For the past 20 plus years that I have been interpreting my dreams and dreams for others I have met some people who have no interest or desire to understand the value in interpreting their dreams. In all my studying and gathering of information from many great scholars and dream analysts such as Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud and Robert Moss etc. there are many things about dreams that are still unanswered such as: Where do our dreams come from?, Why do we dream?, Why don’t we dream in our verbal language? I do not want to go into debate and discussion about those things which I still have not found valid answers to for my own belief. I want to stay on the subject of why I believe dreams need to be interpreted.
There has yet to be scientific discovery in regards to meaning and feeling that proves or disproves theories on whether or not a dream has a message or that its intention is to have meaning to the dreamer. We don’t know how images are made in our dreams or the stories the images tell us. Where are they from? Do they come from God, the soul, the mind, unconscious or a bunch of neurological firings?
What I do know and what I believe is that a dream once it has been “figured” out by the dreamer can enhance the dreamer’s knowledge of themselves or solve a problem, change a habit, and inspire.
Here are a few comments I have received on dreams and dream interpretation:
“I don’t dream or I don’t dream much”
There are some people who do not dream according to a few scientists and doctors. These people seem to skip through the REM or rapid eye movement stage which is the dreaming stage of the sleep cycle. Other doctors and scientists say they really can’t prove if everyone dreams or not. So, when someone responds with I don’t dream I am usually intrigued and also a bit sad for them because I think our ability to dream is really a wonderful thing.
“Dreams don’t have any meaning to them”
Actually, they do. There is a plethora of research that shows how our dreams reflect our waking concerns, problems and help us cope with stress, solve problems and even inspire ideas in us. I usually recommend that if they would just try a few weeks of interpreting and understanding their dreams they will see the meaningfulness of at least one dream.
“How do I figure out what it means when there are no words? Why can’t dreams just be like a letter instead of a bunch of pictures?
It would be nice if when we go to sleep a letter would appear saying Dear SuzyQ, Hi here is a message for you…..But that is not how it works. Dreams speak to us in our first language and that is one of images, symbols and things we see not necessarily a bunch of letters that arrange a word meaning to the image. There are basic meanings to common symbols but then there are other things that have different meanings to us by what they symbolize and our experience, culture, age, with said symbol or thing. Also, it has been said that dreams are more direct when we are in a state of emotional openness or dire situation.
I say the reason’s to interpret your dreams are: to know your self better, solve problems, stop bad habits, help you cope with stress, and be inspired to write the next best seller, new invention, cure a disease, make more money and be happier. And lastly, because dreams are an amazing gift to us wherever or whomever they come from.
Sweet Dreams, Big Dreams.
Cheri