It was way back in 1899, that the famous Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud, in his book – The Interpretation of Dreams, first talked about the motivation of dreams. And if we go by what he said, then dreams are a mirror to what you wish for in life and are often a result of the day preceding the dream, which he called the day residue.
Dreams, those enigmatic landscapes of the mind that we traverse every night, have captivated the human imagination since time immemorial. From ancient civilizations to modern psychology, dream interpretation has played a significant role in shaping cultures, beliefs, and even our understanding of the human psyche.
This captivating journey through the realm of dreams unveils the mysteries that lie beneath our subconscious and the intriguing art of dream interpretation.
As much as it’s human to see dreams, it is also human to try to figure out the meaning attached to them. Hence, came forth dream interpretation.
The History of Dream Interpretation
The fascination with dreams dates back to antiquity. In ancient Egypt, dreams were considered divine messages, often serving as omens or prophecies. Temples even had designated “dream interpreters” who helped individuals decipher the symbolic language of their dreams. Similarly, ancient Greeks believed that dreams were glimpses into the future, connecting mortals to the realm of the gods.
Dream interpretation is a form of reading out hidden thoughts of an individual, stored in his/her subconscious. It is not exactly a form of divination but isn’t far from it either.
“Our dreams are nothing but the culmination of our memories, wishes, fears, needs, wants, and many other things, and within these lay the complex symbols. Interpretation of these symbols into a language could be termed as dream interpretation” shared Rohit Dhawan, a leading tarot reader & crystal therapist.
Colors, numbers, animals, and shapes, all have different meanings in our dreams, and recalling the dreams is not an easy task.
Almost 70% of people forget their dreams when they wake up, 10% forget their dreams within 10 minutes after they wake up, and another 5% forget them within 20 minutes, another 10% remember their dreams, but in fragments. Only a mere 5% of people are able to recall their dream properly enough for reading by a psychic.
However, have you ever wondered how one can get their dream interpreted and what are the effects of it on the interpreter?
Reading dreams require the conversion of complex occult symbols, into something meaningful. The psychic (interpreter) asks the person to recall fragments from his/her dreams and make a note of them.
Once the psychic has enough information that they need to know, they start connecting the occult symbols piece by piece like a story and give out the reading. This is only possible when the individual has enough data for interpretation.
Another way of interpretation is that the psychic takes the dreamer into a subconscious state of mind and then makes an effort to take the information out of the person. An experienced psychic can also enter the mind of the person who has seen the dream and talk to the individual about it.
“For this to work, the person who has seen the dream shall have to be in a completely relaxed state of mind and easy on his senses. This helps in organizing the mind, making the person aware of what is going inside, instead of what is happening around.
The tools that we use for this can range from candles to pendulums, and music. At times even just a calm conversation with the dreamer can help the cause” Rohit further added.
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The Language of Dreams
Dreams often speak in a language of symbols and metaphors, a language unique to each individual’s experiences and emotions. Interpreting dreams requires understanding this symbolic language and delving into the underlying emotions that give rise to these visions.
Common dream symbols, such as flying, falling, or being chased, hold universally recognized meanings. Flying might symbolize a desire for freedom or escape while falling could signify a lack of control or fear of failure.
These symbols, however, can manifest differently in each dreamer’s subconscious, making individual context vital to accurate interpretation.
Modern Approaches to Dream Analysis
Modern psychology has expanded upon Freud’s foundational work, offering various approaches to dream interpretation. Carl Jung, a contemporary of Freud, introduced the concept of the “collective unconscious.”
According to Jung, certain symbols and archetypes are shared across cultures and generations, reflecting innate human experiences. Analyzing dreams from a Jungian perspective involves exploring these universal symbols and their deeper psychological meanings.
Another approach, known as Gestalt therapy, emphasizes the holistic nature of dreams. Practitioners of Gestalt therapy encourage individuals to embody different elements of their dreams, gaining a deeper understanding of the emotional conflicts they represent.
Cognitive theories of dream interpretation focus on the brain’s processing of information during sleep. These theories suggest that dreams are a natural byproduct of cognitive processes, serving to organize and consolidate memories and experiences from the day.
Do Tarot cards help?
Tarot is a different form of divination. Using tarot in dream interpretation is possible, but it depends a lot on the type of tarot cards used and on the psychic. Tarot cards are also made of occult symbols, but they differ from dreams.
They could be used as a helping tool, but you cannot rely on them alone to interpret a dream. The real test of a psychic comes when he has to directly engage with the individual using only the body and the mind as tools to read the dream.
This form of interpretation is not common but is normally exploited only by an experienced psychic.
Spiritual Connection!
Spiritual power is nothing but a mind trained and perfected to the point where it can travel between a conscious and subconscious state at will. Spiritual powers cannot make their home in a disturbed mind.
To enter into that kind of state, where your mind cannot feel your conscious body, requires years of training and practice.
When you’re in that deep and calm state of mind, you hear nothing but your body breathing constantly. Proper interpretation of dreams requires deep knowledge of kabala i.e. language of occult symbols. Without knowledge of the occult, one may find it difficult to practice this art.
Effects on the psychic
Knowing the real essence and the meaning of your dream may prove an exciting experience for you, however, for the psychic it is a draining procedure; both physically and mentally.
The psychic who reads the dreams do undergo a lot of stress during the sessions, depending on the duration and intensity of the sessions. After extended reading sessions, a psychic might feel completely drained out of energy and may also complain of body fatigue and headaches.
When a psychic is taking sessions he is constantly pushing his brain to an area, which doesn’t work while fully conscious.
He also has to stay aware of his physical body or else he’ll feel sleepy and won’t be able to conduct the reading properly. The best way to overcome these difficulties is through regular meditation to make the inner senses stronger.
Most Common Dreams and their meaning
Snakes – Snake is related to hidden fears, it can also be quoted as an individual who is acting as a villain around the subject. It is also taken as a symbol of sexuality.
Lizards: – A person dreaming of lizards should be aware of all the circumstances and situations that he might encounter in the near future.
Fire: – It is a complicated symbol. The actual interpretation would depend on other symbols that appeared along with this. Fire means creativity, destruction, and also sudden change. It also denotes anger, rage, and an uncontrolled situation.
Being Chased: – This also can have multiple meanings to it! It might involve a situation that one might be trying to avoid and run away from, or moving away from a person he/she might not want to be with.
Can you learn it? Yes of course!
There are colleges that teach how to interpret dreams when you study Psychology. You can also learn the same via a short-term course in Hypnotherapy.
The most important of all, while you try to master this art, is to understand the language Kabalah i.e. the language of symbols and also a form of divination, e.g. tarot cards.
Our Take
Dream interpretation remains an art as much as a science, a captivating journey through the inner landscapes of the mind.
Whether approached from a psychological, cultural, or spiritual perspective, delving into the meanings behind our dreams unveils the intricate tapestry of human consciousness. As we embrace the enigma of dreams, we continue to unravel the mysteries of our own selves, one symbol at a time.
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Most of the time, one doesn’t recollect his dream 😳