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12. Dreams and their meanings
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Laboratory studies reveal that people experience their most vivid dreams during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.
During REM sleep the brain is very active, and the eyes move back and forth rapidly under the lids.
REM sleep occurs every 90 to 100 minutes, for progressively long periods, 3 to 4 times a night.
The sleep process allows the brain to sort out the events of the day, to put the various stresses in perspective and heal the brain and body and emotions from the day’s wear and tear.
So sometimes your dreams simply reflect what you have been focusing on during the day, and give you a vivid picture while your subconscious is busily “filing away” the facts and feelings of the day.
Have you ever spent the day playing a computer game, or completing crosswords, or spent many hours driving, and when you close your eyes to sleep, you can’t get the “picture” of what you saw while doing those things, out of your head?
Some dreams are what is called “organic” which simply means it has a biological cause, and could even have been the result of what you ate that evening.
Other times, your dreams may reflect issues that are worrying you, or that you sub-consciously need to “deal” with, even if you aren’t really aware of anything that may be troubling you.
Repetitive Dreams:
If you have a particularly persistent dream that is “bothering” you, try challenging it during the daytime.
Light a candle to help you focus your thoughts, and consciously relive the dream.
When you reach the disturbing part, take control and change the ending to a happier one.
Dream Journal:
Recording your dreams can give you valuable insights into the fabric of your dream life, tracing patterns that occur over time.
It can also bring unconscious thoughts and needs into focus.
Write down your dreams as soon as you wake, whether in the middle of the night, or first thing in the morning.
Dreams have a very elusive quality and tend to slip away almost immediately, so it is best to capture them as soon as possible.
Use your journal to work with a dream when you are awake. You need to recall and replay it in a relaxed and conscious state, as being at ease makes your intuition flow more freely. Try sitting or lounging on the bed.
Quiz the characters and places of the dream for answers to your questions: “Who are you? Why are you here? What are you trying to tell me?”
Go with the first answers that pop into your mind, and try to apply them to your current situation.
The dream’s meaning should start to come into focus.
Sometimes it takes a week or two of looking at a dream for its meaning to be digested and understood.
The many books available on dream analysis and interpretation may help you explore dream symbolism further.
Remember, dreams can be a vehicle for synthesizing ideas – people have been known to write great stories, compose beautiful music and solve scientific puzzles via their dreams, so recording them may lend inspiration for your future endeavors.
Dealing with bad dreams:
There are phases in everyone’s life when they may be subject to bad dreams and nightmares. It is helpful to try to take a cool look at what these dreams might mean in the light of the day.
Nightmares and fretful dreams often occur when life is in a state of upheaval. They may be due to anxiety about a current arrangement or the outcome of an upcoming event, or unresolved feelings or worries about yourself or other people.
The death of a loved one, illness, the end of a relationship, moving house, changing jobs, having a baby or getting married can all dredge up fears and anxieties.
Even if a change is positive, it may produce anxious dreams that relay fears about your ability to “move with the times”
Sometimes the bad dreams indicate the unconscious mind’s attempt to bring hidden fears to the conscious mind level, where they can be dealt with. In cases of long term stress, bad dreams can bring the unresolved issues causing the problem to the surface. If you can make sense of your dream, you can try to apply what you’ve learned to your waking life.
Dreams can be an early warning system – they let you know when you need to reassess and de-stress. If you wake frightened or unnerved after a bad dream, turn on the light and assure yourself that you are awake and unharmed. It can be helpful to jot down the dream, thus “removing” it from your mind and transferring it on to the paper.
If you have continual nightmares over a long period, you may wish to seek help from a therapist or counselor to explore the underlining causes.
Visualizing a protector to look over you while you sleep:
It can sometimes be very comforting to visualize a protective spirit or “guardian angel” before going to sleep. This could be any figure you feel will watch over you and keep you safe during the night.
Especially when you are feeling vulnerable, lonely, ill or troubled, it can be helpful to visualize the presence of someone who protects you as you sleep. This protector could be a traditional angel figure, or it could be a missed loved one such as a parent or grandparent. It could even be a strong animal – perhaps a bear or a cougar.
The following exercise will help you create a force field of light that surrounds you in your mind’s eye, with your angel or protector nearby.
Angelic Light visualization:
While in bed, relax completely, lying flat on your back. Rest your arms at your sides and take a few deep breaths.
Imagine a strong and powerful figure, one for whom you feel complete trust and friendship.
Visualize your protector’s features; talk to them, and feel their calming presence reassure you.
You may want to point out anything that is particularly bothering you, and know that your protector understands and wants what is best for you.
Now imagine your body surrounded by a pool of blue – white light that envelopes you completely with its beauty and serenity.
Let the light spread out to surround your bed, in pulsating waves of energy.
Know that the protector watches over you and the light, guarding your sleeping self and keeping you from harm.
Next: A-Z Interpret Dream Guide:
Click on this link to read the
A-Z Interpret Dreams Guide:
More About Dreaming
“The 'non-dreaming' sleep and the 'dreaming sleep'”
We sleep and we dream. But the sleeper has little knowledge about the activity of the brain during his sleep hours. The sleepy brain is preoccupied with the events and thoughts of the recent past when it was awake.
“Sleep, Thoughts, Worries and Fears”
Do you fall asleep immediately after entering bed or do thoughts and worries begin to flow into your mind, keeping your sleep away? Do you find it hard to stop them?
“Do Your Dreams Have a Hidden Meaning?”
Dreams come from your subconscious mind as a means of processing and sorting information.
“Interpret Common Dreams”
Just as every person in the world is different, so too are the billions of dreams that get dreamt every single day.
“What Specific Things Your Dreams Can Tell You About Health”
Your dreams can actually warn you which illnesses are about to invade your body. Dream experts have revealed that certain dreams can indicate your state of health, and often precede certain illnesses.
“Dreams and their meanings”
Dreams are expressions of thought, feelings, and awareness that are represented through the creation of sensory environments in our minds. Laboratory studies reveal that people experience their most vivid dreams during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.
“Control the Action in Your Dreams”
There exists a tribe of people known as the Senoi. They are destined to be famous for only one thing, since they have no great military strategists, no crime problems, serious health or addiction problems, no wars, and only minimal conflict in their own society.
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13. Common Sleep Disorder Overview
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