The History of Dream Analysis
No one knows the true origins of dream analysis, or how long it
has been going on. Chances are, however, that the analysis and
interpretation of dreams, in some fashion, has been taking place
almost as long as people have been dreaming.
Dreams must have been both fascinating and terrifying to our
ancient ancestors, and they were most likely very confused by
this strange form of consciousness. We do know that many ancient
civilizations placed great importance on the situations
encountered in their dreams, and used those situations to cast
light on their waking lives. As a matter of fact, many
civilizations did not see a distinction between the waking world
and the world of dreams, but instead saw one as merely an
extension of the other.
Of course dream analysis and dream interpretation is still in
use today, and it has been used successfully to deal with all
manner of traumas and emotional issues. For instance, it is
known that those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD), are often troubled by nightmares. Dealing with the
underlying cause of the PTSD, through a combination of therapies
and psychological techniques, can banish those nightmares as
well.
Some of the earliest references to dreams and their
interpretation occurs in the Bible, and the Bible is full of
references to the dreams of prophets and other notable people.
The ancient Greek and Roman world was also full of dream
interpreters and analysis, and the Greek and Roman government
and military alike used the services of professional dream
interpreters to determine the best course of political action
and even the best strategy for battle.
Dream interpreters were even taken along as troops prepared for
battle, and their prognostications were taken very seriously, as
were the dreams of the generals and the troops.
In the ancient world, the Greek philosopher Aristotle was a big
propend of dream interpretation, and he spoke about the illusion
of the senses that allowed dreams to occur. He later came to be
believe that disturbances of the body were the cause of dreams.
Many ancient peoples thought that dreams were a way for the soul
to commune with the spirit world. In many cultures, the soul was
thought to leave the body at night, and dreams were thought of
as a way of communicating with, and gaining information about,
departed relatives and ancient ancestors alike.
Even today, many people place great significance on dreams and
dreaming, and many people continue to see a spiritual element in
the dream world. Dreams still remain largely a mystery to
science, and this mystery has helped to spur thoughts that
dreams contain more than a mere physical meaning.
Dream interpretation continues to be used, both as a fun hobby
and as a serious scientific pursuit. Dream research is one of
the most fascinating, and widely studied, elements of
psychological research, and new dream studies continue to reveal
hidden insights about the world of dreams.
New symbols, too, continue to emerge from the world of dream
analysis and dream research. From Carl Jung to Sigmund Freud to
modern psychologists and psychiatrists, many people have
strived, and continue to strive, to understand the hidden
meanings, and hidden messages, of our dreams.