A dream is a work of art which requires of the dreamer no particular talent, special training, or technical competence. Dreaming is a creative enterprise in which all may and most do participate.” – Clark S. Hall
Dreams can be mysterious and powerful, but understanding the meaning of our dreams can be downright difficult. The content of our dreams can shift suddenly, feature bizarre elements or frighten us with unusual imagery. The fact that dreams can be so rich and compelling is what causes so many to believe that there must be some meaning to our dreams. While many theories exist to explain why we dream, no one yet fully understands their purpose, let alone how to fully interpret the meaning of dreams.
Despite this, dream interpretation has grown increasingly popular thanks to works by a number of authors who outlined techniques and ideas that anyone can use to interpret their own dreams. Today, consumers can purchase a wide variety of books that offer dream dictionaries, symbol guides and tips for interpreting and understanding dreams.
While research has not demonstrated a purpose for dreams, many experts believe that dreams do have meaning. ‘Meaning’ has to do with making connections to other variables in our lives that give dreams meaning. Furthermore, they are very revealing of what is on our minds. It has been shown that 75 to 100 dreams from a person can give one a very good psychological portrait of that individual. And it is almost as individualized and accurate as his or her fingerprints.
Dreams have fascinated artists, philosophers and researchers for thousands of years. However, it was not until fairly recently that dreams became the subject of serious scientific study. In his book “The Interpretation of Dreams”, Sigmund Freud, suggested that the content of dreams is related to wish fulfillment. Freud believed that the manifest content of a dream, or the actual imagery and events of the dream, served to disguise the latent content, or the unconscious wishes of the dreamer.
Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious
While Carl Jung shared some commonalities with Freud, he felt that dreams were more than an expression of repressed wishes. Jung suggested that dreams revealed both the personal and collective unconscious and believed that dreams serve to compensate for parts of the psyche that are underdeveloped in waking life. In contradiction to Jung’s assertions however, later research by Hall revealed that the traits people exhibit while they are awake are the same as those expressed in dreams.Dreams as a Cognitive Process
Calvin S. Hall proposed that dreams are part of a cognitive process in which dreams serve as ‘conceptions’ of elements of our personal lives. Hall looked for themes and patterns by analyzing thousands of dream diaries from participants, eventually creating a quantitative coding system that divided the content of dreams into a number of different categories.According to Hall’s theory, interpreting dreams requires knowing:
The actions of the dreamer within the dream
The objects and figures in the dream
The interactions between the dreamer and the characters in the dream
The dream’s setting, transitions, and outcome
The ultimate goal of this dream interpretation is not to understand the dream, but to understand the dreamer.
Dreams Often Feature Intense Emotions
One of the major characteristics of dreams is that the emotions experienced in dreams can be intense, painful and acute. The three most common emotions that become intensified by dreams are anxiety, fear and surprise.Dreams can show us our deepest joys and fears. Pointing out the thoughts and emotions that we may have tried to overlook and often giving us powerful insights! They can reveal communications from our Angels and Spirit Guides.
Join us for an adventure in dreaming in The Dream Interpretation Workshop with Apollo! In this class you will explore conscious dreaming as well as dream interpretation to learn how a dream’s meaning can lead to a better understanding of ourselves and the lives we live!
