Dreaming is one of the fascinating mysteries of Life. Do we all wander off to dreamland in our sleep? Sleep is necessary to maintain health and keep us balanced. Sleep deprivation can not be taken lightly as it affects how we function. In our sleep, we enter into a different world, a world of the sublime and ridiculous.

There are times we wake up puzzled and wondering what was that dream all about- made no sense and all garbled up. No matter how much danger we find ourselves in our dreams, magically, we are saved by waking up. Welcome to the mysterious realm of dreaming.

Our days are preoccupied with the material, physical, mental and the conscious world. There are limitations and restrictions. We deal with anxiety, fear, failure or insecurity. At other times, we marvel at our success, happiness and fulfilment. We believe in finding our ultimate reality. We reach our goals with conscious effort.

The realm of dreaming is different. Why we dream, at what point of sleep we go into a dreamstate make very interesting topic for writers. Some dreams reflect the dreamer's fears or fantasies or images the dreamer saw during the day. Some dreams are scary- usually called nightmares. Some dreams can be a rehash of the day's events or related to a movie that one gets very absorbed with.

The dreaming mind moves in a mysterious and intriguing realm. In this realm, there are no inhibitions, there is freedom of movement, from one scene to another with no apparent relevance. It does not have to make sense to the dreamer at the moment. It is a realm for great exploration of what lies beyond our conscious mind. There can be frightful moments, but remember, at a point of peril, the dreamer always wakes up. What about pleasant scenes of places you never even dreamed of?

From the Science of Dreaming, it shows the moment in our sleep when we dream:

REM Sleep:

Known as rapid eye movement sleep, your eyes move rapidly from side to side. Your heart rate, brain waves and breathing speed up and your muscles may twitch, although you will be essentially paralysed. You dream during this stage of sleep and it is because of this that the muscle paralysis occurs. It prevents you from acting out your dreams and injuring yourself in your sleep.

There are volumes of books on dream interpretation, theories based on scientific research and personal interpretations relating dreams to spirituality and some form of mysticism. Freud and Jung have analyzed and explored the world of dreaming.

Messages from dreams

With the advent of technology, the internet is widely used to find answers to almost everything. There is a great curiosity about anything and everything that is related to the supernatural, spiritual, paranormal and yes, mystical.

Do dreams convey messages? Many believe that dreams can be used for personal growth, for guidance or even some comfort. Precognitive dreams are exactly that- awakens the dreamer to pre-cognition, worth paying attention to. Suppressed issues can emerge as dreams and it is possible for one to work through these issues. There are writers who dream of what they write about. Great music has come to composers in their dreams.

Message from beyond

Dreaming of a departed loved one can be frightening or comforting. Some believe that when you dream of someone who has passed, it is possible that the spirit is actually visiting with you. Don't be scared. Some dreams are puzzling, you wake up and wonder what was that all about. Someone long gone suddenly appears in your dreams. Ask yourself- was it a peaceful dream or scary and threatening?

I heard of someone who got scared dreaming of a relative who was very angry. It seems like a cry for prayers- out there in the afterlife, where it is believed to be a place of peace and solace. There are those who have not found their peace, dreaming of them urges me to offer prayers and even a holy mass.

A peaceful visit in your sleep reminds you of a connection, at times emotional.This is a spiritual message that yes, they are at peace. For those who are in the midst of their grief, dreams can be helpful if you stop and think about your dream. They appear as alive as when they were here on earth, perhaps, they just want to let you know they have not forgotten you . In the dreamstate, the departed look younger and somber.

How can you make sense of a dream

Spiritual Guidance

Some believe that dreams can provide spiritual guidance because they tap into the subconscious mind’s higher wisdom. As such, dreams may be analyzed from the perspective of mysticism or spirituality rather than science. For many people, dreams have a mystical or even religious significance, and offer a means by which to access higher powers or simply, guidance. All major religions contain references to dreams that tap into the divine.

Inspiration

Dreams can be a source of creativity. The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson was inspired by a dream, as was Einstein’s theory of relativity. Many musicians, artists, writers, inventors and even athletes have claimed inspiration from dreams.

The four elements:

The four elements of water, fire, wind and earth are often reflected in our dreams. Dreams of any of the elements carry a significance related to that element. Water can be all about emotions. It can mean a need for cleansing one's thoughts and attitudes. Water is a mysterious substance- can be a liquid, a solid ice or vapors. Water in dreams can be deep or shallow, clear or muddy. These can all carry messages worth exploring.

Fire in a dream can be threatening. On the positive side, fire can suggest passion, courage and desire. On the negative, it relates to fear, anger, destruction or deep-seated resentment.

Dreaming of Earth can signify relationships, attitudes or things we take for granted like supportive people or friendships in our life. This can be a reminder of the need to be grounded, and find balance. Dreams of being buried can suggest the need to be more attentive of attitudes, habits and pay attention to the intuitive mind.Mother Earth is supportive and nourishing.

Wind in dreams symbolizes the intellect, the capacity to be analytical. Gentle breeze is just that- calm, pleasure and gentleness. A strong wind can be calling attention to something the dreamer is passionate about. A writer believes that dreaming of a North wind can mean a threat to one's security. Wind relates to fire in the spirit and movement in Life.

Dreams may also be useful for intrapersonal growth, empowerment and self-improvement by indicating suppressed issues that dreamers need to attend to in their waking lives.

As well, there are times I see dreams as entertainment while we sleep.

Ref.Pamela Ball Book of Dreams
Wikipedia
Suite101: Why People Dream: The Science and Mysticism of Sleep Visions

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