Why dreams?
Why not? Everyone dreams! It’s part of life. And they’re entertaining, mysterious and meaningful. Sometimes scary. Sometimes full of joy. Why ignore such a big part of your life?
Why do we dream?
It seems like we’re built to dream, since it is the other side of sleeping. Our ego consciousness and our body need to turn off and recharge during sleep. That’s when our imaginative right-brain symbolic consciousness can be experienced fully. Our left-brain rational, linear thinking often can’t see or name what’s going on, but our right-brain imagination does know. And so we have to dream to let it have its say.
Is understanding your dreams important?
I would say definitely yes! Your dreams are your private movie theater, showing you the alternative reality of your life, a story reality about all factors that shape your life – family, lovers, friends, work, ideas, longing, fears, struggles. Dreams engage you in a virtual reality of your own life story, a larger, deeper picture than what your ego sees and understands. Once you’re conscious of that bigger story, you have a better sense of what you need and want in your life. Your dreams help you reflect on your life to live more deeply and fully.
Why don't dreams make sense?
Yes, dreams certainly can be weird and strange. I’ve heard about and personally had a lot of strange dreams. But the only reason they’re incomprehensible is because we don’t understand the language dreams speak in. Dreams speak in the language of symbols, metaphors and images.
What is symbolic language?
Remember The DaVinci Code? How the professor’s understanding of symbols helped him solve the mystery? Dreams speak to you in symbolic language, the symbolic language of metaphors. This symbolic language is our original language, the language of how we imagine the world into being as children. Although we’ve forgotten how to understand it, we can learn it again. Once you understand symbolic language, you can discover the dream’s meaning and get insights into your life. Insights that are uniquely yours and which can change your life.
I never dream. Is something wrong?
No, there’s nothing wrong with you! You’re probably an extravert, meaning that your energy is more concerned with the outer world than with your inner world. That means as soon as you wake up your attention is fixed on the outer world, rather than on the dream. Extraverts dream, they just don’t remember them as well as Introverts, who are more subjective and inward looking.
Why should I write down my dreams? I can usually remember them.
There are many reasons for writing down your dreams. Unless they’re what we call ‘big dreams’, you’ll probably forget them over time. Having a record of your dreams also gives you a bigger picture of basic themes that run through your life so that you can see how you’ve changed over the years. It’s a record of your inner life.
Why do I have recurring dreams?
Everyone has recurring dreams. Children dream of things that scare us or intrigue us or frustrate us. Have you ever had a dream when you couldn’t remember your locker combination? Or when you’re running away from a stranger? Or when you discover you’re back in high school and have a test that you haven’t studied for? These dreams show us where we get stuck in our lives. Not because we can’t remember our locker combination, but because we can’t remember how to access much needed knowledge.