Dream Interview with Delphi Ellis

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Dream Interview: “Dreams point to your back…”

Hannah Dow, a student at a High School in Illinois, contacted me in 2007 to help her with some dream-related questions for a research project she is doing. Hannah has kindly allowed me to mention her on my website, and print her questions and comments (which are in blue) with my replies below.

1. Do you believe that dreams symbolize something going on in a persons life? Why?

I believe that dreams can contain important messages for the dreamer, which can relate to their past present and future. This has been evidenced through centuries of written (and unwritten) accounts of people who have had dreams with predictive content as well as dreams which relate to current events in their lives. Dreams have been used to solve problems (Elias Howe dreamt his solution for the invention of the Sewing Machine) as well as create poems, songs and novels (Richard Bach dreamt the second half of his book "Jonathan Livingston Seagull"). To my mind there are many different types of dreams, some which may be more significant than others. Dreams can be a literal representation of events which have taken place that day or about ongoing concerns the dreamer may have. They can also be influenced by medication, certain types of foods, lack of sleep and stress to name a few. This is why it's worth considering all of these factors when interpreting a dream. A dream dictionary, for example, may only provide a vague overview and not provide the opportunity to take in to account the personal circumstances of the dreamer or explore their dreams in more detail.

2. Do you believe your dreams are in color and if so do the different colors mean different things?

I do believe that my dreams are in colour and I know that some people dream in black and white. For me, it stands to reason that if people are quite 'visual' (in that they notice colours and detail) during their waking life, they will have the same in their dreams. I do believe that colours have different meanings to different people, again based on the individual's perception of that colour. Some people may associate the colour red with love, others may think of anger. Green may stir feelings of jealousy in some people, but for others it may reflect the calming influence of nature. I take all these things in to account when analysing a dream. I have heard scientific theories about "black & white" dreaming (ie. what's going on in the brain for that to happen) but I think it's important not to dismiss the individual's experience of it, rather than simply applying a label to it, as only a neurobiological process. I once met a lady who told me that whenever she dreams in black and white, she knows her dreams are predicting the future and had many examples of when this had happened, to back this up.

3. What would you say is the best way to understand your dreams?

I think there are a few things people can consider when understanding their own dreams, including whether or not the dream may relate to any unresolved issues they have or if they're experiencing a period of stress or lack of sleep, as I believe this can affect the dream's content; for example, it may be more graphic or violent, or the dreamer may experience hallucinatory dreams such as feeling as if they're being suffocated* (*It's important to note that there may also be underlying medical reasons for this).

It's worth keeping a dream diary, so that people can notice patterns in their dreaming and even go back to the dream at a later date to interpret it, if that seems more helpful. The dreamer may also wish to note as much detail about the dream as they can remember - and particularly things which stand out - as these may be relevant for unlocking the clues within them. Even things like numbers, colours and the weather can all provide the opportunity to explore the dream message in more detail. Sometimes though, particularly when dreams seem really bizarre or are troubling the dreamer, exploring them with someone who can take an impartial view can help. In the words of Marie-Louise von Franz (who worked with Carl Jung):

“The trouble with interpreting your own dreams is that you can’t see your own back. If you show it to another person, he can see it, but you can’t. And dreams point to your back, to what you don’t see.”

4. What was the one thing that got you interested in working with dreams and what do you like most about your job?

I have been fascinated by dreams since I was a young child and that fascination has continued all my life; I have been amazed by the things people can experience in a dream such as flying or walking through walls and the amount of detail that can emerge when a dream explanation is offered. I would say the one thing that got me most interested has been my own experiences of predictive content. I once knew a friend of mine was pregnant before she did, and when she finally told me she was pregnant I told her how many weeks she was, as this was the time that had lapsed since the dream!

The thing I love most about my job is the amazing dreams that I hear and that it provides me with the opportunity to meet and speak with people from all over the world. I think it takes a lot of courage to share your dream with a complete stranger and I am proud and admire my clients for taking that risk, knowing that their information will be safe with me and that their personal beliefs will be respected. Every single person that has ever contacted me has been totally unique in their own way and with their dream experiences. No two dreams are ever the same, just like the people I have the privilege of working with.

5. Are you influenced by a certain dream theorists more that others?

Every dream theorist from Artemidorus to Jung to modern day, have all made valid contributions to dream work. However, I wouldn't say that I was influenced more by one dream theorist than the other, simply because I believe everyone is different. I think it would be doing a diservice to my clients if, for example, I simply said that all snakes in dreams represented some sort of sexual energy or repression. For some people, the snake can represent a person around them who is not to be trusted and so by sticking to a particular theory, a valuable opportunity to explore this with the client - and thereby helping them - may be missed.

Delphi, I want to thank you so much for doing this for me. It is some amazing information that will help me with my research paper a ton. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. Hannah Dow.

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