Dreams have been the subject of fascination ever since the first human closed their eyes. Some people can vividly remember childhood dreams, while others wake up and forget what they were dreaming about. There are some who have cliché dreams like falling, while others may dream about an oddly specific person or event.
Dreams occur due to REM sleep, or rapid eye-movement. In this sleep, brain activity is the highest it is while you sleep. If you wake up during REM, you may be able to remember your dream much easier, too. Your dreams may last for a good while, or for seconds, and you can have many dreams at night, many of them not making sense.
It makes sense why so many people want to know the meaning of their dreams. There has been debate among neuroscientists as to whether or not dreams have a meaning or not. Does that dream about you being naked hold any significance, or was it just a random movie playing in your mind? Maybe dreams offer a little bit of both. One way you can figure out whether your dreams have any meaning is through dream therapy.
Dream Therapy
Dream therapy involves you taking a journal or other device you can record with, and putting it next to your bed. When you wake up, you write down what dream you had. As dreams can quickly fade from memory, it’s important you transcribe the dream as soon as possible.
After that, you can look back at your dream and think about what it means. Bringing it to your therapist may be ideal as well, as they can help you determine if your dream is valuable or not.
What can Interpreting Your Dreams Tell You?
Dream interpretation can give you various benefits, including:
- Telling you how you feel. Some dreams give you an introspective look at what’s going on in your mind. Other dreams tell you how you feel about someone.
- The meaning of symbols. Sometimes, there are reoccurring symbols in dreams. If you notice this, you may wonder what they mean. While there is no answer, you can dive deep and figure it out.
- It’s good for the imagination and the creative process. Yes, some dreams may not have any underlying meaning, but they inspire creativity. You can write a story based off a dream, or get other ideas.
- Interpreting dreams may help inspire lucid dreaming, where you know you’re in a dream and can control the dream however you want.
- Interpreting dreams is good for caring for yourself. It inspires creativity and helps you when you’re chasing your own dreams.
Freud and Dreams
The theory of the meaning of dreams was popularized by Sigmund Freud. He was always focused on the unconscious, and he believed that dreams were the gateway into the unconscious mind and its desires. While some of Freud’s works have been debunked, this is one that is still hotly debated. Do dreams have meaning? Do they not? Is it a case by case basis?
We don’t know. And that can be a good thing. Having some mystery in our dreams can be a plus.
It’s Worth Trying
Again, dreams are something that is debatable when it comes to whether or not they have meaning, with both laymen and scientists not knowing for sure. However, dream therapy doesn’t have to be an exact science. It’s a form of art for many, or sort of like astrology. While it’s fun to look at your dreams and interpret them, you shouldn’t take them too seriously, either.
This is a featured post by site sponsor Better Help.
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