Dreams: Exploring the Secrets of Your Soul

I have been fascinated by dreams for as long as I can remember. After reading Dr. Barrick's book, I was amazed at her insight and the deep understanding she gives. I have to say it is one of the most profound books I have ever read and I have read a lot of books.A few things I learned from the book: Dreams are like messages from your soul and higher self. They come from the unconscious realm, which is the repository of all of your memories in this and other lifetimes. Think about the whole concept of the fact that we sleep every night and dream. It is all so fascinating. Dr. Barrick teaches you how to remember and interpret your dreams. Each element of the dream is a part of ourselves and every person in the dream is you! When you start to interpret your dreams from that perspective and then put yourself in the position of that person in the dream and see their perspective, the lessons and understanding are very profound. She also talks about lucid dreaming, which is where you learn to be awake in your dreams. One example she gives is of a person who had a recurring nightmare about a tiger. He was afraid of this tiger, who appeared bigger than life. To make a long story short, when the person was lucid or awake in his dream one night, he asks the tiger who he is. The tiger turns into his father and he proceeds to have a conversation with him. After dialoging in the dream, the recurring nightmare stopped.One other thing I noticed is that Dr. Barrick appears to be a Transpersonal and Jungian psychologist, not a behavioralist.

This is one of the best dream books I have read in years. It goes beyond listing symbols and giving interpretations. The chapter on "Creating Your Dream Journal" gives easy-to-do steps for people who want to learn how to remember their dreams, ask for guidance in their dreams; or analyze their dreams and learn from them. There is also a great explanation of the difference between dreams and nightmares and how we can protect ourselves from getting "stuck" in bad dreams. A great book for teens, too.