Dream symbolism can be quite puzzling.  The unconscious will usually mask elements of dreams that the conscious mind does not readily accept -- Dreams often speak in terms of metaphor, analogy, and other such devices.  Thus, for example, if one has a conscious fear of dobermans, the unconscious may show that dreamer a rather fierce and bizarre version of a chihuahua.

But dreams can be made somewhat more manageable and understandable by limiting their subject matter (at least to an extent).  The conscious inculcation of a topic for dreaming will restrict one's dream activity to a much smaller arena -- One that the conscious mind has decided upon, and not the unconsious.  Such incubation of dreams then, affords one a better opportunity to become acquainted with their own personal dream symbolism.  Consequently, dreams become more amenable to the reasoning faculty of the awakened dreamer.

MagusMagnus

Hello MM,  

While I think that I understand the point you are attempting to make and wish to sincerely thank you for contributing it for discussion in this dream interpretation forum, with due respect I feel that it would have much more meaning and value to other members if you were to in addition to this describe some of the methods by which they could consciously restrict or limit the subject matter of their dreams to a specific area.

This sounds to me very much like what is commonly called conscious or as leading up to what is known as lucid dreaming.

See "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming" by Stephen LaBerge, Ph.D. & Howard Rheingold 1990 [Ballantine Books]

Especially look at Chapter 4 "Falling Asleep Consciously" as a point to begin your own conscious dream explorations from (pages 79 - 98).

I look forward to comparing notes with you about conscious dreaming techniques, if you are agreeable to doing this.

Yours sincerely,

eye_of_tiger