Understanding Your Dreams
By: Ken Asselin
The meaning of dreams has been of interest to mankind throughout
history. Dreams come to us in a variety of forms that range from
frightening to erotic. We experience images, sounds, sensations,
and voices in our dreams that we are unable to influence or
control. Do our dreams have special meanings? Are they brought
on by incidents that have affected our lives today or possibly
sometime in the past?
There are many theories why we dream, where in the brain dreams
originate, or even why dreams occur at all. It is not clear what
the neurological cause is, or in what phase of sleep dreaming
takes place. Many believe dreams are reflections of the
unconscious and some that they are predictions of the future or
even messages from God. Dreams often inspire artistic and other
forms of inspiration. Many dreams of a bizarre or strange nature
have been interpreted by some as divine gifts, messages from the
past, or predictions of the future.
According to most scientists dreams occur with equal frequency
in most people. The ability to recall the dream varies greatly
with individuals however. Most dreams it is believed occur
during the (REM) sleep, which is a form of sleep that is
experienced in the latter portion of the sleep cycle.
According to http://www.wicipedia.org , both Sigmund Freud and
Carl Jung identify dreams as an interaction between the
unconscious and the conscious. Jung argued that the dream's
bizarre quality is an efficient language, comparable to poetry
and uniquely capable of revealing the underlying meaning. While
Freud felt there was an active censorship against the
unconscious even during sleep. They both agreed that the
unconscious mind is the dominant force of the dream.
Lucid Dreams Many books, charts, dream dictionaries, and even
dream software programs are available today for those wishing to
understand the meaning of their dreams. The most popular and by
far the most intriguing books are about lucid dreaming. A lucid
dream is one where the dreamer recognizes they are in a dream
and can take control of it. Lucid dreamers have the power to
control their dreams and are capable of creating many fantasies
such as making new objects appear, change their form, or even
fly. There are many forms of lucid dreams, having in common the
fact that at some point in the dream the dreamer recognizes the
experience as a dream. While lucid dreaming has been proven to
exist, frequent lucid dreaming requires much practice and
dedication. Many people practice specific techniques of lucid
dreaming for personal or spiritual purposes.
For more information about dreams and their meanings, a complete
A to Z free dream dictionary, and an outstanding book about
lucid dreams, visit The The Dream Dictionary at:
http://www.dreams.budsbestbuys.com