Dream Interpretation

Dream, Dream, Dream

“The dream is a little hidden door in the innermost and most secret recesses of the soul.” – Carl Jung

You are sitting at a desk in your old high school. You look around and all the kids are writing furiously. Brows are furrowed and pens are tapping methodically on the desks. You hear the click of the invigilator’s heels. PANIC! Why did you not know about this exam? Why did you not study? How could you be so unprepared? How did you get yourself into this nightmare?!

Many of us would like answers to questions about our dreams and nightmares. What do they mean? Although they may seem fleeting and/or irrelevant, they are an integral part of our subconscious life. The dream that leaves you anxious or thoughtful might be the important piece to a puzzle in an aspect of your life. So, whether a dream causes you to break into a sweat from fear or wakes you up smiling and happy, its manifestation is an important key to the understanding and betterment of yourself through dream interpretation.

In fact, what might seem like an ethereal experience has a strong foundation in science and reality. There has been much research done in the area of dreams by several respected theorists and researchers. One of the most notable is Sigmund Freud. Many know him as the father of psychoanalysis and innate in his study of the subconscious mind was the observation of dreams and dream interpretation. For Freud, dreams acted as a tool, a lens through which one might have a better view of the mind’s inner machinations. Dreams act as an outlet for repressed thought, wish fulfillment, or can be representative of anxieties and fears. A case in point is our frightening dream about an exam.

Dreams are also believed to contain symbolic elements. In our dreams, things are not always what they appear to be; objects and people may act as substitutes for other elements of our lives. Carl Jung, another key figure in the area of dream interpretation, believed that certain symbolic themes were similar across cultures and time. Tapping into these symbols, which he believed to be part of a larger “collective unconscious,” can help us to achieve self-realization, a fuller understanding of our being, our lives and our place in the world.

Our dreams often represent an unknown part of ourselves and accessing that part can give us insight into many aspects of our lives, some of which may seem muddled and confusing at times. Greater self-knowledge through dream analysis can lead to greater satisfaction in life.