5 Reasons Why Dream Dictionaries Don’t Work

If you’ve been working with a dream dictionary to try to understand your dreams, how has it worked for you? I know when I first began my dream journey, that was the method I used. Often I’d find a few symbols in the dictionary that were in my dreams, read the description, and think ‘huh’. But rarely did it give me an understanding of the entire dream. And it never helped me figure out what to DO about the dream.

My breakthrough came when I took a dream interpretation mentorship at the Aisling school, and learned how critical channeling is to dream interpretation. In this video, I discuss why that makes such a difference and why dream dictionaries alone don’t work!

Here’s the transcript if you prefer to read.

If you’ve ever tried to use a dream dictionary to figure out what your dreams mean, you’ve probably ended up frustrated… or bored. There’s a reason for that — actually, five reasons.

When I interpret dreams I combine analysis — looking for archetypes symbols and their meaning — with channeling, where I connect to higher guidance in a meditative state and feel into the dream’s energy directly. That’s where the real meaning shows up.

Here’s why channeling is essential, and why dream dictionaries alone just don’t work.

1. Most dreams don’t use clear archetypal symbols.
The classic “train going through a tunnel” dream? That’s not typical.
Most dreams are about conversations, emotions, and choices — things a dictionary can’t decode.

2. Archetypes aren’t always personal truth.
Symbols have general meanings, but they may not apply to YOUR dream.
For example:
I once dreamed I was in the backseat of a car with an elderly Debbie Reynolds.
A dictionary might say “being in the backseat” means I’m not in control of my own life.
But when I channeled, I realized Debbie Reynolds — a singer and performer — represented my channeling gift.
The message wasn’t “take control of your life.” It was “stop putting your channeling in the backseat of your life.” This message prompted me to begin channeling every day.
If I’d stopped at the dictionary definition, I’d have missed the entire message.

And that’s not even getting into the fact that different dream dictionaries will often have different definitions of the same symbol.

3. Many dream symbols are just too weird for a dictionary.
A boss revealing a double mastectomy, or a bunch of little white balls stuck to a window? I’ve seen dreams with these odd symbols and hundreds more. You won’t find them in a dictionary. Dreams speak in custom metaphors designed just for you, and many are so strange and specific, a dream dictionary won’t help at all.

4. Dictionaries can’t tie the story together.
Even if you decode a few symbols correctly using a dictionary, you’re still left with fragmented meaning and the parts of the dream that weren’t in the dictionary that remain unexplained. Only through channeling or deep intuitive reflection can a dream be woven it into one coherent message.

5. Channeling reveals the “why” and “what now.”
A dream may show you truth — say, it reflects your mother’s cruelty — but that’s just the what.
Channeling tells you why you had this dream now and what you should do about it.
It brings the dream alive as guidance, not just information.

Conclusion:
The longer I do this work, the more I see how powerful channeling really is. Logic can sometimes identify bits of a dream, but only resonance reveals its soul. Every day, I sit down with a confusing dream and, through channeling, the key always turns, and I’m able to see the dream as a whole and understand it. I’m deeply grateful for that.

If you really want to understand your dreams, don’t stop at a dictionary. Use your own channeled intuition or find someone who can help you interpret from the inside out — someone who can tune into higher guidance and reflect the deeper wisdom behind the symbols.

Because your dreams aren’t random. They’re sacred messages. And when interpreted through the lens of spirit, they can change your life.