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Do Dreams Have Meaning? It Depends On Who You Ask
Denys Chumak

Denys Chumak

15 Dec 2023

Do Dreams Have Meaning? It Depends On Who You Ask

Dreams have fascinated human beings for centuries. We spend approximately a third of our lives asleep, and during that time, our minds create a complex tapestry of images, emotions, and narratives that we experience as dreams.

However, do dreams have meaning? This is a question that has stumped scientists, psychologists and even philosophers. While some people perceive dreams as random mental activities that have no meaning, others propose that these dreams hide a secret code of our subconscious longings and concerns.

This post will discuss various theories on the interpretation of dreams and the science therein.

Meaning of Dreams Theories

Different interpretations have been proposed throughout history on "Do dreams have meaning?" According to one view, dreams exist as a manner of revealing something from higher beings or the universe. Dreams for ancient civilisation, especially the Egyptians and Greeks, were viewed as prophecies sent by gods on how to guide or predict the future. Recently, psychologist Sigmund Freud postulated that dream is a "royal road to unscience" and it unveils the subconscious desire and repressed memory.

A second hypothesis postulates that dreams help our brains to sift data and make sense of it all. This perspective holds that dreams allow for the interpretation of events and feelings in our lives. It is also good to note that dreams give us our mind's eyes to see and solve problems as well as a safe environment to resolve issues we had not solved back then when they happened. This coincides with the belief that dreams constitute a creative stimulus as they help us access the subconscious realm.

Scientific Explanation of Dreams

Although there are several competing theories concerning dreams, scientists have gained considerable insight into the biological mechanisms active within the phenomenon of dreaming. Scientists argue that the majority of dreams happen in the REM phase – the period with enhanced brain functioning accompanied by active and bright dreaming.

The prefrontal cortex of the brain, involved in logical thinking and decision-making, shows decreased activity during REM sleep, whereas the amygdala, which processes emotions, becomes more active. This unique brain activity during REM sleep suggests that dreams are a result of the brain's attempt to make sense of the neural activity occurring during this stage.

It is believed that the brain synthesises memories, emotions, and sensory experiences into a narrative form, creating the dreams we remember upon waking. This process helps to consolidate memories and emotions, providing a form of emotional regulation and stress relief.

Also read: Why do people dream

Common Dream Symbols and Their Interpretations

Dreams often contain symbols that can be interpreted in various ways. While there is no universal dream dictionary that can definitively decipher these symbols, many common interpretations have emerged over time. For example, dreaming of falling can symbolise a lack of control or insecurity, while dreaming of flying can represent freedom and empowerment. Snakes are often associated with hidden dangers or deceit, while water can symbolise emotions and the subconscious mind.

It is important to note that these interpretations are not set in stone and can vary depending on the individual's personal experiences and cultural beliefs. For instance, in some cultures, seeing a black cat in a dream is considered a sign of good luck, while in others, it is seen as a bad omen. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the context and the individual's unique associations when interpreting dream symbols.

Also read: 11 common symbols of dreams

Personal Experiences and Cultural Beliefs About Dreams

Personal experiences and cultural beliefs play a significant role in how individuals perceive and interpret their dreams. Some people may have vivid dreams that feel incredibly real, while others may struggle to remember their dreams at all.

Additionally, cultural beliefs and traditions can shape one's understanding of dreams. For example, Native American tribes view dreams as a way to connect with their ancestors and receive guidance, whereas in Western societies, dreams are often seen as a reflection of one's subconscious mind.

Sometimes, individuals may find assistance from an interpreter of their dreams from a professional. Dream analysis or therapy may help an individual understand unconscious thinking and feelings, which could lead to some self-awareness. Additionally, online sources such as a dream dictionary and s to assist in interpreting dream symbols and interpretation are readily available.

Conclusion

Lastly, it is a matter of opinion as to whether dreams really have any significance. It all depends upon whom you consult. Although science helped explain the physical aspects of dreaming, interpreting dreams is still very personal. While dreams have a wealth of informative value about what we think, feel, and want, there is no such thing as strictly interpretable meaning. Personal experiences, cultural beliefs, and individual associations should be considered when interpreting the meaning of dreams.

Therefore, when you wake up after having had an interesting dream, stop for a while and think about what it might mean, but keep in mind that the real meaning is hidden inside yourself and depends upon how you understand everything.

You can use the app known as DreamApp to interpret the message hidden in that dream. We need to identify the reasons why we have that dream and what prevents us from being at peace psychologically.

FAQs

1. Why do people dream?

The exact purpose of dreaming is still a topic of debate among scientists and researchers. However, various theories suggest that dreams serve as a way for our brains to process and consolidate information, explore unresolved issues, and provide emotional regulation.

2. How does a dream work?

Dreams occur during the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep, characterised by increased brain activity and vivid dreaming. The brain synthesises memories, emotions, and sensory experiences into a narrative form during this stage, creating the dreams we remember upon waking.

3. Where do dreams come from?

Dreams originate from the brain's attempt to make sense of the neural activity occurring during REM sleep. The brain synthesises memories, emotions, and sensory experiences into dream narratives.

4. What is a dream dictionary?

This is a book called a dream dictionary which interprets typical dream symbols. Though interpretations may differ, these dream dictionaries provide directions on what a dream symbol might represent.

5. What role can DreamApp play in interpreting dreams?

DreamApp relies on algorithms and analysis to explain the significance of dreams. The app interprets the dream by letting individuals enter their dream’s details, which explains the reason behind such dreams and hence offers insight into subconscious thoughts and feelings.

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16 Jan 2025

dream-about-militia-capturing-loved-ones
Being chased by murderer
Darkness
Family
Police
Trapped

Dream

A group of bad guys like a militia took a lot of males including my dad and brother. The males they took were on their knees and they started to kill them using machetes, directly into their necks. My mom and I were observing all these crazy act from a high building. I yelled at my mom to please let me go to the police. I knew I could make it to the police station to save my brother and dad. I was so frustrated because she didn’t let me go . She was afraid I might get captured and killed. So I went to the roof of the building to see if I could access the police station but the darkness of the night didn’t allow me to see forward. At the end they all got killed and the people that were on the top of the building didn’t allow me either to go to the police. They put traps or say things for Me not to go. So we all can survive .

16 Jan 2025

dream-about-parallel-worlds-and-falling
Abandoned home
Alien
Husband
Grandmother
Children
Stairs

Dream

My dream started off, it seemed like I was in kind of like a parallel world, one of the houses that I grew up in, like a log cabin, and each room I would go in would be different than it was when I was little, and there were like more beds in there, like maybe more people or more siblings or something, and then I kind of jumped to being in a room with who I thought were my kids, I didn't see their faces, but they were being really rambunctious and like broke this plant, like they were very careless, and then I went to carry the plant down the stairs, and the stairs were the stairs that I got pushed down, yeah basically pushed down when I was a child, anyway, the dirt fell down the stairs, and then my grandmother, well we kind of jumped in the dream, and then my grandmother went sliding down the stairs, fell, and then I called for my husband to come out, and he was kind of being grumpy about it, but finally came and helped, and then like I saw her like slumped over at the bottom of the stairs, and then the dream jumped to me and my husband living in California in some random house on a hill, and then we watched some either like alien ship launch or rocket or something, while we were out there, we, I don't know, went to take the garbage out, there were, he had brought the mattress out to the side of the street, and then while we were talking, and this face would start changing, like into like people that I knew, or I don't know, like scarier faces, I guess, and what was face changed into some face, I don't remember recognizing, and then I just woke up to this feeling of, of, it's almost like grabbing my throat, someone grabbing my throat, or pinning me down, but it was like I felt this really big don't touch me in the throat area of peace, and then I woke up very panicked.

16 Jan 2025

Fear
Angry at mom
Friend
Car
Crying
Family

Dream

First it was animal crossing and I was being chased by scorpions so i when into villager’s house to hide, then sometimes i would lay on their bed and they would lay onto of me making me unable to leave the bed. But when I came out of their house the scorpion was still there. I tried a different strat of catching them carring a flashlight, it didn’t work. Then I started looking for them in the rain and they got smart and would bring another big with their claws, release it when I’m about to swing my net and I capture that instead then the scorpion stings me. Then the dream switches. I’m about to get tattoos one on my arm of a lion and the other one of me and my cat. But the one of my cat requires them to break every bone in my arm. I sketch of where I want the rainbow lion tattoo, only realizing I drew it too low on my arm. I go to the bathroom to clean it off. After I’m done I think of shower then my mom starts knocking on the door saying there’s no time. I go out and quickly grab my bag, my phone charger and my winter jacket. I get in the car only realizing have way that I forgot my glasses. Then on my jacket I see a case of my spare glasses, “Oh I’m fine I found my spare glasses, I forgot I left them in the car haha.” Then when I get to the destination it was my choir group having dinner at a place similar to Apple Bees. I sat in the middle of the booth next to my friends, and I thought to myself “Gosh I feel stinky, did I even put on deodorant? My hair looks greasy doesn’t it…” Then my mom and my sister were also there and my mom started talking for a toast. In the middle of it I just angrily say “Oh shut up!”. I get scolded by my dad of not treating mommy that way then I get upset and lock myself in the bathroom forgot I took a burrito with me instead of leaving it on the table. I take a bite of it then remember I’m not supposed to eat in bathrooms. So I wrapped it in its wrapping the best I could and shoved it in my pocket. Then my mom knocks on the door saying she’s sorry and we need to talk to my sister cuz she’s crying. I wash my face and I’m like “fineee”. Me and mom mom go into her room, she’s on her bed crying with her cat ontop of her. She turns around and says “This was supposed to be Lee’s special day… And you had to go around and ruin it.” I say nothing as my mom taking over the conversation, she tries to explain her actions, there was a little back and forth. Then my sister says “See that’s your problem!” Then the dream switches and I’m a deer specialist Bambi and other people that are always baby animals. We are behind some bushes and a scientist tells us to duck all the way to the floor and cover our ears. Then the ground opens and out comes out a giant dish then it has some square holes on the size of the cylinder under the dish. “Test one!” The scientist says. The dish rotates a little and a giant pink boom wave comes out of it, I could feel it on my chest and the tree would shake from the released pressure. I say “omg that’s so loud that’s scary.”, someone else says “Don’t stand up or you’ll be cut in half.” “o-oh” I say. “Test two and this one goes ove the whole country!”.. the same boom happens. And now we are free to go, they show us up how the dish works, then one of the workers tripped over wires and shut the whole thing down “Oop! My bad” he says then turn is on again. Then a bird crashes into the dish’s and doesn’t the boom again. “You might want to see a real scientist.” I say. Her “Oh I plan too”. Then she goes and meets a professor that looks like Einstein. “Let me introduce you to my daughter” they both say at the same time. Then they realize their daughters already know each other and are a mirror image of each other. The look at the giant coins that are the size of their bodies, they have the same last name, “oh that’s kinda creepy” he says. “Any way I was planning on analyzing this thing tho know what’s wrong” she says. “No no you got it all wrong, analyzing is when you already know that problem” the professor says. Then the dream switches and I’m on my bed, I think I woke up, it was still dark outside so I thought it was probably 5am. I looked at my hand and there was a tiny scorpion on my middle finger I scream, I proceed to slap my hand against the wall. I look at it again and it’s still there I scream again then I accidentally wake up.

16 Jan 2025

dream-about-weird-coworkers-children-and-violence
Being chased by murderer
Violence and death
Abandoned home
Sister
Airport
Baby

Dream

I had 3 interesting dreams last night. In the first one, I was with my old coworkers at my house. It all just felt weird to me, like I was the odd one out. One of them, Janiqua, who was my closest friend at the time, explained to me that she’s sorry because they have inside jokes and lore that I’m not aware of. The house was a mess and nobody helped me clean up. In the second one, I was in an airport. This random man was pushing a stroller with I think two kids, but I only remember one. He asked me for directions to his gate. We got to his gate and he was handling something on his phone so I watched the stroller. The child was really really small with kind of a big head. I assumed maybe she was born prematurely. His gate number wasn’t for an airplane though, it was for a boat. The man boarded first without the stroller and the baby. The platform was swaying badly and the stroller nearly fell out the door but I caught it. I was stressed and scared and kept thinking that this has to be the wrong gate because of the danger. In the third one, I was in a classroom with Jack, the UK guy that broke my heart, and Cam, his friend, along with random other guys. My sister Teri was there, on a table, acting strangely. She was on all fours and acting really sexual. Of course the guys enjoyed it, but I pulled her aside and asked “what’s wrong with you?”. The dream suddenly warped to seeing this character Neal Caffrey from a TV show I’ve been watching starting acting strangely as well. In the show, he’s never killed anyone. But in my dream, it was as if he had a breakdown. He started shooting people dead in front of me. He tried to hurt me but somehow I managed to get into a room and close and lock the door long enough to call 911. It was the first time I used a phone in a dream. It took forever to type in 911 because I kept messing up, but eventually I did it, to Neal”s dismay. I tell the officers “you need to come to my address, there’s a guy, Neal Caffrey, and he’s already killed multiple people, he’s trying to hurt me, get here quickly!” This is how I found out I was back at my own house even though the interior looked nothing like it. Neal runs outside and to the right down the street, in the east direction. I contemplate chasing after him to keep track of him, but I see the lights of the police coming down from north to my house, so I take one last glance at Caffrey and stay to tell approaching officers he’s on foot. I don’t remember anything else after that except being scared out of my mind.

16 Jan 2025

Argument
Apartment
Basketball
Party
Relationship
Guy

Dream

I had a dream where I was watching some people play basketball, I guess, and there was this one guy that I thought was cute, and we started talking, and then we started kind of seeing each other off and on, and I invited him over to like my place and whatnot. She was not happy about it, and she was kind of like trying to stop me a little bit and find out where I lived. She ended up coming to my house as a party or whatever, and tried to find out if he was with me, and like cheating on him, or cheating on her with me, which he wasn't, because they were separated, and there were times that she would just kind of like try and go over to my house, and she wanted me to go over to like their place, because it was really weird and kind of complicated, but they like still kind of got along. She seemed to be a little bit more accepting of the fact that their relationship was over and that he's kind of moving on, and he and I seemed to be really compatible, and everything seems to be working out, and right before the dream ended, I was at their sort of like penthouse mansion in a city. It was weird. I was like on top of their roof while the two of them like argued. I watched both of them argue about everything, and it was just really, really strange.

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