Carly Quellman, aka Carly Que, is a multimedia strategist and storyteller at the intersection of technology and the humanities, investigating how perspective can enhance, rather than overstimulate, the world. She can be found online and near the closest south-facing window in Los Angeles.
I have a friend who is really into dream analysis -- she's shared how her grandfather often visits in her dreams and how they provide information about her big life choices.
At first I scoffed at the idea but I was curious. While I wasn't so interested that I'd actually work with a live dream interpreter, I was willing to find an AI tool that could help distill some of the recurring dreams that I have.
I simply wanted to know why I often dream of revolving doors and levels, experiencing my own form of digital simulation.
Enter DreamApp, a phone app available for iOS and Android designed to help you interpret and understand your dreams. It integrates AI to provide tailored insights based on user input. It also offers a database of more than 800 dream symbols related to subconscious messaging, plus 1:1 coaching with dream experts.
The AI-powered platform that strives to enhance personal growth was founded by Denys Chumak, Max Palamarchuk and Yar Doroshenko.
Dreamy AI, the AI-powered chatbot, is a nice nod to emotional processing and reminded me of mental health-focused supportive AI chatbots.
DreamApp doesn't have a free version, but there are free 3-day trials available for its two subscription models, which cost $60 to $80 a year. (I noticed that there's a "free gift" button that takes 20% to 50% off its yearly fee, depending on how many times you interact with it.)
If I could spend a day sifting through material in the C.G. Jung Institute, I decided I could spend a couple of days navigating an AI dream interpreter from my home. I'll admit, the typeface and illustration were alluring. At the very least, stimulating.
Getting your DreamApp profile set up takes the most time. Once you do that, the process is pretty painless and straightforward.
Your dream analysis will contain five sections: Dream Review, Pattern Analysis, Daily Life Connection, Possibility Exploration and Perspective Evaluation. At the bottom, there's space called Dream Notes to write out reflections.
Once you've had your dream interpreted, explore the symbol library to understand elements of your dream. The app also has features to monitor themes and symbols for recognizing patterns and growth areas.
You can even share your dreams with friends via a link and join a community of people who are navigating the inner worlds their dreams represent.
DreamApp's differentiating factor is that it positions itself between the mystical and scientific by using psychological principles to create a personalized experience in its AI-driven analysis. So if you aren't pro-psychology, or desire magic and logic to be separated, then this probably isn't the platform for you.
But if you're someone who wants to explore the subconscious mind and navigate the "why" behind your dreams, this is a handy app. Its library contains nearly 1,500 themes, which provides insights beyond dream interpretations. I found this helpful when recalling bits and pieces of my dreams and when interacting with the Dreamy chatbot.
I found DreamApp's interpretation of my dream to be helpful in that it gave me a more in-depth understanding as to what my dreams mean in response to the many layers of my life (see right). The feeling of being behind or understanding the meaning of moments far after they occurred is accurate -- and while DreamApp cannot solve the problems within these interpretations, it's nice to have feedback on my feelings in a contextual, slightly more cerebral way.
While I wish that DreamApp offered a longer trial period -- particularly because you are prompted to the payment screen after completing the lengthy upfront survey -- I do consider the app to be intentionally crafted, which I can't say is true for all of the millions of apps out there.
DreamApp is a quick way to navigate your inner world while receiving feedback in real time, like why you're always trying to catch up and desire more connection than our current society allows.
