Interpretation of Dreams

[Pupik]

I used to have quite an interest in the meanings behind dreams. But when an individual's dream is broken down in a scientific manner, there's no actual evidence that a certain dream symbol or sequence means anything.

However, there are lots of people who find it therapeutic to have their dreams analyzed. And some people find amusement in understanding their unconscious in this manner.

Would it be fair to say that the interpretation of dreams isn't actually a scientific process at all, despite the fact it's taught under the realm of science known as psychology?

Discuss.

* This is not a thread for posting the dream you had last night, or a persisting nightmare. Search elsewhere for a thread for that purpose.

 

[Danoff]

I think some of what you dream is truly random. Some of it is almost certainly from buried thoughts. I think dreams can only reflect on the dreamer though, and only to a certain extent - an extent that probably can't even be identified with any given dream.

People who think their dreams can predict the future are just nuts.

 

[Duke]

I'd have to agree 100% with danoff's analysis. There is only so much you can read into your dreams. You can read them as a subtext, but a certain amount of your dreams are going to be simple subconcious background noise with no particular meaning attached.

 

[skip0110]

However, there are lots of people who find it therapeutic to have their dreams analyzed. And some people find amusement in understanding their unconscious in this manner.

I don't believe that we can say anything truthful or definite about dreams, or that they have any meaning at all. However, being human, it is comforting to have an explanation for these otherwise irrational seeming thoughts.

Would it be fair to say that the interpretation of dreams isn't actually a scientific process at all, despite the fact it's taught under the realm of science known as psychology?

Well, I wouldn't say that dream analysis is a science, but I also do not consider psychology to be a science (hopefully I'm not offending anyone). Yes, it is an experimantal field, but in a more statistical sense than the "real" sciences (in my view) which have a theoretical underpinning.

 

[Carl.]

The only links I've made yet between my dreams and my conscious life are very random, either trivial or meaningful recent memories that are reflected one way or another in my dreams. Trying to find correlations between dreams and someone's state of mind and memories is a rather fascinating subject to me, to give us a better undertanding of how the brain works, but I doubt dreams tell you more than you already know about yourself.


The way memory interacts with dreams can be very strange sometimes. Usually, I can't recall what dreams I just had after waking up, but I clearly recall some dreams I had at the age of 4.

 

[Arwin]

I used to have quite an interest in the meanings behind dreams. But when an individual's dream is broken down in a scientific manner, there's no actual evidence that a certain dream symbol or sequence means anything.

However, there are lots of people who find it therapeutic to have their dreams analyzed. And some people find amusement in understanding their unconscious in this manner.

Would it be fair to say that the interpretation of dreams isn't actually a scientific process at all, despite the fact it's taught under the realm of science known as psychology?

Discuss.

* This is not a thread for posting the dream you had last night, or a persisting nightmare. Search elsewhere for a thread for that purpose.

Never mind dream analysis, I am yet again struck by how astute the advertisements are below your post. Wow. Pretty good system! (seriously, two ads, offering to have your dreams analyzed and such).

Anyway, there is little known, scientifically about dreaming - it deals with a part of the brain that is very little known about as yet. We know about sleep, but not really about dreaming. Freud did groundbreaking work, only because there really wasn't much before him. It's not altogether very useful, he reads them like a work of literature, and he wasn't a bad scholar as such, but science has moved on.

But what I've noticed, is that dreams often tend to consist of things you know, and include things you worry about and sometimes also things you miss. This is one thing that's pretty consistent in my dreams. But yes, more science would be nice here.

 

[Ten]

I've had dreams cause me to reconsider and rethink things about my life, such as desires.

For instance, when I was 18, I had a dream wherein I won the lottery (I was obsessed, buying tickets left and right) and was handed everything I ever wanted.

All of my friends, who continued to work hard and go to school (I had dropped out earlier that year) were making something of themselves. They scoffed at me, as I had ridden along throughout life, without a worry. They had to work for everything, and it was just handed to me.

When I awoke, I started thinking about wether or not I'd be happy with all that money. Sure, money CAN buy happiness, but it fades and turns to emptiness soon enough - I have my reasons for knowing that.

I decided that if I was going to have ANYTHING in my life, I was going to earn it. Some peope just need that sense of accomplishment. I happen to be one of them.

I suppose it goes without saying that I haven't bought a ticket since. ^^

 

[Mike Rotch]

Dreams can be interpreted to mean anything - hence interpretations have no meaning in my book.

Say for instance, someone dreams they sit on a tortoise. It could mean they are being too passive in their life. Or it could mean they are reliable (tortoise and hare analogy). Or it could mean they watched National Geographic before they went to bed.

 

[VIPFREAK]

I believe that my subconsious is trying to sort stuff out during dreams to try to resolve issues I may have during the day. There are many examples of this, one time for school we had this project to make a structure out of spagetti but there were only certain ways that you could build. I was so rapped up in trying to find solutions that I had a dream where I got so good I made a beach chair out of spagetti and it held me up. It may not be that way for others but I think part of the way I dream is because of my industrial design major. Other times I don't remember jack squat or I just don't have a dream altogether.

 

[SS69]

i dont believe dreams have any interpretation. dreams are your thoughts with pictures added. they're what happens to be on your mind when you fall asleep. to dream of a certain thing all you have to do is think of that and nothing but that before you fall asleep. works for me everytime. for example think of a color and when you fall asleep and dream, that color will be in your dream somewhere. dreams are of things inside your own head so how can you try and interpret it to be something other then what you already know?

 

[Smoke_U_24/7]

I agree with SS69, Dreams are nothing but a collection of thoughts and experiences your mind has put together throughout the day. And yes, dreams can be very therapeutic, not only are they experiences, but they serve as a warning system when you're sleeping or even when you're in a relationship. Some believe that there dreams come from beyond, some sort of angel or even God communicating with them. Dreams are completely natural.

 

[PS]

I wonder what that whole stereotypical "running but can't get away" dream means. I've never had it, but you always hear about it, but never really know what it means. Then they come up with some obvious solution of someone trying to dodge something they ultimately can't avoid. But what if the person had a stalker? Well Mr. Frasier Crane, your analysis didn't help at all. So I would like to know, where do people get off thinking they can analyse a dream from a patient whom they haven't known for 20 years or associate with on a daily basis to even remotely get a feel for what is going on in their lives? To me, dream analysis is a trivial subject to be taken any way you want it. Freud for example, seemed to think that practically everything was underlying sexual tension, whereas Jung thought about dream symbols on a variety of causes/subjects/reasons. It's all very questionable, and should probably be left to the dreamer to decypher.

 

[Ten]

"I was being chased by a giant crab wearing loafers, with lightning shooting out of it's eyes..."