Wondering how to learn dream interpretation? It’s easy to teach yourself dream interpretation when you have the best dream interpretation books. In this list, you’ll find 15 of the best books on analyzing dreams, including the best dream dictionaries, guides to lucid dreaming, and classic works on dream interpretation. Get started with learning how to interpret dreams right here, right now with the best books about dream interpretation.
Part 1: The Best Books to Learn Dream Interpretation
Learning how to interpret dreams is easy when you have the best dream interpretation books. Here are 10 books on analyzing dreams to get you started.
A Very Short Introduction to Dreaming by J. Allan Hobson
First of all, before you begin to learn dream interpretation, what is the act of dreaming? In A Very Short Introduction to Dreaming, you’ll quickly get up to speed on all the latest scientific breakthroughs about dreams. If you want a brief overview of dream science, pick up this stellar overview by J. Allan Hobson. You might also want to check out the companion book A Very Short Introduction to Sleep by Steven W. Lockley and Russell G. Foster for a deep dive into sleep science as well.
How to read it: Purchase A Very Short Introduction to Dreaming on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud
There are some who would say—perhaps correctly—that the practice of interpreting dreams starts with the legendary psychiatrist Sigmund Freud. If you’ve never read Freud’s landmark work The Interpretation of Dreams but you’re looking to develop your dream interpretation skills, this book is an essential add to any list on learning dream analysis.
How to read it: Purchase The Interpretation of Dreams on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
A Little Bit of Dreams by Stase Michaels
I love the “Little Bit of” series (I recommended one in my article about the best numerology books), and one of their best books is A Little Bit of Dreams by Stase Michaels. In just 128 pages, you’ll learn a comprehensive introduction to dream interpretation. If you’re not where to start with dream interpretation, definitely pick up A Little Bit of Dreams.
How to read it: Purchase A Little Bit of Dreams on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
The Curious Dreamer’s Practical Guide to Dream Interpretation by Nancy Wagaman
Ready to dig deeper into dream interpretation? Try The Curious Dreamer’s Practical Guide to Dream Interpretation by Nancy Wagaman. This book lays out a step-by-step method for understanding your dreams for personal growth. Wagaman’s done a fantastic job of giving you the practical skills you need to master dream interpretation. Of note is the “Dream Analysis Toolkit,” which comprises 26 tactics for interpreting your dreams, like timeline analysis and dialogue with your dream symbol. In Part IV, you get the “Dream Action Toolkit,” a list of 16 methods for acting on your interpretation, like acceptance, processing emotions, and forgiveness.
How to read it: Purchase The Curious Dreamer’s Practical Guide to Dream Interpretation on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
The Dream Interpretation Handbook by Karen Frazier
This two-in-one book on dream interpretation teaches you how to interpret your dreams in part one and provides a dream dictionary in part two. This is definitely more of a beginner’s book, so if you’re just starting out with learning dream interpretation, Karen Frazier’s The Dream Interpretation Handbook is a great place to start on your journey to learn methods for dream interpretation.
How to read it: Purchase The Dream Interpretation Handbook on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Inner Work: Using Dreams and Active Imagination for Personal Growth by Robert A. Johnson
It’s fascinating to consider all the ways that dream interpretation for personal growth can unlock parts of you that you’d locked away or could never access. In Inner Work, Jungian analyst Robert A. Johnson invites you on a journey towards personal growth from interpreting your dreams through his four-step method. If you want to take things further beyond just looking up an entry in a dream dictionary and actually achieve transformation, Inner Work is a must-have. Of particular note is Johnson’s deep grasp of the subconscious and dreams, a topic he discusses at length in the opening chapter
How to read it: Purchase Inner Work on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
The Wisdom of Your Dreams by Jeremy Taylor
Looking for an intermediate to advanced level book on dream interpretation? Enter Jeremy Taylor’s The Wisdom of Your Dreams, which will teach you not just how to analyze your dreams, but how to harness your dreams for personal development, trauma work, and even social change. There are also plenty of practical chapters on topics like how to have better dream recall and working collaboratively in dream groups.
How to read it: Purchase The Wisdom of Your Dreams on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Sylvia Browne’s Book of Dreams by Sylvia Browne
Sylvia Browne was a famous psychic acclaimed for her ability to reach the other side. Her book Sylvia Browne’s Book of Dreams offers a unique take on dream interpretation from a psychic’s perspective. Brown teaches you how to access your inner psychic when you analyze dreams and how to read and divine your dreams as prophetic messages of the future. You’ll also get chapters on topics rarely discussed in dream interpretation books, like astral visits and analyzing paralysis and loud noises while you’re sleeping. If you’ve ever been curious about the intersection between psychic energy and dreams, pick up this book.
How to read it: Purchase Sylvia Browne’s Book of Dreams on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
A Field Guide to Lucid Dreaming by Dylan Tuccillo, Jared Zeizel, and Thomas Peise
Many people learning dream interpretation are also interested in discovering more about the phenomena of lucid dreaming. If you’re curious about how to master lucid dreaming and analyze the experience, pick up Dylan Tuccillo, Jared Zeizel, and Thomas Peisel’s A Field Guide to Lucid Dreaming, which teaches you all you need to know to learn lucid dreaming. The book introduces readers to lucid dreaming, instructs you on how to become lucid, and all the potential benefits of lucid dreaming.
How to read it: Purchase A Field Guide to Lucid Dreaming on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
The Guided Dream Journal by Katherine Olivetti
It’s one thing to explore the theory of dream interpretation, but how do you connect with that knowledge on a practical level? The answer: start recording your dreams! Katherine Olivetti’s The Guided Dream Journal helps you maintain a robust dream diary with space to journal and a guided approach to synthesizing your writing with dream interpretation.
How to read it: Purchase The Guided Dream Journal on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Part 2: Learn Dream Interpretation with the 5 Best Dream Dictionaries
Everyone who wants to learn dream interpretation needs a decent dream dictionary. Here are five of the best dream dictionaries you’ll want as a companion for learning dream interpretation.
The Curious Dreamer’s Dream Dictionary by Nancy Wagaman
We already met Nancy Wagaman in Part 1’s The Curious Dreamer’s Practical Guide to Dream Interpretation. Wagaman has also written a sequel to her dream interpretation books, The Curious Dreamer’s Dream Dictionary, a dream dictionary of more than 1,500 symbols analyzed and ready for your personal growth. In this book, Wagaman expands on her guide to dream interpretation and instructs on how to recognize and analyze the main symbols in your dreams.
How to read it: Purchase The Curious Dreamer’s Dream Dictionary on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Llewellyn’s Complete Dictionary of Dreams by Dr. Michael Lennox
Psychologist and acclaimed expert on dream interpretation Dr. Michael Lennox here pens Llewellyn’s Complete Dictionary of Dreams. A trusted publisher of all things new age, Llewellyn stands for quality, and that’s exactly what you get in this book. More than 1,000 dream symbols are ready for you to analyze based on Lennox’s knowledge and expertise about the unconscious and universal archetypes.
How to read it: Purchase Llewellyn’s Complete Dictionary of Dreams on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
The Dream Dictionary by Eric Ackroyd
Sometimes when you’re interpreting your dreams, you just want a quick answer on what a symbol means. It can be hard to find dream dictionaries that are comprehensive with the kind of robust substance you’re looking for. Fortunately, there’s Eric Ackroyd’s The Dream Dictionary, which offers in-depth analysis for each of the more than 700 entries. Organized alphabetically, the directory of symbols is analyzed through a psychological lens, from Abandonment to Zodiacal Sign.
How to read it: Purchase The Dream Dictionary on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
12,000 Dreams Interpreted by Gustavus Hindman Miller
This famously expansive and all-encompassing book of dream symbols analyzes a staggering 12,000 subjects that come up in dreams. This dream dictionary has actually been around for nearly a century, but the book has been newly updated for modern times. If you just want a quick hit of analysis, you’ll get that here in 12,000 Dreams Interpreted with these bite-size entries that cover everything from Abacus to Zippers.
How to read it: Purchase 12,000 Dreams Interpreted on Amazon and add it on Goodreads
Illustrated Dictionary of Dream Symbols: A Biblical Guide to Your Dreams and Visions by Dr. Joe Ibojie
Many people are unaware of the growing interest in using dreams as a way to get closer to the Christian God. If you’re looking to learn dream interpretation for spiritual reasons, Dr. Joe Ibojie’s Illustrated Dictionary of Dream Symbols is the best Biblical dream dictionary around.
