Dreams have always been the most enigmatic part of our lives. We have seesawed from the ancient belief that dreams were our direct connection to the supernatural, to today’s modern skepticism which sees dreams as being a result of a combination of daily experiences, conversations, and diet. The truth, in my opinion, probably lies somewhere in between.
Dreams reflect our emotions and experiences, but they can also be of a prophetic nature, or even harbingers of danger. Dreams can help us solve seemingly impossible problems, by allowing our unconscious mind to work out a solution, unfettered by the limitations of the waking state. Recurring dreams often show us the strong and weak points in our personalities. They also can reflect situations, problems and/or relationships that have yet to be worked out successfully in our waking life. Sometimes dreams recur because the messages they contain either haven’t been understood, or are discarded upon awakening.
By the time we’re 75, we’ve spent close to 25 years asleep; of this 25 years, we’ve dreamt for nearly 10. While sleep is imperative for our bodies to grow, rejuvenate and heal; we should also attempt to use this time to better understand daily life and our experiences within it. In so doing, we can heal our mental and emotional states as well as our physical state.