On the Importance and Meaning of Dreams (According to Me)

The human mind is a complex and enigmatic creature. As if deciphering the waking processes of the mind were not enough, the interpretation of dreams has both bothered and intrigued the human race, probably since people began to dream. There are so many questions with respect to the meaning and importance of dreams that debates are inevitable. In this article, I intend to describe my own feelings on the meaning and importance of dreaming.

Some people argue that dreams are the result of random neural firings, and are therefore meaningless. Others argue that dreams reflect our preoccupations in waking life. I think that both of these theories are correct, at least some of the time. We dream much more than we remember, and really what dream we remember is a matter of luck and when we wake up. If many dreams are had every night, it makes sense that at least some would be nonsense or trivial, and therefore probably the result of neurons firing randomly.

However, at least in my personal experience, I've found that perhaps one-quarter to one-half of the dreams I remember reflect things that are going on in my personal life or concerns that I have. Usually, no significant amount of interpretation is required. Most of the time, I can wake up and say, "Oh, that dream was about so and so..." Other times I wake up and think, "Okay," and have absolutely no idea what my dream meant.

I don't believe in forcing it. There are books and books and books and websites and books about what dream symbols mean. I'm sorry, but if there's a spoon, woven basket, or oak tree in my dream, they're probably just scenery. No one's mind has a bank of dream symbols to which it can refer when it wants to symbolize or communicate something. Granted, I believe that some things in dreams can be symbolic or indicative of one's feelings. For example, seeing an employer seated high above oneself might indicate that that individual sees his or her boss as being in a place of unreachable power. Still, this is a pretty primitive symbol, if it can be called that.

Are dreams worth acting on? Most of the time, probably not, at least according to me. If you hate your job, you probably don't do so subconsciously. If you're in love with a friend or coworker, you probably already know that. You don't need a dream to tell you that. Work with what your waking mind knows.

For me, dreams are for amusement and sometimes help me realize if I'm really concerned about an issue. A problem has to be rather serious before it enters my dreams. Otherwise, I don't worry much about my dreams. I used to, but I'm happier now that I have a better perspective on their importance.

What's your perspective on dreams? Do you think they're a reflection of the subconscious mind, or are they merely random neural firings? Feel free to share your thoughts in the form of a comment. Thank you for reading!