Continued from Living Intuitively part 1:

My last post ended with the point that dreams are very personal and will most likely not mean the same to different people, even if dreaming about the same topic.

However, I do agree with the idea that when you dream about a house, the house often represents yourself. If you dream about being in a house, are you in the basement, kitchen, or attic, and what do those areas of a home represent to you? There are several good books available, I just avoid the ones which only focus on the idea that certain symbols always mean certain things.

Over the past many years, I have discovered there are four categories of dreams that I personally experience. These categories are as follows:

• Appear to be total nonsense - depends on what I watched on television the night before.

• Are teaching dreams - dreams where I am actually learning an important concept that helps me in my waking life.

• Are prophetic dreams - these are dreams that in some way or other come true. I may dream a family member is sick, and they are or soon will be. I may dream someone is in danger. These are particularly disturbing because I often can do nothing to prevent the event. But usually, there is still something in the dream that explains its purpose if I look hard enough. This may help me deal with the crisis, once it happens. These are always personal. I do not dream about national disasters ahead of time. At least not ones I understand.

• Demonstrate a stressed-out psyche - these dreams make it very clear that I am very stressed out in waking life, and I need to pay attention to what is going on.

Really paying attention helps build intuitiveness. However, do not make rash decisions, based on your "gut" feelings without rational thinking as well. On the other hand, you don't want your "thinking" to over-power your "feelings" either. Intuitiveness uses the two - feeling and thinking - balanced together.