Ever since I can remember. Well, let's say ever since I can remember having dreams. I have been fascinated by the whole process. As a child I can remember having wonderful dreams, and also dreams that frightened me and woke me up (nightmares).
As I have grown older I have grown more and more interested in the whole process of dreaming. Why do we dream? Why are some dreams terrifying? Why do we not always dream? And so on. It's an enormous subject, and one that is hardly understood even today, with massive research.
To understand why we dream, and to recognise the meaning of those dreams, plus understanding how, and if, we can use this knowledge in our daily lives, is in itself a dream for many people.
You can find many books on dreams, however mostly they do not really help us as they tend to influence our dreams themselves. These books, or rather the contents of these books find their way into the subconscious, where they enter our dreams in not always a beneficial way.
It is a reliably established scientific fact that everyone dreams. You may not think that you do sometimes, but it is just that you have forgotten your dream(s) as soon as you have woken. We do not always remember our dreams. If we did not dream we would soon be suffering from psychotic episodes and mental imbalance.
A myth that is commonly believed is that of dreaming the same dream over and over again. This does not happen. We may think that we are dreaming the same dream, when in fact there are many subtle differences. We remember the basic theme of the dream but not many of the details. Thus giving rise to the belief.
Nightmares are supposed to be harbingers of doom, or pending disaster, either personal, or more widespread. There is no conclusive proof of this, however nightmares are more common in children than adults, and surprisingly they often occur shortly before a child gets ill. And although everyone dreams, the frequency of dreams, as in number of dreams per night, decreases with age.
Interpreting dreams is an art, not an exact science. Dreams may mean many different things for the same symbols, and there are many different beliefs surrounding the meaning and symbolism of dreams. It is an important part of many primitive and tribal cultures' way of life. Using the interpretation of dreams, usually the dreams of shamans and elders, to make decisions for the whole tribe.
Dreams have played their part in religious traditions also. We only have to read The Bible to realise the important part that dreams play in many of the stories. God appears to many of the leaders of the day "in a dream" which is then usually acted upon.
Dreams do seem to link very much to the days events before the dream. So if you want to dream and remember it, you should think of dreaming during the day (this is not the same as daydreaming) and think of wanting to remember it.
Above all, never be afraid of dreams, adopt and embrace them, they can be a reservoir of aspiration, knowledge, and joy. Uniting the body, mind, and spirit.
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