Laura Wright 
Dreams have long been regarded as windows into mystic realms. They have mystified and terrified people since the dawn of time. What are dreams? Do they have any significance? Appalachia Obscura is honored to interview dream interpreter Lori Phillips. She is a brilliant dream interpreter who offers a fascinating perspective.
A.O. When did you first get into dream interpretation?
L. P. “Dreams have always fascinated me. My mother is very psychically sensitive and she took dreams of the spiritual realm very seriously. Throughout my childhood, we frequently talked about the dreams we had and what they meant.
Unlike her, however, I took dream interpretation to a different level. Not only do I understand dreams to be our voyages into the spiritual realm, but even if they are not spirit visitation dreams, they still provide a lot of insight to our subconscious mind through symbols. She understands this but mostly concerns herself with spiritual dreams while I love all types of dreams.”
A.O. “Did the interest develop from a personal question, like your own dream or the dream of a loved one?”
L.P. “Dreams and dreaming have been central to my life since I was born. Honestly, I was born dreaming! After all, newborns sleep most of the time and they do dream. What do they dream? Mostly, they dream of the world from which they came. Their long sleep periods not only allow their body cells to multiple more rapidly but they allow their minds to ease into this physical realm that is startlingly and even harshly different from the pre-mortal word. I actually recall a few of my pre-mortal life dreams.
“Anyway, as I grew, I realized that not everyone took dreams seriously. I always thought it fun to hear about people’s dreams and to sense their emotions, from terror to confusion. Interpreting their dreams was like a puzzle game, and I was able to give the dreamer a lot of insight or relief by telling them what they (their higher selves) were trying to say through a dream.
“In one of my dreams, I was sent into dark alleys to search for people who were standing in front of closed doors. They were the wrong doors. I ushered them to different doors, opened them and they walked into rooms of light. That dream was a metaphor for my dream interpretation work. So many people misunderstand their dreams. If you misunderstand them, it can be more damaging than not paying attention to them at all.”
A.O. “How long have you been studying dreams?”
L.P. “Informally, since I was born. Formally, just about five years of self-study. I read a lot about dreams, dream interpretation, dream psychology by classical psychoanalysts like Freud and Jung, spiritual dreams of the Bible, dreams of different cultures, dream understanding of different mystics and metaphysical leaders. But ultimately, I learned it was critical to follow my own intuition and what resonated with truth according to my own dream experiences from my life because they are real and not theories. I was blessed with the gift of dreams. For so long, I just played with it. Now it is time to honor it. It’s actually a sacred duty.”
A.O. “What is the most widely misunderstood dream that you know of?”
L.P. “That is a great question. There are many common dreams and nightmares that are misunderstood, from losing teeth to falling. One of the most misunderstood dreams is about sitting on a toilet in public. Dreamers are humiliated and terrified at the same time. Usually, they find that they “can’t go” because they’re in public and everyone is staring at them. This dream indicates that the dreamer finds it difficult to express his or her true feelings to others in waking life. Their pent-up thoughts are strong and bothering them, but they are afraid of hurting people’s feelings or think that others will get mad at them if they spoke out.”
A.O. “What do you believe the most important goals are when interpreting a dream?”
L.P. “I’d say that when you’re interpreting a dream, whether your own or someone else’s, it is important to be objective and not project your fears into the interpretation. And if you use a dream symbol dictionary, keep in mind that the definitions are only general guidelines. You must consider all the symbols of your dream in context and pay attention to the feelings you felt during the dream. They change everything. Finally, remember that dreams serve a higher purpose and that means the message will serve the dreamer, not torment or punish him.
“Your dreams are the communication of your subconscious mind. What are you trying to tell yourself?”
Lori Phillips is a naturally gifted dream interpreter. She is the editor of the Dreams site at Bellaonline.com and the site owner of The-Dream-Collective.com. The first ten readers who email her with the code: LAURAWRIGHT can receive a complimentary dream interpretation.
Dreams: What are you trying to tell yourself?
