Michel Foucault, who discusses the Oneirocritica in The Care of the Self, the third volume of his The History of Sexuality (1976–1984), describes the text as a practical, experiential guide.
According to Foucault, the work reveals culturally salient patterns relating to "the ethical experience of the aphrodisia".
The second book treats objects and events in the natural world, such as weather, animals, the gods and flying.
The section on animals includes mammals (domestic and wild), sea creatures, reptiles, and those that fly.
Artemidorus continues his methodical analysis, examining the significance of dreams related to different aspects of everyday life and the natural world.