Do Dreams Actually Mean Anything?

Trying to interpret dreams has been a practice for many years. People have been fascinated with what they think dreams might actually mean. Even in ancient cultures, they used to think that dreams had a spiritual or religious meaning behind them. Some cultures and people still believe that, while others believe that dreams actually have very little meaning.

Books on how to interpret dreams are widely available. And some mental health professionals use dream analysis in their practices. However, scientist still do not understand the precise reasoning behind dreaming, and if they actually do you mean anything. Although there has been no definitive answer on why we dream, and what dreams may actually mean for our lives, what we do know is the diving into dreams. Can be a very fascinating practice. Continue reading to learn more about if your dreams actually mean anything, and how to interpret them. 

Why do we dream? 

The jury is out on why we dream. Experts are not entirely sure of the purpose behind dreaming. There have been quite a few theories that have been generated that include emotional processing, memory, formation, generalization in cognitive performance, and actually having no purpose at all.

Some believe that dreams help us process really strong emotions that we have experienced throughout the day. People who are stressed are more likely to have upsetting dreams. People also can have recurring dreams about things that are stressing them out throughout their lives.

Parts of the brain that are in charge of memorization or active during sleep. This is why sleep is so important for memory and learning, because these things are consolidated throughout the night. Studies have shown that dream scenarios include different fragments of memory, including learning. So, no one is saying that you can read something go to sleep and remember it perfectly the next day, but there may be a role bedrooms play in helping you build those memories.

Also, another theory proposes that dreams are random and strange, in contrast to the repetitiveness of our daily lives. This can help us maintain a bigger, picture perspective, and avoid information overload.

And some researchers believe that there is no particular purpose to dreaming. It is just something that the body does, and that society has put a larger emphasis on that is really necessary.

Expert Opinions

There have been two primary psychological experts, have also delved into what dreams could potentially mean. One of those is Freud, who believed that individuals dream as a form of wish fulfillment. He fear is that people have many suppressed dreams and desires, and that the images that come up while they sleep or an expression of those desires that they have suppressed in their conscious state of mind.

Jung also believes some of what Freud said, but he believes that dreams allow people to compensate or explore complex symbols that were hidden in the unconscious, which he called archetypes. Archetypes that appear in dreams indicate parts of peoples individual personalities, that are balanced or under developed.

Common themes and what they could mean 

Although there is no agreement on the purpose behind dreams, sometimes there are common themes that people all over the world experience. This means that there has to be some sort of general social contribution to the development of dreams if people in remote areas of the world could have dreamed about the same things. There's no strong evidence to indicate dreams contain more symbolism other than types of thought.

However, some health practitioners still would like to use dreams as a way to analyze what is going on with the person with him they're working. If you are interested in interpreting your own dreams, then it may be necessary for you to really focus on your personal feelings towards that particular subject. Your association with people, places, and things that are special to you, may I really hope you understand the underlying meaning of your dreams. Here are some things that consistently pop up in dreams, and what they may mean. 

• Teething are falling out - This is a very common theme that some researchers believe are universal. This continues to stump researchers, but a leading theory about dreaming is that they reflect what is going on in our lives. Emotional stress could be contributing to the development of these dreams, or it could just be that dental pain is causing it. 
• Flying or falling - Flying can seem like a pleasant dream, and may even be considered a lucid dream. A lucid dream is a dream that feels so real and life like, like you are a part of the dream. Dreams about falling are often hypnopompic or hypnagogic, in that they happen during transitions from or to sleep, respectively. They can lead to hypnic jerks, which are not dangerous, but physiologic responses to the feeling of falling. 
• Being chased - Nightmares about being chased are common, and people are more likely to have these dreams after traumatic events or feeling anxiety. They can often lead to one waking from their sleep with their heart racing due to the sympathetic activation of their body.
• Death of a family member or friend - This dream can be so distressing that people can begin crying in their sleep. This could help one either cope with the death of a friend or family member that has passed, or be an expression about the anxiety that one may feel revolving death. These dreams can either be very distressing or comforting. 

Analyzing your dreams

Evidence suggests the dream imagery is related to an individuals experience. Therefore, there is no specific guide that can tell you how to interpret your dreams. The only person who can really interpret your dreams is you because who knows you better? If you are interested in interpreting your own dreams, somethings that you may do or focus on your own feelings, write it down, and talk to a professional if you ever feel that it gets a little too distressing. 

If you struggle with dreams that are bothersome, and want to better know what they mean, then please click the orange button below to take a free online sleep test and talk with one of our sleep health professionals. 

https://thesleepdoctor.com/dreams/dream-interpretation/