by Emily Jarecki
What do our dreams mean?
Over the years, the significance of dreams has changed completely. The early Egyptians thought that dreams were communications with the gods and the early Greeks and Romans believed that dreams foretold the future. However, the more we learn about dreams, the more convincing the evidence becomes; dreams aren’t communications with others but communications with ourselves.
Some theorists will say that our dreams have no interpretations—that they are mere misfirings in our minds—and it was believed so for a long time. Yet, the more research that is done, the more insightful theories are developed into the meaning of dreams.
Professional dream analysts explain that our dreams are a continuation of our day during the most active part of sleep. This active stage of sleep is called REM sleep, the first 90 minutes after falling asleep. Our mind still isn’t turned off; instead of continuing to form words, our minds create pictures, symbols, and metaphors. When we sleep, the prefrontal cortex that controls rational thoughts turns off. In turn, the amygdala, which controls our emotions, surprisingly becomes even more active than during the day.
Our minds in daily life are wired to act in the most rational way, which often means ignoring our subconscious—our feelings and fears—that defines who we are. Sleep is finally when the subconscious speaks to us. However, dreams should not be taken literally. Just because you have a dream about drowning, doesn’t necessarily mean you are scared of swimming. Our dreams are profound representations of hidden feelings, fears, desires that we don’t regularly acknowledge. So, that dream of drowning might just reveal that you are feeling overwhelmed or overcommitted.
Due to the extremeness or silliness of our dreams, they might seem impossible to interpret because they are unrelated to our daily experience. However, it’s important to remember that dreams reveal something about you—something you might not have even known.
There are increasing findings amongst analysts and psychics that our dreams indeed hold meaning and dream decoder cards make it easier to understand dreams because they come with common interpretations. You’ll find out that some of the weirdest dreams you’ve ever had are some of the most common ones. They are great tools for a person to reach a level of self-awareness of their subconscious.
Some of the most common dreams include teeth falling out, being chased, nudity, being unable to find a toilet, and being unprepared for an exam.
Remember to take these dreams with a grain of salt. For example, if you have an exam dream but you’re not a student, it might suggest a lack of confidence for an upcoming task. Our mind creates that dream as a reminder to practice self-care.
Dream decoders are the ultimate form of therapy because they help us understand our dreams. They are full of information, advice, guidance, and even inspiration for the future. To better understand our dreams is to better understand ourselves.
Dream decoder sets like this one hold 60 of the most common dreams, some of which you will experience at least once in your life. Understanding your dreams won’t change your life, but it will allow you to slow down and reflect for a moment, which might help you to know yourself better.
Comments