Have you ever had a weird dream or maybe even a really wonderful dream and wondered what it meant? Do our dreams even have a meaning or is it just random images that come to use when we are asleep? Sure there are some dreams that are that are in great detail and seem realistic. On the other hand, you can have dreams about a large snake popping out of a trash can, I don’t really see any significant meaning coming from that dream.
First, lets start off with why we dream. When sleeping are bodies may not be active, but that doesn’t mean our brains are. While asleep, “other parts of the brain responsible for memory and conscious thought try to interpret the signals in a way that makes sense, resulting in a dream” (Winter, 2014). It goes without a doubt that all researchers concluded that dreams incorporate some elements of our personal lives. The fascination with dreams has become extremely popular. Theories about the meaning behind our dreams include: wish fulfillment, expression of repressed wishes, reflection of thoughts and concerns. All theories are probable and rely on the dreamer. It all comes down to what the dreamer usually dreams about. According to Calvin S. Hall who believes that dreams incorporate elements of ones personal life presses that when interpreting dreams you have to look at, “the action of the dreamers within the dream, objects/figures in the dream, interactions, the dreams setting, transitions, and outcome” (Cherry, n.d.).
The idea is proposed that all dreams incorporate some aspect of our personal lives. A study was conducted to prove so; the dreams of 270 divorcees were studied to see if they were helpful when dealing with the trauma of the situation. Although the study concluded that the dreams had no purpose in dealing with everyday difficulties, something very interesting was noted, “the divorcees who dreamed most about their problems surrounding the end of their relationship were less well adjusted one year down the track” (McHugh, n.d.)
Dreams do have some meaning which is not always clear to the one having the dream. There is no distinct reason as to why you have the dreams you do and in reality, unless we analyze them through a magnifying glass the meaning may never be clear.
Photo courtesy of www.iflscience.com
Works Cited
Cherry, Kendra (n.d.) Dream Interpretation: What Do Dreams Mean? Retrieved from www.psychology.about.com
McHugh, Beth (n.d.) Do dreams really mean anything? Retrieved from www.families.com
Winter, Lisa (2014) Why Do We Dream? Retrieved from www.iflsscience.com
I do believe that some dreams are important, like reoccurring dreams. I think sometimes they allude to traumatic experiences that your mind is trying to understand and recover from. I also heard that certain dreams have to do with different things, like dream symbolism. Whether this is true or not may never be found out, but sleeping certainly is rewarding and helpful to the body. If we dream while we sleep, it is an added bonus.
Dreams do not necessarily have a meaning but they show what we care about and what we are afraid of.
Several dreams such as being chased, having a car crash, death, nuditiy or sex. These types of dreams are the most commons and show what affect us in our daily lives and what we care about. Also, we dream to fulfill our wishes.
I absolutely loved reading this post. I frequently have strange and vivid dreams, and I always wonder about their meaning! I often research the psychology and inherent symbolism of my dreams using this website: http://www.dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary/
I’ve had a recurring dream from my childhood that i still remember. I cant piece together now what I was probably thinking about and worrying over to have that same dream/nightmare more than once. I think it was like five times total. I wonder what it means exactly.