Dreams and their interpretation
Dream interpretation as an actual profession goes back at least
as far as ancient Greek and Roman society, but informal dream
interpretation is likely as old as dreaming itself. There is
good reason to believe that people have been experiencing dreams
as long as their have been people, and we know that dreams and
their interpretation date back at least as far as 3000-4000 B.C.
We know that because the interpretations of various dreams were
recorded on stone tablets and found later by archeologists.
Many scientists and anthropologists believe that ancient peoples
were unable to distinguish the difference between the real, or
physical world, and the dream world, or the world of the
unconscious. To many of these people, there was no distinction,
and the dream world was simply an extension of the physical
world.
In fact, many of these ancient cultures, and some modern ones as
well, felt that the dream world is more powerful and real than
the physical universe, and that dreams are the soul's way of
communing with the infinite, and gathering knowledge and wisdom
from the past.
While science knows a great deal about dreams and their meaning,
in many ways dreams remain as much a mystery today as when the
first cavemen dreamed about the thrill of the hunt or the fear
of running from faster predators.
For instance, scientists still do not know why we dream, or what
the purpose of dream sleep is, but they do know that people need
to dream. Volunteers deprived of dream sleep experienced all
manner of psychological problems, ranging from problems
concentrating to visual and auditory hallucinations.
Dream interpretation has a long and storied history, and dream
interpreters have been in high demand throughout history. The
interpretation of dreams was so important to the ancient Greek
and Roman societies that they rode along with soldiers in
battle, and advised rulers on the best course of action. Dreams
were taken quiet seriously in these societies, and a dream
thought to be an ill omen was enough to derail a piece of
legislation or even put off a long planned battle.
The culture of ancient Egypt also gave dreams great importance,
as well as religious significance. The Egyptians believed that
dreams contained messages from the gods, and these messages were
to be heeded. We know about the importance the ancient Egyptians
placed on dreams, because dreams and their interpretations were
recorded in hieroglyphs. People who had particularly vivid
dreams were given a special place in society, and thought to be
blessed by the gods. Those who had special abilities to
interpret those dreams also enjoyed a blessed status and a
special place in Egyptian society.
Egypt was not alone in the Middle East as a source of dreams and
dream interpretation. The Bible contains over 700 mentions of
dreams, and many dream interpretations as well. The dreams of
prophets, and the interpretations of those dreams, played a
large role in Biblical history.
Dream interpretation was often looked upon as a form of
prophecy, and dreams were often analyzed to provide clues to
future events. Dreams were seen to be messages from gods,
spirits or from departed relatives.