Customer Reviews

Dream Dictionary: An A to Z Guide to Understanding Your Unconscious Mind

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

If this book popped up on your recommendation list next to a few others about dream interpretation, and you're only going to buy one..pick this one. Tony Crisp's "Dream Dictionary" is by far the most enlightening book on this subject that I have. If the subject interests you, it's fun to have a few different books by different authors to cross reference. But again, if you're only going to get one book on dreams, chose this one over any other. I found Crisp to have a much more realistic look into the subconcious than, say, Gustavus Miller ("The Dictionary of Dreams..") who seemed to have only three standard explanations of dreams... (death/illness, doom or good fortune). I find myself referring to Crisp's "Dream Dictionary" several times a week.

Once in a while, you find a special book that remains with you always, a book that is inexhaustible in the wealth of information on its pages. DREAM DICTIONARY is one such book.

Tony Crisp, a dream therapist, shares with you his knowledge based on 22 years of research. Crisp offers you useful techniques for processing your dreams quickly and easily. For those of you curious about the study of dreams, he has included the terminology about key concepts in the field of sleep and dreaming, such as archetypes, anxiety dreams, the collective unconscious, ESP in dreams, lucid dreaming and out of body experiences.

Not only will you discover how to get in touch with your "inner self" through the interpretation of your dreams, but you will also be introduced to archetypes and symbols. Although the book is predominantly aimed at the concept of dream interpretation, I even find myself looking up the meaning for symbols I see on tarot cards, or come across in other day-to-day life situations. Crisp offers valuable insight into many symbols found in our dreams (and our waking moments), such as body parts, colors, animals, family members, shapes and buildings.

This is not a typical "dream interpretation" book that gives you standard meanings for standard dreams. For example, while other books are busy spewing forth garbage that if you dream about being in a train smash, then you should avoid trains, DREAM DICTIONARY takes you on a journey into your self. Where was the train going? Who were you with? What colors did you see? What were you wearing? How did you feel? Crisp highlights the importance of each and every aspect and shows its relevance in your own life. With the DREAM DICTIONARY you can gain greater insight into your own unique experiences, and sleep your way to greater self-awareness!

DREAM DICTIONARY is a "must have" for any one wanting to unravel the mystery of their unconscious mind.

I am constantly amazed by how clear my dreams become when I look up their elements in this book. The definitions allow me to immediately relate dream images to things happening in my life and from there, to understand or resolve them. Tony Crisp includes explanations of well-known psychological theory on dreams (Jung, Freud) as well as cues on processing your dreams. Overall, the book is much more than a dictionary; it really is the A-Z guide that the cover promises. That having been said, I believe the information contained here is most helpful when you're concurrently exploring your unconscious or working through issues by additional means, e.g., journaling, counseling/therapy, etc.

This vastly enlarged and improved edition of the popular Dream Dictionary contains lots of new material from the latest scientific discoveries, Internet dreamsites and new added categories. The aim of the book is to help you make connections between your dreams and your everyday life and to discover the powerful emotions and reactions that subconsciously direct our decisions and responses in the waking state. It provides real insights that empower the reader with help in decision-making and how to bring out the best in us. Compiled from information drawn from 3000 dreams over four decades of research, the dictionary is alphabetically organised from entries on "Abandoned" to "Zoo," with the researched meanings of the things, people, creatures and places occurring in dreams, plus subject like processing your dreams, dream symbols, interpretation, recurring dreams, nightmares and how to deal with them, problem-solving and maximising your health. The introduction discusses the subconscious origin of dreams and how our dreams can help us. Exhaustive and detailed, The Dream Dictionary is an indispensable reference work to all who are interested in psychology and for individuals interested in self-development. The book concludes with a bibliography of 10 pages. It is probably the best and most detailed dream encyclopedia currently available.

This is my second favorite dream dictionary after "The Encyclopedia of Dreams: Symbols & Interpretations" by Rosemary Ellen Guiley. Mr. Crisp goes into a little more detail on topics such as colors (he gives many colors and their individual significance in dreams); houses (he breaks it down into rooms, walls, roof, etc.) and animals (many different animals are discussed). I can't understand the bad reviews. I've been interpreting dreams for myself and friends for years, and I love this book and find it indispensible. I highly recommend it if you want to delve further into your subconscious, dreaming mind.

I have purchased 10-12 dream dictionaries over the years, and this one is the best that I have encountered; I own it in both hard back and paper back. It is very comprehensive, and helps you piece together your dreams yourself, giving you the tools of dream symbology and interpretation. I disagree with the post that 'trashes' this book, perhaps the reviewer didn't get a good night's sleep? ;-) No dream book is going to tell you point blank exactly what your specific dream meant of course, but rather educate you about the symbology therein, enabling you to connect with the language of dreams. I have learned SO MUCH about myself in my dreams that I would not have otherwise learned, I now call the dream state 'Night School'. I recommend adding this thick book to your arsenal of interpretation tools!

We all have wondered at one time or another what the meanings of our dreams are, well this book will clarify most of them. I've browsed many websites trying to find the meaning of my dreams, but nothing compares to having this book. The dream dictionary really breaks down your dreams. For example, "Teeth" is a pretty broad category. "Teeth" can be broken down into "Teeth falling out," "Cracked teeth," "Bloody teeth and mouth," or "No teeth." "Water" is another broad category which can be broken down greatly.

I didn't buy this book for me, I bought is as a conversational piece when I'm visiting friends or family.

On a personal note, I had a dream when I was younger where I was falling. When your falling it means your on a "downfall" or something "tramatic" will soon be happening, not necessarily to you. Turns out, shortly after that dream my Mom and Dad got divorced, coincidence?

For anyone who is interested in dream psychology, the title of this book may seem intriguing. Be warned, though, if you have a logical brain in your head you will *probably* be able to interpret your dreams without the aid of this book.

The book's descriptions are very general and aren't as helpful as I'd hoped. As a fairly well-educated person I have more luck using my own interpretive skills. For example, a dream symbol such as ice is described as, [I'm paraphrasing here]: "feeling frozen and unable to make a decision or perhaps stuck in a situation." To me, that's not too insightful and seems slightly elementary.

I've had much more success understanding my dreams by keeping a dream diary along side my regular daily journal. Reviewing dreams (and perhaps using the dictionary at times) gives a greater understanding of self and the way an unconscious mind processes thoughts which conscious mind may ignore.

Don't let me be too negative, though. There are some merits to this dictionary--hence the 3 star rating. This reference text may prove helpful for individuals who need a little assistance interpreting the symbols appearing in their dreams. For me, I'm glad I got it through an Amazon.com Delivers mailing for bargain books. : )

Keep on dreaming.

i have some other dream dictionaries and this one covers just about every conceivable topic or symbol that i have seen missing in others.

This certainly doesn't miss the prophetic element of dreams, nor the emotional, nor the sexual, nor the spiritual. Even if I don't have a dream to look up, I can pick up Dream Dictionary and just browse. It has so many things in, like OBE's and sleep paralysis and nightmares. I am always discovering new things to learn from.