BRIDGES IN DREAMS:Understanding dreams is not so difficult. In practice dream symbols translate into certain words within the English language. For instance a bridge dream could translate into the words "willing to tackle problems" and the dream captures the dreamers recognition that they have psychological problems and need to sort these out.

FULL LIST OF KEYWORDS
In practice bridges have several symbolic meanings. Here is the full list.
- "a crucial time" (For some reason bridge dreams seem to link to crucial moments. Crossing over symbolises you taking one path rather than another. Have you been thinking about some change which has to be made soon? Are you in a process of transition?)
- "willingness to tackle difficult problems" (A bridge can link to any feelings about change. So if you have a new willingness to tackle problems then it may represent this eagerness to "cross over" to some new path)
- "a recent mood" (The two sides of a river may symbolise different moods and crossing over from one side shows you moving from one mood to another. )
- "burning your bridges" (Bridges can link into many popular metaphors surrounding bridges. Are you wanting to keep your options open? Are you thinking of making a change which once made will be difficult to reverse?)
- "knowing change is needed" (If you are aware that you need to make changes then the opposite side of the river represents the change you need to make. The dream links to your thinking about this situation)
- "an opportunity" (a bridge can symbolise any new opportunity as it opens up to you? Have you been thinking about an opportunity that has arisen?)
- "needing to make a decision" (has a decision been forced upon you? Are things getting out of hand and a problem needs to be addressed?)
- "forced to change" (Has some decision been forced upon you? What changes are you having to face now?)
- "distancing yourself from someone" (If you cross over a bridge it can simulate your attempts to put distance between you and others)
- "trying to heal wounds" (The two sides of a river may represent two different people and the differences that separate them. The bridge may symbolise your attempts to heal differences.)
- "unable to sort out differences" (The two sides of a bridge can represent the two sides of an argument. You may have been thinking about this differences and tried to think through a solution. The conclusion of the dream maybe that you now understand that these differences cannot be bridged.)

Its a fallacy that dreams capture unconscious thoughts - dreams represent thoughts that we are all too aware of. A typical dream would translate into the types of thoughts that we might write down in a diary or tell a best friend. Dreams represent your key thoughts which pinpoint the problems right now. Try to write down some quotes which capture your feelings right now and try to include the words and phrases above. For instance one dreamer had a dream about being scared to cross a bridge. In real life he had just heard a rumour that there was a plan to retire him at work at the age of just 48. So some of the key words and phrases seem relevant here because it was "crucial time" in the dreamers life. Dreams capture the dreamers thoughts so we know that a dream about being scared to cross a bridge obviously translates into "I fear that I will be forced to retire. Its a crucial time for me as I may have this decision thrust upon me".

Dreams can represent very sophisticated thoughts. One dreamer had a dream about a makeshift bridge which falls apart as he jumps over the river. In real life the dreamer had been thinking about distancing himself from a group of friends. He felt that he had outgrown them. Jumping over the bridge which falls apart was symbolic of his need to think carefully before doing this as once he distanced himself from some friends it may be difficult to get back. So really the dream symbolised his need to think before acting as if he cut himself off he may "burn his bridges".