Hearing the word dream can have more than one meaning. Psychologically, dreams are the way people deal with everyday life.  Dreams are more than just random thoughts compiled in your brain. Dreams are considered a part of your subconscious’s repressed thoughts, desires, hidden stress, and memories. Many people are active night dreamers and can recall dreams from when they were kids. Others report the do not dream at all but wish they did. Some people even lose the ability to dream as they age. 

Dreams range from person to person depending on the type of environment they grew up in, where they work now and how their overall life evolves. Dreams can open an individual’s mind to new creative ideas, expose suppressed emotions, help understand internal conflicts and give an individual the chance to experience different events they may not try in real life.  

Scientifically speaking, dreams come from the part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is in the frontal lobe of the brain. This part of the brain is responsible for the Rapid Eye Movement. Also known as REM, “Ironic-process theory suggests that suppressed thoughts might recur in dreams more than would other pre-sleep waking thoughts. This in reference follows from evidence that dream states (marked by periods of rapid eye movement, or REM) are accompanied by deactivation of areas in the prefrontal cortex that underlie executive and working memory functions… (Wegner). 

Rapid eye movement occurs when a dreaming person’s brain makes the body believe they are awake when in fact you are both asleep and awake. You are awake in the sense that your eyes are moving under your eyelids (REM), and your brain activity is higher than when you are awake. However, when truly asleep your eyes are closed and your body as well as your mind is resting enough to store up the energy for the next day. 

In Dream Rebound, the Return of Suppressed Thoughts in Dreams by Daniel M. Wegner, Richard M. Wenzlaff, and Megan Kozak they review Freud’s book and speak about the recurrence of suppressed thoughts. Suppressed thoughts are part of a person’s everyday life. The time we spend around certain people, where we work and how we see ourselves creates these suppressed thoughts. 

As part of a society people are in different levels of wealth and knowledge through no fault of their own. People want the things others have; certain lifestyles are out of reach. The things and people we want but cannot have been suppressed thoughts that will manifest themselves in dreams. 

Many psychologists and scientists look back at the writings of philosopher Sigmund Freud. His philosophies are widely known around the world. Freud was born in the Czech Republic and moved to Austria where he proceeded to continue his philosophical and psychoanalysis of the human mind. Freud wrote a book called,” Interpretation of Dreams” where he discusses the way dreams affect the human mind and the meaning. Freud was a true believer in the significance of dreams.

Some of the most common dreams are flying, falling, teeth falling out, being chased, unable to find a bathroom and crashing a car. Many of these common dreams are also common fears an average person has at some point throughout their life. Some people are afraid of flying in any type of aircraft for fear of a falling sensation. Roller coasters also make a person feel as if they are falling. Teeth are also very important in society because it is a key characteristic of a person’s face and is linked to the feeling of being attractive. Being chased is an obvious fear, as humans we are afraid of being hurt by another person or animal. Crashing a car and not being able to find a bathroom are two very inconvenient scenarios that can be embarrassing and costly. 

Freud stated, “We discover still more when we come to examine the remaining constituents of the dream in relation to their appearance in the dream-thoughts.” (Freud pg. 318). Dreams can be analyzed down to the objects in the dream itself. I will analyze the dream below and explain the significances.

Dream Scenario: 

“Last night I dreamt, I was on a competitive dance team and somehow got sick to my stomach and left practice. My coach had texted me and I remember looking down at my phone and saw the message, “Where are you?” I responded,” Sorry, I felt sick so Silvia picked me up, I’ll be back later.” When I looked to my left, I saw a lady sleeping and I knew I would have to get out of the silver PT cruiser and find another way back to the dance studio. I looked out the car’s window and made sure no cars were coming and stepped out.  As I was walking down the street, I saw a man that I often see in my dreams but he had changed his hair and gained weight. I tried to call out to him but before I could say anything he was gone in a taxi. I continued to walk towards the huge dance building with a large black sign saying,” DANCE STUDIOS.” I walked in and the first room I entered had red lighting. As I walked through the next room the lighting was blue, the next green and finally I arrived on the street again. I continued walking and again I saw that man and screamed, “Zion, Zion” but now he was someone else and I felt disappointed I could not find this person. I saw the same building again and this time when I walked in there were over 50 dancers in practice. The choreographer said you are welcome to join us and the song playing was Judas from Lady Gaga. I started practicing the pa de bure when my alarm woke me up.” 

The dream can mean many different things but not what one would expect. “Dreams which are of such a kind have been subjected to a far-reaching revision by this psychical function that is akin to waking thought; they appear to have a meaning, but that meaning is as far removed as possible from their true significance.” (Freud pg. 528).

Dreams are theorized to have different meanings. This dream does not mean I love to dance; it is much more complicated. There are books that break down dream components called dream dictionaries. These dictionaries explain specific events, actions, words and objects and they all have their own meaning. 

Analyzing the components of a dream will help you figure out how to interpret this dream. The components of the dream scenario are the dancing, the text message, the window in the car, walking, the music, and the colors.

The text message is interpreted as,” Receiving a message: expect to get new.” (Garuda pg. 255) and the psychological meaning,” thinking things through first will clear up uncertain or problematic situations.” (Garuda pg. 255). Seeing any type of glass signifies,” Seeing a full glass indicates your positive attitude and success.” (Garuda pg. 180) and “The dream might indicate that are “seeing through” another person or situation or you are afraid that others can see through you and discover your mistakes.” (Garuda pg. 180). The walking means,” Walking forward with purpose: your self-confidence and vitality make great things possible.” (Garuda pg. 437). Colors in dreams signify, “Seeing bright colors (particularly in women’s dreams): emotions are churning. Colorful dreams are a promise of long life.” (Garuda pg. 107). Music means, “Dreaming about hearing music means being happy and celebrating people who are close to you. (Garuda pg. 270). Dancing can mean two things,” The dance is symbol of freedom from earthly limits.” and “Dancing by yourself: you would like more attention from a particular person.” (Garuda pg. 122.)

All these interpretations are related to the thoughts of the dreamer’s life. The emotions concluded in the components are all correct, the dreamer did feel happy, needed attention from a particular person and was trying to see another person’s reasoning. 

In the study I did involving seven people including myself, I found some similarities. The study was conducted on young adults and adults ranging from the ages of 16 to 52. Out of these seven people four were female and three were men. Only 1 in 7 of the people in this study believe that their suppressed thoughts do not show up in their dreams. The other five people who do believe that your suppressed thoughts end up in your dreams are not willing to openly share the content of those suppressed thoughts.

Understandably, suppressed desires are personal and can be hard to openly speak about. Suppressed thoughts are essentially a person’s deepest darkest desires. It is not uncommon for people who dream to have realistic dreams that have some type of connection to real life or “waking life.” One of the subjects named Luis Flores, age 26 said that every weekend he and a couple of other friends get together and have lucid dreams. Lucid dreaming means you are aware you are dreaming and can control the outcome of the dream. You can be a different person in your dreams, act differently and even look different. 

Additionally, dreams can make you feel different about your physical appearance and make you believe a narrative that is not true in your waking life. For example, one of the subjects had a dream where they had gained about forty pounds and could feel themselves walking differently. They could feel the difference in the steps they took. This subject reported having dreams where they often gain weight and lose weight. When they wake up there was an instant feeling being lighter again as if the weight had just been lifted off.  The meaning to this type of dream can be significant to the individual depending on how they view themselves or it can have the psychological meaning of, “If you appear too fat or ill: you are dealing with either psychical health issues or emotional burdens -get rid of them!”. (Garuda pg. 62). Emotions do weigh on a person’s health and this subject disclosed to me that they have been going through some emotional hardships.

Suppressed thoughts are also known as nightmares. Nightmares and happy dreams can come and go randomly within the same individual’s mind.  Many people think of things, people, or places they fear or want to visit. The word suppressed and nightmare both have a negative connotation. Dreams do not all have a negative underlying psychological meaning. The youngest subject named Melannie, age 16 reports her favorite dreams are of traveling to New York and Paris with her friends. She has traveled to one of these locations and just wishes to be there but is not longing to live there, these recurring dreams are merely happy thoughts. However, Melannie also reports having nightmares from time to time about being paralyzed and seeing a “monster” or seeing someone she is being hurt. These nightmares are,” Unpleasurable dreams may also be “punishment dreams.” It must be admitted that their recognition means in a certain sense a new addition to the theory of dreams. What is fulfilled in them is equally an unconscious wish, namely a wish that the dreamer may be punished for a repressed and forbidden wishful impulse. (Freud pg. 596). As a young adult Melannie is subject to feelings of teenage angst, guilt and constantly changes her mind of people and how she views herself. For these reasons the “nightmares” may be occurring.

On the other hand, some people believe dreams do not have any significance. Jerome A. Shaffer wrote an article titled, “Dreaming,” he touches on what people believe and attempts to disprove some of those beliefs. The main belief Shaffer feels is not “real” is the ability to make decisions in your sleep. Shaffer states,” Why don’t decisions in dreams count as real decisions?  Because they do not play the role in our lives which is essential to decisions. They lack the connections with my future life which we require of a decision.” (Shaffer pg. 138). Arguably, in regular dreaming maybe there are no real decisions being made but lucid dreaming means an individual is deciding what will happen next as they have full control. 

Dreams can be easily forgotten once you wake up and you may not even remember your dreams at all. One of the other subjects I interviewed named Dan, age 52 constantly dreams but does not believe the dreams affect him or have any type of meaning. Dan disclosed most of his dreams consist of experiences in his older job and of his dad who has passed away. He was the only person in the study who had different opinions than the rest of the group. In looking for people to interview most of the people I asked said they rarely dream or did not dream at all. When asking further I realized many people who do not dream have the same lifestyles consisting of alcohol or drugs. The alcohol and drugs used are suppressants which put your body and mind into an intensely deep sleep making it difficult to dream and remember if you have dreamt.

In “The Teachings of Don Juan, A Yaqui Way of Knowledge” by Carlos Castaneda the main character and narrator goes through a series of dreams to find knowledge of a culture that is not his own. The narrator’s identity is unknown throughout the book, but the experience of his “dreams” is recorded through a journal. This book touches on one of the more universally known facts among dreamers which is the sensations within dreams. Sensations meaning, smell, touch, seeing, feeling pain, sadness, happiness, anger and more. In a few journal entries the narrator describes his dreams in vivid detail, “One element from the hallucinogenic experience with the mushrooms kept recurring in my thoughts: soft, dark mass of pinholes.” (Castaneda pg. 138). 

Subjects Melannie (age 16), Ruby (age 25), Luis (age 26), Maryanne (age 26), Kevin Garcia (age 36) and Julissa Martinez (age 28) all have recollections of sensations within their dreams and sometimes confuse their dreams with reality. Freud long ago made this discovery, “His difficulty in walking up the rise was so distinct that after waking up he was for some time in doubt whether it was a dream or reality.” (Freud pg.319). 

Dreams and memories are often confused as more time goes by, a dream can feel so real that you think back and believe the dream occurred. The reality is a person’s brain is constantly thinking whether awake or asleep, thoughts range from realistic to fantasy like scenarios. The fantasy thoughts and dreams are described best are “He said that earlier I had been afraid and had just “dreamed nonsensical things…” (Castaneda pg. 143). These “nonsensical things” are an inspiration to some and allow the individual to create and make those dreams a reality.  Reality comes from psychological inspiration.

Pieces of dreams will sometimes resurface in the middle of the day when your brain is thinking of something similar. These are called triggers. Not all people remember every second of their dreams when they wake up, but for those who do, the parts of a dream linger in their mind just as memories do.  The inspiration for music, films, clothing, art, books, and technology has come from dreams. Having a dream where an individual envisions a dance or hears a tune is a component that is part of a creative process, “The second characteristic of non-ordinary reality was that it had component elements. Those component elements were the items, the actions, and the events that one perceived, seemingly with one’s senses, as being the content of a state of non-ordinary reality. The total picture of non-ordinary reality was made up of elements that appeared to possess qualities both elements of ordinary reality and of the components of an ordinary dream, although they were not on a par with either one.” (Castaneda pg. 172). Some of the most popular artists of all time are dreamers who have created music because of their dream, such as the Rolling Stones, Jimmie Hendrix, Stinger, and John Lennon.

Time is not the same when you are dreaming than when you are awake. Five minutes can be an hour in a dream, time is warped. In waking life, we know what time it is because we are accustomed to looking at a clock or a phone. In the dream world it can either be night, day or unknown depending on the environment. Dreamer’s recall knowing it was daytime or nighttime but can never truly say what time and how long. All seven of the subjects in the study have agreed time is unknowable in the dream realm; only emotions and sensations are concrete in a dream. “An uncontroversial fact about sleep is that people often report, upon waking, that they have just been having experiences. Not only do they report dreams, but they also report a variety of other phenomena- thoughts, visual and auditory images, sensations, abstract reasoning, feelings, emotions, memories, premonitions, etc.” (Shaffer pg. 137). Although Shaffer is a skeptic, he can admit dreamers have all these components in common and recognizes the significance of them. 

I can only educate you on how dreams can function and how you may see them differently. An individual’s capacity to have an imagination and dream is rooted in the brain activity. The interpretations are studied through psychology to understand the human brain, but not all evidence is concreted. There are many theories, it is for the dreamer to truly make sense of their dreams.

As humans we can have similar thoughts and experiences but not every person is the same, every dreamer thinks in a certain way and the dream is tailored to that specific individual. The approach of how people feel about dreams is one of two ways: either they think dreams are meaningless and do not bother to really think about them or try to understand them. On the other hand, others think deeply into their dreams and become consumed by the meaning. You can escape people, events, and even certain thoughts in waking life but not while you are dreaming.