The greatest luxury of humans is that they can dream. Do you agree dreams are a luxury; perhaps a good dream yes but a nightmare, a big no! How many times someone woke us up and we were in the middle of something so beautiful and that we get angry at them. So, what is a dream and what is the meaning of dreams? Let us find out in this article.
What is the Meaning of Dreams?
Going by the definition of it A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep.
Dreams or meaning of dreams has always been a very complex topic yet a fascinating one. Some believe they are predictions of future others say it is your mind playing those games. The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that dreams predict future events and are also visited by the dead people.
Researchers say that the mind play is between the hippocampus – that controls memory and the neocortex that governs our thought process. Dreams allow us to be what we cannot be and to say what we do not say, in our more repressed daily lives.
When I talk about dreams the first name that comes into my mind is “Sigmund Freud” a very eminent figure in the field of Psychology. How is it interrelated must be your question? It is because of the book “The Interpretation of Dreams” written by him. He talks about the complex system of dream analysis. He believes that our unconscious minds produce images that show our deepest selves. He always used this in talking to his clients, to know their deepest desires and fears. Sounds interesting right? Carl Jung was also one of them who believes the same.
Knowing that it has always been used in Psychotherapy, I believe dreams or meaning of dreams does mean something. But talking about both sides some neuroscientists say that dreams are just side effects of neurological processes. Do you know our sleep has different stages till the time we are actually asleep and in the world of dreams? It is the REM- Rapid Eye Movement stage that has most of our dreams because our brain is more active.
Different types of Dreams
Now here we are in the most interesting topic i.e. different types of dreams. Now you should know that the meaning of dreams is all interpretation. First, let us see the common ones.
- Falling from a great height signifies anxiety and loss of control in your life.
- When you see your own death then it could mean some upcoming danger or some emotional pain but if you see the death of someone close to you then it could mean that you are afraid of losing them. I have always seen people using this for consoling purpose that dreaming about the death of someone means they are going to live for a longer time.
- Dreams of being abducted indicate that you are being manipulated by the people around you.
- Sexual abuse generally means that there is something happening in your real life too, that you have no control over.
- Darkness implicates failure at some work that you are trying hard to do.
- Snakes are mostly referred to as dark beings so they come with a warning that maybe someone around you cannot be trusted or it may also indicate your fear of commitment or intimacy.
- Being chased is also one common dream that says you are avoiding some important matters or issues in your life that needs your attention.
- Dream symbol meaning of water tells that something needs to be cleansed either your soul or the relationships that you have. The quality of water gives proper insight.
- Nudity is also reported quite frequently it reveals signs of insecurity, humiliation or feelings of vulnerability. There is the other way of looking at it that means being liberated and free from the boundaries.
- Dreams of mourning refer to the inability to let go of your past and make way for the new things to come.
- Kids often find themselves in the middle of an exam that means that they either have anxiety for exams or are not well prepared for the same.
- Food symbolizes energy, the knowledge that is related to our emotions.
- Vehicles represent what we feel we are heading in our life, which direction and to how much control we think we possess on it.
- Seeing specific people means our current relationship with them.
- Losing your teeth in a dream can have one or two meanings. One can be your worries about your looks and other can be your inability to communicate with others.
- Dreams about pregnancy show a women’s fear of not being a good mother to the child.
- Partner cheating in a dream generally show the lack of trust you have or some emotional disturbances that are going in between.
- The dream of killing someone means you are trying to get rid of some unnecessary aspect of yourself.
- Dreams of having an accident may show that you are punishing yourself for some mistake that you have committed.
- The clothes that we wear in our dream may show our outer personality or persona.
- Babies generally signify a new start or the vulnerability of feeling loved.
- Animals represent your connection with them and the environment.
- Mountains represent hard work, willpower. Climbing one implies you are hard working.
- Tunnels are seen as life and death. Beginning of the tunnel means a new life and end of it means death or the start of something new.
- Trees provide balance, tranquility. So seeing one in a good state means if life is going well otherwise it shows decay.
- Dreams of ghosts imply you want to escape from a situation.
- Rain is always considered a good omen whether you are watching it from somewhere or you are getting wet.
- Bright clouds show a healthy state of well being whereas dark clouds show uncertainty.
All this were the different dreams we see.
Also Read: According to Experts Intelligent People have these 5 Bad Habits In Common
Dream Interpretations
I heard this somewhere that the meaning of dreams can be categorized into three types:
- Truth
- Desire and
- Temptation
The secret messages from our subconscious. Dreams are subjective in nature. There are universal symbols that have been decoded but still, it can vary from person to person. We will talk about decoding further in the article. But let us first see some common dream interpretation.
Two common dreams are nightmares and anxiety dreams.
- Nightmare is basically something which we avoid in our conscious minds.
- Anxiety dreams are though less intense but create stress even after we are out of it.
The meaning of a dream will depend on your background. In Asia, there are specific numbers and objects that are considered unlucky and brings bad omens. First, identify whether a particular dream actually has a significance or not. Then look for particular images or symbols that you can translate. The more things that you gather from a dream the more accurately you can interpret the meaning of dream. Don’t forget the small details because they might turn out to be important ones.
Sometimes after watching a horror movie you might dream yourself near a coffin or paranormal things happening but this could mean nothing because it’s just the mind playing scenes. Jot it down after you wake up and mention all the details – place, people, things etc. Identify how you were feeling in the dream. Before writing you can also tell someone about your dream, it helps in recalling later. Research about all the symbols and themes you observe, use the dream dictionary to get answers. And putting all the pieces together complete the puzzle.
Conclusion
Whether or not you believe in the dreams or symbols there is no denying we all see one. Consciously or unconsciously all of us dream. It can be the mind playing tricks with us but it takes us on a different journey where we meet our fears, desires; and face them all.
Not every time an expert is needed to interpret them. With a little attention and clarity, we can figure them on our own. Someone who can’t dream, try improving your sleeping pattern and some breathing exercises can help in a long way of the run.
The universe conspires what you believe will happen. Seeing a good omen might make you think some positive news is waiting for you and vice versa. So what you believe is what will happen at the end. Dream catchers have become evidently famous these days. According to the traditional use, it was seen as a protection symbol. In modern times, they are hung in the walls of the bedrooms known to catch bad dreams and convert them into good ones.
A lot of other things have been used time an again by people in the name of good omens. Some even visit Dream Experts that are known to understand dreams and make it simple for the others to comprehend. They also help to recollect dreams that are may be connected to past life. The fascinating world of dreams is a mystery that has many layers to it. To finish it off with the quotes that conclude all that is said.
“The dream is the disguised fulfillment of a repressed wish”
“The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious activities of the mind” – Sigmund Freud.
Also Read: 5 Psychological Facts about Dreams You Should Be Aware Of
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