The Truth About Dreams
The Truth About
Dreams Vernon Coleman Dreams sometimes make
no sense whatsoever.Imagine that you have a huge skip - similar to one
of those ugly metal monstrosities which people hire when they have a lot of
rubbish to throw away, but much, much bigger. Now imagine that your skip is
filled with all the things you have ever possessed. Everything. Clothes, toys,
furniture, books, records. Everything has been mixed up thoroughly. Now you put
your hand into the skip and drag out three items. The first three items that you
touch. Those items will all relate to your life. They will have some meaning.
They may bring back memories. But they won't necessarily be connected.
That is exactly how your mind works and that is exactly how dreams
operate. Dreams do relate to past experiences and emotions. But the experiences
and emotions which have triggered the dream may be recent or they may be very
and they may, or may not, be connected. Professor Francis Crick, who won a
Nobel prize for his work on the structure of DNA, has claimed that when we dream
our brains are having a spring clean - getting rid of unwanted or unresolved
ideas, thoughts, information, plans and, most of all, emotions.That is
why interpreting dreams why only yo
and why it is so easy to produce an interpretation which is thoroughly useless
and inaccurate.Trying to isolate bits and pieces from the memory is an
impossible task - like trying to unravel a million balls of string. People
remember what happened, what they have read, what they have heard and what they
think they have read or heard - in a huge mess of memory. Tip toeing your way
through that mass of memories is an exceedingly difficult business.
***In an average sort of night the average sort of
person spends between one and two and a half hours dreaming. Heavy people spend
more time dreaming than thinner individuals. And many different foods are
reputed to produce better dreams. The two best known are cheese and
***When you go to bed tonight you will probably lie
awake for a few minutes before you fall asleep. Most people do. By and large the
older you are the longer it will take you to drop off.But falling asleep
isn't quite as simple as you might think it is.Once you've managed to
relax and get rid of the physical tensions and accumulated mental cares of the
day you'll slowly become more and more drowsy.Then, gradually, you'll
drift into a fairly light sleep and then, eventually, into a deep sleep that
will last for between 30 and 60 minutes. This whole pattern of drowsiness, light
sleep and deep sleep lasts for around 90 minutes before it starts all over
again.During an average sort of night's sleep you'll go through this
cycle four or five times.But after the first sleep cycle there's one
important difference. Each new cycle begins not with a period of simple
drowsiness but with a very special type of sleep during which your body will be
very relaxed but your brain will be buzzing.This is paradoxical sleep -
also known as Rapid Eye Movement or REM sleep for the simple reason that while
you're in it your eyes will move rapidly below your closed lids. There are other
physical changes which characterise REM sleep. The most important one is that
your heart will beat faster. The male penis often becomes erect.REM
sleep lasts for between 10 and 30 minutes at a time, and it's during REM sleep
that an insane, unstructured world where there are no rules
where nothing is impossible and where the limits of your
imagination are pushed beyond infinity.In your dreams you have total
power and no power at all. You can fly, you can walk through walls, you can walk
on water and you can speak a thousand tongues. But you cannot run when you are
you stand frozen in the face of death and you are rendered
speechless when help is just a call away.What are dreams?Do they
have a purpose?Sigmund Freud, the father of modern psychiatry claimed
that during our dreams our unconscious minds express our doubts, desires and
hidden wishes. He explained that in our dreams we use symbols of varying
obscurity to disguise our true feelings and he argued that most of our dreams
have some sexual significance. It is, he argued, our sexual fears and anxieties
which are the driving force behind our lives in dreamland. (Incidentally, for
the record, Sigmund Freud gave his first formal lecture on dreams on 14th May
1900. There were three people in the audience.)Over the last few years,
however, it has gradually become more and more clear that the truth isn't quite
as simple as Freud imagined.Your personality - and your circumstances -
have a greater influence on your dreams than Freud ever imagined. The truth is
that the psychoanalyst who doesn't know you well enough is likely to draw
dangerously inaccurate conclusions from your dreams.The person best
equipped to `read' your dreams - and draw meaningful, useful conclusions - is
the person who knows you best. And that's you.By studying your dreams
carefully you should be able to make some sense out of what may seem, on the
surface, to be a psychological rag bag of emotions, experiences and imaginary
happenings.Keep a notebook and pencil by the side of your bed and write
your dreams down whenever you can. Keep a record and look for recurring themes.
You'll be amazed at what you'll be able to learn about yourself, your ambitions,
your hopes, your fears and your anxieties. On the pages which follow there are
some key guidelines designed to help you unravel your dreams successfully.
***You may think that you never dream. You may never be
aware of your dreams.But you almost certainly do have a dream
life.Recordings of human brain waves show that we all go into dream mode
when we fall asleep.But we're only aware of our dreams - and only able
to remember them - if we happen to wake up while we are still in REM
sleep.If you regularly wake up at other points in your sleep cycle -
when you're in deep sleep or light sleep for example - you'll be totally unaware
of what has happened during the periods you spent in REM sleep.
***Freud claimed that dreams always had a sexual
theme.If you dreamt of anything tall, long, thin, hard or pink he'd
claim that you were thinking of the make sexual organ...If you dreamt of
anything wet, warm, soft, hollow, tubular or receptive he'd claim that you were
thinking of the female sexual organ...If you dreamt of anything round,
ball shaped or globular he'd claim that you were thinking of the female
breast...If you dreamt of a gun firing, a voting paper being pushed into
a ballot box, a train entering a tunnel, a wave breaking on the shore, a climber
scrambling up a mountain or a runner breaking the tape he'd claim that you were
thinking of sexual intercourse...If he couldn't think of a sexual
explanation for your dream Freud (who was obsessed with sex) would explain it
away by saying that you were sexually repressed.
***Your dreams can tell you a lot about the inner
workings of your mind.If you have difficulty in remembering your
dreams:* write down what you do remember - you'll find that as you write
things down so more and more details will become clear.* keep your
notebook and pencil by the side of your bed so that you can write your dreams
down without getting up - the more you move about the quicker the memories of
your dreams will disappear.* don't strain too much to remember a dream -
if you chase a dream it will be as elusive as a rainbow.* if you find it
difficult to write down your dreams try drawing or painting them.* set
your alarm clock for 90 minute intervals throughout the night - or vary the time
of your morning `call' - the chances are that this way you'll manage to wake up
either during or immediately after a dream. Remember that if you don't wake up
during a dream you won't remember it.
***You should look for the unexpected in your
dreams.While you are in REM sleep, your mind will move at lightning
speed - jumping from one thought to another at a tremendous pace.This
inevitably means that thoughts, ideas and images trigger off an endless variety
of new thoughts, ideas and images.The result can be that when you wake
up you may find yourself dreaming of something bizarre and apparently
inexplicable.The chances are, however, that if you look hard enough you
will find an explanation!To see just how your mind works when you are
dreaming try a simple `word association' experiment.Think of a fairly
simple word for example.Let's try SHOE.Now, working as quickly
as you can, say out loud the other objects or thoughts that this word reminds
you of.So, you might end up going something like this:SHOE,
FOOT, HEEL, ANKLE, JOINT, MEAT, BUTCHER, MURDERER.Within the space of a
few seconds you've moved from a fairly harmless item of footwear to a
frightening image of a killer.All this may make you suspect that you'll
never understand your dreams. But don't give up! Unravelling associations and
following the trail back to the thought which inspired your dream won't always
be easy - but it's often rewarding and fascinating.
***Dreams aren't just built out of word
associations.Sometimes dreams can be created out of outrageous puns or
out of everyday sayings.If you are washing your hair in a dream you may
be trying to forget a man who's played an important part in your life (`I'm
going to wash that man right out of my hair').If someone is attempting
to strangle you in a dream could it be because he (or she) is a pain in the neck
in real life?If you dream of jumping into a swimming pool then maybe you
are apprehensive about a new job or new responsibilities (`jumping in at the
deep end').If you dream of being in a small, unstable boat then maybe
you are conscious of - and perhaps worried by - the fact that you've been
`rocking the boat'.
***The late Dr Christopher Evans conducted a number of
surveys into the dream habits of men and women. His results - and conclusions -
were described at some length in his book Landscapes of the
Night.Here are some of the conclusions he reported:* 11% of
men and 8% of women say that they dream only once a month.* 13.1% of men and
8.7% of women say that they dream once a week.* 26.8% of men and 22.3% of
women say that they dream 2 or 3 times a week.* 14.6% of men and 15.4% of
women say that they dream once a night.* 34.4% of men and 44.9% of women say
that they dream several times a night.* 79.6% of men and 72.4% of women say
that - on the whole - they enjoy their dreams.* 4.2% of men and 8.6% of
women have nightmares often.* 72% of men and 72.3% of women have nightmares
occasionally.* 22.8% of men and 13.3% of women never have nightmares.*
66% of men and 78% of women have dreams which clearly portray anxiety.* 27%
of men and 40% of women have dreams which involve the sea.* 53% of men and
59% of women have dreams in colour.* 85.7% of men and 72.1% of women have
sexual dreams.* 26.4% of men and 31.6% of women claim to have dreams about
the future which come true.* 67% of men and 75% of women have recurring
dreams.* 27% of men and 38% of women dream about famous people.* 49% of
men and 44% of women have dreams of violence.* 71% of men and 76% of women
have dreams of falling.* 69% of men and 75% of women dream that they are
being chased.* 38.9% of men and 43.4% of women hear music in their
dreams.* 57% of all people questioned said that they regarded dreams as
helpful or beneficial in some way (presumably, either through liberating or
exposing unconscious fears).(NB these figures don't always add up to
100% because some people never dream - or didn't answer the relevant questions.)
***Since Freud started to analyse our dreams nearly a
century ago scores of researchers and authors have published books and
scientific papers on the subject. Medical libraries contain shelves full of
dream analyses.There are, inevitably, an apparently endless number of
dream themes. While we are in REM state sleep the human imagination knows no
boundaries - there are no impossibilities.But some themes do recur time
and time again. I have compiled a list of the 25 most popular dream themes and
I've included my analyses of what these dreams most commonly mean.You'll
see from my comments that it isn't always easy to draw specific conclusions from
a dream - there are often several possible interpretations.To find out
what your dreams mean you need to understand something about your life, your
problems and the way your mind works. The more you get to know yourself the
better you will be able to interpret your dreams successfully.And maybe
that is one of the big advantages of studying your dreams: gradually you will
learn and understand more and more about your own fears, anxieties and
attitudes.To analyse your dreams successfully you need to be a bit of a
psychiatrist and a bit of a detective. Neither profession demands more than a
little patience, a little basic common sense and a little
curiosity.1. SexualSexual dreams are probably the simplest to
understand. They do, however, vary enormously in their content. Some are merely
mildly others, however, are overtly, outrageously lusty. It
is not at all uncommon for dreamers to create pornographic scenes which produce
blushes when remembered.One very respectable lady reported that while
she was pregnant (and unable to have sex for medical reasons) she regularly
dreamt that she took part in sexual orgies with the members of her husband's
local cricket team. The orgies seemed to last all night and the lady reported
afterwards that during each dream she had sex with every member of the team -
apart from her husband.Some dreams are far less satisfying than this.
For example, one woman reported that she had an enduring sexual fantasy in which
she was approached each night by a handsome hunk of a man who regularly turned
into dust every time he took her into his arms.Sexual scenes in which a
woman dreams that she is raped by one or more men are also fairly
common.The pregnant woman's dream was inspired simply by her sense of
sexual frustration. In her real life she was not allowed to have sex with her
husband so in her dream life she sought satisfaction with every male apart from
her husband.The woman whose dream lover turned to dust was probably
re-enacting unhappy live affairs of the past in which anticipated love affairs
turned to nothing.And the women who dream that they are raped are almost
certainly struggling to balance their natural sexual feelings with attitudes
towards sex which they have learned from parents, teachers or religious leaders.
A woman who dreams that she is raped doesn't really want to be raped, of course.
But, in dreamland, rape seems to offer an ideal solution: she can have sex - and
even enjoy it - without taking any responsibility for her actions. 2.
Falling or flyingSome people find dreams in which they can fly
exhilarating. Others find them terrifying.Frequently dreamers `see'
themselves plunging headlong down a ski slope. Then the slope turns into a cliff
edge. And they find themselves flying.Other dreamers may find themselves
falling out of an aeroplane without a parachute or taking a trip over the
Niagara Falls. It抯 also fairly common for dreamers to fall off mountains or out
of windows. In some cases the fall seems to be inspired purely by gravity. In
others the dreamer discovers that she can fly.There are some strange
variations on this general theme. For example, one dreamer reported that
although she could fly very easily in her dreams she could never manage to get
more than a few feet off the ground. This meant that she had to be very careful
to avoid trees, telegraph wires and other obstacles.Another dreamer
reported that the earth seemed to have lost its gravitational pull and she could
`walk' in great bounding leaps - bouncing along like an astronaut on the
moon.Interpreting these dreams can be very difficult.Successful
flying is usually regarded as a dream analogy for sex. And it may be. If you are
nervous about flying then maybe this is merely a sign that you are nervous about
some expected sexual encounter. If, however, you really enjoy your flying then
maybe you like sex a lot - and want more of it.But I don't think that
flying is always inspired by sexual feelings. There are many other possible
explanations.It may be, for example, that you feel that your whole life
is `taking off'. Perhaps you don't want to come down to earth. Maybe you have
your head in the clouds. Or could it be that you want to get away from
everything, to get on top of your problems?If you are falling rather
than flying in your dream then this may imply that you feel that your life is
getting out of control. You could, perhaps, have jumped in at the deep end.
Maybe you're having second thoughts about some decision you've made. Perhaps
you're falling out of favour with someone who is important to
you.Finally, it's worth remembering that some psychologists who have
studied dreams do claim that sometimes there can be very prosaic explanations
for dreams of this type. The sense of falling or flying can, they say, simply be
triggered off by nothing more complicated or sophisticated than a bout of
indigestion after a heavy late night meal. 3. Running away - and/or
being chasedI suspect that everyone is familiar with this
dream.In one of the commonest variations on this theme the dreamer finds
herself struggling to run. But somehow she doesn't seem to be moving. Her legs
are moving but her body is standing still. It is as though she was standing on a
moving pavement or running in deep sand.Sometimes the agony is
heightened by the fact that close behind someone is chasing. The only cheerful
news is that the person who is chasing never catches up.It isn't
difficult to find explanations for this type of dream. Just look carefully at
your life.Maybe you feel that you are stuck in a rut? Maybe you want to
go on to do something else with your life but you feel that you are being held
back by someone or something?Perhaps your life is unfulfilling and too
restrictive?Perhaps you really want to break free from your
chains?Once you've identified the reason for the dream you can decide
whether you want to take hold of your life and change it - or whether you prefer
to accept the restrictions and accompanying frustrations rather than take the
inevitable risks involved in making a break.4. NakednessWhen
you find yourself naked in your dreams it is invariably in the most public and
most humiliating of circumstances.You may suddenly find yourself sitting
on a lavatory in the middle of a crowded railway station. Or wandering stark
naked in a busy department store. Or struggling to cover yourself with your
hands while pedestrians point at your nakedness in the street.Often
dreamers find themselves appearing quite naked at parties where everyone else is
formally dressed. They may look around and see that they recognise many of the
other party goers. Embarrassed and humiliated the dreamer finds herself fixed to
the spot. Her friends and acquaintances look down their noses at
her.Dreams of this kind usually suggest that you feel inferior or
incompetent in some way. If there are specific recognisable faces in the crowd
then those are the people who make you feel inferior.Quite rarely
dreamers may find that they enjoy being naked in their dreams. They do not feel
embarrassed at all but, on the contrary, flaunt their nakedness.Dreams
of this kind suggest that you have gained confidence and feel sure of yourself.
5. RoyaltyThe Queen commonly appears in her subjects dreams.
Usually she is dressed in her full regalia - with the crown fixed firmly on her
head.Think carefully about how you responded to her presence. And then
realise that the Queen (or whichever member of the royal family it was) was
almost certainly representing someone who plays or has played an important role
in your life.So, for example, the Queen may represent one or both of
your parents. Or she may represent your boss at work or a teacher at
school.Your attitude towards the royal presence reflects your attitude
towards the individual whom she represents.Were you frightened of her?
Or did you find, to your pleasant surprise, that you got on with her very
well?Finally, and rarely, some dreamers see themselves as royalty. This
usually suggests a rather inflated self-opinion I'm afraid - though it may
simply reflect your feeling that you deserve to be treated with more respect by
those around you. 6. Finding moneyIn one remarkably common
dream the dreamer is standing in a telephone kiosk. Suddenly the coin box starts
to spurt money. Within seconds there is money all over the floor of the
telephone box.There are many variations on this rather bizarre
theme.The money may come from a bank or from a parcel or from just about
any other source.This dream really isn't very difficult to
unravel.It usually suggests that you are short of money - and are
dreaming of a windfall. 7. Love affairA dream love affair is
very different to dream sex.Dream sex is usually purely physical -
lustful rather than loving. A sign of need for physical rather than emotional
satisfaction.On the other hand a dream love affair is usually a sign of
a need for greater emotional contact and support.If you have a dream
love affair then it usually suggests that your current relationship lacks the
warmth that you need.Do not be too startled if your `dream' partner
turns out to be someone whom you know but don't really fancy in real life. It is
the existence of the relationship, rather than the choice of partner, which is
significant. 8. Missing a trainYou can see it in the
distance. It starts to move out of the station. You run faster. The train starts
to pick up speed. You are running as fast as you can move. You reach out. You
just manage to grasp the door handle. You open the train door. You're about to
climb aboard. But the train has picked up too much speed. You cannot get
aboard.Breathless, you stand and watch as the train pulls away without
you. The train can, of course, be a plane, bus or boat.What does it
mean?It is, after all, a common enough dream. It can mean several
things.It can mean that you don't have confidence in a current plan or
project. It can mean that you are worried about failure (`missing the boat').
And it can mean that in your heart you may feel that a current project may not
be worth all the effort. Do you want to `get away from it all' - or would you
really rather things stayed as they are?If you catch the train (or boat,
or bus, or plane) then you are probably feeling fairly confident about your
plans for the future.9. Stars and personalitiesIf your dream
is populated with famous people - film stars, TV celebrities and well-known
politicians - there can be many explanations. It may be that you would
like to move in more exciting circles. Perhaps you find your life rather drab
and uninteresting. Maybe you would like to add a little sparkle to your daily
activities. Your dream may be nothing more than a pleasant form of fantasy
escapism.Think carefully about how you responded to the famous people in
your dream. If you treated them as equals then that suggests that your self
confidence is high. If, on the other hand, you felt very inferior in your dream
then that suggests that your self esteem is low.Finally, don't forget
that famous people can find their way into your dreams simply because they are
famous. The people in your dreams have to have faces. If their behaviour is
relatively insignificant then the identities of the people in your dream is
insignificant too. 10. BoatsDreams about boats are
commonplace. To learn anything from your dream you must remember a little more
about the boat. Was it floating happily and comfortably? Were you enjoying
yourself?If so then that suggests that you are happy with your
life.If, on the other hand, the boat was sinking or leaking then you may
feel `all at sea'.And if the boat was rocking try to work out who was
causing the rocking? Who, in other words, was `rocking the boat'?(Puns
really do play an important part in your dreams). If you can identify the person
who was rocking the boat then you may be able to learn a little more about your
real life. 11. DeathDreams about death and dying aren't
always gloomy.If you dream that you are dying then you may simply be
looking forward to a new beginning, a rebirth, a new life. Perhaps you are about
to start a new job or maybe a new relationship has just begun.If you
dream that someone who is close to you is dying then that may suggest that you
are worried about losing the person you are dreaming of from your life.A
dream about being buried may mean that you feel that you are being held back or
`buried' by drudgery or daily responsibilities. You may feel that you are being
dominated or repressed in some way. 12. CrowdsIf you dreamt
that you were in a crowd then the chances are high that all the other members of
the crowd were simply different facets of your personality.We all
contain numerous different aspects to our personalities. We can be optimistic
and pessimistic, cheerful and gloomy, greedy and generous.Think
carefully about the crowd you were in. Was one particular person in the crowd
dominant? Were there any disputes in the crowd?If so then you may be
able to `see' the various parts of your personality warring with one another.
You may learn a great deal about your attitude to life.13. Historical
scenesThere are no time barriers in dreams. You may find yourself living
in another century - backwards or forwards in time.You may even find
that you can move through the years with great ease.One dreamer reports
that in her dreams she regularly finds herself watching the days of a calendar
fly off as the days pass by.By itself time travel is of little
significance but the fact that you have chosen, in your dream, to live in
another time may suggest that you are unhappy with your present circumstances
and would like to escape. You may have chosen another period in history because
you find the rules and mores current and more acceptable. You may find a
different time in history more romantic or more exciting. 14.
LeavingIt抯 common for dreamers to imagine that they are leaving someone
or something.And there can be great significance in this.Maybe
there is someone - or something - in your life that you want to get away
from.You may be fed up with your job.Or a relationship may have
floundered irretrievably.As with most dreams the `leaving' dream is more
significant if it occurs regularly.A one off leaving dream may simply
suggest a temporary unhappiness or dissatisfaction. But if the dream recurs
regularly then it suggests a more chronic, long term unhappiness.15.
WaterDreams in which large amounts of water play an important part -
seas, lakes and so on - are not at all unusual.Sometimes those who dream
in this way have a fear or dislike of water and, in particular, of
drowning.Sometimes the water is present only because it allows free
movement - and in a dream free movement is vital. If your dreams take place on
the sea or on a lake it may well be that the specific circumstances (e.g.
whether or not you are in a boat and the identities of and relationships with
your companions) may be important. 16. ViolenceDreams in
which violence takes place occur frequently. Often there is pain and blood too.
Sometimes the violence comes from a wild animal, sometimes from an unidentified
but human attacker, sometimes from an identifiable human attacker and sometimes
from a monster of some kind. In some dreams the violence is mixed up with sexual
experiences or threats.Often the dream can be explained by a specific
and acknowledged fear - inspired, maybe, by some real experience or by a film or
book.So, for example, after horror films have been shown on television
it is very common for otherwise healthy and normal individuals to have bizarre
dreams in which monsters based on those which appeared in the horror film take
part.The craze for supernatural films, which reached a peak a few years
ago, inspired thousands of nightmares.Sometimes violence in a dream is
inspired by feelings of guilt. The violence is a punishment that is expected and
may even be regarded as deserved. For example, someone who has been taught that
sex is evil may suffer from violent dreams after enjoying a forbidden sexual
relationship. 17. MaggotsIf you have a dream in which
writhing maggots play a significant part then you should look at your life very
carefully.There may be some part of your own personality which you find
repulsive. The maggots may represent the part of you that you think of as
rotting. Maybe you feel guilty about something that you have done - or not done.
You may have acted dishonestly - or covered up the dishonest actions of
others.Alternatively, the writhing maggots may represent a scandal in
which you were involved - a scandal which may not have become public. You may be
aware that there is something rotten in your life. 18.
FilmsDreams are often based on films. Obviously the nature of your dream
will depend upon the nature of the films you normally watch. If you love films
by obscure French directors then the chances are that your dreams will involve
scenes and characters from those films. Similarly, if you watch a lot of
romances then your dreams may involve romantic films.The chances are,
however, that the film will merely provide the backcloth for your own actions.
To `read' your dream properly you must look carefully at your own actions - and
the actions of those around you. 19. ParentsOur parents play
a very important part in our lives. But they do not always appear in a
straightforward way in our dreams.In a dream you may see your parents as
royalty or as figures of authority.Alternatively if your parents do
appear in your dreams they may represent individuals who have some power over
you.Often, however, when your parents appear in your dreams they are
there because you are struggling to overcome some conflict with them - or with
your conscience.If you have done something which you suspect that your
parents would disapprove of then they may appear in a dream to tell you off or
punish you in some way. 20. PartiesIf you find yourself
dreaming of stuffing yourself with rich foods and wines then you be
subconsciously aware that you are behaving in a greedy way in some respect of
your life.Maybe you are taking too much out of a relationship - and not
putting enough back in.Or if you find yourself at a party where everyone
else is eating and drinking but you have nothing to eat or drink then you may
feel emotionally deprived in some way.Your dream may show that while
everyone else seems to be satisfied you are left frustrated and starved of
affection.In dreamland food and drink often represent emotional rather
than physical needs. 21. TravelIf you are for ever dreaming
of travelling then you are probably dissatisfied with your present life. You
want to get away and try something new.You should be able to find out
from your dreams exactly what it is that you are trying to escape from. Try to
`see' what you are leaving behind when you go on your travels.You should
also be able to tell whether or not your travels look like being
successful.Try to remember whether you arrived safely at your
destination. 22. DoctorsSometimes, just sometimes, when you
dream of visiting a doctor, or dream of being ill, it is a sign that there is
something wrong with your health.Your mind can work in very mysterious
ways and if you dream of visiting a doctor then it may mean that there is
something wrong with you that you are not yet aware of in your waking
life.More often, however, a dream about a doctor or a hospital will mean
that you are worried (perhaps unnecessarily) about your health or about the
health of someone who is close to you.These worries may be based on
genuine physical symptoms and fears but they may also be inspired by emotional
fears or a sense of personal inadequacy. 23. AnimalsAnimals
appear a lot in our dreams.You may be the animal occasionally. If so
what sort of animal were you? Cats tend to represent feminine instincts whereas
dogs represent male attitudes. More important than the animal you appeared as
how did you behave? Were you aggressive? In search of affection? Lonely? The
emotions you experienced are more important than your physical
manifestations.Could the animal represent a friend - or, more commonly
perhaps, an enemy?Whatever the animal is you should pay more attention
to what it does - and how you behave towards it - than its physical form.
24. BlindnessIn some of the most frightening of dreams the
dreamer will lose her sight - and be unable to find her way
around.Rather than suggesting a genuine fear of blindness this type of
dream usually suggests that the dreamer has begun to lose her way in life and is
uncertain of what to do next.25. GardensIf you dream about
working in a garden then you are probably making plans for the future -
particularly if you are planting seeds or nurturing new plants.If,
however, the plants in your garden are dying then this may suggest that you have
great fears both about the present and the future. You may be worried about what
is happening in your life.
***Dreams can sometimes lead to real life
tragedies.Thirty-four-year-old Colin Kemp dreamt that he was fighting
Japanese soldiers - and struggling for his life.When he woke up his
beloved wife Ellen was dead. He'd strangled her in his dream.Such
bizarre and frightening consequences are not uncommon when dreams become
exceptionally frightening or violent.Albert Cole-Bowyers spent four
years as a Japanese prisoner of war. He was tortured with sharpened bamboo
poles.His horrific experiences gave him such violent nightmares that for
forty years he attacked his wife while re-living the past.Eyes staring
he would throw his wife, Jane, to the bottom of the bed and jump on her. As a
result Jane had to have a disc removed from her spine. For over 30 years she had
to wear a steel brace on her back.Another dream victim woke up to find
her husband's hands around her throat. They'd been to see a science fiction film
and he'd dreamt that his life was in danger. He believed that he was cornered
and fighting for survival.Women aren't always the victims,
however.One woman tried to kill her husband believing that he was a TV
soap opera villain!
***Hundreds of eminent scientists, writers and
businessmen have confirmed that they have had some of their best and most
important ideas while fast asleep - in dreamland.If you've got a big
problem and you really can't find a solution try thinking about your problem
just before you go to sleep. Try not to get too involved or else you may find it
difficult to fall asleep.While you're apparently asleep your mind will
play around with all the possible answers - and may come up with some
spectacular solutions.While you are asleep your mind is uncluttered with
conscious thoughts. There are no doorbells or telephones to ring and no hunger
pains to distract you. Your mind can get on with solving problems unemotionally
sifting through all the possible solutions like a
computer.Novelists claim that they've extricated themselves from
impossible plots while in dreamland. And scientists often report that they've
been able to `dream up' wonderfully simple solutions to apparently insoluble
***Dream researchers have found that many people can
choose what they dream about.All you have to do to dictate the content
of your dream is to concentrate on the scene or individual that you'd like to
dream about.As you fall asleep try to make sure that the last thing on
your mind is the thing you want to dream about.There is, however, one
snag.Although you may be able to decide the basic content of your dream
you won't be able to plan what happens!And remember too that in
dreamland there are no rules. In your dreams the dead can speak and the living
can fly.Your plans for a night of passion with the super star hero of
your dreams could easily turn into something very different...
***Ever since the stories of Joseph (the owner of the
coat of many colours) were first made public thousands of people have claimed
that they've `seen' the future in their dreams.But dreamers' claims have
never been taken very seriously.Joseph's brothers scoffed when he told
them that one day they would bow down to him.And today's dreamers are
usually dismissed as cranks or publicity seekers.But our dreams about
the future could contain more truths than we are prepared to
admit.Growing numbers of scientists are now prepared to admit that
premonitions may be just as real as vision and hearing. Copyright
Vernon Coleman January 2007