The Language of Symbols: What Dreams Reveal About Your Subconscious

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever woken up from a dream that felt oddly significant, even if it didn’t make much sense at first? Dreams are often dismissed as random or meaningless, but those strange storylines and vivid images are far more than mental noise. They are messages—symbols and metaphors that bypass the logic of our waking mind to reveal deeper truths from within.

One of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned is that dreams aren’t meant to be taken literally. They’re symbolic, intuitive, and deeply personal. They reveal not just what we think, but what we feel, what we avoid, and what we need to face. I saw this clearly in a dream my stepdaughter once had—a dream that, on the surface, seemed silly, but held a profound message about something she was struggling with in waking life.

THE SCIENCE OF DREAMING

Scientifically, dreams are closely tied to the brain’s process of consolidating memory, regulating emotion, and integrating information. Most dreams occur during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, when brain activity is high and resembles a waking state. During this phase, the brain pulls material from your day—thoughts, feelings, memories—and weaves them into symbolic narratives.

Researchers suggest that dreams serve important psychological functions:

• Emotional processing: Dreams can help us work through unresolved feelings or trauma.

  
  

• Problem-solving: The subconscious mind often makes connections we miss during the day.

  
  

• Symbolic rehearsal: Dreams may allow us to “try on” scenarios or safely face things we fear.

  
  

Even when they seem nonsensical, dreams often reflect how we’re experiencing life emotionally and energetically—just not in plain language.

THE SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE

In many spiritual traditions, dreams are considered sacred messages from the soul, the higher self, or even the divine. Ancient cultures believed dreams were prophetic, offering glimpses into the future or guidance for the present. More than that, they were seen as a way for the soul to speak when the mind is quiet.

Spiritually, the dream state is a portal—a space where ego softens and intuition can rise. Symbols in dreams often reflect emotional truths we’re not yet ready to consciously face. They may appear strange, but when explored with curiosity, they offer clarity, healing, and insight.

Dreams aren’t there to confuse us. They’re there to help us come home to ourselves.

BRIDGING THE GAP

Science explains the function of dreams—how the brain uses imagery and metaphor to process experience. Spirituality reminds us of the meaning—that these symbols are not random, but intentional, carrying wisdom from deeper layers of consciousness.

A perfect example of this came through a dream my stepdaughter had. In the dream, she was overindulging in pistachios, eating them uncontrollably, until her dad stepped in and told her to stop. At the time, she had never even eaten pistachios and had no idea they were the kind of food you could mindlessly snack on. And yet her subconscious chose them with uncanny accuracy.

Why? Because in real life, she had been going through a phase where she was “overindulging” in fibs—exaggerations, stretching the truth to suit the moment. They weren’t malicious, but they were persistent. Her dad had recently stepped in, gently but firmly, to help her realign with honesty.

The dream mirrored that exact dynamic. But more than that, we talked about how pistachios come in shells—and how that shell might symbolize “cracking through” to the deeper root of the behaviour. Why did she feel the need to exaggerate? What was she protecting, or trying to get? Dreams often guide us not just to the surface behaviour, but to the healing underneath.

She couldn’t have consciously known what pistachios meant, yet her subconscious did. That’s the beauty of symbolic language—it speaks truth in ways our waking minds can’t always access.  And when she became aware of this, she was able to express what she really needed - more affirmations that make her feel safe and loved.

CONCLUSION

Dreams are one of the most profound tools we have for self-awareness and healing. They bypass the filters we put up during the day and offer raw, honest insights in symbolic form. Whether they feel magical, emotional, or completely bizarre, they’re worth paying attention to.

When we begin to see our dreams not as random stories but as messages from within, we step into a deeper relationship with ourselves. We start asking better questions. We begin listening.

And sometimes, the simplest dream—like eating too many pistachios—can be the doorway to profound truth.