Friday, February 20, 2009

Belief in Dreams



A report has been published on six different studies that were done about dreams. Approximately 1,100 people were surveyed and the results were published in the February Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The participants, from both Western and Eastern countries and various cultures, ages, including the United States, India, and South Korea, believe that dreams reveal hidden truths and may give meaningful insight into their lives and their world.

Although it is said the interpretations of the meaning of dreams by psychologists vary widely, it appears people are very comfortable in having the understanding that their own dreams influence their waking behavior and desires.

According to comments made by researcher, Carey Morewedge, from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh PA, the co-author of the article, stated, “Most people understand that dreams are unlikely to predict the future but that doesn’t prevent them from finding meaning in their dreams, whether their contents are mundane or bizarre.”

I believe our dreams can be very symbolic and also at times, precognitive. And often, answers to problems can be revealed to us in our dreams. Inspiration and creativity comes in the dream state. So does communication with the Other Side. Most people recognize those vivid dreams, the ones where there is no doubt that communication with a loved one has taken place.

~Linda

3 comments:

Edith Newell-Beattie said...

I do believe in the power of dreams and I believe the discrepancy between psychologist’s interpretations has to do with the idea that dreams are a reflection of the true self; therefore, they are best understood by the self or someone who has a very strong tie with the dreamer. An action or symbol does not necessarily mean the same thing to every single individual and their experience in the world. That is only a factor that has to be taken into account with such studies.

As a writer I would agree that dreams are a vehicle of inspiration – I have shared this idea with writing students. I find it interesting that I came across this post after having posted “Doing Dishes” on my own blog, a poem which I used as one of my examples of the power of dream writing.

Anonymous said...

I am very pleased to see your blog today. I had a profound dream two days ago and have obsessed on it ever since. I've been driving my partner crazy by bouncing questions and ideas off him about the dream because he was a major player in it.

I've had dreams of being taken for a ride on a space ship, given special stones and crystals by shaman and even a dream of a talking fish. I have had several dreams I consider profound but this latest dream was confusing and vivid.

My partner, Doug, and I somehow stepped into a wormhole, created by a red ball, and wound up in the year 1956. Neither of us really talked about what had happened to us and went on as if nothing really happened. I was horrified by the thought of what might happen to me, if I mentioned that I was from the year 2009. I was sure I'd be put into an asylum.

This was a very long dream. Many events took place, some mundane and some intriguing. What if I gave hints to some people that might make them rich or reveal secrets of the future in a suggestive manner? All this mental activity in an environment of FBI agents, doctors and regular folk. Several time during the dream, I looked at my hand, pinched myself and commented "this is not a dream".

Doug and I were in this environment for a year before I finally asked him if he knew that we were from the future. He said yes, but he was also afraid to say anything about it. He had a silver briefcase that had a newspaper and some items from 2009. I was crying, holding the paper, and wishing we could go back home. After all, we had already been there for a year.

When I finally got my composure back, we discussed buying a 1957 Chevy and the possibility of profiting some way with our knowledge of the future.

The dream continued with my seeing past and future, like watching a movie of the events taking place. Being such a long dream, I won't go into more detail.

When I woke up, it was a strange feeling. I was convinced that I was stuck in the past and would never see 2009 again.

Thank you for letting me vent here on your blog. Doug will be forever grateful. Now, If I could only go back to 1956. 2009 looks a bit dreary.

Linda Pendleton said...

Quite a dream, Ricky. I couldn't help but wonder if the message and symbology was really about how simple and maybe even better life was during the 1950s compared to the complex world we now have. Maybe a desire to bring into 2009 those qualities of life in the past, but yet knowing and keeping all the scientific and technological advances we have made in those sixty years.

And hey, a 1957 Chevy would be nice. Hope Doug is feeling better now that you have shared it here…and given him a little bit of a break…. :-)