How to Experience Your Full Range of Emotions
Practical ways to begin unmasking yourself and experiencing the full range of your emotions
By Mark Epstein, MD
O, The Oprah Magazine | From the November 2000 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine 
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Freud called the interpretation of dreams the royal road to the unconscious. Uncensored expressions of your deepest emotions, dreams can lead you back to your true self. Try keeping a simple dream journal, a notepad by your bed, on which you scribble down whatever you remember about your dreams when you first wake up. Don't worry about detail; hang on to what you can recall, even if it's just a scrap, a phrase, an image. Sometimes a little piece can help you remember the rest of the dream. Also jot down how you felt in the dream or just after waking. Later, at a regular time each day, take a few minutes to read over your dream notes. Add any specifics that have come back to you and write down your associations: What do you think the dream is about? Do the dream situations or emotions remind you of anything in your waking life? See what themes emerge over time. What disowned part of you needs attention? Psychotherapy offers a way to work regularly on dreams and the feelings they call up. |
