The first step is to start to keep a dream diary. You will need some sort of record of your dreams and the symbols contained within. Make sure you record the time and date of the dream as well, so you can refer back to it at a later point as well as having a point of reference for it in your life. Often what you have recorded upon awakening will be messy and in point form as you are just trying to get the details down before they fade. You might want to rewrite the dream entry as more of a 'story' to help you with your analysis. You might also want to pick a time when you have a good 20 minutes or so to enable you to really explore the dream.

Start by reading your dream over and recording any immediate association or feelings it brings up. For example if you dream about a talking gorilla and remember watching a movie or reading a cartoon the previous day that had a talking gorilla in it, it might just be as simple as that. Usually you can tell when a dream is the kind that is sort of processing the influences and thoughts of the day or if there is some sort of deeper message in it. Those sorts of dreams just have a different feeling of awe or interest to them. If you have a had a series of dreams that night you might also want to record any recurring themes or images in them as they might be of some importance to the message of the dream.

There many books out there that contain dictionary's of dream symbols. It might be helpful to get one of those, as there are many dream images that are common and can have 'usual' meanings to the dreamer. But in all reality the only person who can truly interpret your dreams is you. Others can suggest what they might mean and offer some insights, but the true meaning will have to resonate with you. It is, after all, a message created by your subconscious for yourself. Dreams are highly personal and what means one thing in one persons dream can mean something entirely different in another's. For example, while dreaming of a building is often a metaphor for oneself in a dream, someone could dream of a particular building that they associate strongly with something or someone in waking life and know that it is a particular reference.

The actual interpretation of the dream is a matter of giving it proper attention and using a combination of common sense and imagination. Try to think in associations instead of too literally, but while maintaining a measure of common sense. If you are dreaming about being in a car that is out of control you might think about the feeling that gives you - panic perhaps? And combine that with the fact that if you are driving perhaps you are feeling like you aren't in control of something in your life and it is giving you a feeling of panic. Then think about what this could apply to in your life. Is someone else driving? Do you fear that someone seems to be controlling an aspect of your life, but are worried that you are being 'steered' wrong? Or did you watch a movie before you went to be with a car accident in it? Only you can truly figure out what it is about.