i’ve always seen dream dictionaries on bookstore shelves but every dream interpretation book i read tells me that they aren’t real that different things represent different ideaswhich makes sense to me. so is there any truth in those things or are they just a waste of trees? 
Although some may disagree, I feel that dreams are products of our subconcious processes that go on during the day time that are re-evaluated during sleep to strengthen neuronal connections via a “real” experience and better prepare us for life. That is, our mind makes up dreams out of stuff we do so we can do that stuff better. So, if this is assumed, then you can conclude that Dream Dictionaries are true if everyone has the same experiences to be re-evaluated in sleep, or they are false if everyone has different experiences to be re-evaluated in your sleep. It is clear that not everyone has the same experiences. So they are false. But, people do have similar experiences, and those things are emphasized in the “dictionaries”, so they hold a little bit of truth to them. But chances are, people with compltely different lifestyles could not relate to the same dream dictionary.
imo dream dictionaries are about as useful as horoscopes. It is mainly the power of suggestion. Ex. “You will find a romantic interest today”–throughout the day your mind will remember this, and be on the lookout for a potential interest. Thus making the reading true. The dictionary works on the same concept. “seeing a cat means you will experience bad luck”–you will amplify all the bad occurances during the day to make it true. Don’t believe it. Your dreams (and their possible meanings) symbolize you, not a set interpretation.
“imo dream dictionaries are about as useful as horoscopes”-thats exactly what it is:):)
I don’t think that is entirely fair. I think the majority of these books are a load of rubbish, but there are certain patterns of dreams which can indicate your state of mind. These patterns can be common for the majority of people.
Of course, our dreams are very individual, but certain themes can show up according to how we are feeling and these can be interpreted.