The Meaning of Dreams: What they are and how we can interpret the most common dreams
- 2018
“We are made of the same matter as dreams. Our little world is surrounded by dreams. ”
- Willam Shakespeare
Did you know that an average person spends approximately six years of his life dreaming? We all go through several dreams in one night, although we can only remember about 5% of them.
There is still much mystery around the meaning of dreams, and why they exist in the first place. However, researchers gradually find clues and lead us to a consensus about the benefits they can bring us. Meanwhile, this field remains one of the most fascinating themes for people. Do they have a deep meaning ? The Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud described them as a path to the unconscious and suggested that by studying the meaning of dreams we could come to give light to the secrets that are hidden in our mind.
Next we will talk about dreams, what they are and what are some of the possible interpretations for the most recurrent.
The meaning of dreams
Dreams essentially consist of situations that occur in your mind like a movie while you sleep, whether it is a linear story or of a more abstract nature.
They can be in thousands of ways and forms. They can be chilling, exciting, boring, depressive, fun, premonitory ... They may make sense or not belong in this world.
Anyway, everyone dreams. In fact, we dream an average of four times every night . Even blind people by birth experience their other senses during dreams .
However, most of us have a habit of quickly forgetting what we dream, and therefore we miss the meaning of dreams and a great source of information that is not provided during them. Fortunately, some dreams come universally for all people, and that allows us to keep a greater record of them.
Let's look closely at the meaning of dreams that are most universally reported by people.
1. Dream that we fall
One of the most recurring dreams is that in which we find ourselves falling from great heights. While at some point there was a popular myth that said that when you touch the ground in the fall you die in real life, this is simply a lie. So what is the meaning of the dreams we fall into?
According to the many popular interpretations, dreams involving falls are signs that there is something in your life that is not going according to your wishes . It is a symbol that something is out of your control. It may be related to decisions you have recently made in your life or with which you should consider a new direction in some area of your life.
Russell Grant, the author of the Illustrated Dictionary of Dreams, says that dreaming about a fall is very common. It is a symbol of fear in real life, perhaps failing at work or in the love life .
2. Dream that we can't run
This dream is also one of the most popular. Its manifestation is curiously contrary to that of the fall, since we are not allowed to move . And those who experience it fail to start running, no matter how hard they try. However, the meaning of this dream is similar to that of the fall: it is also related to lack of confidence, and the feeling of feeling helpless.
This dream is more common during the stage of sleep paralysis, a traditional phase that lies between sleep and wakefulness. This paralysis is a parasomnia (that is, an abnormal sleep behavior) during the MOR ( Rapid Eye Movements ) stage, in which parts of the brain are awake, but not the one that controls our body. This results in being awake but unable to move the body.
3. Dream about a chase
This is another recurring dream, and the cause is also a very common one in the study of the meaning of dreams. On this occasion, it is anxiety that is manifesting. It usually has to do with the avoidance of dealing with a problem, and this is represented by what persecutes us.
On the other hand, if we are the ones who are carrying out the persecution, it may be representing a goal towards which we are heading. In this case, because this dream has to do with anxiety, it is more likely to be related to a feeling of difficulty in achieving it, or the feeling that you are failing to get what you want.
4. Dream that we are naked in public
This is a dream we have all known at some point in our life. Whether at school or at work, we have all gone through the discomfort of finding ourselves in underwear in front of our classmates. What is the meaning of nudity dreams?
The answer may be the clairvoyant and author of the Dream Dictionary for Fools, Penney Peirce . She comments that dreaming of nakedness in public can indicate insecurity, that we feel we don't fit, that we are uncomfortable or that we are scared to show ourselves as we are and reveal our imperfections.
5. Dream about Death
Death is one of the most puzzling themes in the field of the meaning of dreams . You can dream about the death of a loved one or even your own. The most popular interpretations of this dream suggest that they reflect anxiety about experiencing changes or fear of the unknown .
Lauri Loewenberg tells us in her book Dream It: Unlock Your Dreams, Change Your Life : ' change can be scary because, as with death, we don't know what is on the other side, so the dreaming mind equals change with death '.
Loewenberg also suggests that dreaming about the death of a loved one may reflect a similar fear of change. For example, many mothers report having these types of dreams as they go through the stage at which children begin to become independent. In this case, the meaning of dreams related to the death of loved ones reflects a lament over the inevitable passage of time .
6. Dream that we fly
Dreams about flying can be exciting and even liberating, but they can also scare us (especially those who suffer from vertigo).
Tony Crisp, author of the Dictionary of Dreams, says that the meaning of the dreams in which we fly varies in two directions. On the one hand, these types of dreams can represent a sense of freedom and independence. On the other, it could also indicate a desire to flee or escape from reality .
He says that 'v olar happens very frequently showing the side of independence. But due to the fact that it involves feelings of pleasure, flying could represent our sexuality. Especially the aspect of expressing freedom from social norms and restrictions . '
7. The Premonitory Dreams
In this case, these are dreams that are not very common, but could eventually be experienced. And when you talk about the meaning of dreams, you can not stop referring to premonitory dreams .
When a premonitory dream is experienced, attention is completely transferred to the subconscious mind, where experiences are not governed by the laws of time and physical space. In these cases, the dream provides information on situations that have not yet happened, be it an event, an object, a person or a particular situation. And the fact that they are not very common is due to the fact that it requires a more developed sensitivity, either by training or by natural disposition.
However, the truth is that we cannot be sure that a dream is premonitory until it happens in reality. In fact, cases have been reported in which they are met after years.
In addition, our subconscious mind transmits information to us in a conceptual way, that is, through symbols that the person once awake translates. The accuracy of the message obtained is not always accurate.
With regard to the meaning of dreams, no interpretation can be guaranteed as correct. People are a unique and highly subjective universe. But we do know that dreams are a reflection of your life in the waking world, mirroring your fears, anxieties, desires, hopes and aspirations.
AUTHOR: Lucas, editor of the great family of HermandadBlanca.org
SOURCES:
- https://www.tuck.com/dream-guide/
- https://www.verywellmind.com/understanding-your-dreams-2795935
- https://psicologiaymente.com/psicologia/curiosidades-sobre-los-suenos
- https://www.mundoesotericoparanormal.com/se-puede-predecir-el-futuro-a-traves-de-los-suenos/
