What Is The Meaning Of A Dream – The mystery of dreams has fascinated man since the dawn of time. The ancient Zuni civilization believed that when we dream, our souls are visited by spirits. The oracles of ancient Mesopotamia believed in the prophetic power of dream interpretation, and the indigenous people of Australia believed that dreams represented spirits that once inhabited the Earth. While for some people dreams are nothing more than random thoughts that occur during sleep, humanity throughout history has tried to make sense of this universal experience that occurs every night.
When we sleep, our brain changes its neuron firing patterns in what are called the four stages of sleep, which correspond to the depth at which we descend into unconsciousness, at a rate of about five cycles each night. Although research has shown that we dream in any of these stages, the vivid quality of dreams in the form of story-like episodes occurs particularly in one stage, stage I, also known as “REM sleep.” REM, as most of us know today, stands for “rapid eye movement,” a discovery made by sleep researchers Aserinsky and Kleitman in 1953.
What Is The Meaning Of A Dream
Although it is not yet certain why we dream, scientists such as Hobson and McCarley speculate that it is during this period that memories and the associations they generate are recalled to organize and reorganize experiences, sort of like starting a computer by wiping the disk so that improve its performance. The purpose of sleep is not only to restore energy and alertness (see my blog Why We Sleep, Why Not and How to Sleep Better), but also, according to what they call the Activation Synthesis Hypothesis, to think more effectively and be better able to organize our thoughts as a function of dreams . Dreaming is so important that if we don’t get enough of it while we sleep, not only will our thoughts become foggier, but our brain will also try to force us to make up for what we lost the next time we fall asleep, a phenomenon known as “REM rebound.”
Dream Meaning Floating In Air
Although scientists who study dreams generally believe that their purpose is primarily physiological, humanity has always been fascinated by dreams and their importance in our lives. Perhaps the most famous of these was Sigmund Freud, who published in 1899:
, the book that made him famous. Freud believed that the absurd nature of dreams reflected the psyche’s ability to hide our deepest desires in order to avoid anxiety that would disturb our sleep.
Carl Jung, one of Freud’s most distinguished colleagues, offered a slightly more optimistic interpretation, according to which dreams illuminate those parts of our personality that they wish to express. He also believed that some dreams and their symbolism represent deeper struggles of human existence that testify to the presence of a collective unconscious. Alfred Adler, another of Freud’s one-time collaborators, was more practical in nature. This was reflected in his belief that dreams serve to reveal our goals in life and thus help us prepare and plan for our future.
A more contemporary theorist, British psychologist Ann Faraday, proposed that dreams should be interpreted gradually. Our first thought should be whether they should be interpreted literally. For example, if we dream that our teeth are falling out, we should make an appointment with the dentist. Can the content of the dream have a symbolic meaning if we receive a certificate of good health from the dentist? Finally, recurring dreams about the same topic may indicate deeper personal or existential problems. Psychoanalyst Montague Ullman studied the healing effects as well as the instructive benefits of sharing and interpreting dreams in a group setting.
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Although most of us know how dreams become useful through their interpretation, some people have published research on alternative approaches that also take advantage of their meaning. Patricia Garfield in her book
, explored a lesser-known phenomenon, lucid dreaming, as a way to achieve personal change by actively transforming dream content. Lucid dreaming occurs in a dark state of consciousness that some of us may consider an experience that allows the dreamer to direct the script of the story and its outcome. Psychologist Gayle Delaney developed a methodology known as “dream incubation,” in which the dreamer is instructed to ask questions before going to sleep in order to formulate answers to difficult or important questions that could not be achieved by more rational methods. . And parapsychologist Stanley Krippner has spent a lifetime exploring the possibilities of dreams revealing telepathic powers.
While I’m generally skeptical of so-called dream dictionaries or dream interpretation guides, there are plenty of them, but there are certain dream themes that seem quite common and universal. Here are some of the most common:
A short list of common dream themes such as this indicates that most dreams are related to or triggered by anxiety, but not all. Many people report having very pleasant dreams of flying like a bird, which may reflect an excited sense of power and freedom. Pleasant sexual dreams are not uncommon, and some dreams can evoke strong feelings of joy, love, and deep connection with others. While I agree with scientists that dreams serve the important function of restoring the brain to operational capacity, I believe it is equally important that examining their meaning can help us tap into the source of our thoughts and emotions so that we can understand ourselves and our fears in the future. deeper. During REM sleep, your subconscious puts on a fantastic show, but the plot can be difficult to understand. (Why were you on a trampoline in Indonesia?) “The main function of dreams is to give us access to thoughts and feelings that we may not be aware of,” says Dr. Mark Smaller, president of the American Psychoanalytic Association. We asked Smaller to explain the process of deciphering dreams. Just take a pencil and dive into your subconscious.
Dream Of Someone Giving You Money Meaning
As soon as you wake up, write down everything you remember from your dream, recording as many objects, people and places as possible. Smaller says: “One of Freud’s greatest discoveries was that small elements of dreams can indicate big problems. A lot of information gets condensed into a tiny detail.”
Write down what associations each detail brings. For example, if the dream took place in your childhood home, consider what is significant about that location and how it may relate to the larger assumptions of the dream.
Write down the emotions the dream evoked. Were you excited, scared, nervous, dizzy? How about when you woke up?
Ask yourself what else in your life evokes the same emotions. For example, if your childhood home reminds you of your older brother bullying you, think about something happening in your life now that is similar to that experience.
Dog Dream Meaning (dream Dictionary And Interpretation)
Go back to your list of associations and try to combine them into one narrative. (Your childhood home reminds you of being bullied… The orange you ate reminds you of Florida… Your boss, who grew up in Miami, was quite aggressive towards you in a meeting yesterday…) Then go on your way waking life, armed with greater insight into what’s going on in your head.
Dream: Your teeth are falling out Possible meaning: “If you can’t speak in your dream, in your waking life you may feel that there is something you don’t want to – or can’t – say. If you can’t eat in your dream, it may be about unfulfilled desires (in fact, some people interpret this dream as being sexual in nature).
Dream: You are cheating on your partner or vice versa. Possible meaning: “First of all, why now? What is going on in your relationship that brings this to the surface? The dream may be a measure of your anxiety about your partner – or maybe, for example, the fact that you saw someone attractive on the bus. Not all dreams have a deeper meaning.
Dream: Seeing a UFO Possible meaning: “It may seem obvious, but the keyword here is invasion. Is something undesirable invading your space right now? Consider what we know about heavy machines: they have no feelings. Is it true? Describe yourself – do you feel numb, like you’re on autopilot?”
