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The Dictionary Of Dreams - 10,000 Dreams Interpreted - A Comprehensive And Thorough Study Of Dreams

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A comprehensive and thorough study of dreams.

617 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

37 people are currently reading
842 people want to read

About the author

Gustavus Hindman Miller

18 books7 followers
Gustavus Hindman Miller was a prominent American merchant, manufacturer, financier, author, and civic leader based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Born in frontier Texas in 1857, he was raised under modest and often difficult circumstances following the early death of his father during the Civil War. Despite these hardships, he pursued an education in Coryell County before entering the mercantile world alongside his brother Frank.
In the late 1870s, Miller moved to Tennessee and began a career in retail, first working as a clerk before founding his own businesses in Burrustown and Bell Buckle. By 1889, the Miller brothers had relocated to Chattanooga, where they established the Miller Brothers Company, a department store that would grow to become one of the largest in the South. Designed by architect Reuben Harrison Hunt, their flagship building was a landmark of downtown Chattanooga, admired for its architectural innovation and commercial success.
Alongside his retail ventures, Miller held significant positions in banking and manufacturing. He was President of Hamilton National Bank, founder of Buster Brown’s Hosiery Mills and the United Hosiery Mills Corporation, and an investor in various real estate and industrial enterprises. His leadership extended beyond business into civic life, and he was a member of Chattanooga’s elite social clubs.
An accomplished author, Miller wrote both fiction and nonfiction, including Lucy Dalton, Is Marriage a Failure?, and his best-known work, What’s in a Dream?, a popular book on dream interpretation. He also co-authored The Millers of Millersburg, a detailed family history. A lifelong Republican and a Unitarian, he balanced business with literature, often writing in the evenings after long days of work.
Miller married Nancy Tennessee Jameson in 1879, with whom he had eight children, three of whom survived to adulthood. In his later years, he maintained large agricultural holdings in Georgia and Mississippi and traveled extensively. Known for his energy, vision, and integrity, he remained active in business and public life until his death in 1929.
Miller’s legacy is reflected in the institutions he helped build, his literary contributions, and the enduring impact of the Miller Brothers Department Store on Chattanooga’s commercial development. His life journey from humble beginnings to regional prominence exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit of his era.

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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for Carmen.
723 reviews23 followers
May 25, 2022
I received a copy from Wellfleet Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Interpreting dreams is always fun, so I knew I had to pick up this book and see what it had to say. Inside, there’s various texts on interpreting dreams from Sigmund Freud as well as Gustavus Hindman Miller. Plus, there’s over a thousand interpretations of objects and situations that turn up on our dreams. It covers everything from nightmares about teeth falling out to searching for people or objects.

Some things I dream about have obvious meanings, so I wouldn’t look them up. For example, if I’m looking for the bathroom and something is wrong with the bathroom making it unusable, it’s because I need to use the bathroom and haven’t woken up yet. However, there’s many things that turn up in dreams that I’ll wake up wondering what they mean, and that’s when a resource like this comes in handy. While there’s many possible reasons behind objects and scenarios turning up in dreams, books like this open the door on some of those possible meanings and that’s why it’s great to have a couple books on the topic on hand.
Profile Image for Carrie (The Butterfly Reader).
1,032 reviews95 followers
December 29, 2017
So it feel like a lie to not come out and say, I have not read this book cover to cover but it's not one of those books. I've been using it for a few days to help with some dreams I've been having and so far, I've found everything that I've needed in this book. Usually with these types of dream books, I end up using two or three just for one dream.

This is really nice, I love dream work and anything related to that and so this book will continue to stay on my bedside table for if I need it. It's really handy. It also uses simple and easy to understand wording. This one dream book I used was rather confusing. So this great for anyone who is into dream work, be it someone new to this or someone who's been doing it for years. So if this is your thing, get this book, you will not regret it at all!

*NetGalley provided a free copy to me in exchange for an honest review*
Profile Image for J.E. Feldman.
Author 187 books82 followers
January 4, 2018
I love reading books like this because they give you a broader mindset about things. I'm one of those people who has a lot of dreams and more often than not, there are serious reasons as to why. Whether my subconscious is trying to remind me of something or warn me of events to come based on what I observed. This book really helped put everything into a much better perspective with an easier understanding of the dreams we have. I really enjoyed this selection and look forward to future publications from them.
281 reviews
December 18, 2017
If you ever have a recurring or troubling dream and ask all your friends what it means, try looking here first. While the main portion of the book is what the symbolic meanings of objects or actions in dreams mean, the first part of it is devoted to excerpts from philosophers and psychologists about how they would interpret dreams, or how they imagine dreams function. Yes Freud is included, but so are several others to balance him out, and I liked the list of explanations for the most common dreams. Some of the symbols I think could be interpreted differently, but the meanings listed are simply a starting point to begin your own journey. The second part includes some helpful ideas for recording your dreams, and when the best time would be to record them.
This would be an interesting read for those interested in the subject, and a helpful gift for the friend who keeps asking you what you think of their dreams.
Profile Image for Luchia Houghton.
177 reviews44 followers
December 30, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Wellfleet Press for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very interesting to read indeed, I loved the set up and think it looks exceptionally pretty with the symbols found throughout. In terms of logging dreams - it's very useful as it explains the best ways to keep a dream journal along with a lot of meanings for many symbols which can be found in dreams. It also explains in depth what the top ten dreams can mean which is definitely useful for someone who dreams as often as myself. I would give it 4.5/5 stars purely down to the fact that I'd prefer a little more explanation of some symbols, though obviously this would mean the book would possibly end up a little too big!
101 reviews
December 27, 2017
This is a great book for those of us that like to puzzle about our dreams. The book is a rich resource with more than five hundred pages of information about the topic of dreams. It offers readers an overview about understanding dreams, how to keep a dream journal, and a dream dictionary with more than ten thousand symbols. This could be a nice gift among friends.
Profile Image for Sofiraindrop.
316 reviews31 followers
January 21, 2018
First time I read the blurb, it sounded pretty interesting. Fortunately, it followed through, as it explained the basics of dream interpreting and how to keep a diary, which is exactly what I've been doing.
Sadly, some of the symbols mean completely abstract things and helped less than I hoped they would.
I do have to say that it strongly invites introspection, and there were some meanings that stuck with me. They made me realise there are some topics I dream about chronically.
Profile Image for Donald Scott.
282 reviews
November 1, 2017
Have always been fascinated by the subject of dream interpretation - not sure I believe in it, but am up for keeping an open mind - so when I won this book from Goodreads Giveaways I was anxious to take a look through it. The book itself is impressive; a large-format,500+-page "flexibound' and with an elegant cover that makes it a perfect coffee table book. And true to the book's subtitle, "Every Meaning Interpreted" the list of possible people, places, things, or actions you could possibly dream about seem to be covered in this one book.

For me, disappointment came in the meanings themselves. I know the book would be three times as large if it went into great detail on each meaning, but even when a few or more potential meanings are listed under one category, each is still nothing more than a short blurb that gives you the briefest of idea of - again, potentially - what that component of your dream could mean. I guess I was hoping for something more in-depth or detailed, and while the book is fine for what it is, and contains a ton of info, the short TV Guide-like blurbs were, for me, a letdown.

Again, a great-looking book that covers a ton of material, just maybe in too briefest of details for this reader! It just feels like a smaller font and a more effective use of all that white space, and the book could have included - been - so much more.

I received a copy of this book from Goodreads Giveaways, in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Jillian Brady.
Author 1 book4 followers
September 13, 2020
Weirdly and overtly racist throughout, considering the first edition came out in 1989, see entries for "mulatto," "negro," and "Africa." Under the listing "Africa," for example, the first line starts, "To dream you are in Africa surrounded by cannibals..."
Profile Image for Joselyn  Moreno.
865 reviews34 followers
March 15, 2022
This one the cover capture my attention right away and I love to get meaning in dreams when i do dream and when I see the inward of the book was amazing, loved all the symbols and little drawings so cute really.

Right away you encountered like the most common dreams you can have, totally appreciated to cut a little to the chase there really, it explains a little how the symbolist and interpretations works and it let you understand a little more how your brain and subconscious work on this so that's great.

Loved the part about the dream journal I used to keep one in my youth maybe it's time to begin again, sometimes it can help a lot.

After that then you have all the dictionary with key words so you can identify things you dream about and their meanings so you can go and interpret a little better.
Profile Image for Jessi.
10 reviews
March 18, 2022
This is an alphabetical list of pretty much any possible person, place or thing that appears in your dreams and what they represent. There's also a quick chapter on how to interpret what you're dreaming and the importance of a dream journal if you're really wanting to understand what's going on when you're in the dreamscape. I have having some crazy dreams lately, so this is exactly what I was looking for. I think it would be a pretty cool gift to give for your more curious friends out there!

**Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
Profile Image for Sinead.
531 reviews10 followers
Want to read
September 13, 2019
Thank you Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

I have an older edition of this book but it was really boring - this updated version is colourful and clearer. The interpretations are also explained better.
945 reviews4 followers
March 14, 2022
I used to have a book like this when I was younger, it fascinated me. This book was no exception, I really enjoyed reading it and found this equally as fascinating.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.
Profile Image for Emily.
2,269 reviews
December 31, 2017
I love dream dictionaries! This one is good, but didn’t have the term that I was looking for.
Profile Image for Joni Owens.
1,509 reviews10 followers
April 28, 2022
This is a HUGE book of dream definitions but it’s even more than that! It explains how dreams can be interpreted. I was very impressed by this book!
Profile Image for Ari X avon.
50 reviews
June 11, 2023
Look when reading about your dreams know that there might not always be the answer in the book. Sometimes we have to deeply think yes this book is AN EXCELLENT READ and certainly peaks interest and does best at broadening horizons but ALWAYS TAKE what resonates and leave what dosen't. If you don't thing the definition is ACCURATE for you then don't take it to heart or mind. But I love this and its great fun to wake up and interpret my dreams. It gave me a Beginner friendly guide to my dreams and Spirituality
Thank you!

{The Date I read this is a rough setting of when my first few uses of the Dictionary of Dreams was Used}
Profile Image for aksana .
308 reviews132 followers
April 19, 2022
I have been interested in dream interpretation since my youth and of course I have Sigmund Freud's "Interpretation of Dreams" in my collection of books. Unfortunately, I never got to finish it, which is because his works are always so extensive and difficult to read, even if you can read it in the original language.

This is the reason why I was immediately interested in this book, as it is a reference book for dream interpretation. Here, not only Sigmund Freud is used as a source, but also other authors who have contributed to dream interpretation, such as Henri Bergson and Gustav Hindman Miller.
At the beginning of the book you get an overview of the basics of dreaming and also short selections of the listed authors. Ideal for anyone wanting to get into the subject and have a brief overview of the most important findings to date.

What I particularly liked was that here in the dream interpretation not only the psychological aspects á la Freud were considered, but also the spiritual level was taken into account.

Finally, one is advised to lead a dream diary and there are helpful tips listed before it then goes to the actual dictionary which is very extensive and I will take up the subject of dream diary to interpret the dreams with the help of this book or to try it.

I find the cover very beautiful, the contents are helpful, so I will also get a physical copy of this and I can highly recommend this to anyone who is also interested in dream analysis

I received an ARC from Netgalley.
Profile Image for Meg (thyme.for.books).
709 reviews18 followers
February 17, 2022
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Dictionary of Dreams is a basic reference book for deciphering dreams. The book starts with a list of the ten most common dreams and their meanings. The author has included a section of helpful tips on starting and maintaining a dream journal.

The dictionary portion takes up a majority of the volume. It is alphabetized for easy use. It includes interpretations for over 1,000 different symbols, objects, and places.

While this is not the most conclusive guide to dream interpretation that I have come across, it is a good option for beginners and those with just a casual interest in dream journaling.
Profile Image for Mrs Karen Bull.
157 reviews3 followers
February 20, 2022
Well written and easy to follow to help anyone understand their dreams
After all we dream for a reason sometimes it's to warn us of our subconscious
Sometimes it' can be premonitions
There are so many different reasons and meaning that we all should learn why this book is a must read
Profile Image for Kate Henderson.
1,584 reviews51 followers
February 20, 2022
This is the only book you will ever need to decode your dreams!
There is so much in here!

There's a lengthy introduction that is incredibly detailed and interesting, and then the rest of the book forms more of an index and reference so you can easily look up themes from your dreams.
Just perfect!
Profile Image for Ameru.
61 reviews2 followers
March 28, 2008
for someone who often has strange dreams, it'll probably helpful to have some guide... like this book.
Profile Image for Sam.
3,433 reviews262 followers
April 16, 2009
An easy to use dictionary for deciphering your dreams, some of the explanations could've been expanded on but this is very handy as a quick reference guide.
Profile Image for Katie.
41 reviews1 follower
December 4, 2017
This book was easy to use and follow. There were excerpts to read as well as tips to keeping a dream journal. A majority of the book is the dream dictionary with explanations of dream symbols. It covered a vast majority of possible symbols as well as had a section on the Top 10 most common dream symbols that people have. Very interesting.
Profile Image for Cristie Underwood.
2,270 reviews64 followers
February 24, 2018
This book was very easy to use and super informative. I like that the descriptions were on the shorter side and that there was a large variety of dreams to investigate. The author also explained how to begin writing in and utilizing a dream journal. Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews

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