They say that your dreams can reveal a lot about you and the way you're feeling. Your subconscious somehow condenses and projects these thoughts and feelings into a moving picture show that you experience when you sleep- aka the "dream".
I remember coming home from college and in the first weeks I was having these intense dreams, varying from death to life and sadness to joy, without any context or explanation. So I dove into research, hoping to find answers or even meaning, and before I knew it I finally understood.
My dreams were speaking to me.
Webster's Dictionary defines a dream as "A state of mind marked by abstraction or release from reality" or "A series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep".
For me, thoughts and emotions are the biggest take away from these definitions.
The human subconscious is a very powerful and complex system. Through it we examine the smallest movement to the biggest feeling and a good majority of the time we don't even realize we are doing it, mostly because we are already reacting. But those feelings and emotions that we may not always understand stay with us, and find a different way to reveal themselves.
Enter the dream.
In sleep we are freed from the social and cultural boundaries set by those around us. Our mind is free to wander, roam, and take us on an uninhibited journey. It is in this state that our subconscious can take hold. As brain activity increases, the dreams begin.
There are all different sorts of dreams, every one unique to every individual. Several common themes have been identified through time and study, like dreaming about losing your teeth. Some will argue that when your teeth fall out rapidly in a dream it is because you are going through a time of transition in your life or even experiencing emotional distress.
One, more literal dream, that some may experience is driving a-or being struck by-a vehicle that has a lack of control. It is believed that when this dream presents itself one may feel like they have little to no grip on their life, emotions, or certain situations. They themselves may feel out of control.
But what if I don't dream?
Every human dreams, and its suspected that other mammals might too. Let's get real, we've all seen the cute video of the baby kitty sleeping and moving its paws, then crashing its bike in its "dream". There are people who are more inclined to remember their dreams as they sleep, just like there are those who are more likely to wake up and have the dream slip from them as the day goes on.
Dreams play a more important role then we may think, and it may prove to be beneficial to start journaling them, analyzing themes and triggers. Even recording what you ate the night before! All to get a better understanding of your mind and mental state. I personally have found that analyzing dreams has revealed a whole new side to my personality and mind that I never knew before.
So, listen to your dreams.
If you're interested in learning more Brenda Mallon writes a pretty groovy, pocket sized, book just diving into the basics of dreams and their symbolism in daily life.
