We sleep on average a third of our lives. During this time, our minds produce countless dream images.
Dreams are an internal and unconscious regulation of the mental system. This is a night cleansing of a busy daytime brain. They equalize the imbalances between the logical side, the left hemisphere of the psyche and the imaginary and emotional, creative right hemisphere. They dream mainly during the REM phase, that is, when the brain is in a state of deep relaxation. Dreams are essential for maintaining mental health.
Brain research and psychoanalytic discoveries prove that dreams are carriers of important information about our mental life. Of course, just like in everyday waking communication, we also deal with important and commonplace information, even unnecessary spam, in our dreams.
Every night, the human brain produces visions. This valuable dream message consists of their content and unique mood, that is, whether it is pleasant (the messages) to receive, unpleasant or even terrible.
Where can we find the key to understanding dreams?
One of the keys is memory and self-knowledge, as well as the ability to logically connect facts.
When we dream of exams from school or study, they are reminiscent of the stress of an exam stored in memory, which is still valid, because in adulthood we react like students assessed by adults. When we dream of old romantic encounters and end up with - we think - emotional relationships, it means that they still contain inexhaustible potential. Something that seemingly has passed is still needed or still not being used.
The second key is symbolic interpretations based on centuries of knowledge, philosophy, psychology, myths and literature.
Many works recorded in tradition, as well as many discoveries, including religious revelations, artistic inspirations, or scientific discoveries, were laid in dreams. In them we are more or less inept followers of the great heroes of humanity, both real and described in myths, religion and art.
In dreams, we study the nature of the mind, as well as memories and projects of events. Dreams illustrate extremes, so they make up for our shortcomings. They have desires and, on the other hand, anxiety and trauma.
In addition to general truth, there is also individual truth in dreams. That is why they are not easy to interpret - one must distinguish the general level, which Jung calls archetypal, from the personal level, which illustrates the glow and shadows of our self.
Can we influence the content of our own dreams?
When we think a lot about an important issue, there may be some comments in a dream. However, the unconscious cannot be freely manipulated, just as we cannot completely control consciousness. The point is that you can develop awareness in the dream state.
One of the areas of work with dreams is the so-called lucid dreaming. It consists in focusing on active actions in a dream - this ability can be developed.
Just before going to bed, a person programs that if he dreams of something, he will actively participate in it. In a dream, we sometimes spontaneously become aware that it is a dream. This state can be worked out. It is an expression of the natural inclination to meditate. Developing this skill can be part of spiritual training.
The next stage of this experience is conscious action in the dream. In the culture the people of Polynesia, young children were taught this. They were told that when they had a dream about a wild animal, they should remember that it was just a dream, and they were also told that they needed to look for a solution to this situation, for example, run up a tree or throw a stone. Such training in a dream develops intuition, broadens the horizons, strengthens the creative attitude, and creates openness for actively confronting problems.
Dreams, as art, meeting other people or traveling, enrich with new inner experiences. Through dialogue with sleep, we cognize ourselves from the hidden side, we assimilate our Shadow. Sensitive and talented people find advice and inspiration for creativity and development there.
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