Long before the Everly Brothers were crooning about dreams (All I Have to Do is Dream), Hippocrates observed that some dreams seemed to indicate what was going on with a person physically, as well as emotionally and mentally. Aristotle said that “The beginnings of diseases and other distempers which are about to visit the body … must be more evident in the sleeping state.”
While the meaning of specific dreams, as well as the significance of the dreaming process, has wide variety of opinions, it is obvious that (according to many of us), dreaming can be a helpful tool in your maintaining well-being.
Sometimes a dream symbol is simply something that was triggered in the previous day. For example, I heard a coyote howl, and I dreamed of coyotes. A dream symbol can have a recognizable connection related to your past—a person, a place, or an experience. Dreams can be frightening, arousing, reassuring. Sometimes they can seem to predict the future.
According to an article on WebMD,The Health Benefits of Dreams (http://bit.ly/DW2CC), “Researchers now believe that dreams help us process emotions, consolidate memories, and more.”
The dream — likely a means of coping with a major life stress –helped Kern, explains researcher Rosalind Cartwright, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology at Rush University in Chicago. “It’s almost like having an internal therapist, because you associate [through dreams] to previous similar feelings, and you work through the emotion related to it so that it is reduced by morning.”
Although some researchers believe dreams are just a byproduct of sleep, others think dreams are important for memory consolidation or conflict resolution. Cartwright has found clues to suggest that dreams may help with mood regulation.
Many people find it helpful to write your dreams down. I have kept a dream diary for over 40 years and it is truly amazing to see how some themes show up over and over. While it is probably best to remember the same symbol can mean something different for each dreamer, you might appreciate what Anne Hill had to say in her Huffington Post article, “What Do Dreams Say About Your Physical Health?” Here is that link: http://huff.to/I61BH. Apparently some dreams actually predict health issues.
This week, notice your own beliefs about dreams. Maybe enjoy listening to some oldies before you fall asleep easily and sleep well, and pay attention to the dreams you have.
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Rev. Debra Basham Voice: (269) 921-2217 Email: debra@scs-matters.com https://scs-matters.com http://ImagineHealing.info http://SurgicalSupport.infoSmall Changes … Infinite Results™“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” ~Mother TeresaTips from 5 April 2010 to 6 August 2012 are here: Archived Tips |