In many countries, cats are not only kept as domestic animals, but also allowed to roam the streets as wild animals. Regardless of its status, cats are animals that are commonly used as artistic inspiration by many artists because they are considered as animals that save a million beauties. Love to dream of cats? If so, understand that the appearance of a cat in a dream has varied interpretations because it really depends on the context of your dream. But in general, the appearance of a cat is believed to represent the feminine and intuitive side of your soul.
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Part 1 of 2: Remembering Dreams
Step 1. Try to remember the feelings that occurred while you were dreaming
Basically, the feelings that arise when you see the cat in a dream can speak volumes more than the meaning of the appearance of a cat mentioned in any dream dictionary. Do you feel happy when you see the cat? Do you actually feel scared when you see it? After that, consider the reasons behind the appearance of that specific emotion.
- To better understand how you feel about the cat, try digging up any other dream elements you can remember. For example, if you dreamed that you drowned and were rescued by a cat and felt immense shock and gratitude afterward, chances are that in the real world, you will receive help from unexpected places or people.
- Does the cat feel familiar to you? Whether or not the cat is present in real life, if you feel a sense of familiarity with it, it's likely that its appearance is a symbol of security for you.
- If the appearance of the cat scares you, chances are there is something in real life that scares or worries you. For example, if the cat attacks you in your dream, chances are that you are actually feeling "attacked" by an event in real life.
Step 2. Always remember that every element that appears in the dream is very important
For example, think about where the cat appears. Is the cat located outdoors like a stray cat, or indoors like a pet cat? Then, what are the elements that surround the cat? For example, a cat outside and in the moonlight may be surrounded by various other elements, such as a full moon, a dark house, a pile of dry leaves on the ground, owls, a cold gust of wind, etc.
- Dreams are emotional events, not rational ones. That's why, there's no need to worry if you encounter irrational events in dreamland, such as a cat swimming and looking (unrealistically) happy.
- As you write down each element that comes up, try to think about the feelings that accompany those elements. Remember, dreams appear in your subconscious, and you are the only person who can interpret them.
Step 3. Understand that dreams are subjective
Because dreams are formed in your subconscious, their relationship to personal experiences and your natural instincts is very strong. In other words, the cat that appears in your dream will not be the same as the cat that appears in someone else's dream, especially since many people believe that the appearance of a cat in a dream is a symbol that is personal and unique to the person who dreams of it.
- Consider what cats mean to you specifically. Did you ever have a cat as a child? If you have had a unique relationship with a cat, chances are that the meaning of that relationship will be part of your dream interpretation.
- Remember, the purpose of interpreting dreams is to understand yourself better, and understand that dreams are not a tool for predicting the future, identifying lottery numbers, or for knowing algebraic answers.
Step 4. Think about the characteristics of the cat that appears in the dream
Some dream interpreters feel that the dreamer's true personality is manifest in every element that appears in their dreams. In other words, the appearance of a cat in a dream may symbolize you as an independent individual, as well as a part of yourself. Try to think of similar characteristics that you and the cat have.
- Does the cat look unique? Does the situation that accompany the cat's appearance feel familiar or is it completely new to your mind?
- Dreams are a bridge to connect one's conscious and subconscious. That is why, all forms of emotions, thoughts, and ideas that exist in your subconscious may appear in the form of symbols and images in your dreamland.
Step 5. Understand the traditional meaning associated with the appearance of a cat in a dream
In fact, the cat is an image that has long appeared in dreams as a symbol of intuition, femininity, tenderness, independence, creativity, strength, misfortune, powerlessness, misfortune, and dishonesty. That is why, all the details that you can remember regarding the appearance of a cat in a dream, no matter how small, can help you to understand the meaning behind it better.
- If the cat that appears in your dream looks cheerful and excited, you may actually have a desire to be a more relaxed person in the real world.
- If the cat that appears in your dream looks aggressive, you may be having a hard time expressing your feminine side in real life.
- If you experience losing a cat in your dream, it most likely indicates that in the real world, you are not as independent as you would like to be.
- The cat's health can also be used as an indicator to interpret dreams. For example, if the cat that appeared in your dream looks sick, it is likely that your intuition has not received enough attention. In particular, by being overly rational, your natural intuitive instincts have been weakened.
Step 6. Understand other possible interpretations
For example, dreams about stray cats or street cats may indicate danger coming from neighbors (or other objects you fear). Meanwhile, a dream about a cat biting you may indicate the loss of something or someone important to you in the real world.
- Although cats are generally a symbol of independence, dreams about cats often reflect your helplessness and your desire to be noticed by others.
- Images that appear in dreams may look simple, maybe not. While interpreting the meaning of a cat appearing in a dream, open yourself to various possible interpretations.
Step 7. Do not be afraid when you meet a black cat in a dream
Regardless of the association of a black cat with bad luck or misfortune, seeing a black cat in a dream is not actually related to any particular misfortune. In fact, the more important aspects to pay attention to in order to facilitate your interpreting process are the emotions that arise when you see the cat, the way you treat the cat, and the way the cat treats you in the dream.
- In the past, the appearance of a cat in any form in a dream was considered a representation of bad luck. But today, the concept has changed, along with the more comfortable modern culture with mystical topics.
- Cats are often used as symbols to represent sexuality and women. That is, if a woman dreams of a cat, she is most likely dreaming of her sexual power. Meanwhile, if the one who dreams about cats is a man, he is most likely dreaming of fulfilling his sexual needs or natural intuitive instincts
Step 8. Always remember that the only expert in your dreams is yourself
If you feel that a cat appearing in a dream has a certain meaning, believe it, regardless of any information you read in the dream dictionary. After all, as you already know, dream dictionaries don't just offer one interpretation, do they? As your ability to remember dreams develops and reflects more deeply on each element that emerges, you will undoubtedly be helped to interpret the meaning of dreams more easily.
- Be aware of the patterns that appear in your dreams. Are there certain elements that appear on a regular basis? Is the type of cat you dream of always the same or different every time?
- The result of your dreaming experience should be able to answer the question "who, what, when, where, and why". Then, always ask yourself: “how do I feel about this dream?
Part 2 of 2: Learning to Understand Dreams
Step 1. Write down your dream
Most dream experts recommend that you keep a dream journal. In particular, a dream journal is a notebook that you should always have at your bedside, along with a pen or pencil. As soon as you wake up, immediately grab a pen or pencil, then write down all the events that occurred in your dream that you still remember in the journal.
- Try to write down all the events that you can still remember, no matter how blurry the picture is.
- Include as many details as you can remember, such as colors, locations, characters, sounds, emotions, and objects, regardless of how odd or random they are placed. Basically, each element has a specific meaning which is very useful for simplifying your analysis process.
- Don't worry about your grammar or spelling, after all, the contents of the journal will most likely not be read by others, right?
- If jotting down dreams on your phone or tablet seems a lot easier for you, go ahead. Most importantly, make sure the journal, whatever its form, is always placed at the side of the bed so that it can be easily accessed after you wake up.
Step 2. Record the emotions that accompany each dream
In fact, the emotions you feel in your dreams are real, not symbolic. In particular, quite a lot of people choose to hide their negative emotions when they are awake, and those emotions will later appear in their subconscious when dreaming. Therefore, learn to evaluate the emotions that accompany each element to better interpret the meaning of your dreams.
- Expressing the feelings in your dreams can help you deal with depression, guilt, and other difficult emotions in real life.
- The most common emotions that appear in dreams are fear and anxiety, which are then followed by anger and sadness.
Step 3. Learn to recognize images that appear repeatedly in dreams
Over time, you may begin to notice recurring themes and patterns from dreams that share similar characteristics. For example, if you're constantly dreaming of a stressful situation, even though the elements in each dream are different, there's nothing wrong with evaluating the manifestation of that stress in your waking life.
- Some apps, such as Dream Professor, are specifically aimed at analyzing the elements that appear in your dreams.
- Such applications generally focus more on image patterns and words that appear in dreams, rather than trying to read the plot or identify individual symbols.
Step 4. Think of all the elements that appear in your dream
After recording all the details regarding the dream you remember, go back to sleep. Later, after you are fully awake, re-read the journal to evaluate the meaning of your dream. Basically, every dream is a field of metaphorical meanings that can be interpreted in various ways.
- Many experts recommend dreamers not to take their dreams literally. For example, a dream about skydiving does not necessarily make the person who dreams it has a greater chance of doing skydiving.
- Sometimes, the elements that appear in dreams are not metaphors, but simply a person's way of processing information. For example, people who have enjoyed black and white television for a long time will also dream of a black and white world.
Step 5. Study the concept of dream interpretation in more depth
Some analytical therapists involve dream analysis in their therapeutic practice. If the concept interests you, feel free to study it in more depth on your own, or find a therapist who uses this approach in practice.
- Today, quite a lot of dream dictionaries are available in bookstores and online sites. Although the theory offered by such a book or article is interesting and entertaining, the actual process of analyzing a true dream is much more complex than that.
- Dream interpretation is a part of the psychoanalytic model introduced by Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.
- It is Jung's dream theory in the realm of archetypes that shapes the thinking of many scholars and psychologists today.
