A word about dream analysis and interpretation
It is quite likely that dreams have existed for as long as their
have been humans to dream them. Dreams are an integral part of
the human experience, and every person dreams at least four
times, and as many as seven times, each and every night for
their entire lives. It is even thought that unborn babies dream
while they are still in the womb.
With such an important place in human history, it is no wonder
that dream interpretation has such a long and storied history.
Everyone wants to know what his or her dreams mean, and dream
interpretation and analysis is likely as old as dreams
themselves.
The interpretation and analysis of dreams is known to go back at
least as far as 3000-4000 B.C., since a number of stone tablets
containing dream interpretations have been discovered by
archeologists.
People in primitive societies were often thought to make no
distinction between the world of dreams and the waking world.
Indeed, many people thought of the dream world as more real than
the physical one, and thought that the world encountered in
dreams was merely an extension of the physical world.
Many ancient peoples thought of the dream world as the time when
the soul left the body to commune with the world of the spirits.
It was thought that the soul departed the body each night, and
visited the world of the ancestors. During this time the
dreamer's soul was gathering knowledge and wisdom from departed
ancestors, both recent and ancient.
In other societies, those who could interpret and analyze dreams
were held in very high regard, and given a special place in
their societies. The Romans and Greeks in particular paid much
attention to the analysis of dreams, and they used the analysis
of dreams to determine the best course of action in matters
ranging from politics to warfare.
The ancient Egyptians as well saw knowledge, power and
spirituality in dreams, and gave those who could analyze and
interpret them an honored place in the world. The ancient
Egyptians often saw dreams as a way for the gods to communicate
with the mortal world, and those dream messages were taken very
seriously.
Many societies placed special emphasis on dreams that were seen
to be prophecies. The dreams of generals on the eve of battle
were given special analysis, and those interpretations often
figured into the decisions made on the battlefield.
The ancient and modern world are both full of dreams seen to be
prophetic. The Bible in particular is a rich source of
information on all kinds of dreams and prophecies, and there are
many dreams and interpretations of dreams contained within the
pages of the Bible. The prophets of the Old Testament often
consulted with dream interpreters for advice on politics,
warfare and other relationships.
During the early part of the 19th century, the interpretation of
dreams fell out of favor, and dreams were given little
significance during that time. During this period of time,
dreams were thought to be the result of bad food, indigestion,
anxiety or even noises in the night.
Later in the 19th century, however, Sigmund Freud would start
his psychiatric practice and revolutionize the interpretation of
dreams. Freud's work on dreams is still considered a seminal
work even today, and many of Freud's theories of dream
interpretation are still studied and followed over a century
later.