Revealing the meaning of dreams seems as complicated as specifying their function, but experts point out that both factors are closely linked. If specific interpretations have traditionally been associated with recurring dreams, it is because “we believe that dreams are recreations that the unconscious elaborates from situations or experiences that we need to process or repair, solve symbolically or reflect desires or needs to be achieved“, says Laura Palomares, a psychologist at Advance Psychologists Madrid. Hence, actively listening to them can have enormous benefits for our well-being.
What is the use of dreaming?
“And sleep is necessary and restful for the body and our brain, probably dreams are for our psyche and emotional life “, point out from Advance Psychologists. Although they insist that their function is still unknown, everything seems to indicate that dreams are “an experience created by our brain in which the information stored from the day is retrieved and processed to repair, organize, understand, and readjust emotions.”
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What do dreams express?
Palomares considers that “dreams usually reflect our fears, the way we face them, our mental schemes, relationship patterns with others…”. Hence, those dreams in which we feel vulnerable or too exposed (such as those in which we are naked) might be reflecting “insecurity in the present moment”, while the anguishing nightmares (they chase us, we fall into the void, we are trapped… ) would reflect that “we are suffering from stress, anxiety or some concern”, according to the psychologist.
But not all are negative. The expert also refers to that other type of dreams, positive and fun -or simply everyday- with which we feel rest or well-being, motivated by the ability they have to “help reorganize day-to-day information [igual que el journaling, pero de un modo inconsciente]and they tend to reflect our concerns, mental models or more or less conscious desires”, he explains.
How can we understand the meaning of dreams?
This psychologist prefers to give them a personal reading rather than apply universal interpretations; that is why she believes that the ideal is “attend to our sensations and own interpretation. We ourselves are the ones who can best understand what each character, symbol or place of the dream means for us in the present moment”. For this reason, looking at the sensation that it has left us, what emotions it has aroused in us and what it may be related to in our life, can help us to identify its meaning – “detect, for example, an unattended need, a concern or something unresolved”– and make the pertinent decisions to improve our well-being.
In any case, Palomares highlights the importance of understanding that “sleep is good in itself and which may not need further interpretation; sometimes, it only responds to our brain’s need to resolve emotions, to relocate day-to-day memories or to organize information”.
The importance of unraveling the recurring dream
Recurring dreams belong to a separate category that should not be underestimated. “They usually have to do with some emotional blockage, trauma or major event that might have impacted us, some problem not addressed or unresolved situation –begins to explain the psychologist–. In these cases it can be good to try to identify what we may be blocking or avoiding in our life or if we may be needing professional help”. Maybe it’s time to start therapy.
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