What is the Initial Dream

The initial dream refers to the first dream reported by the dreamer to the dream interpreter. Such dreams often leave a deep impression on the dreamer due to their strange and bizarre characteristics. They tend to reflect the overall condition of the dreamer's subconscious. For example, a woman once described the following initial dream to the dream interpreter:

She was locked in a cage, with tigers, wolves, and other fierce animals standing outside the cage, all looking at her with malicious intent.

Through analysis, this dream reflected the dreamer's fear of her own instincts (the wild animals symbolize some uncontrollable instincts within herself).

Similarly, a man's initial dream was that he was locked in a cage like a bird, able to sing freely but unable to spread his wings and fly. This dream expressed the dreamer's desire to express himself but being restricted and hindered in various ways.

Although the dream experiences of these two individuals differ, both clearly reveal the oppressive situations they were in at the time, from which they could not escape.

According to the individual psychologist Alfred Adler, early memories and dreams have the same significance as they can also reflect a person's lifestyle or personality traits.