Dreams are sub-concious messages that the mind tells us, that we may not even be able to know ourselves, though dreaming allows us to access these thoughts. In mythology, for instance, the dream of Balder, it is used to predict the future, as he has dreams of . Every night we dream, it occurs in our fifth and final stage of REM (rapid eye movement), its just very rarely that we remember them. I used to keep a dream diary, which you can write anything that you find important in, the place, feelings, and you can be as descriptive as you wish. Its best to do that as soon as you wake though, so you can remember everything. then if you analyse what happens around you, i guess you can find links. As far as dream dictionaries go, I'd use them as guidelines as a pose to definative answers. Its best to use instinct over written set words. They do have a purpose in life i guess, but you decide what that purpose is, ever heard of lucid dreaming?