A Word About Dream Analysis
and
Interpretation
Dreams have existed for as long as their have been
humans to dream them. Dreams are an integral part of the human
experience, and every person dreams at least four times, and as many as seven times, each and every night for
their entire lives. It is even thought that unborn babies dream while they
are still in the womb.
With such an important place in
human history, it is no wonder that dream interpretation has such a long
and storied history. Everyone wants to know what his or her
dreams mean, and dream interpretation and analysis is likely as old as
dreams themselves.
The interpretation and analysis of
dreams is known to go back at least as far as 3000-4000 B.C., since a
number of stone tablets containing dream interpretations have been
discovered by archeologists.
People in primitive societies were
often thought to make no distinction between the world of dreams and the
waking world. Indeed, many people thought of the dream world as more
real than the physical one, and thought that the world encountered in
dreams was merely an extension of the physical world.
Many ancient peoples
thought of the dream world as the time when the soul left the body to
commune with the world of the spirits. It was thought that the
soul departed the body each night, and visited the world of the
ancestors. During this time the dreamer's soul was gathering
knowledge and wisdom from departed ancestors, both recent and
ancient.
In other societies, those who
could interpret and analyze dreams were held in very high regard, and
given a special place in their societies. The Romans and Greeks in
particular paid much attention to the analysis of dreams, and
they used the analysis of dreams to determine the best course of action in
matters ranging from politics to warfare.
The ancient Egyptians as well saw
knowledge, power and spirituality in dreams, and gave those who could
analyze and interpret them an honored place in the world. The ancient
Egyptians often saw dreams as a way for the gods to communicate with the
mortal world, and those dream messages were taken very
seriously.
Many societies placed special
emphasis on dreams that were seen to be prophecies. The dreams of generals
on the eve of battle were given special analysis, and those
interpretations often figured into the decisions made on the
battlefield.
The ancient and modern world are
both full of dreams seen to be prophetic. The Bible in particular is a
rich source of information on all kinds of dreams and prophecies, and
there are many dreams and interpretations of dreams contained
within the pages of the Bible. The prophets of the Old
Testament often consulted with dream interpreters for advice on politics,
warfare and other relationships.
During the early part of the 19th
century, the interpretation of dreams fell out of favor, and dreams were
given little significance during that time. During this period of
time, dreams were thought to be the result of bad food, indigestion,
anxiety or even noises in the night.
Later in the 19th century,
however, Sigmund Freud would start his psychiatric practice and
revolutionize the interpretation of dreams. Freud's work on dreams is
still considered a seminal work even today, and many of Freud's
theories of dream interpretation are still studied and followed over a
century later.
| 
