In the first part of this post, I talked about my own experiences and began to explore different theories of dreaming. Most dream theorists believe that dreams are either largely or all symbolic. I agree that a lot of our dreams can be symbolic. But I also believe, as some other dream theorists believe, that dreams serve to enlighten us and teach us things. They can hold answers that we may not necessarily be apparent to us in our waking life. Most dream theorists would tell you that dreams never tell you things you already know. The reason why is that our dreams originate in our unconscious and subconscious states of mind. Our unconscious is the part of our either knowledge or intuition that is not quite aware to us. However, it holds a lot of clues to our understanding, about ourselves, our emotions, and situations in our lives. Dreams are that almost magical bridge between our not knowing and knowing things. I knew an individual who began to have reoccurring dreams about driving down their street and seeing a for sale sign on their home. This person was also telling close friends that they noticed major changes in their spouse. It was disclosed several months later that the spouse was having an extramarital affair. The dreamer was aware on some level what was happening but just wasn't quite aware. But they "knew" and their dream was one of the first voices to say something. A major change was happening which did affect the happy home (or seemingly.) After the affair was revealed, the dream made perfect sense to the dreamer. Many people report having dreams like this. People are perceptive and may not know the truth of everything, but they are good at picking up on clues and things around them that do not seem right to them. Dreams can hold the answers that elude them in waking life, or they can provide an answer where there does not seem to be one immediately available. There is also the concept of a "precognitive" dream where dreamers will dream about events that occur in the future. Infamously, Abraham Lincoln purportedly had a dream about his assassination around ten days before he was shot and killed. Those to me are out of the realm of science and so I will not focus much on them. But, I will not confirm or discount their existence. A lot of dream work and interpretation cannot be measured in scientific terms. The fact that we do dream and our brain activity can absolutely be confirmed. So, I will be open to all people's experiences.
How can you use dreams in your favor? Here are some helpful ideas:
1. Be open to the idea that your dreams are a part of you and exist to help you improve your life. I have found that it is fascinating to explore this part of my life and appreciate everything that it does for me. I strongly encourage anyone who might be on the fence, see it as insignificant, etc. to keep an open mind.
2. Pay attention to your dreams and begin to give thought to them during your waking time.
3. Keep a journal. Journals are a great way of helping you to understand your dreams. Sometimes just putting them in written form can help you to understand what might not make sense when you think about them. It is like when you were in school and had to make a presentation. Maybe you knew in your head what you wanted to say. But when it came out, it made sense to everyone you were trying to reach. Dreams are the same way.
4. Take a stab an interpreting your dreams. When you do so, take a long look at your life and what is currently happening. Are you worried that your job might be going away? Maybe you lack closure from a failed relationship. Is your child exhibiting behavioral changes that concern you but you can't put your finger on it? Pay attention to the people and characters in your dream. Is there a certain color that jumps out at you? What about the place? Is it familiar to you, or is it totally unfamiliar? Is it a place you know but does not look the way that you know it to be?
5. Ask for help or do further research if you are stymied by a dream. There are a lot of great resources online that I am going to post, but those are just a few of many. If something concerns you, your clergy member or a therapist may be able to help out. Or, if you have a friend like me who studies dream interpretation, reach out and ask them. I can confidently say that we all exist to help fellow dreamers.
I have only scratched the surface of this fascinating world of dreaming. I might post more specific topics related to this in future posts. But for now, happy dreaming! I wish you the best in this wonderful unique world that we experience every night.
For more information:
This site has a lot of everything from symbols, a dream dictionary, even forums to discuss dreams:
Your Online Source For Dream Interpretations (dreammoods.com)
A comprehensive look at color in dreams:
The Meaning of Colors: Color Symbolism in Our Dreams (journeyintodreams.com)
Here is an extremely comprehensive list of books about dreaming:
Resources - Professional Dream Interpretation LLC
This is a very comprehensive website devoted to all things about dream interpretation:
Dream Interpretation | Jungian Analysis
An interesting article on the difference between the U.S. and other cultures and how dreams are viewed:
Opinion | To Dream in Different Cultures - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
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