Don't sweat the big stuff. Some dreams are straight forward:

Dreams come in all different shapes, sizes, meanings and metaphors. Much of the art of dream work comes from deciding which approach to use. But sometimes the dream just means what it says. When a dream speaks to you directly about your waking life, take it at face value.

Here are some examples:

I dream that I am walking along a path between two buildings at school. I can hear footsteps behind me and I know this is a bad place. I shouldn't have taken this path.

Forget psychology, take this dream as a warning that you are not paying enough attention to your personal safety. Pay extra care that you do not leave yourself vulnerable to a physical assault

I dream that a burglar has got into the house through an open window.

There are many different ways to work with this dream but, before you go to bed, check that the doors and windows are locked.

Notice that in both these dreams the dreamer is in a fairly realistic situation. That's often a cue to treat the dream as a reality message.

I dream I am having a fabulous date with a man I recently met. I am comfortable and relaxed. I feel beautiful. He is charming and so attentive to me. It is a ''dream'' date; pardon the pun.

After breaking up with her boyfriend, this dreamer was resisting her friends who wanted her to start internet dating. We both felt that this dream was giving her a nudge, telling her she was ready to be dating again.

I dream that my teeth fall out.

Don't overlook the obvious question: When did you last visit the dentist? (In another column, I will write about the various meanings of teeth dreams.)

I dream that I see my father and he tells me to stop drinking.

If stopping drinking is a theme while you are asleep, maybe you should make it a theme in your waking life.

I dream that I am at my local car dealer and the car I like the most has a huge sign on the windshield that says BUY ME! It is the only car with such a sign and it is the one I really want.

In waking life, this person was ready to buy a new car and had been researching and road testing cars for several weekends. The dream was encouraging the dreamer to trust her judgment and buy the car that she most wanted.

Some dreams are more complicated but still refer directly to waking life issues:

I dream that I am at a party and someone offers me a cigarette. I light it and inhale then I remember with horror that I haven't smoked for six weeks.

This is a blessing in disguise. It is a highly functional nightmare that often occurs when people are in the process of breaking a habit. The dream is a vivid reminder of how horrible it would be if the dreamer really did start smoking again.

I dream that my boyfriend is cheating on me.

No one should have to be in a relationship that disturbs their sleep like this.

This is delicate because it requires, in some way, a confrontation. Rather than saying "I worry that you are cheating on me," it is much easier to relate the dream. It should not be told as an accusation – a dream is not a statement of truth about anything in the waking world. It can be told as a way of sharing what is happening in your dream life. If the dream goes away after this conversation, then all is well. If the dream continues, the dreamer should ask her friends what they think. If it still continues, consider getting another boyfriend.

In this case, let me emphasize that telling the boyfriend is only a beginning that opens up a conversation. It could even turn out that the dreamer is fed up with her boyfriend and wishes he would cheat so that she can dump him and still be the injured party.

Ask yourself if there is an easy way to understand the dream:

Sometimes the simplest and most obvious way to understand the dream is the best. Even when this does not resolve the dream, it is still a good idea to start with this approach. If you take actions in your waking life and the dream comes back then you can consider it in other ways, but first think very, very simply.

Dream of the Week is an experimental email from David Jenkins. It has the goal of explaining the benefits of this unique way of working with dreams to as wide an audience as possible. Each email shows one of the many techniques I use and is intended to show the reader how I worked with a particular dream. Please forward this email to anyone who might be interested. (And unsubscribing information is at the bottom of the email.) If you have any feedback for me about Dream of the Week, please send me an email.

Best wishes