white after your sel-inflicted noodle-ectomy.  That’s a good indication that you have wiped the slate clean and have a new beginning.

 Mandy replies: The being flexible part really rings true. My boyfriend of a year now, has two kids with another woman. I used to let him do what he wanted when it came to talking to her and seeing her, when it didn’t have anything to do with the kids I wanted it to stop but it’s a long complicated issue. She’s only caused problems with us (on purpose of course). Anyway, I finally said that if he wanted to be with me that certain things had to stop like the hundred phone calls a day, things that didn’t have to do with the kids. Since I put my foot down, things have been better. And the length of the noodle seems about right; I’ve been holding back for a year.

Don’t let your dreams frighten you!  Let them enlighten you!!  Grab yourself a copy of one of my books and you’ll easily understand your dreams every morning and get a HUGE edge in life.

“I have to say, it’s a pretty amazing thing when you can figure out your dreams!!  Your book makes it easy.  Thank you!!”   – Michelle, Richmond, VA

Have you seen Avatar yet? If you haven’t, you really should! It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen! It’s a virtual dreamscape of floating mountains, glowing foliage, dragons and beautiful, Amazon-like humanoids. It’s literally like walking into
a dream… even more than you know!

The look of the Na’vi—the humanoids in the film—was inspired by a dream that writer and director James Cameron’s mother had, long before he started work on Avatar. In her dream, she saw a twelve-foot-tall blue-skinned woman, which he thought was “kind of a cool image”. He included similar creatures in his first screenplay (written in 1976 or 1977), which featured a planet with a native population of “gorgeous” tall blue aliens. These later became the basis for the Na’vi. On the specific reason for the choice of blue as their skin color, Cameron said “I just like blue. It’s a good color … plus, there’s a connection to the Hindu deities, which I like conceptually.”
 

The dream-like setting of the movie was inspired by one of Cameron’s own dreams in the early 1990s, which inspired the  treatment he wrote for Avatar in 1995, in which he included the blue people inspired by his mothers dream. He planned to begin production after completing Titanic, but the technology for bringing his vision to the screen did not then exist. Fourteen years later, the technology existed to bring a world he had “seen” to screens allowing the lucky viewers to virtually enter someone else’s dreamscape.

Your very own fantastical dreamscape is available to you each and every night waiting to be explored, and it’s only as far away as your pillow! And who knows how many million dollar ideas or relationship saving solutions are waiting for you… all you have to do is pay attention.

My book  Cracking The Dream Code  will help you to not only easily access your own dream world every night but also easily decipher the powerful messages that are waiting for you!  “I have to say, it’s a pretty amazing thing when you can figure out your dreams!!  Your book makes it easy.  Thank you!!”   – Michelle, Richmond, VA

Losing your purse, or even having it stolen is actually a very common dream.  For men, it is common to lose your wallet.  It can sometimes refer to money issues but the more common meaning might surprise you!  Read on to find out what it means…

Dear Lauri,
I had a dream last night that I was in a mall and set my purse down to look at something. A man came up to me and started making small talk. I got a bad vibe like he was distracting me. I looked down and my purse was gone! I ran toward the entrance of the store to find the person but there were too many people and I knew it would be impossible. It was at this point when I woke up. - Julie 41, Wausau, WI

Lauri: To your dreaming mind, your purse symbolizes your sense of self, your credibility and your self worth because that is where we keep our IDs, credit cards and money. In your dream your purse was stolen, which means someone else is getting the credit or recognition you deserve. The crowd of people in your dream suggests you feel you are not able to stand out in a crowd. Were you recently up for a promotion but didn’t get it? Or was there some other situation where you were hoping to get noticed but weren’t?

Julie Replies: I found your interpretation very interesting and I was surprised how on the mark it was. Recently I have felt that my role at work and at home has not been very important. I’ve always been one to love the limelight but lately I feel my accomplishments aren’t noticed or appreciated and that I am losing the confidence I usually have. There are so many talented people around me and I feel it’s hard to measure up, let alone stand out.

Celebrity Dream:
Mariah Carey has – for most of her life – had recurring dreams of losing her purse as well! She has reported that being inter-racial made her feel that she doesn’t fully belong to either race. And being made fun of as a child certainly didn’t help that either. I wonder if all those mean kids are laughing at her now?

Strange sex dreams, death of a loved one, weird things happening to your body… It’s ALL in there!  Grab your copy of  So, What Did You Dream Last Night?  and understand your dreams like never before!

“I used your book this morning and decoded my dream. Awesome!!”   – Brook, morning show host on WUHU Bowling Green, KY

Celebrities are usually fun to dream about.  It is most common to dream that you are friends with a certain celebrity.  I have frequent dreams of being BFFs with Madonna.

When a celebrity makes a cameo in your dreams, ask yourself what that particular celebrity is best known for.  Is it a song?  A movie role? A television show? Or a behavior?  Then, apply that to yourself.  Are you “performing” like this celebrity right now in your life?  Are you wanting recognition for this particular quality? You should be able to make the connection between the celebrity and your current situation or behavior.

Sometimes, certain celebrities can appear in our dreams and leave us feeling perplexed or frightened, rather than entertained.  The audio below is a perfect example.  Listen and find out why this woman dreamed OJ took her baby.  This is from when I was a guest the other day on WOGL in Philadelphis, PA with Ross Britain and The Breakfast Club…   ListenToAudio  

What about you?  What celebrity stalks your dreams?

After the Terror Attacks on 9/11 I was flooded with people wanting help with their nightmares. That attack struck deep within the American psyche.  Adults and children were haunted by nightmares for months, even years afterwards. I included some of those nightmares in my book So, What Did You Dream Last Night? Below is an excerpt…

Terror Attacks Our Dreams

     For quite some time after the terror attacks on September 11th, 2001, nightmares were definitely on the rise.  These days we all have an underlying sense of anxiety, stress and insecurity, the three major building blocks for nightmares.  Below are just a few of the hundreds of nightmares that were reported to me since that horrible day. 

“Exploding Computer”

     I was playing games with my son on the PC when suddenly the screen went out and then flashed writing in some foreign language. The PC then exploded and I was caught in a blinding light and heard a ringing in my ears and was unable to find my son. I was trying to call to my wife to get my son but I was unable to move or see anything.    – Frank 35, Staten Island, New York

     The personal computer games symbolize the game of life.  Frank, being the concerned and caring parent that he is, is teaching his son the rules of life and how to compete and win in this game.  The computer screen goes blank and flashes a foreign language indicating that something that is beyond Frank’s understanding (the terror attacks) is suddenly interfering with his “personal” world. Then the PC explodes.  Explosions usually mean a burst of pent up frustration may be on the way but they can also mean there is a major shift going on in one’s thinking… and these days the latter is usually the case as we are all rethinking our priorities.  But for Frank, his shift in thinking was related to the fact that a new child was on the way at a time when he was no longer sure he wanted to bring more children into such a chaotic world.  This nightmare is warning Frank not to “lose sight” of the needs of his son who has been drawing burning buildings almost everyday since the terror attacks.   It is also urging him to not let the fact that there are some things beyond his control keep him from “moving” forward in life.

“Satan’s Mission”

     My room was hell and the hallway was the stairway to Heaven.  All of these people were going by on their way to Heaven, while I was stuck in this dark room.  Satan was in there with me.  He was trying to get me riled up over the unfairness of this.  We began making plans for a war.  I was “enlisted” to go on a mission but I had to be disguised.  He started talking about removing my skin and putting something ELSE there.  I asked him if it would hurt. He said it wouldn’t and that I just needed to relax.  I woke up with my heart pounding.   – Ruschia 27, Hertford, North Carolina

     This nightmare reflects Ruschia’s struggle to understand the mindset of those that have waged war on the free world.  Satan naturally symbolizes the evil forces that manipulate and rile up the minds of those that are easily influenced into becoming terrorists by telling them that they will be able to go to Heaven or “Paradise” if they “fight the infidels.”  Ruschia is enlisted to go on a mission and her skin is removed just as the terrorists are “stripped” of their independent thinking and are enlisted to go on homicidal missions.  After this nightmare, Ruschia decided to take a break from the twenty-four hour news channels.    

“Beheading”

   “This seems to be the strangest thing, but the night of the terror attacks, my husband and I both dreamt of someone being beheaded.  Is it normal for two people to have the same dream, or nightmare in this case, on the same night?”     – Barbara 41, Sydney, Australia

   Barbara and her husband experienced a fascinating phenomenon called “Shared Dreaming.” That is when two people have the same dream, or a similar dream, on the same night. Shared Dreaming definitely occurs and probably does so more often than we know because so many of us don’t always remember our dreams nor report them to others. Nonetheless, the reason it happens is because the two people who shared the same dream are also sharing the same issue that caused the dream and react to the issue, subconsciously, in the same or a similar manner.

   In Barbara’s and her husband’s case, they both had been watching the terrible events of 9/11 unfold all day, went to bed with it on their minds and tried to sort it out while dreaming in a very similar mind set.  They are husband and wife after all, so naturally they are on the same wavelength.

   Interesting, isn’t it, that they dreamed of beheadings not knowing what a frequent occurrence it would become on the news in the coming months?  Even more interesting, is that they are not the only ones who reported dreaming of beheadings after that day.  From a Dream Psychology standpoint, I can understand why.  If you look at the New York skyline before the attacks, the Twin Towers stood “heads” above the rest of the buildings.  Plus, New York is the financial “head” of the world.  It makes sense that watching those towers come down was very much like watching a beheading.  Sigh.

Do you remember any dreams you had after 9/11? Leave them in the comments below.

Did you know that – on average – we all dream of Mom at least once a week?  That’s right! Whether she is still with us on this world or not, Mom appears in our dreams on a weekly basis. Did you also know that when you dream of Mom, she is rarely playing herself!

I was recently a guest on CJ’s Playhouse on WPKF in Poughkeepsie, NY when a woman called in with a dream about her mom that was really freaking her out. Turns out, the dream wasn’t about her mom at all but more about the way she had been mothering her own daughter lately…

This dream – as all our dreams do – was giving this woman expert advice on how to handle her daughter.  Whenever life gets tough… especially the parenting aspect of life, just go to sleep and “dream on it!”  Without a doubt, your dreams will always hold an answer for you!

Don’t let your dreams frighten you!  Let them enlighten you!!  Grab yourself a copy of one of my books and you’ll easily understand your dreams every morning and get a HUGE edge in life.

“Your books have been a life saver for me!  Being able to understand my dreams has helped me to turn my marriage around because they were showing me what I have been doing to make our situation worse. Wow. It’s unbelievable how helpful my dreams have been to me.  I can not thank you enough.”   - Tammy, Flagstaff, AZ

Ever have one of those naughty dreams that left you blushing and embarrassed upon waking? Oh sure! We all have, whether we care to admit or not. But have you ever had one that occurred again and again for years?? That would probably make you wonder if you had hidden hedonistic tendencies, huh?

Well, a very brave gal called into WWMX in Baltimore, MD yesterday when I was on the Sarah, JoJo and Reagan morning show and confessed that she had been having orgy dreams for quite some time! Little did she know that these dreams were actually good for her…

What sort of naughty dreams have you had lately?

Strange sex partners, death of a loved one, weird things happening to your body… It’s ALL in there!  Grab your copy of So, What Did You Dream Last Night?  and understand your dreams like never before!

“Your book surpassed my expectations!  It’s wonderful.  I am very pleased.”  -  Nancy Van Horn, Brookfield, WI

When someone we love dies it’s hard to let go.  We’ll hang on tightly to anything that used to belong to them as if it were our loved one themself!

This is certainly the case with Jamie, a gal who called in while I was on the air on AJ’s Playhouse on KHTS in San Diego.  She was holding on to her deceased mother’s belongings so tightly that it was giving her bad dreams…

If you are going through grief, your dreams can be a very tangible and powerful tool in your healing process.  My book  So, What Did You Dream Last Night? has a whole chapter on dreams after death, what to expect to dream about, how they can help you heal and how you can tell when it is an actual contact from the other side!

“Although I am not normally the dramatic type, I just thought you’d like to hear that your books have made a difference in my life.  Because of your books, I am more aware and open to my dreams and translating them is starting to seem effortless.   - Victoria, Las Vegas, NV