Archetypal Symbols In Dreams

Archetypes are among the most powerful and most significant of all items found in dreams, and they are of great interest to dream interpreters and to dream researchers and scientists alike. At its simplest, an archetype is a prototype, or an original copy, of any object or experience. An archetype can also refer to the prefect example of an object – the object by which all others are judged.

This article will examine several important prototypes encountered in dream interpretation. The first of these archetypes is the animus.

The animus is a term used by psychologist Carl Jung to represent the masculine side of the female. Jung felt that women possessed a unconscious masculine imprint, and he called this imprint the animus.

Women become familiar with the nature of the animus through a constant questioning of ideas and opinions, and of gender roles and identity. When coming to terms with her masculine side, the woman learns to criticize her opinions and hold them at a distance. This does not mean repressing those opinions; it simply means investigating where they come from, and delving more deeply into their background.

Dream interpretation can often be a big help in discovering the masculine side of a woman, and the woman who dreams of being a man is often exploring her masculine nature.

According to Jung, women go through four stages of development when exploring and discovering their animus. In stage one, he animus may appear in dreams, and he may represent the ultimate embodiment of physical power. Thus the animus may appear as an athlete, a highly muscular man, or even as a criminal or thug.

In stage two, the animus gives the woman the initiative and the ability to take action. Women in this stage are often ready to take on careers and lives of their own, apart from their family and other role models.

In stage three of the development process, the animus may be seen in dreams as a clergyman, professor or other authority figure. During this stage, the animus represents knowledge and wisdom.

In the final stage, the animus comes to represent spirituality and deeper meaning. During this stage, the animus moves back and forth between the conscious and unconscious mind, still appearing frequently in dreams but appearing in the waking world as well.

The other popular dream archetype is the Mandela. A Mandela can be either a complex or a simple geometric design or pattern, usually in the form of a circle. Mandelas are frequently seen in Native American ceremonies, and they make up a big part of the religious experiences of many Native American and indigenous peoples around the world.

The Mandela also figures prominently in Eastern religions, and it is used to represent the universe in both the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. In Jungian philosophy the Mandela is the symbol for the self. The Mandela is also used to symbolize the circle of life, completeness or wholeness.

Dreams can use any one of these meanings, or a combination of several meanings, for the Mandela. Dreaming of a Mandela or seeing a Mandela in your dreams, is often seen as a spiritual yearning, or as a greater enlightenment.

It is important to know that archetypes such as the animus and the Mandela are universal in nature, showing up again and again in religions and mythologies around the world and across the time. Their universal nature if one of the things that gives them such power and influence, both in the world of dream interpretation and in the waking world.

Even so, it is important to note that the appearance of these symbols in dreams can have very different meanings and interpretations for each individual dreamer. Even thought the symbols are universal, each individual is unique, and personal experience plays a large role in making each individual dream symbol unique as well.

Babies And Dreaming

Understanding how we dream and why we dream is vital to proper dream interpretation and analysis, and one of the most fascinating areas of dreaming involves the study of babies and young children. Scientists have known for some time now that babies, and all other human beings, dream every night. Many studies have even suggested that babies begin dreaming before they are born.

What these babies dream about, of course, is still a mystery, but a recent study has shown that babies spent considerably more of their sleep time engaged in dream sleep. In the study, babies were found to spend approximately two thirds of their sleep time in the REM state, compared to an average of 15% to 20% for most adults.

In trying to understand the importance of dream sleep to young babies, scientists have theorized that REM sleep plays an important role in the development of the baby’s brain. One reason for this theory is that babies born prematurely have been seen to spend an even greater percentage of their sleep in the REM state than full term babies. Premature babies can spend up to 80% of their sleep time in the REM state.

As babies become older, and the brain matures, the amount of time spent in dream sleep begins to decrease. By the time the average baby is one year old, the percentage of sleep time spent in the REM sleep has dropped to 35%. This finding is thought to suggest that REM sleep is important to the baby’s mental development. It is known that adults deprived of REM sleep suffer from a variety of psychological problems, so it makes sense that REM sleep and mental development are connected.

As a matter of fact, many scientists and dream researchers believe that dreaming is a way that the mind is exercised and provided with much needed stimulation. Therefore, babies, who do not get as much stimulation as older people, need more stimulation thorugh the dream state. As babies get older and begin to experience more stimulation from the real world, they need less stimulation and mental exercise from the dream world.

Knowing that babies dream is certainly important to parents, just as understanding that young children often suffer from nightmares is important for parents to be able to soothe and comfort the fears experienced by their sons and daughters.

Dream research has revealed that babies can have bad dreams and nightmares as well as positive dreams. Therefore, when the baby wakes up crying in the middle of the night, it may be the result of a bad dream and not gas, hunger of the need for a diaper change. In most cases, comforting the child will help he or she to fall asleep.

As children get older, it is easier for parents to at least understand the nightmares they may suffer from. Nightmares usually begin to occur by the time the child is three years old, and they most often continue until the child reaches the age of six or seven. These types of nightmares often take the form of a fear of monsters in the closet, under the bed or in other hidden places.

No one knows for sure why we dream, but the fact that young children, and even babies, spend much of their lives in dream sleep is proof of the universal nature of dreaming and the importance of dream interpretation.

Analyzing and Interpreting Your Dreams

The meanings of dreams are as personal and unique as the people who dream them. No one interpretation, no matter how universal, will apply to every dream, dream symbol or dream situation. When analyzing or interpreting a dream, it is always important to pay attention to the details of the dreams, your feelings within the dream world, and of course, what is going on in your own life.

If you do wish to interpret your dreams, either purely for fun or to pursue personal and spiritual growth, there are a few pointers that will help you get the most from your dream world.

Ø As you awaken, immediately replay the dream scenario in your head. It is important to do this immediately, preferably before you even open your eyes. The dream world slips away quickly, and as much as 50% of it can be gone in a mere five minutes. By the time ten minutes has passed, more than 90% of the dream’s contents may be lost. Replaying the dream in your head will help you remember more of those tantalizing details.

Ø Immediately write down a description of the dream, focusing on key objects, symbols or feelings. Write a few words about each key element in the dream quickly, before they are forgotten, they go back later and fill in the gaps. Again, it is important to write your dream down as quickly as possible. Keeping a notebook by the bed will be a big help.

Ø Choose a quiet place in your home to begin your interpretation process. Cutting yourself of from sources of distraction will be very important. The space you choose should be as quiet and peaceful as possible. If no such space is available, review your notes a final time, fill in any details you can remember, and come back to them later.

Ø Use your intuition as you review your dream notes and try to make sense of your dream. You may already know on an instinctual level what your dreams are trying to tell you. Connecting with your intuition can help you connect with your unconscious mind. If you meditate, a short meditation session can often be a big help. Connecting with your inner self is always a huge help when it comes to interpreting and analyzing dreams.

Ø As you review your dream notes, pay close attention to the emotions they stir in you. Paying close attention to your emotional state, both at this moment and during the dream, can help you to understand what your dream really meant.

Ø Think very carefully about any vivid details, situations, locations, sensations or symbols that make the dream memorable. Open your heart as well as your mind and carefully explore the possible meaning of each symbol, situation and event. It may be helpful to jot down the impressions in your dream journal or notebook. As you search for meaning, don’t limit yourself to obvious interpretations. For instance, dreaming about a missed appointment could simply mean you are worried about being late for work, but that missed appointment could also symbolize a feeling of missed opportunity in your life.

Ø Running an inner dialog with the people or objects you dreamed about is often helpful as well. This inner dialog is especially useful when trying to determine why you dreamed about certain people. Try asking them in your head “why am I dreaming about you?”, “what are you doing in my dream?”. It is also helpful to know that often people in our dreams are symbols of aspects of our own personality instead of literal people.

Ø If you are stuck for an interpretation, it is a good idea to leave your dream notebook and come back to it later. It may also be helpful to discuss the dream with others, or to consult an expert on dream interpretation.

A Word About Dream Analysis And Interpretation

It is quite likely that dreams have existed for as long as their have been humans to dream them. Dreams are an integral part of the human experience, and every person dreams at least four times, and as many as seven times, each and every night for their entire lives. It is even thought that unborn babies dream while they are still in the womb.

With such an important place in human history, it is no wonder that dream interpretation has such a long and storied history. Everyone wants to know what his or her dreams mean, and dream interpretation and analysis is likely as old as dreams themselves.

The interpretation and analysis of dreams is known to go back at least as far as 3000-4000 B.C., since a number of stone tablets containing dream interpretations have been discovered by archeologists.

People in primitive societies were often thought to make no distinction between the world of dreams and the waking world. Indeed, many people thought of the dream world as more real than the physical one, and thought that the world encountered in dreams was merely an extension of the physical world.

Many ancient peoples thought of the dream world as the time when the soul left the body to commune with the world of the spirits. It was thought that the soul departed the body each night, and visited the world of the ancestors. During this time the dreamer’s soul was gathering knowledge and wisdom from departed ancestors, both recent and ancient.

In other societies, those who could interpret and analyze dreams were held in very high regard, and given a special place in their societies. The Romans and Greeks in particular paid much attention to the analysis of dreams, and they used the analysis of dreams to determine the best course of action in matters ranging from politics to warfare.

The ancient Egyptians as well saw knowledge, power and spirituality in dreams, and gave those who could analyze and interpret them an honored place in the world. The ancient Egyptians often saw dreams as a way for the gods to communicate with the mortal world, and those dream messages were taken very seriously.

Many societies placed special emphasis on dreams that were seen to be prophecies. The dreams of generals on the eve of battle were given special analysis, and those interpretations often figured into the decisions made on the battlefield.

The ancient and modern world are both full of dreams seen to be prophetic. The Bible in particular is a rich source of information on all kinds of dreams and prophecies, and there are many dreams and interpretations of dreams contained within the pages of the Bible. The prophets of the Old Testament often consulted with dream interpreters for advice on politics, warfare and other relationships.

During the early part of the 19^th century, the interpretation of dreams fell out of favor, and dreams were given little significance during that time. During this period of time, dreams were thought to be the result of bad food, indigestion, anxiety or even noises in the night.

Later in the 19^th century, however, Sigmund Freud would start his psychiatric practice and revolutionize the interpretation of dreams. Freud’s work on dreams is still considered a seminal work even today, and many of Freud’s theories of dream interpretation are still studied and followed over a century later.

Brief History Of Dreams and The Interpretation

The interpretation of dreams by dream experts may be almost as old as dreaming itself. We know that all humans, and many animals, dream every night, and humans have always been fascinated to learn what causes dreams and what they mean.

The interpretation of dreams dates back at least as far as 3000-4000 B.C. We know that because the interpretations of dreams were recorded in permanent form on clay tablets. It is thought that many primitive peoples were unable to initially distinguish between the real world and the dream world.

In many cases, these people looked upon the dream world as an extension of the physical world around them, and in many cases they saw the dream world as more powerful than the waking one.

Dream interpretation was such an important field to the ancient Greek and Roman world that dream interpreters often accompanied generals and other military leaders into battles. Dreams were taken extremely seriously, and the Greeks and Romans in particular often viewed dreams as messages sent by their gods.

Dreams also had a religious content in ancient Egypt, and priests their doubled as dream interpreters. Dreams were among the items recorded by the ancient Egyptians in the form of hieroglyphics.

Those whose dreams were especially vivid or significant were thought to be blessed and were given special status in these ancient societies. Likewise, people who were able to interpret dreams were thought to receive these gifts directly from the gods, and they enjoyed a special status in society as well.

There are over 700 mentions of dreams in the bible, and people in biblical times saw dreams as very significant. Dreams and their interpretations are mentioned in many of the most significant books of the bible and other holy scriptures.

In many cases, dreams were often seen as a form of prophecy. People often interpreted their dreams as omens or warnings, and adjusted their activities accordingly. Dreams were often thought of as omens from deities, as messages from spirits, or as messages from departed souls. In some cases, dreams were even seen as the work of demons, meant to confuse and trouble the dreamer.

Dreams were so important that they often dictated the actions of political and military leaders, affecting everything from the prosecution of a battle to the outcome of a political decision. Dreams were also thought to provide vital clues to healers, and they were used in the diagnosis and treatment of all manners of illness.

Dreaming was often looked upon by indigenous peoples as a way to commune directly with gods and spirits, and dreams are still used in this way by cultures around the world. Many people believed, and some still do, that during dream sleep the soul leaves the body and communes with the spirit world.

The Chinese were one culture who believed that the soul left the body each night during dream sleep. They believed that if the dreamer were suddenly awakened the soul may not be able to return to the body. That is why some Chinese are still leery about the use of alarm clocks. This is just one example of how ancient legends can linger into the modern world.

Some Mexican and Native American societies share this ancient view of the importance of dreams, and share the belief in a separate dimension that is visited during dream sleep. These people believed that their departed ancestors lived in their dreams, and that they were able to take forms like animals and plants.

Thus dreams were seen as a way for them to commune with their recent and ancient ancestors, and to gather wisdom and knowledge that would serve them in their waking lives. Dreams were also seen as ways to gather information about their purpose or mission in life.

The respect for dreams changed radically early in the 19^th century, and dreams in that era were often dismissed as reactions to anxiety, outside noises or even bad food and indigestion.

During this period of time, dreams were thought to have no meaning at all, and interest in dream interpretation all but evaporated. This all changed, however, with the arrival of Sigmund Freud later in the 19^th century. Sigmund Freud stunned the world of psychiatry by stressing the importance of dreams, and he revived the once dead art of dream interpretation.