You’d be lying if you said you had never once awoken from some skewed version of reality and thought, “what the hell?” Or maybe you are one of those “I don’t dream” people and you truly believe you do not dream. But you would be wrong. In fact, even our cats and dogs have dreams. Studies have shown that animals have the same brain wave activity during sleep as we do. We all dream. The only difference is, perhaps, you are not remembering yours (in which case you may need to focus on getting better sleep). Which begs the question, are your dreams telling you something?
When it comes to dream interpretation, there are two types of people:
1) Those who march on with their morning and forget all about whatever sort of Wonderland they inhabited the night before.
2) Those who start writing down every detail they can remember, log onto DreamMoods.com, and share the information with anyone who will listen.
Regardless of how we approach the morning after, a dream has extraordinary effects on our minds. So, are your dreams telling you something? Why should you care? After all, dreams won’t help you pay those bills of yours. But let’s say one’s dreams could help lead to professional success or a better dating life. Would you listen to them then? An easy answer for most. So consider that your dreams may actually be telling you something really important about how you feel in your waking life. Feelings that you either don’t recognize or have compartmentalized. Imagine your success in both your career and personal relationships depend on your recognition of these feelings.
Well, that’s actually true.
Lauri Quinn Loewenberg, a dream expert, surveyed 5,000 people and found that the most common dream her participants had experienced was that their mate was cheating on them. Other common dreams include: being chased, teeth falling out, or feeling embarrassed. All of these dreams denote some kind of negativity or have implications of insecurity. Have you had any of these dreams or something like it? It could mean that you have a few skeletons desperate to get out of that closet you just won’t open. Those same skeletons could be poisoning your dating life, your friendships, and yes, even your career!
Throughout much of human history, many people believed that dreams were the effect of something supernatural or even divine intervention. Until 1913, when Sigmund Freud published “The Interpretation of Dreams” which viewed dreams as a means for analyzing one’s psyche. In his opening remarks, Freud says, “The dream proves to be the first link in a chain of abnormal psychic structures whose other links, the hysterical phobia, the obsession, and the delusion must, for practical reasons, claim the interest of the physician.” This means that, quite possibly, the mental images our unconscious minds produce can tell us about our feelings and fears as humans.
Today, however, there are some researchers who believe that dreams don’t actually mean anything. They hypothesize that, perhaps, all it is, is our ever-active brains making some noise while we’re in a deep slumber. This point of view relies heavily on the fact that most of the time, lack all manner of sense and logic. While it is often true, anyone who has taken even the smallest amount of time with a dream dictionary will tell you a different story. And besides, who are we to argue with the Golden Siggie.
Regardless of the scientific truth, dreams are a window into your fears and insecurities. Understand that it is not happiness and joy that are the most commonly experienced emotions during dreaming, it’s fear and anxiety. Remember, those negative dreams you’ve had at some point were created by your mind. You created those emotions; most likely you have some hidden weaknesses. Surprise! You’re not impenetrable, you are human. It doesn’t make you a bad person, it just means you have a few things that need to be worked out (like most of us). Because the chances are you’ve been ignoring bad feelings the same way people ignore what’s under the hood of their car. Take your mind for a tune-up and look under the hood once in a while. The insecurities you ignore in your waking life are often encoded in your dreams.
Decoding Your Dreams
Figure out what it is that your dream is telling you and proactively solve whatever it is that may be lying dormant in your subconscious. Your insecurities and negative feelings project onto others even if you don’t realize it. If you are having the dream in which your mate is cheating on you, it may mean you have some trust issues you need to work out. You can actually project those negative feelings onto your partner in your waking life without even knowing it. For instance, you may have developed this trust issue from a past relationship with someone. You must confront this issue before it poisons your future relationships.
You are stronger and better for your life experiences, good or bad, and you need to tell yourself that. Find out who those skeletons are and speak their names out loud to someone or even just yourself (this could be an old boss, ex-spouse, a family member who has passed on, anything). It needs to be said, so you can free yourself of those emotional shackles and move on.
None of us can hide from the truth of our emotions. Even if we choose to ignore them they will find us in a dream, and perhaps, in a friend, mate or even our careers. Often times our emotions hold us back from being successful at work because we don’t feel adequate. Remember that you are worth it. Actor Johnny Depp once said:
“As a teenager, I was so insecure. I was the type of guy that never fitted in because he never dared to choose. I was convinced I had absolutely no talent at all. For nothing. And that thought took away all my ambition too.”
Are your dreams telling you something? Yes, they are. Perhaps it’s time to listen.
About the Author/s
Michael is the Editor-in-Chief of New Jersey Digest, COO of X Factor Media, and an avid writer. Growing up in Bergen County, he discovered his passion for words while in Friday detention. Michael loves kayaking, a fat glass of Nebbiolo, and over-editing.
18 comments
Great Article…Really good read and very well written!
I think this article is true. I once was holding a secret from my brother and my entire family that I felt really guilty about. I started having nightmares of them figuring out it was me. I think my brain was telling me that I should tell them the truth.
I dreamt about, one man then another man that has pasted away in which I dated years ago ,came in my dream and put a ring on my finger the middle finger.
Just want know what it means
I like this article. It gives insight into dreams which must have some meaning. Our brains are super sensitive and during sleep when they are at rest, i believe they release some of these anxieties and therefore give our brains relaxation and rest. Even insight into some things that have been bothering us. However, i also believe some dreams are created by weird TV shows or movies we watch.
What would a dream mean when smoke come through an open window then turning into a dragon with it’s body trying to enter my mouth in go inside of me I woke up chocking
My late partner for the last two nights have come through and he’s leaving me for another older woman, ignoring me and our boys
I keep pulling my own teeth out
I dreamt that the money I want to use for traveling was given to the committee of less privileged. Pls what does it mean
I keep having dreams about my ex husband cheating on me when we get back together, which he actually did every time I tried with him again. We haven’t been together for years, so why do I keep dreaming about him?
I am so happy my Husband is back after 2 years of break up.. You are the best relationship Doctor Robinson Buckler.
I keep dreaming about some kind of spirit that drags me out off bed and try a to choke me and I’m trying to scream to my husband who is in the next room but nothing is coming out and dreams about getting staked by dead people been having these dreams nearly every night
I had a similar dream to that. I was getting ready and grabbed some red lipstick. As soon as I put some on the reflection in the mirror changed and a spirit ghost emerged and it was really creepy. It grabbed my leg and I couldn’t tell for help to my family who were in the living room. They got to me eventually but I don’t see the spirit dream anymore only once since then.
I had first gotten this dream where two children died during a tsunami,though iv’e never seen them.The second time i had somhow saved them,but my dream didnt show it but people congratulated me.The third time i dreamt about a underground cave,and me and someone else were trying to escape bears,I was standing on a rope or something…then i saw and door a leaped towards it.While I did that the swinging of the rope scared thr bears away.But when I got through the door one of bears had gotten up the rope thing.Though I had barely escaped.But when I did I realized I was at the ocean.And it was like I knew the what was going to happen and I saw the two children that were mentioned in my previous dreams.I had rum towards them and their grandmother to warn them,but their grandmother didn’t believe me,until she saw.the wave,she took their hands and hurried away.I then proceeded to look for my sister when I found her I asked a tall man to hoist her,and myself onto a very large tree,but soon decided against it,and ran towards the old lady and asked her for a ride to which she agreed to.I then tried to wake myself up,which took awhile at first but I did,which was 12 minutes ago…then I found this artical
It is really ironic, but true. I’ve dreamed dreams many times of the same dream. I woke up dreaming a dream I started when I was only 5 years old. When I woke up, I remembered everything back to when it started. Sounds crazy, but I’m telling the truth here. My dreams have shown me jobs that I was going to have in my future. Weird how that happens but I dreamed of my husband recently who I was holding hands with, walking & talking. He had passed away in 2017
I dreamt I saw these snakes of unusual colour – blue green and they kept biting me.
I dream that my deceased husband visits me for ten minutes every Saturday…..he is dressed all in black and I ask him to stay and not go home to the other woman but he won’t…I ask him to lay down with me but he says he can’t then he leaves
I dream that am walking then suddenly 2 big leopards are there and I was really trembling & shaking while passing those 2 big leopards am afraid that they might hurt or eat me but they we’re just there and didn’t even care i prayed while walking or passing they didn’t even see me … its like the story of Daniel in the bible