Written by Dreams have been interpreted in many ways throughout history. From spiritual messages in ancient cultures to symbols of the unconscious in modern psychology, each society has brought its own meaning to the world of dreams. As beliefs and knowledge evolved, so did the ways people understood what dreams reveal about life, the soul, and the mind.
Primal Societies
Early on, dreams were seen as messages from spirits or gods, with the soul leaving the body during sleep to experience them. During this period, Shamans (spiritual practitioners who are believed to have the ability to communicate with spirits and the otherworld) were highly valued for their ability to enter the dream world and bring back important insights, including healing and recovering lost souls and many tribes encouraged sharing dreams, especially powerful ones, for interpretation by elders or shamans. For example: The Lakota Sioux (native american people, the largest and most well-known band of the Sioux Nation renowned for being a strong and fierce tribe of warriors, they led much of the resistance against settlers encroaching on their land) believed visions had value only when shared with the community.
Early Civilizations (Mesopotamia and Egypt)
In this epoch, dreams were considered divine messages or oracles, influencing governance and religion. They were recorded in texts like the Epic of Gilgamesh and interpreted by priests or dream experts using three different methods:
Clear Message
These dreams were often considered divine communications, with a figure (usually a god, human, or sometimes an animal or object) delivering a clear, understandable message. Historical examples include the dreams of Nabonidus (king of Babylon) and Thutmose IV (Egyptian prince), where gods appeared in dreams to deliver specific commands (e.g., rebuilding a temple, clearing sand from the Sphinx).
Symbolic Dreams
These dreams were more cryptic and required interpretation. The Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian poem, provides examples where the hero Gilgamesh seeks interpretation from his mother. Symbolic dreams were often interpreted as foretelling future events, like the arrival of a significant person or event.
Incubation
It was a practice in which individuals slept in a temple to receive prophetic or healing dreams, often involving gods or divine figures. These rituals were a form of divine consultation and were especially common in Egypt and Mesopotamia.
Oriental Societies
China
Dream interpretation is a significant part of Chinese culture. Chuang Tzu (369-286 B.C.), a Taoist sage, presented the paradox of dreaming one is a butterfly and wondering if one is a butterfly dreaming of being a man or vice versa. Some Taoist temples in southern China offered people a place to sleep for receiving important dreams, and some even survived into the Great Cultural Revolution (1966-76).
India
The Vedas, India’s sacred texts, suggest that the soul leaves the body during sleep and creates its own experiences. Some believe dreams are illusions, while others, like Shankaracharya, (Indian Vedic scholar, philosopher and teacher) regarded them as meaningless. However, Hinduism and Buddhism often teach that both dreams and the waking world are illusory. Dreams were also viewed as omens or reflections of illness or death. Yogis encouraged using dreams to improve moral and spiritual life.
Hebrew and Jewish sources
In the Hebrew Bible, dreams were seen as divine messages, often interpreted by figures like Joseph and Daniel. Joseph’s symbolic dreams about his family were later realized. Biblical prophets had visions that seemed dreamlike, such as Zechariah and Ezekiel, but the distinction between dreams and visions was often unclear. Later Jewish tradition had rabbis and philosophers specializing in dream interpretation. Bad dreams were countered with rituals like fasting or prayer. Dreams were often seen as prophetic or a sign of divine favor.
Sigmund Freud and The Interpretation of Dreams
Freud proposed that dreams are not just random or meaningless occurrences during sleep, but that they are deeply connected to our unconscious mind. Freud believed that dreams offer a window into the hidden parts of our psyche, specifically repressed desires, thoughts, and unresolved conflicts.
Freud’s theory of the unconscious mind, central to his psychoanalytic approach, suggested that much of our mental life operates outside of conscious awareness. He argued that while we may not be consciously aware of certain feelings, fears, or desires, they still affect our thoughts, behaviors, and, importantly, our dreams.
Freudian Theory of Dream Analysis
For Freud, dreams were a “royal road” to understanding the unconscious mind. In other words, by analyzing dreams, a person can access a deeper understanding of their hidden psychological conflicts and motivations. He believed that dreams act as a kind of “censorship” in the mind, allowing repressed thoughts and desires to emerge in a disguised or symbolic form.
Dreams were not meant to be taken at face value. Instead, they required careful interpretation to uncover their underlying meaning. Therefore, various methods were developed for analyzing dreams, including the use of free association (allowing the dreamer to speak freely about any thoughts that come to mind) and exploring common symbols in dreams.
Modern dream therapy and analysis still rely on many of Freud’s concepts, although contemporary psychologists also incorporate cognitive and biological approaches to understanding dreams. Freud’s ideas helped pave the way for later theorists like Carl Jung, who developed his own theories about the symbolic meaning of dreams and the collective unconscious.
Carl Jung
Carl Jung’s theory of dream interpretation diverges from Freud’s by emphasizing not just personal unconscious material but also the concept of the collective unconscious—a universal layer of the unconscious shared by all humans. This collective unconscious holds archetypes, which are timeless, universal symbols and themes present in all cultures. Dreams, according to Jung, serve as a connection to this deeper layer of the psyche, offering insight into both personal and universal experiences.
Jung believed that dreams often serve a compensatory function. They aim to balance what’s lacking or repressed in our waking lives. For example, if someone is overly focused on rational thought, their dreams might present emotions or irrational elements to restore balance. This compensatory nature allows dreams to provide a mirror for the psyche, offering what’s needed for emotional and psychological growth.
In Jung’s view, dreams are filled with archetypes—symbols that represent fundamental human experiences and qualities. Common archetypes include the Shadow, which represents the hidden, often repressed aspects of the self, and the Anima/Animus, the inner feminine and masculine aspects within all individuals. These archetypes frequently appear in dreams, guiding the dreamer toward greater self-awareness and integration.
For Jung, the ultimate goal of life was individuation, a process of becoming the person one is inherently meant to be by integrating unconscious material into conscious awareness. Dreams play a crucial role in this process, revealing hidden desires, unresolved conflicts, and qualities that need to be acknowledged and integrated. Through dreams, the unconscious mind communicates essential messages to the conscious self, aiding in personal transformation.
Jung also highlighted that dream symbols could carry both personal and universal meanings. While some symbols in dreams reflect the dreamer’s personal experiences or feelings, others may connect to archetypes and universal themes shared across humanity. For Jung, understanding these symbols required a personalized, introspective approach to dream interpretation, with the dreamers themselves serving as the best interpreter of their own dream images.
To further engage with these symbols, Jung developed the technique of active imagination, where individuals consciously interact with the images from their dreams through creative means like drawing or writing. This helps integrate the unconscious material and deepens the understanding of the dream’s meaning.
Conclusion
In essence, the interpretation of dreams has evolved from being seen as messages from spirits and gods in primal societies to symbolic or prophetic visions in early civilizations like Mesopotamia and Egypt. In Oriental cultures, dreams were linked to the soul’s journey or illusions. With Freud and Jung, dream analysis shifted to understanding the unconscious mind and universal archetypes. Today, while contemporary approaches blend Freud’s and Jung’s theories with modern psychology, dreams continue to offer valuable insights into the self and the human psyche.
Sources: Dream Interpretation in Ancient Civilizations, The collected works of C. G. Jung, Freud Museum London…
Teresa Catita
theawarenessnews.com 