The Stuff Dreams Are Made of…

Sleep has never really been a favourite activity for me. For some, sleep is almost a hobby and some (like my husband) can sleep anytime, anywhere. Honestly, that is a gift. Sleep is often elusive for me and I often find that I can function just as well irrespective of the number of hours I have slept. Strange!

But talking of sleep, what I do like (when it happens) are dreams. I am sure that all of you reading this have experienced dreams at one point or another. Dreams for me have always had therapeutic value. But, before I get into that, I must confess that I love interpreting dreams. Wait! Before you jump into any conclusion, let me also add that I’m not a professional interpreter of dreams. Having said that, I do my due research for whatever is out there, before I come to a conclusion. But, that is just me.

Dreams have a way of gripping you; emotionally, physically and even your intellect to some extent, if you remember it. It is said that most people forget what they dreamt about when they wake up and even more so, as the day wears on.  While that may be true, I am certain that everyone has had dream experiences that have reached into their soul and has stayed that way.

One of my most endearing dream memories are the ones that have my father in it (especially after his passing).  But, other recurring ones I have are of water and my hair (separately).  Water dreams typically refer (apparently) to calmness, success and emotions in general. Of course, all of this is in relation to how you see the water in your dreams, is it turbulent, are you wading through waves in the sea, is it still like a lake, or a gentle brook? All of these may have special meanings.  I, on the other hand, firmly believe in what is most applicable to my waking life. This may be more of a deeper psychological analysis on my part and I do agree with Freud or Jung that dreams have psychological ramifications. But, I also to some extent agree with the ancient interpretation that your dreams are trying to communicate something with you (from another dimension or not is debatable).

So, what are your dreams trying to tell you?

To delve into different viewpoints,  dreams could just be a culmination of your day or your present situation in general, a deeper message on repressed feelings or desires, communication from beyond, or plain old biological defense. Personally, I have experienced each of these, when considering any form of interpretation. When it comes to dreams, I have a near photographic memory, which makes it easier to take time and research on what I saw/felt/heard and how I reacted in my dreams. Dreams on my hair is usually associated with my bad hair days and how I felt about it during the day. But, it could also be my mind’s way of dealing with the emotional aspect of it , that I may have ignored.  When I say communication from beyond, I am not referring to communication from the divine or any such. For me that only refers to my dad trying to communicate with me. This, of course has two dimensions to it.

Taking my recent job change as an instance, I was looking for some sort of change from the usual monotony of my present life and decided that a job change will do wonders for me. Before doing so, there was a lot of emotional turmoil and endless discussion with my husband.  What really made me go for it, is a dream in which  my father is showing me that change is good, much in the same way that he would when I was young. Now, this could be his communication with me from beyond, but it could also mean my own (unknowing) emotional dependence on my father.  My intellect urges me towards the second dimension of emotional dependence, but can we really tell for sure?

The therapeutic nature of dreams

Every time something good or bad happens  in my life, it reflects in my dreams.  Even my monotony and routine does.  Trying to interpret what I dream about has taught me introspection and humility in abundance.  Humility because, when stuff happens to us, we tend to magnify it quite a bit and often project some sort of self –importance because of it. Introspection or self-analysis to a large extent, tends to deflect that importance and put a lot of things in perspective. Doing this has also helped me accept my ground reality a lot better than I normally would have. My reactions are now more measured and non-impulsive because of the ability to break down and analyze my surroundings.

Ultimately, dreams simply ground me and keep me sane (besides my husband, my rock). It helps me better understand my own psyche and how it works. Dreams can mean different things to different people, so let my interpretation give you some perspective, but let it not stop you from asking,

What are dreams really made of?  What does it mean to me?